# The Secret to Musical Pleasure Lies in the Unexpected The brain reacts to unexpected music flows like it does to money and food. - **Source:** [PsyBlog](https://www.spring.org.uk) - **Published:** 2026-07-14 - **Topic:** [Career Growth](https://brifing.si/c/growth) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/d924d4cc-2199-4733-9484-bb8dca64683b ## Music and the Brain When listening to music, our brain tries to predict the next sounds. These predictions are based on musical patterns we’ve learned over a lifetime. When we hear an unexpected chord, the brain’s reward centers activate. ## The Impact of Surprising Music According to the study, people who listened to unexpected musical pieces showed more brain activity. This activity occurred in the nucleus accumbens, a region associated with musical pleasure. ## Reward Prediction and Music Ben Gold, the study’s lead author, says the research contributes to our understanding of how music, as an abstract stimulus, activates the brain’s reward centers. This suggests reward prediction plays a broader role. ## Musical Learning The study shows that musical events can trigger reward prediction errors observed in concrete rewards like food or money. These signals support learning. ## The Brain’s Reward Centers The activation of the brain’s reward centers while listening to music explains the powerful impact music has on people. This helps us understand why music is so pleasurable. ## The Importance of Music This study demonstrates how music affects the brain’s reward and pleasure mechanisms. The unexpected elements of music have an enriching effect on our lives. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.spring.org.uk/2026/07/music-pleasurable.php — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._