According to a study by Figure 1 and Spotify 90% of surgeons and surgical residents listen to music in the operating theater, and the most popular genre of the 700 surgeons from more than 50 countries surveyed is rock at 49% and pop at 48%. Classical followed closely behind at 43% while Jazz and R&B came in at about 20%.
An older study in BMJ claims “music benefits communication between team members, reducing anxiety levels and improving efficiency. Music also appears to enhance surgical performance by increasing task focus, particularly among surgeons who listen to music regularly.”
Both surgeons and patients alike to benefit from the soothing effects of music in the OR. Generally speaking the operating room can cause anxiety, and tension that can be alleviated by some familiar tunes.
Doctors attested that music helps them focus, promotes cooperation & efficiency between team members and can calm patients like first-time mothers in labor. During operations like plastic surgery, music can “fill a void” of sound in the room to mask daunting suction, or metallic sounds, for a more relaxed surgery session. However, if there are any complications, or communication is hindered, music is the first thing to go according to nearly every type of surgeon in the study.
There were a few common songs on the playlists of these surgeons, so we went ahead and loaded them up for easy access as a Spotify playlist. Click this link to listen, focus, and operate from your Spotify account.
Never Miss a Beat
And the top surgeon playlist songs reported are….classic rock. A little nostalgia, a little power, both uplifting and relaxing:
- “Rock You Like a Hurricane” by Scorpions
- “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses
- “Just What The Doctor Ordered” by Ted Nugent
- “Break on Through (To the Other Side)” by The Doors
- “Paint It, Black” by The Rolling Stones
- “Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin
- “We Will Rock You” by Queen
- “Back In Black” by AC/DC
- “Cocaine” by Eric Clapton
- “The Wind Cries Mary” by Jimi Hendrix
- “Should I Stay or Should I Go” by The Clash
- “Like A Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan
- “Rebel Rebel” by David Bowie
- “Beautiful Day” by U2
- “Why Can’t This Be Love” by Van Halen
- “Iron Man” by Black Sabbath
- “Who Are You” by The Who
- “Barracuda” by Heart
- “Tom Sawyer” by Rush
- “Edge of Seventeen” by Stevie Nicks
- “All Right Now” by Free
- “Sympathy For The Devil” by The Rolling Stones
- “Stairway To Heaven” by Led Zeppelin
- “Ace of Spades” by Motörhead
- “Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica
- “Piece of My Heart” by Big Brother & The Holding Company, Janis Joplin
- “Under The Bridge” by Red Hot Chili Peppers
- “American Woman” by Lenny Kravitz
- “Take It On the Run” by REO Speedwagon
- “Animal” by Def Leppard