What does your playlist say about your politics?

In 5 seconds A study led by UdeM political science professor Catherine Ouellet finds a connection between musical tastes and political leanings.
In the province, voters of the Conservative Party of Quebec show a preference for metal and country music, while French chanson increases the likelihood of voting for the Parti Québécois. Folk music, on the other hand, is more associated with Québec Solidaire.

When you share your favourite Spotify playlist with your friends, you aren’t just sending musical vibes; you may be revealing something about your political attitudes.

That's according to Canada-wide study led by Catherine Ouellet, a professor in the Department of Political Science at Université de Montréal. 

The finding also raises questions about the digital traces we leave behind every day.

With UdeM doctoral student Nadjim Fréchet and Université Laval professor Simon Coulombe, Ouellet collected and analyzed data from more than 125,000 Canadians who used the Datagotchi app during the 2021 federal election and the 2022 Quebec provincial election.

The researchers linked participants’ responses to MusicBrainz, a large public music database, to classify them into 256 musical genres and then cross-referenced the results with personality traits measured by the “Big Five” model, a benchmark in cognitive psychology.

 

The end of musical class divisions?

At a theoretical level, the study tested two opposing theories on the relationship between social class and music. 

French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu’s classic thesis holds that elites prefer “highbrow” genres such as jazz or classical, while the working classes turn to more accessible music. On the other hand, the “omnivore” hypothesis argues that these boundaries have blurred with the emergence of the middle class and media fragmentation.

The study’s results clearly lean toward the second hypothesis, Ouellet found.

“There is increasing heterogeneity in musical preferences within social classes,” she said. “Today, so-called popular music is appreciated by all socioeconomic groups, although some patterns are still discernible: hip-hop and pop remain more popular among low-income individuals, while rock and alternative rock dominate among higher earners.”

This trend toward the levelling of tastes reflects a society in which traditional cultural barriers are becoming more permeable, Ouellet added. Before the industrial era and media fragmentation, a stronger correlation existed between socioeconomic status and cultural preferences; today, the linkage has grown weaker.

Catherine Ouellet, professor in the Department of Political Science at Université de Montréal

Links between personality and music

In addition to social class, the study examined personality traits. “There is a correlation between certain musical preferences and personality traits,” said Ouellet. 

The study found that people who enjoy country, folk rock or rap tend to score higher on the extroversion scale, while fans of alternative rock, hard rock and metal are more introverted. The most striking results, however, related to the “agreeableness” dimension, which measures attributes such as kindness, empathy and cooperation.

“Fans of certain types of music score lower on the agreeableness scale,” Ouellet explained. 

People who enjoy metal, rap, folk rock or rock scored significantly lower for agreeableness. These same groups also had the lowest scores for conscientiousness and perceived themselves as less emotionally stable. 

This suggests that musical tastes are not random but reflect deep-seated psychological traits. Ouellet said.

 

Conservatives like metal

When it comes to political leanings, “people who voted for the Conservative Party, federally or provincially, are more likely to be country or metal fans,” she said.

Conservatives are particularly overrepresented among fans of metal, which is almost as popular as rock and alternative rock in Conservative ranks. Conversely, Conservatives have less affinity for electronic music and folk rock. 

“Statistical models confirm that listening to metal is a strong predictor of voting Conservative, as much as classic variables such as gender, age and income,” Ouellet added.

The pattern was similar at the Quebec provincial level. Voters for the Conservative Party of Quebec showed the same preference for metal and country music. A liking for the French chanson increased the likelihood of voting for the Parti Québécois. Folk music was associated with left-wing parties such as Québec solidaire. 

“Conservatives are more homogeneous in their general musical tastes,” said Ouellet. “It’s harder to find clear tendencies among voters for other parties.”

 

Broad associations only

Does this mean all metal or country fans necessarily vote Conservative? 

“No, these are broad associations,” Ouellet explained. “But they corroborate the findings of similar U.S. studies. The point is that there are apparently non-political variables that can be indicative of deeper political predispositions.”

Ouellet and her team believe that music serves as a marker of socialization and identity formation. Identification with a particular musical genre can reveal shared values and worldviews, which correlate with political attitudes. There is therefore a certain degree of consistency between lifestyle and ideological orientation.

This study connects with a broader discussion about the use of personal data in the digital age. Shared playlists on Apple Music or Spotify have become a fount of information about users.

“Collectively and individually, we have become producers of information, and these data can have a value of which we are not always aware,” Ouellet warned. “Streaming platforms are already collecting and analyzing this information to personalize their recommendations. What would prevent political strategists from using these data to target segments of the electorate?”

Political parties in Quebec and Canada currently lack the financial resources and legal framework that enable their American counterparts to exploit these data on a massive scale—but this could change.

“We need to think more deeply about the digital footprints we constantly leave behind—as voters and as consumers,” Ouellet concluded. “What we listen to may say more about us than we would like.”

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