The Drugs Don’t Work by the Verve tops a list of songs which make us sad, according to a scientist.
Dr Harry Witchel, an expert in physiology and music, analysed the physical reactions to music on behalf of Nokia UK.
Using a shortlist compiled by the Official UK Charts Company, he measured their "tune trigger quotient" measuring heart rate, respiratory response and skin temperature to find the saddest, happiest and most exhilarating tracks.
The happiest songs were measured by contentment judged on levels of sighs per minute (indicating the recall of happy memories) plus low level of boredom.
Sad tracks were indicated by decreased heart rate and exhilarating tunes by increase in breaths per minute.
The happiest song was LDN by Lily Allen, followed by Abba’s Dancing Queen and REM’s Shiny Happy People.
Most exhilarating were Blur’s Song 2, Love Machine by Girls Aloud and Somebody Told Me by Killers.
The Verve beat Robbie Williams’s Angels for the title of saddest song, with Elton John’s Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word coming third.
Dr Witchel said: "Music is undeniably powerful at triggering different emotional states. Changes in tempo and frequencies induce profoundly different emotional states.
"A slow tempo song like the Verve’s The Drugs Don’t Work slows down the heart compared to most of the other songs and compared to white noise - in other words, it works like the emotional state of sadness.
"Also, I have to say there were many powerful and exhilarating songs we tested, and I was surprised that Blur’s Song 2 could be such a clear winner among our participants."
The happiest ten songs were:
1. Lily Allen - LDN
2. Abba - Dancing Queen
3. REM - Shiny Happy People
4. B52s - Love Shack
5. The Beatles - She Loves You
6. Beyonce - Crazy In Love
7. Britney Spears - Baby One More Time
8. Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes - I’ve Had The Time Of My Life
9. The Spice Girls - Spice Up Your Life
10. Kylie Minogue - Spinning Around
The saddest ten songs were:
1. The Verve - The Drugs Don’t Work(click to listen)
2. Robbie Williams - Angels(click to listen )
3. Elton John - Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word(click to listen)
4. Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You(click to listen)
5. Sinead O’Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U(click to listen)
6. Will Young - Leave Right Now(click to listen)
7. Elvis Presley - Are You Lonesome Tonight?
8. Christina Aguilera - Beautiful(click to listen)
9. James Blunt - Goodbye My Lover(click to listen)
10. Radiohead - Fake Plastic Trees(click to listen)
The most exhilarating ten songs were:
1. Blur - Song 2
2. Girls Aloud - Love Machine
3. Killers - Somebody Told Me
4. Prodigy - Firestarter
5. Razorlight - Rip It Up
6. Rolling Stones - Start Me Up
7. Gnarls Barkley - Crazy
8. U2 - Beautiful Day
9. Oasis - Roll With It
10. Take That - Relight My Fire