The song “One” by U2, and later by Mary J. Blige, has become the international language’s ultimate song. According to the meanspeed conjecture, both versions are between 90-92 beats per minute.  In terms of mental speed, pr as some say ‘cognitive tempo’, there simply is no better speed at which to process thought.

Take a look at the songs in this group.  I take as the book FOOLED BY RANDOMNESS as one of the  of  brilliant works of nonfiction written in the past quarter century.  The speed at which this song is known, the speed I used to call Ronald Reagan Speed because the songs, in a disproportion that I have not been able to label, are full of confident anticipation. CONFIDENT anticipation, ie, “enthusiasm” – rather than another anticipatory speed territories. For example, MYSTERIOUS anticipation can be found with reliability at the speed I call “foreboding” – songs between 114-117 3/4 beats per minute.  

composer=Bono, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Junior, david Evans, best know as “The Edge”
mean slow phase=1.55 cycles per second
average beat =645 milliseconds
corresponding pitch=396.80 Hertz

Ian Schneider