For most of my adult life, I’ve been more inclined to listen to podcasts and audiobooks rather than music. I told myself that I was using my time productively—learning, expanding my thinking, and keeping up with new ideas. But recently, I’ve found myself returning to music. Not just as background noise, but as something more intentional.
It wasn’t a conscious shift at first. I’d hear a song from my past and feel something stir. A single track would transport me back to a specific moment—a car ride on a summer evening, a childhood memory with my parents, or even just the feeling of a different phase of my life. Over time, I realized that I wasn’t just listening to music for entertainment. I was engaging with it as a way to connect with my past and, in some ways, with myself.
That realization led me down a path of exploration: Why does music have this effect on memory? How can we use it intentionally? And what happens when we create playlists that serve as more than just collections of songs, but as memory triggers?
Music and Memory: Why Songs Bring Back the Past
The connection between music and memory is well-documented in cognitive science. Researchers have found that music engages multiple regions of the brain, including those responsible for processing emotions, memories, and even movement. When we hear a song that’s tied to a specific moment in our lives, our brain essentially reconstructs that moment—bringing back not just the sound of the song, but the emotions, sensory details, and context that surrounded it.
This phenomenon is called “music-evoked autobiographical memory” (MEAM)—a term used by neuroscientists to describe how music can unlock vivid personal memories. Studies have shown that music is uniquely effective at retrieving memories because it activates the medial prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain linked to long-term memory. This is the same region that remains active even in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, which is why familiar songs can often trigger strong memories in individuals who have otherwise lost much of their past.
One study, published in the journal Memory & Cognition, found that people could recall personal memories with more detail and emotional intensity when they were associated with music rather than other stimuli, like words or images. Another study from Nature Reviews Neuroscience found that music triggers dopamine release—the same neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and motivation—which explains why certain songs make us feel good even decades after we first heard them.
These findings helped me understand why I was having such strong reactions to certain songs. It wasn’t just nostalgia—it was a deeply rooted neurological response. And that realization made me want to be even more intentional about how I engaged with music moving forward.
Creating Playlists as Memory Portals
Once I understood the science behind music and memory, I wanted to take things a step further. Instead of passively waiting for a song to trigger a memory, I decided to actively curate playlists designed to evoke different moments in my life.
Here’s what I found most effective:
1. Seasonal Playlists
Certain songs just feel like a season. There’s music that reminds me of summer road trips—windows down, the smell of sunscreen, and the heat radiating off the pavement. Then there are songs that make me think of crisp autumn days, bundled up in a sweater, walking through fallen leaves.
I started by creating playlists based on each season, filling them with songs that captured the essence of that time of year. Over time, I realized that these playlists not only helped me relive past experiences but also shaped my present ones. Listening to my “Autumn Memories” playlist while walking outside in September made the experience feel richer, as if I were layering old memories onto new ones.
2. Childhood Favourites
Revisiting the music of my childhood was one of the most powerful experiences in this process. Songs that I hadn’t thought about in years—ones that played in my parents’ car, in my childhood home, or at school events—brought back memories with startling clarity.
This exercise wasn’t just about nostalgia; it was about reconnecting with a part of myself that I hadn’t engaged with in a long time. Music has the ability to remind us not just of where we were, but who we were at different points in our lives.
3. Milestone Moments
Certain songs are forever tied to specific events—graduations, weddings, first dates, travels, or even breakups. These are the “soundtracks” of our lives, whether we consciously chose them or not.
I started compiling playlists tied to specific milestones, including:
- A “Travel Soundtrack” filled with songs I listened to while on trips.
- A “Big Life Moments” playlist featuring tracks from major personal milestones.
- A “Transitions” playlist—music that got me through change, whether exciting or difficult.
Listening to these playlists became a way to re-experience those moments. Not just as a memory, but as something I could feel in real-time.
How to Build Your Own Musical Memory Playlists
If you want to start using music as a tool for memory and reflection, here are some steps to get started:
Step 1: Choose Your Theme
Decide on the type of playlist you want to create. Some ideas include:
- A playlist for each season.
- A collection of songs from a specific time period in your life.
- A playlist that tells the story of a relationship or friendship.
- A list of songs that help you focus or feel inspired.
I used to create playlists for each month of they ear but found that some had too few songs in them, so I went with seasons instead. Those playlists have an end date in mind whereas the others don’t. So you may want to use more than just one of the ideas I’ve shared with you – some playlists that have a chronological start and end date and others that don’t.
Step 2: Gather Your Songs
Take your time with this step. You don’t have to build the playlist all at once—add songs as they come to mind. You might even surprise yourself with forgotten favourites.
As you build your playlist, let your memories guide you rather than forcing the process. A song you haven’t thought about in years might suddenly resurface while you’re doing something unrelated—embrace those moments. Revisit old albums, explore curated playlists, or even ask friends and family what songs remind them of certain times. Each addition should feel like a thread connecting you to a past experience, making the playlist a rich, evolving soundtrack of your life.
Step 3: Use Streaming Services to Organize Your Playlists
Most music services make it easy to create and curate playlists. If you’re not sure how to start, here are guides to help:
Once you’ve created your playlist, take a moment to listen through it from start to finish. Does the sequence of songs feel natural? Do they evoke the emotions and memories you intended? Consider rearranging tracks to enhance the flow, grouping similar moods or moments together. You might also experiment with adding a few unexpected choices—songs that contrast yet still connect in meaningful ways. A well-crafted playlist isn’t just a collection of tracks; it’s a journey through time, shaped by your own experiences.
Step 4: Revisit and Evolve Your Playlists Over Time
Your playlists don’t have to be static. As you continue to make memories, add new songs that capture those moments. Over time, you’ll build a collection that not only reflects your past but continues to grow with you.
Think of your playlists as a living archive—one that evolves alongside you. Just as memories shift in significance over time, so too can the songs that represent them. Revisiting your playlists months or even years later can offer fresh perspectives, reminding you of past emotions while revealing new connections. Don’t be afraid to remove songs that no longer resonate or add tracks that unexpectedly capture your current experiences. In doing so, you’re not just curating music—you’re crafting a personal soundtrack that reflects your journey, one note at a time.
A Playlist to Get You Started
Since Spotify is my family’s music app of choice, I wanted to share one of my own playlists that reflects this idea of music as memory. It’s a collection of songs that instantly bring back moments from my life—tracks that remind me of different seasons, phases, and experiences.
Check out my MMM: A Journey Through Time and Sound playlist on Spotify
If you’d like to revisit this playlist whenever you want, you can add it to your Spotify library by clicking the heart (♡) or ‘Follow’ button on the playlist page. That way, it’ll be saved for easy access whenever you’re in the mood to take a journey through time and sound.
Listen… music has always been more than just sound. It’s a time machine, a memory vault, and a deeply personal art form. By engaging with it more intentionally, I’ve been able to reconnect with my past in ways I never expected.
I have no doubt that the same can happen for you.
