Spotify’s 20 most soothing tunes based on 76,000 ‘relaxing’ track pics

In moments of need, people tend to turn up the music to tune out the world — and Spotify has compiled a list of the world’s 20 most relaxing songs to help soothe the soul.

A new analysis of more than 76,000 songs selected by Spotify users for their chillest public playlists reveals that songs from folk-pop artist Ed Sheeran – “Perfect” and “Thinking Out Loud” – are sure to put your mind to rest.

Songs from R&B crooner John Legend, TikTok sensation Surf Mesa and the contemplative British rockers Coldplay also scored highly in Spotify’s listener rankings.

But you might not recognize the music streamer’s most soothing performer: award-winning Bollywood film composer, instrumentalist and singer Pritam (Pritam Chakraborty).

Of the top 150 charting songs on the relaxing list, Pritam had the largest body of work, with a total of 10 songs in the top 150, including ‘Tum Se Hi’ (6th), ‘Raabta’ (19th) and ‘Subhanallah’ (20th).

Despite occupying the top two positions, Ed Sheeran’s songs appeared only seven times in total, followed closely by Coldplay with five songs in the top positions, most notably their hits ‘Yellow’ (8th), ‘The Scientist’ ( 9e) and ‘Fix You’. ‘ (47th).

Pop singer-songwriter Billie Eilish was the only female artist to appear in the top ten, with three songs in the ranking: ‘Lovely’ (24th), ‘I Love You’ (115th) and ‘When the Party’s Over’ (116th).

The selections of Spotify playlists were searched and examined using Playlist mineran aggregator created by Spotify’s developer platform director Paul Lamere.

Using the search terms “chill,” “relax,” “calm,” and “soothing,” 76,3281 songs were analyzed and scored based on their frequency for each cozy, low-key search term, then summed across the terms for a combined total. Representatives from home perfume company Ava May Aromas conducted the Spotify playlist survey.

So, what makes a song so damn relaxing?

Ed Sheeran’s ‘Perfect’ Ranked as the Best ‘Relaxing’ Track, Based on a Survey of Spotify Playlists

Award-winning Bollywood film composer and singer Pritam (Pritam Chakraborty) had the most songs on the top 150 ‘relaxing’ list. And pop singer-songwriter Billie Eilish was the only female artist to appear in the top ten, with three songs in the top 150, including her hit “Lovely” (24th)

According to music producer Andy Freeman of Studio Punch-Up! the key is all in the first acoustic moments of each sound, the so-called transients.

“A transient is the first peak or attack of a sound. For example, the first click of a drumstick against a snare drum or a handclap,” Freeman said. “These are all sounds with a sharp attack that quickly disappears.”

“Compare this to a sound that has no transients like ocean waves, wind, or the strings in an orchestra,” Freeman added.

‘Those sounds gradually fade into the music instead of accentuating it. They are gentle and therefore soothing. They fade into the background.’

To Freeman’s ears, Ed Sheeran is an undisputed master of the soft impermanence.

“If you listen to Sheeran’s new album Subtract,” he said, “you’ll notice that there are hardly any harsh transitions.”

“There are drums, but all the transients — the spikes — are rounded,” Freeman said, “so the drum’s “hit” is nice and soft. There are no spikes anywhere, so it’s all smooth and relaxing.”

That musical technique is just one reason why the calm, reassuring Yorkshire-born crooner ranks so highly among the performers likely to put you to sleep.