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Really? As I was reading it, I thought that the last decade's music was considerably less dark than the music of my youth, circa 2000. My follow up questions t

Really? As I was reading it, I thought that the last decade's music was considerably less dark than the music of my youth, circa 2000. My follow up questions to this paper would be which books exhibit this depression-associated language? Does it vary by genera? What happens if you weight by sales/popularity. I'd also be curious to know if this is reflected in news media, either print or television. I feel that news was gotten more emotive and emphatic, but not really sure.

jart 5y ago
If you're thinking of things like gothic rock (do they still make it?) then it's important to understand that it stops being entertaining to create spectacles of the caricature of darkness once the darkness has permeated everything. What we're witnessing is more like a dark age than dark clothing and makeup. Important distinction.
wolverine876 5y ago
> I thought that the last decade's music was considerably less dark than the music of my youth, circa 2000. Do you have any data to support that more generally? Necessarily, anyone's experience of a field so enormous as music will be narrow and biased.
- dash2 5y ago
  "Our sample comprised over 1,000 Top 40 recordings from 25 years spanning five decades. Over the years, popular recordings became longer in duration and the proportion of female artists increased. In line with our principal hypotheses, there was also an increase in the use of minor mode and a decrease in average tempo, confirming that popular music became more sad-sounding over time...." https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-12935-001 https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-12935-001
  - saalweachter 5y ago
    I like the methodology in general, but boy howdy does "25 years spanning five decades" set off alarm bells. Which 25? Why not ~50? (It's not necessarily a problem; every other year for instance probably wouldn't be a cherry picked slice.)
- dalbasal 5y ago
  Do you have any data to support that more generally? No. I threw out all my CDs years ago.
SavantIdiot 5y ago
I can't for the life of me find it, but years ago I read that the 1970's had more #1 hits in minor keys than any other decade Billboard tallied. As a child of the late 60's early 70's, it certainly feels like sad songs evaporated over the years. I was too old to enjoy grunge, so I'm not sure if that counted, but it definitely seems like songs were moodier and sadder in my childhood. Funny if it turns out that everyone thinks this regardless of decade!

jart 5y ago

If you're thinking of things like gothic rock (do they still make it?) then it's important to understand that it stops being entertaining to create spectacles of the caricature of darkness once the darkness has permeated everything. What we're witnessing is more like a dark age than dark clothing and makeup. Important distinction.

wolverine876 5y ago

> I thought that the last decade's music was considerably less dark than the music of my youth, circa 2000. Do you have any data to support that more generally? Necessarily, anyone's experience of a field so enormous as music will be narrow and biased.

dash2 5y ago
"Our sample comprised over 1,000 Top 40 recordings from 25 years spanning five decades. Over the years, popular recordings became longer in duration and the proportion of female artists increased. In line with our principal hypotheses, there was also an increase in the use of minor mode and a decrease in average tempo, confirming that popular music became more sad-sounding over time...." https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-12935-001 https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-12935-001
- saalweachter 5y ago
  I like the methodology in general, but boy howdy does "25 years spanning five decades" set off alarm bells. Which 25? Why not ~50? (It's not necessarily a problem; every other year for instance probably wouldn't be a cherry picked slice.)
dalbasal 5y ago
Do you have any data to support that more generally? No. I threw out all my CDs years ago.

SavantIdiot 5y ago

I can't for the life of me find it, but years ago I read that the 1970's had more #1 hits in minor keys than any other decade Billboard tallied. As a child of the late 60's early 70's, it certainly feels like sad songs evaporated over the years. I was too old to enjoy grunge, so I'm not sure if that counted, but it definitely seems like songs were moodier and sadder in my childhood. Funny if it turns out that everyone thinks this regardless of decade!