Is music truly a universal human experience?

The answer

A landmark 2019 study published in Science analyzed music from 315 cultures across the globe and found that music is indeed universal: every documented society produces music, and songs tend to share certain structural features regardless of origin. Lullabies, dance songs, healing songs, and love songs appeared in nearly every culture studied. However, the specific scales, rhythms, and instruments vary enormously. Some cultures use microtonal intervals foreign to Western ears, while others employ polyrhythmic structures of extraordinary complexity. The study suggests that music likely evolved to serve social bonding, coordination, and emotional communication functions fundamental to human survival.