Study: popular music has become more “sad-sounding” over time

August 31, 2012 by Cassie Whitt

Study: popular music has become more “sad-sounding” over time

A new psychology study has found that popular music has become more sad-sounding over the years.

Using a sample comprised of 1,000 Top 40 songs over the past 5 decades, researchers found that over time, "emotional cues" in music (tempo and mode) shifted more toward the slow and minor, giving music a sadder feel.

They also found that often songs written in a major key were slower, which sent mixed emotional signals to listeners.

Over time, and especially recently, I think life situations for many people have become desperate and there's a generally hopeless outlook. At least, that's what I've observed within my generation. I think music and any form of art reflects our cultural climate. It makes sense to me.

What do you draw from the findings of this study?

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