A new study from the University of Montreal has revealed a striking link between people’s favourite music genres and their political leanings. The research team, led by Professor Catherine Ouellet, surveyed more than 125,000 people to uncover patterns connecting musical taste, personality traits and voting behaviour. Their findings suggest that the songs and genres we gravitate toward may quietly reflect our broader worldview — and even how we vote.
The study found that people who identify as Conservative were far more likely to be fans of country or metal music. Those on the left, meanwhile, tended to prefer folk music, signalling a clear divide in how listeners on each side of the political spectrum relate to cultural identity and sound. The researchers also uncovered notable differences in personality: fans of folk rock and rap scored higher in extraversion, while listeners who leaned toward metal, hard rock or alternative rock tended to be more introverted. The study suggested that genres such as metal, rap, folk rock and rock were associated with lower agreeableness, lower conscientiousness and lower emotional stability.
What your favourite genre says about you
- Country: Conservative, extraverted
- Metal: Conservative, introverted, unagreeable, unconscientious
- Folk: Left-wing, extraverted
- Rap: Extraverted, unagreeable, unconscientious
- Hip-hop: Low-income
- Pop: Low-income
- Rock: Introverted, unagreeable, unconscientious, high-earner
Professor Ouellet explained that people often identify strongly with a particular musical genre, and that this sense of belonging can express shared values and attitudes that naturally align with political views. She added that this connection between music and identity could be even more significant in the age of digital platforms, where listening habits are tracked constantly. As she put it, what we choose to listen to “may say more about us than we would like."
Other researchers have explored similar themes in recent years. Previous studies found that people’s musical preferences often match specific sub-components of personality traits, not just broad categories. For example, listeners who favour rap, hip-hop and other rhythm-heavy genres tend to score higher in compassion but lower in politeness. Another well-known study suggested that empathy levels can be a strong predictor of which genres a person enjoys, sometimes even more accurate than classical personality tests. Together, these insights point to a deeper psychological link between sound, emotion and identity.
The Montreal study also highlighted that the relationship between music, class and politics has evolved. Traditional links between social class and musical taste appear to be weakening, with genre boundaries becoming more fluid in a fragmented media landscape. Despite this, the political divide in listening habits remains evident — even if it’s not absolute. Ouellet stressed that these results reveal broad tendencies rather than fixed rules. Not every country or metal fan is Conservative, and not every folk listener is left-wing.
