Half of workers claim they are more productive while listening to music, Come on Eileen is their unlikely song of choice

Dexys Midnight Runners has shaken off Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber to top the list of songs most likely to make Brits ‘work faster’, a new study claims. With 20 percent of the nation saying that they listen to music at work every day, the study from Trade Direct Insurance set out to discover what effect this is having on the work environment and the level of work employees can complete during working hours. The study’s findings claim that over half (53 percent) of the 1,007 British workers who took part think they are more productive when listening to music at work.

The top five songs Brits said would make them work faster are:

1. ‘Come on Eileen’ by Dexys Midnight Runners (19 percent)
2. ‘Shake it off’ by Taylor Swift (14 percent)
3. ‘Despacito’ by Luis Fonsi and Justin Bieber (12 percent)
4. ‘Rolling in the deep’ by Adele (10 percent)
5. ‘What do you mean?” by Justin Bieber (6 percent)

The research offers no clue as to where this playlist comes from.

Aaron Surtees, Hypnotherapist and Owner of City Hypnosis commented: “Listening to music at work can have several benefits to improving your wellbeing at work. Music can increase productivity, concentration and lower stress levels, making you feel instantly more energised and happy. I recommend using headphones and setting up a work playlist that is proven to improve your mood. Headphones will cancel out any noise and disruption but will also not annoy your work mates, or leave you arguing over what to play.

“Music is also proven to help with overall mental wellbeing and tackles mental health issues. All people in stressful jobs are at risk of suffering with their mental health, often leading to time off work and ongoing sickness. Listening to music that you recognise can help reduce this risk, and reduce levels of anxiety and depression. This means not only are you more productive and alert, but this will make you enjoy your job more, in turn making you better at it, meaning you will progress further.”

The research also identified the genre of music which could encourage the quickest work rate amongst employees. Pop came out on top, as a fifth of the nation said listening to that type of music would make them work faster, closely followed by Rock (18 percent) and Dance music (15 percent).