Over the past five decades, the musical preferences of Americans have changed significantly. Researchers from Universität Wien conducted a large-scale analysis of songs that made it into the US top-100 charts every week from 1973 to 2023. Their findings reveal that today’s listeners increasingly prefer songs with simple lyrics and predominantly negative emotions. According to the scientists, these trends are directly linked to changes in society and rising stress levels.
As part of the study, experts analyzed more than 20,000 songs using advanced language analysis techniques. They assessed the lyrics based on three main criteria: the presence of words associated with stress, the overall emotional tone (positive or negative), and the complexity of the lyrics. The results showed that since the 1970s, the charts have featured more and more tracks with words like “lonely,” “cry,” “hurt,” and others associated with anxiety and inner turmoil.
Decade-long trends
Comparing different periods, researchers observed that the closer to present day, the simpler the lyrics of popular songs have become—and the gloomier the mood. While the charts of the 1970s and 1980s were dominated by songs about love and joy, by the 2000s and especially the 2010s, the focus had shifted toward sadness, loneliness, and disappointment. At the same time, the level of lyric complexity also dropped—modern hits are often built around short, easily memorable phrases.
The authors explain this phenomenon with the mood management theory: people choose music that either reflects their inner state or helps adjust it. During periods of social upheaval and personal crises, listeners are more likely to turn to songs that resonate with their emotions or, conversely, seek comfort in music as a way to escape negativity.
Impact of Crises
The researchers paid particular attention to how major events—such as the September 11, 2001 attacks and the COVID-19 pandemic—affect musical preferences. To do this, they compared audience choices in the two years before and after each of these events. Interestingly, after the coronavirus pandemic, contrary to expectations, the popularity of positive songs increased, while the number of tracks featuring stress-related vocabulary dropped. This suggests that during times of global upheaval, people seek not only an outlet for their feelings in music but also a source of support.
At the same time, the impact of the September 11 events was less pronounced. Although there was a slight shift toward more positive songs during that period, the overall structure of musical preferences remained unchanged. Researchers emphasize that such changes may be temporary and do not always lead to long-term shifts in popular culture.
Social and Political Factors
An analysis of song lyrics in the context of political changes produced some intriguing results. For example, after Donald Trump was elected president of the United States in 2016, the charts saw a rise in songs with more complex lyrics compared to the period of Barack Obama’s second term. However, the authors of the study caution against drawing hasty conclusions: the influence of political cycles on musical tastes calls for separate research and was not the primary focus of their work.
Overall, the rise in negative emotions and the simplification of lyrics in popular music reflect broader trends in society. Over the past decades, levels of depression and anxiety have increased, and a negative tone is now more frequently encountered not just in songs, but also in the media, literature, and even everyday speech. This may be linked both to changes in language and to the evolution of social norms.
Music and Health
Interestingly, despite the overall increase in negativity in songs, researchers note positive sides to musical engagement as well. Recent studies have shown that regularly listening to music in adulthood can help reduce the risk of developing dementia and other cognitive impairments. Music remains one of the most accessible and effective means of emotional self-regulation, and its impact on the human psyche is much deeper than commonly believed.
Ultimately, a society’s musical preferences reflect not only individual tastes, but also global trends shaping the world. Songs become a kind of mirror of their era, capturing rising stress levels, changes in language and attitudes, as well as people’s responses to external challenges.
Incidentally, Mauricio Martins, who led the research team, works at the University of Vienna and specializes in studying the impact of music on the psyche. For several years, his team has been analyzing song lyrics and their effects on society. Previously, Martins noted that musical trends often anticipate changes in popular culture and can serve as indicators of social shifts.
