There's A Very Smart Reason Why Classical Music Is Played On London Underground

If you’ve ever been on the Tube and heard classical music, it’s actually there for a pretty good reason. 

As you make your way through the London Underground, you might have caught the faint notes of some classical music and dismissed it as simply a little treat for your ears, but that’s not the case. 

Tube bosses actually decided to introduce soothing music in an attempt to curb anti-social behaviour and crime as well as give a little boost to people’s happiness and wellbeing. 

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Initially set up in 2007, the initiative proved successful, within 18 months, robberies dropped by 33 percent, assaults on staff were down 25 percent and vandalism by 37 percent. 

Since then it’s introduced the music in 65 of its 270 stations, Classic FM reports, and offers a 40-hour playlist. 

And it’s not just helped to reduce crime, when Transport for London surveyed 700 commuters, ‘they overwhelmingly agreed that hearing classical music made them feel happy, less stressed and relaxed’. 

A similar scheme was used in 2006 across Tyne and Wear’s Metro network with similar results - 

police saw a 20 percent decease in criminal damage and 25 percent on assaults. 

And, McDonald’s has also trialled the idea in some of its restaurants. 

Back in 2018, a restaurant in London’s Shepherds Bush introduced the classical music to try and calm late night diners - with the owner saying he also saw a drop in anti social behaviour. 

The franchisee who owns the restaurant, Atul Pathak said the time: "Working together with the police and the local council in Shepherds Bush to help them with combating persistent anti-social behaviour, we thought that playing classical music at certain times of the day would help to set a different and calmer tone.

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"It is working really well and has been positively received by many customers, so much so that we are giving real consideration as to where else we might introduce it."

A spokesperson for: "We have tested the effects of classical music in the past and played it in some of our restaurants as it encourages more acceptable behaviour.

"Typically, classical music would be played from early evening onwards, and in some cases, on certain nights in a small number of restaurants."

Topics: UK News

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]