Podcast: Some People Can't Enjoy Music. Science Has An Explanation

By Cameron English and ChuckDinerstein — Mar 02, 2026

Why do some people get goosebumps from a song while others hear the exact same notes…and feel nothing? New research reveals “musical anhedonia” — a real brain disconnect where music hits your ears but never reaches the reward center. It’s not picky taste, but a fascinating finding from neurology. Let's take a closer look.

Image: ACSH

Join Cameron English and Dr. Chuck Dinerstein on Episode 158 of the Science Dispatch podcast as they discuss:

People Hear Music Very Differently. Some Can't Enjoy It At All

Music tastes vary wildly: one person melts into Mahler, another lives for Sinatra, and someone else wants Snoop on repeat. But while most of us chalk this up to preference, neuroscience suggests something deeper may be happening. For some people, music simply doesn’t deliver pleasure the way it does for everyone else.

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Cameron English

Director of Bioscience

Cameron English is a writer, editor and co-host of the Science Facts and Fallacies Podcast. Before joining ACSH, he was managing editor at the Genetic Literacy Project.