4 Music Artists That Can Help You Concentrate While Driving

Many of us enjoy music while driving. Some studies even say that music can induce and maintain moods during a drive. But does it matter what music you listen to? Are there specific artists who can help you concentrate while driving? A website named AutoTrader found that listening to music while driving can aid us in certain situations. They said songs with a BPM (beats per minute) of higher than 120 have been documented to help athletes run faster, while music with just 60-70 beats per minute has been shown to help students study longer and retain more information.

They wanted to explore which music, specifically which artists, is the most beneficial in helping your concentration when driving. "One of the most important parts of becoming a driver, and a great indication of how quickly you can identify and react to hazards while driving, is the well-known hazard perception test," they said. They tasked their study participants with completing a series of hazard perception tests while listening to different playlists from 20 different popular artists that have been regularly streamed or played on the radio in 2024.

After taking each hazard perception test (while listening to the playlists), the participant's scores were recorded and totaled to discover the average result per musician. The scores represent the average score achieved by multiple participants listening to a particular artist during their hazard perception tests. Higher scores indicate greater concentration levels, meaning the participants identified and reacted to hazards quicker when listening to that artist.

According to their study, hip-hop artist Drake ranked number one. Participants in the study secured an average score of 59.5 out of 75 when listening to Drake. Following behind Drake is pop singer Ariana Grande, who is tied with rapper Eminem. Wrapping up the top 3 spots is singer Billie Eilish.

Study participants had an average score of 58.5 on their hazard perception exams when listening to Ariana Grande. Eminem’s tracks helped their study participants score, on average, 58.5 out of 75 on their hazard perception tests. Singer Billie Eilish scored an average of 57.

While the majority of our study participants passed their hazard perception tests while listening to different artists, two artists seemed to really impact participants' abilities to spot and react to hazards in a timely manner. Both Bach and Megan Thee Stallion did not prove to be helpful artists to listen to in the car, with participants scoring an average of 42.5 and 37.5. It’s worth noting that you must score at least 44 out of 75 to pass.

Check out the complete study here.

Music can be used to regulate your mood by easing negative emotions and enhancing positive ones. According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, our favorite melodies release dopamine, known as the "feel-good hormone." They also said that fast tempos can psychologically and physiologically arouse us, helping energize us for the day which can have a positive impact on our mental state.

Within Health, a company that helps with eating disorders recoveries study on how music impacts body image. Part of their study features music acts in several genres that they say make people feel confident.

They used the searches on a digital music streaming service to gather their results. Compiling a total of 2,544 playlists that were found when searching "confidence," "feel good," "body positivity," "body image," "feeling ugly," and "bad body image."

The study found that Lizzo is the top artist to listen to for body confidence. When it comes to the rock genre, it's the most listened-to genre by fans with positive body image at percent.

Another result from the study found that 28 percent of people think music videos have a negative impact on body image.

Meanwhile, the top three songs found on the body-positive playlist include "Confident" by Demi Lovato, "Flowers" by Miley Cyrus, and "Kill Bill" by SZA. These and many other songs in this category feature lyrics about strong individuals who reject outdated beauty standards in favor of creating their own.

The top three songs found on the negative body image playlist include "Prom Queen" by Beach Bunny, "Fat Funny Friend" by Maddie Zahm, and "Jealousy, Jealousy" by Olivia Rodrigo. Playlists on the negative end of the body positivity spectrum were more often populated with songs about struggling with beauty standards.

Their research showed specific artists that are linked to making people feel confident. From Luke Combs, Drake, and Nirvana to Daft Punk, Pink Floyd, and Taylor Swift.

See the full study and complete list of top artists who make people feel confident for various genres here.

Here are artists that make people feel confident by genre.

Carrie Underwood topped the country genre list for artists who make people feel confident. She is followed by Shania Twain, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, and Toby Keith. Underwood shared the best ways to gain confidence with The Country Daily. She said that some days you've just got to fake it until you make it. "‘Okay, just kind of pretend like you know what you’re doing [laughing] until you actually do,’ and I feel like that worked," she shared.

Metallica topped the metal genre list for artists who make people feel confident. The band was number one out of five other music acts followed by Tool, Nirvana, Five Finger Death Punch, Avenged Sevenfold.

Queen is number one on the rock genre list for artists who make people feel confident. Dr Jacob Jolij, a cognitive neuroscientist the University of Groningen in Holland said that the top feel-good song is Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now." Some of the other music acts on the list include Guns N' Roses, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, and Pink Floyd.

From Taylor Swift, and Adele, to Beyoncé, and Lady Gaga. Lizzo tops the list for pop artists who make people feel confident. She has shown many times that she is all about body positivity and self-confidence. Whether its in her music, social media presence, or motivational speeches when she's snagging up an award, its no surprise she tops the list.

Alesso topped the EDM genre list for artists who make people feel confident. The band was number one out of five other music acts followed by the late Avicii, Daft Punk, Seven Lions, and Tiesto. Many of these artists were also named as EDM Sauce's top artists for Feel Good Songs.

Megan Thee Stallion topped the hip-hop/ rap genre list for artists who make people feel confident. She lead the pack followed by Drake, Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, and Eminem. These artists often produce high energy music with lyrics that highlight being confident.