Soundtrack of the Self: Why the Music We Loved as Teenagers Still Moves Us Decades Later

By George Moraitis

Over the years, I have spent a lot of time listening to music with Mark.

I know what you’re thinking… Yes, I’m OK (thank God for therapy).

Actually, the real therapy has been the music, a powerful healing medicine in our lives. During my formative years (say 12-22), I listened to many different genres of music but my staple diet was rock. Every Saturday I would feast on live music, seeking out the latest cool bands and often ending up at the ‘Espie’ (Esplanade Hotel) listening to Phil Para doing a Jimi Hendrix set. As I got older, I opened my horizons and seriously got into jazz, blues, classical, world music and many more.

Mark had a similar trajectory, except his foundational genre during those formative years was electronic music and new-wave synth. Today, our music tastes are broad and we both have diverse record collections that take us in interesting directions during our listening evenings. In recent times I noticed something interesting.

When I play a piece of rock music that I love, there’s a moment in the track where the electric guitar riff goes up another level and I’m having a religious experience in my chair. I look over at Mark and he’s enjoying himself but that moment hasn’t impacted him like it did me. Then we’ll play an electronica piece and at some point in the track, the beat changes slightly and Mark’s having a ‘personal encounter with the divine’ and yet to me, it was just a cool tempo change. We then play one of our favourite jazz tracks and we both appreciate different aspects of the music. I’m blissing out on the saxophonist’s virtuosity while Mark is reacting to the sublime interplay between the pianist and the drummer.

I started to have a theory that the style of music that you listen to in your formative years in some ways defines how you interpret and ‘feel’ the emotional elements of music generally. One aspect of sound experienced in a particular genre makes a neural connection in your brain and then you seem to be moved by that aspect of sound when listening to another musical genre. I comically mentioned to him that I listen to Mozart like a rock-head and he listens to Beethoven through the sophisticated lens of Kraftwerk…and we laugh because it’s true!

I decided to see if there’s any scientific evidence to support my theory.

Turns out that this isn’t about nostalgia. It’s neuroscience!

The Teenage Brain and the Emotional Imprint of Music

Between the ages of roughly 12 and 20, the brain undergoes rapid and profound development. Often referred to as the “sensitive window”, this period plays a crucial role in shaping who we become. It’s not a coincidence that music experienced during these years makes such a lasting impression.

• Peak Neuroplasticity: During adolescence, the brain is especially malleable. Neural pathways are being formed and reinforced by emotional, social, and sensory experiences — including music.

• The Limbic System Connection: The limbic system, which processes emotion and memory, is highly active in adolescence. Music experienced during this time is more likely to be encoded with emotional intensity.

• Dopamine Response: Studies show that adolescents experience heightened dopamine release in response to music they enjoy, making those experiences more vivid and memorable.

According to a 2014 study published in Memory & Cognition, people have a stronger emotional response to music they heard between the ages of 10 and 30, with the peak around 14. This “reminiscence bump” suggests music becomes part of the autobiographical memory — not just something we heard, but something we lived.

Identity Formation and Social Belonging

Music during adolescence does more than just sound good — it becomes a tool for shaping identity and social belonging.

• Tribal Affiliation: Whether you were into punk, hip-hop, rave culture, or metal, your musical preferences in youth often aligned you with a subculture. These affiliations were about more than sound; they were about values, aesthetics, and belonging.

• Personal Narrative: The lyrics, tones, and rhythms of your favourite teenage songs often became soundtracks to pivotal life moments — first loves, heartbreaks, triumphs, and transitions.

As adults, revisiting this music reconnects us to a younger version of ourselves. It’s not nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake — it’s about reaffirming a foundational part of who we are.

Emotional Conditioning and the Power of Association

Our brains are wired to associate music with context — where we were, who we were with, what we were feeling.

• Classical Conditioning: Just as Pavlov’s dogs salivated at the sound of a bell, we’ve been conditioned to respond to certain musical cues with emotion.

• Emotional Tagging: Songs from our youth often carry “emotional tags.” A rock anthem from a summer road trip or a synth-heavy track from your first party doesn’t just recall the song — it recalls the feeling.

This explains why you may appreciate other genres intellectually, but still feel a deeper emotional pull when your genre of youth re-emerges — whether it’s a screaming guitar solo, a beat drop, or a familiar vocal cadence.

Why Do We Still Expand Our Musical Horizons?

While the music of our youth lays the foundation, many of us continue to evolve and diversify our tastes over time.

• Cognitive Maturity: As we age, we become better at appreciating nuance, subtlety, and complexity in music — traits often found in genres like classical, jazz, or ambient.

• Curiosity and Openness: Exposure to new cultures, technologies, and experiences leads us to explore new sonic landscapes. Streaming platforms and global connectivity have made genre boundaries more porous than ever.

• Mood Regulation: Older people often use music less for identity formation and more for mood regulation — to relax, reflect, or escape.

Still, despite all this growth, when that song comes on — the one from the school dance, the road trip, or the basement jam session — it’s like a window opens, and a flood of emotion returns.

What Does This Mean for Audiophiles and Music Lovers?

Understanding the lasting impact of youthful music preferences offers deeper insight into why certain sonic elements — like that guitar tone or beat pattern — still light up our brains.

For audiophiles, it’s a reminder that:

• Subjective preference is shaped by emotional history. A system that faithfully reproduces your music of youth may feel more “accurate” than one that measures better but lacks that visceral connection.

• Exploration matters, but so does return. It’s not just about chasing the next new genre — it’s about coming home to the sounds that shaped you.

Music isn’t just something we listen to — it’s something we live through. The songs that soundtrack our youth become embedded in the architecture of our brains and the fabric of our memories.

As we age, our tastes may evolve, but the emotional pull of our formative favourites remains. That electric guitar riff, that synthesizer swirl, that soulful vocal — they’re not just sounds. They’re echoes of who we were and still are.