We already know music lyrics can affect your moods in ways you never previously anticipated, like how much you purchase at a store, or how you enjoy the taste of your food, or even as far as how you relate to your significant other. Would it surprise you to learn, then, that lyrics are getting angrier over time?
A new study conducted at Lawrence Technological University has discovered that over the last few decades, music lyrics are gradually getting angrier and more sad. The study included 6,000 songs of the Billboard Hot 100 in each year from 1951 through 2016.
The new study found that song lyrics expressing disgust and fear have increased since the 1950s and 1960s. In the same time frame, songs that include music lyrics expressing happiness and joy have decreased in amount.
Sadness, fear, and disgust also increased in the time frame, but not as extensively as the expression of anger.
Does this mean that music is going to make us angrier, or artists are making angrier music because of their emotions? The study doesn’t delve deeply into cause or correlation, so with this data, it’s pretty much impossible to know. All you can do moving forward is know music greatly affects your mood, and there’s more angry music out now than ever before! So if you feel yourself getting upset, stop, breathe and take a moment: maybe it’s the music.
