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Relax: Songs to calm the nerves : All Songs Considered It's music to the rescue on this week's All Songs Considered, with a mix of songs to slow the blood, including the one track scientists believe can reduce anxiety by up to 65%.

Featured songs and artists:
• Marconi Union: "Weightless"
• Mary Lattimore: "Wawa by the Ocean" from 'Collected Pieces'
• Van-Anh Nguyen and Noshika Masuda: "Spiegel im Spiegel" by Arvo Pärt
• Brian McBride: "Girl Nap" from 'The Effective Disconnect'
• Laraaji: "Meditation No. 1" from 'Day of Radiance'
• Arooj Aftab: "Saans Lo" from 'Vulture Prince'
• Eluvium: "One" from 'Talk Amongst The Trees'
• Enya: "Watermark" from 'Watermark'
• Adele: "Somoene Like You" from '21'
• Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, John Pritchard & London • Philharmonic Orchestra: "O Mio babbino caro" from 'Kiri Te Kanawa Sings Puccini and Verdi'
• Yo La Tengo: "Our Way To Fall" from 'And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out'
• Cassandra Jenkins: "Hard Drive" from 'An Overview of Phenomenal Nature'
• Ruth Laredo: "Clair de Lune" from 'My First Recital'
• Rachika Nayar: "Our Wretched Fantasy" from 'Heaven Come Crashing'
• Radiohead: "Everything in its Right Place" from 'Kid A'
• Clem Snide: "Nick Drake Tape" from 'A Beautiful EP'

Visit our site to see the Top 10 songs scientists say are the most relaxing.

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All Songs Considered

Relax: Songs to calm the nerves

Relax: Songs to calm the nerves

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Image from the cover to Laraaji's 2023 album, Segue to Infinity. Illustration by Jackie Lay/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Illustration by Jackie Lay/Courtesy of the artist

If you've been gripping the great armchair of life, this week's All Songs Considered is here to help, with songs to lower the shoulders and slow the blood. NPR Music's Hazel Cills and Stephen Thompson join host Robin Hilton to share their go-to tracks to calm their nerves, from the transcendent sounds of Arooj Aftab and Laraaji to Brian McBride's ambient wonder "Girl Nap," Cassandra Jenkins' profound tear-jerker "Hard Drive" and more.

Hear The Songs

We've also got the one song scientists, presumably wearing lab coats in secret, underground facilities, determined is the single most relaxing song of all time — so relaxing, it may reduce your anxiety by up to 65%.

Featured songs and artists:

  1. Marconi Union: "Weightless"
  2. Mary Lattimore: "Wawa by the Ocean" from Collected Pieces
  3. Van-Anh Nguyen and Noshika Masuda: "Spiegel im Spiegel" (Pärt)
  4. Brian McBride: "Girl Nap" from The Effective Disconnect 
  5. Laraaji: "Meditation No. 1" from Day of Radiance
  6. Arooj Aftab: "Saans Lo" from Vulture Prince
  7. Eluvium: "One" from Talk Amongst The Trees
  8. Enya: "Watermark" from Watermark
  9. Adele: "Someone Like You" from 21
  10. Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, John Pritchard & London Philharmonic Orchestra: "O Mio babbino caro" from Kiri Te Kanawa Sings Puccini and Verdi
  11. Yo La Tengo: "Our Way To Fall" from And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out
  12. Cassandra Jenkins: "Hard Drive" from An Overview of Phenomenal Nature
  13. Ruth Laredo: "Clair de Lune" (Debussy) from My First Recital
  14. Rachika Nayar: "Our Wretched Fantasy" from Heaven Come Crashing
  15. Radiohead: "Everything in its Right Place" from Kid A
  16. Clem Snide: "Nick Drake Tape" from A Beautiful EP

The Top 10 most relaxing songs of all time, according to the British Academy of Sound Therapy:

  1. Marconi Union and Lyz Cooper: "Weightless" 
  2. Airstream: "Electra"
  3. DJ Shah: "Mellomaniac (Chill Out Mix)" 
  4. Enya: "Watermark"
  5. Coldplay: "Strawberry Swing"
  6. Barcelona: "Please Don't Go" 
  7. All Saints: "Pure Shores"
  8. Adele: "Someone Like You" 
  9. Mozart: "Canzonetta Sull'aria"
  10. Cafe Del Mar: "We Can Fly"