What she really thinks of your taste in music

By Markham Heid

Metallica or Mozart? Your online music preferences play a role in how hot she finds you, shows new research from the University of Miami.

Compared to a guy’s personal website that featured classical background music, women rated the same guy to be 17 per cent more attractive if his site rocked heavy metal jams, the research reveals.

The reason: gender stereotypes influence attraction—even online, says study coauthor Dr Cong Li. And because women associate rebellious behaviour with sex appeal—yes, it’s the old bad-boy shtick—music associated with rule-breaking ups a guy’s sexiness factor, Cong adds.

Whether you’re choosing background tunes for your profile or listing your favourite bands on a dating site, you may want to opt for music that has manly, rebellious attributes to maximize your appeal, Cong advises.

Not into Megadeth? Modern rock like the Black Keys will do just fine, his study suggests. You can tell her about your love of Beethoven or Adele after you’ve started dating.