It’s long been the dream of every cradle rocker in Albion and now BETC London has made it come true: a song that dries your infant’s tears every time, and restores that sunny little grin that suits him so perfectly.
And while we could always play Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now”, globally nominated The Song That Makes People Happiest according to the formula of cognitive neuroscience researcher Jacob Jolij, our tiny tots have - until now - been helpless in their quest for happiness in the shape of rhythm.
Because we mustn’t believe that the mechanical melodies of their dribble-coated toys are enough - your babies deserve quality! That was BETC London’s starting point when they got in touch with 2007 Grammy winner Imogen Heap, along with Goldmiths University researchers Caspar Addyman (leading Baby Psychologist) and Lauren Stewart (music psychologist) to compose the ultimate hymn of infantile bliss.
After some musical testing, Caspar and Lauren were able to determine that babies reacted specifically to the rhythm of a composition. And since their memories are shorter than ours, babies love themes and repetition. For them, a track can be repetitive without being boring. Despite that, they also enjoy an element of surprise: a silent pause, a change of tempo or an unexpected voice effect can all leave babies agog.
Armed with these findings, Imogen selected British babies’ favourite sounds: the horn of a 1959 Morris Oxford, the launch of an American rocket, the bark of a grumpy Spitz and two different cat meows. And there you have it. The date of its release was a dark day for Buzz Lightyear, Simba, Elton John and assorted Pokemons as they watched “The Happy Song” zoom to the top of the charts on the iTunes Children's Music Chart…
