Popular song lyrics express less emotion over time, analysis of 38K+ songs finds
New research from Michigan State University finds that popular music has gradually become less explicit about emotion and relationships—both across generations of artists and within artists' careers.
A new study from Michigan State University reveals that popular music has been becoming less emotionally expressive and less focused on social relationships over time. Researchers analyzed 38,467 songs from 230 artists spanning nearly a century of popular music from 1947 to 2024. The final dataset, meticulously reviewed by a team of researchers, showed that lyrics grew less emotionally charged and less socially oriented.
Within individual artists' careers, both positive and negative words decreased, as did references to family and friends. Interestingly, anxiety-related language increased while sadness declined in the lyrics. The study also found that broader historical trends in music often had a larger impact than changes specific to individual artists' careers.
Willie Nelson had the most emotionally expressive songs, while Miles Davis had the fewest. Classic soul and early rock artists, such as Marvin Gaye and The Supremes, often scored high on positive emotions and social references. In contrast, artists from more countercultural genres, like Nine Inch Nails and Sex Pistols, tended to rank lower.
The researchers were particularly surprised to find that song lyrics do not follow the typical pattern of emotional regulation and increased relational focus seen in human aging. Instead, positive emotions and social references declined across artists' careers, suggesting that factors beyond personal development, such as artistic, cultural, or industry-level forces, heavily influence lyrical content.
The findings highlight the potential of large datasets from everyday cultural products to shed light on how people express emotion and how relationships evolve over time. Music serves more than just entertainment; it plays a crucial role in emotional regulation, self-understanding, identity development, and social connection. The researchers hope this study encourages further exploration into the evolving ways people express feelings and relationships through music.
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