Study shows Pop hits have never sounded so negative and simple
More stress, more pain, more anger: the language in pop songs has changed. A research team from Vienna has analyzed 20,000 chart hits from the last five decades - with surprising results.
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- A study shows that pop song lyrics have become increasingly simpler and more negative over the last 50 years.
- However, in times of crisis, such as after 9/11 or at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, listeners increasingly turned to positive and more complex songs.
- Since 2016, the complexity of the content of pop songs has increased again - possible political contexts will be examined further.
The world is getting darker. Don't you think so? Then you should listen to more pop songs. Over the last 50 years, the lyrics of pop songs have become increasingly simplistic and negative. This was the finding of a team led by psychologist Markus Foramitti from the University of Vienna. The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports in mid-December.
For the study, the researchers evaluated the most popular songs in the USA from the past 50 years. In total, more than 20,000 songs from the Billboard Hot 100 charts between 1973 and 2023 were examined. Using an algorithm, the researchers counted stress-related terms such as "threat", "abuse", "pain", "anger" or "nervous" in the song lyrics and classified them according to frequency.
"We initially found out exactly what we expected," study author Markus Foramitti told Die Zeit, adding that the lyrics are an important reason why people decide to listen to a particular song - whether consciously or unconsciously. "Language is processed extremely quickly and automatically in the brain. This is why many people find it difficult to completely ignore lyrics when listening to music, even if they are not actively paying attention to them," says Foramitti.
The analysis of the song lyrics fits into a larger picture: social science studies also show that people in the USA are feeling increasingly tense and rushed.
Songs become more positive again in times of crisis
Contrary to this observation, the song lyrics brightened up again in times of crisis, according to the study. After 9/11 or after the start of the pandemic, listeners consumed more positive and complex songs. Foramitti sees this as a kind of self-regulation or escapism. Listeners would then specifically listen to music that lifts their mood.
The results also fit a familiar pattern from pop history: In times of war or social division, songs that convey hope and cohesion have always become particularly popular. For example, John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance" at the end of the 1960s during the Vietnam War or Kendrick Lamar's "Alright" in the context of the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.
The researchers also noticed another trend: The complexity of pop songs has been increasing again since 2016. Why this is the case and whether it could have anything to do with Donald Trump's first presidency still needs to be investigated, says Foramitti.
