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You’d think that if there were a survey about the most “feel-good” song, the top pick would be either Pharrell Williams’ “Happy,” Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off,” or Beyoncé’s “Love on Top.” But according to a 2015 survey conducted by British electronics manufacturer Alba, none of those songs is number one.

In Alba’s 2015 survey2,000 U.K. adults were asked what their favorite “feel-good” songs were. They responded with old-school standards like ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” (always fun to dance to at weddings), The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” (great for picnics at the beach), and Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl” (hilariously referenced in “Stepbrothers”). But the song that truly stood out from the crowd was more of a classic rock hit than a pop chart topper.

The most feel-good song ever written is ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ by Queen, released in 1979.

If you’re younger than 40, you probably don’t even know who Queen or Freddie Mercury is. Even if you may not be familiar with Queen, you’ve probably heard some of their music before.

“We Are the Champions” and “Another One Bites the Dust” are both often played at big-time sporting events. “Bohemian Rhapsody” was immortalized in the classic comedy, “Wayne’s World.” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” was featured in a Lay’s potato chip commercial.

Queen was a British band, and the survey was given to British adults, which may have had an impact on the results. I mean, they do play Queen music quite often at football (soccer) matches, so there might be a very positive association with Queen for the Brits. “Don’t Stop Me Now” is also loved by fans of the film “Shaun of the Dead,” but still, how could a song released over 41 years ago have the perfect formula for being named the most feel-good song ever written?

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A neuroscientist analyzed the survey results and developed a formula to explain why certain songs make us so happy.

Cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Jacob Jolijwho analyzed the survey data for Alba, said that “Don’t Stop Me Now” was the perfect example of, what he dubbed, “the feel good formula” for music, having a fast tempo (about 150 beats per minute), written in a major key, and having upbeat, happy lyrics.

A sample of the song’s lyrics is: “I’m a racing car passing by, like Lady Godiva, I’m gonna go go go.” Happy? Maybe. Confusing? Definitely. “Although you cannot really pinpoint one song as the ultimate feel-good song, what we can do is identify specific features of songs that lift people’s spirits,” Jolij said in an interview. “The more data we have available, the more we can learn about how music affects our moods.”

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The neuroscientist stressed that musical taste is subjective, regardless of the feel-good formula.

So, yes, objectively, Queen’s hit meets the criteria for the happiest song ever written, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you will like it. That doesn’t make you a grump or musically illiterate, either.

“Music appreciation is highly personal and strongly depends on social context, and personal associations. In that respect, the idea of a ‘feel good formula’ is a bit odd,” Jolij pointed out. That means it’s totally normal if “Don’t Stop Me Now” isn’t in your happy songs playlist. What is interesting about the research, however, is that there are undeniable similarities on a base level of music theory that make certain songs happier to our ears than others.

Andrea Piaquadio | Pexels

At the end of the day, the formula doesn’t really matter. What does matter, however, is the fact that music can have a powerful effect on our mood and overall well-being. Sure, Jolij’s formula was done as a fun experiment, but other research exists that backs up his claims. A 2013 study found that upbeat music, like Jolij described, impacts well-being and mood. Dr. Yuna Ferguson, the lead author, explained, “People were successful at raising their positive mood as long as the music they listened to was happy and upbeat.”

And maybe it’s as simple as that. Next time my mood is in the toilet, I’m going to listen to “Don’t Stop Me Now” and see if it can make me feel happier. And if it doesn’t? Well, there are plenty of upbeat songs with positive lyrics that will!

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Christine Schoenwald is a writer, performer, and frequent contributor to YourTango. She’s had articles featured in The Los Angeles Times, Salon, Bustle, Medium, Huffington Post, Business Insider, and Woman’s Day, among many others.