Songs for Every Enneagram Type

If you know me even a little, you know that I’ve been weirdly into the Enneagram lately. Call it a phase, or call it a ~spiritual awakening~, but it’s a really fascinating look into what people really want and how they go about getting it. Instead of focusing on what makes you special (ahem, Meyers Briggs) it focuses on things in your personality that can be problematic.

For example, I am a type 3 on the Enneagram. Threes are high achievers, mostly because they want recognition and to be seen as successful. This isn’t a bad thing in and of itself, but an “unhealthy” three can try to take shortcuts to success, or step on other people in order to get to it. I’ve been there. I’d like to think I’m a semi-healthy three now, but who among us can proclaim a completely clean bill of Enneagram health?

That being said, I don’t know a lot about the Enneagram – I’m by all means a novice. But I thought it would be fun to try to pick a few songs that I believe fit each type. I even went so far as to make a playlist for Type Threes. In all honesty, a lot of these songs could overlap into other types, depending on levels of stress or health, but I think for each typical type, these songs fit the bill.

Type One – The Reformer
“Autodomesticated Animal” by Birdtalker
Ain’t it beautiful, the way she speaks her mother’s mind?
This appeals to the side of ones who abide by the rules – even if it’s constraining. Birdtalkers are talking (lol) about a young woman who has been raised in a society where she should be seen and not heard, and to obey what her elders tell her.
“Natural” by Imagine Dragons
Will you hold the line, when everyone of them is giving up, giving in?
Conversely, “Natural” by Imagine Dragons is talking about staying strong in the face of adversity or temptation. Ones are great at sticking to their principles and not backing down from them. A healthy one can also help people stay strong during challenges as well.

Type 2 – The Helper
“Modern Love” by Matt Nathanson
And the bright lights shine, still we ache and we break and we try. 
Type twos are people pleasers, and they want to be loved. Nathanson’s “Modern Love” is about a girl who is fed up with shallow, modern dating, and would rather just find “the one.” Twos are all about finding “the one” and want to express their feelings to others.
“Beautiful and Wild” by Kris Allen
And there’s probably no saving us, but I wrote this song to try.
“Trying” is in both of these songs. Twos try. They try to win people over with their affection and idealism. Kris Allen’s song is about being a dreamer in a world that’s gone to the dogs, and doing his best to do his part to see the world through the “new eyes of a child.”

Type 3 – The Achiever
“King of the Clouds” by Panic! At the Disco
I don’t trust anything or anyone below the sun.
Threes don’t trust anyone else to do as good of a job as them. “King of the Clouds” may actually be about drugs (awkward,) but I also interpret it as feeling important even though you’re “king” of something vaporous and changeable. Threes strive for constant success, even if it’s fleeting.
“It Wasn’t Easy to Be Happy for You” by The Lumineers
I took the poison, praying you’d feel it too.
When they’re unhealthy, threes get jealous. Trust me, I’ve been there. If they perceive someone as being better than them, they may regress into shell and all but give up. The Lumineers’ breakup song from their latest album is very big three energy, as the kids say. It’s definitely what I listen to when I’m feeling jealous.

Type 4: The Individualist
“Islands” by Sara Bareilles
You must become an island to see for yourself the horizon is all we have.
Type fours are introspective and feel lots of feelings. “Islands” is a very feelingsy song, perfect for Introspective Four Sessions. Four is my wing, so I am into the creative energy that fours emanate. And I am super into this song.
“Machine” by Imagine Dragons
‘Cause I’ve been wondering when you’re gonna see I’m not for sale.
Fours, being the “individualists” they are, pride themselves in being unique and usually uncorruptable. “Machine” has similar vibes to “Natural,” but can be a battle cry for fours to stand up for their individuality.

Type 5: The Investigator
“Who Are You, Really?” by Mikka Ekko
Who, who are you really? And where are you going?
This song is really espionage-y, and fives are inquisitive and sometimes untrusting. This song is questioning the identity and motives of someone who is potentially close to them. A five can sometimes be cautious making new friends, but their inquisitiveness can be infectious.
“The Making Of” by The Bohicas
I know where you go to recharge; yeah you’re a sucker for a guy on guitar.
Fives are perceptive. They’re able to discern things and figure things out with little to no hints. The Bohicas’ song is about how perceptive a lover (or even ex-lover) can be. Fives are that ex who remembers everything about you. (Not to be rude – love you, fives.)

Type 6: The Loyalist
“I Need You” by Relient K
I need you, I need you here, I need you now; I need security somehow
Sixes crave security, even though they’re not the most trusting. Relient K’s song finds the singer in a place of insecurity and searching for answers, which is something a six will often do. Their biggest fear is a lack of security, so being without something they need can be difficult.
“Lay Me Down” by Sam Smith
I’m reaching out to you, can you hear my call?
Sixes seek security, and Sam Smith in this song is seeking the security of their lover. They even go so far as to say “the moon and the stars are nothing without you.” Sixes can feel lost without a sense of security, especially when they’re the most stressed.

Type Seven: The Enthusiast
“High Hopes” by Panic! At the Disco
Didn’t have a dime, but I always had a vision.
Sevens are optimists by nature. They could be completely broke and at the bottom of the rung, but a healthy seven is ever the hype man. Brendan Urie’s song is a rags-to-riches story about striving for what you want by being optimistic and staying hopeful.
“Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen
Don’t stop me now, cuz I’m havin’ a good time.
Once sevens get started, they can be hard to stop. They love to be busy, which can be their downfall. You might even equate them to the “racing car passing by” in Queen’s classic song. But you can assume that if a seven is healthy, then he’s having a good time while doing it.

Type 8: The Challenger
“Fool” by Fitz and the Tantrums
You won’t ever catch me slippin’, you won’t ever catch me sleep.
Eights are firm and assertive. Don’t ever cross a healthy eight, or else you won’t win. They have all the confidence and swagger of Fitz’s song. The subject in the song sees a need for change after a lover has spurned them, just like eights are able to make quick, confident decisions.
“Stay Frosty, Royal Milk Tea” by Fall Out Boy
The only thing that’s ever stopping me is me.
Advice from an eight is usually very direct but typically sound, especially if it’s from a healthy eight. They understand that their biggest obstacle is usually themselves, and are more than willing to point that out to other people, too. Similarly, an eight might experience “rage every day on the inside” if they are not healthy.

Type Nine: The Peacemaker
“My Fault” by Imagine Dragons
Is it my fault, is it my fault we’ve been missing each other?
Nines tend to take the blame for things in order to make the peace, especially if they are not very healthy. A healthy nine however will realize that conflict avoidance is not conflict resolution, and maybe work to find a healtheir solution.
“The Martyr” by John Paul White
So pile it on, my back is strong, cuz I’m the martyr.
Self-effacing by nature, nines will take the brunt of any blow in the name of keeping everyone happy. JPW experienced something similar during The Civil Wars breakup (maybe he’s a nine?) Negative self-talk can make a nine feel like it actually is their fault, so they deserve the blame, even though martyrs are typically someone dying for a worthy cause.

Here’s a playlist of all the above music, including some bonuses for all types!