Popular Song Lyrics Have Become Simpler and More Negative Over the Past 50 Years, New Research Shows

Over the last half-century, popular music in the United States has undergone a quiet but measurable transformation—not just in sound, but in the words artists choose to sing. A large-scale academic analysis published in the journal Scientific Reports reveals that the lyrics of hit songs have become simpler, more negative, and increasingly filled with stress-related language since the early 1970s.

The study doesn’t rely on anecdotes or nostalgia-driven opinions. Instead, it uses data-driven methods to track how lyrical content has changed across decades, offering a detailed look at how music both reflects and responds to broader social moods.

What the Researchers Analyzed and How Big the Dataset Was

The research was led by Maurício Martins and his colleagues, who examined the lyrics of the top 100 most popular English-language songs in the United States for every week from 1973 to 2023. That adds up to 20,186 individual songs, all drawn from the Billboard Hot 100 chart, one of the most influential measures of mainstream musical success.

This long time span allowed the researchers to study not just short-term trends, but deep, long-term shifts in lyrical content. By using computational tools rather than subjective interpretation, the authors aimed to measure changes in language with as much objectivity as possible.

Lyrics Are Becoming Simpler Over Time

One of the clearest findings of the study is that popular song lyrics have grown simpler over the past 50 years. Simplicity here does not mean a lack of meaning, but rather a reduction in linguistic complexity.

The researchers measured this using computational techniques often applied in language science, including compression-based metrics that estimate how repetitive or predictable a text is. Lyrics that repeat phrases more often or use a narrower vocabulary score as simpler under these methods.

Overall, songs that reached the top of the charts in recent decades tend to rely more on repetition and less on varied language compared to hits from the 1970s and 1980s. This trend aligns with broader discussions about changes in pop music structure, including shorter song lengths and hooks designed to capture attention quickly.

A Clear Increase in Negative Emotional Language

Alongside growing simplicity, the study found a steady rise in negative emotional language. Over time, lyrics increasingly feature words associated with sadness, anger, fear, and emotional strain.

Using established sentiment analysis tools, the researchers quantified the emotional tone of each song. The results showed a long-term increase in negativity, meaning that popular songs today are, on average, more emotionally negative than those topping the charts decades ago.

This does not mean modern music lacks emotional depth. Rather, it suggests that expressions of emotional pain, frustration, and vulnerability have become more common and more visible in mainstream music.

Stress-Related Words Are Appearing More Often

Beyond general negativity, the researchers also tracked words directly linked to stress and psychological pressure. These include terms associated with anxiety, conflict, overload, and emotional tension.

The findings show a consistent increase in stress-related language across the decades. This trend closely mirrors patterns observed in other forms of media, such as news reporting and fiction books, where researchers have also documented rising negativity and emotional intensity.

According to the authors, this parallel suggests that popular music may be part of a broader cultural shift in how emotions—especially difficult ones—are expressed and shared publicly.

Links to Mental Health Trends and Media Negativity

The researchers point out that the timeline of these lyrical changes overlaps with rising rates of depression and anxiety reported in the general population over recent decades. While the study does not claim that music causes these mental health trends, it highlights a possible shared cultural backdrop influencing both.

Previous research has already shown that news media and literature have become more negative over time. The authors argue that popular music appears to be following a similar trajectory, reinforcing the idea that cultural products often reflect collective emotional states rather than shaping them alone.

A Surprising Shift During Major Societal Crises

One of the most interesting findings emerges when the researchers looked at major stressful events, such as the September 11, 2001 attacks and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Contrary to what one might expect, these periods were not consistently associated with darker lyrics. In some cases, popular songs during these times became more positive, more complex, and featured fewer stress-related words. In other cases, there were no significant changes at all.

The authors suggest that during times of widespread stress, listeners may gravitate toward music that offers emotional relief or escapism, rather than reinforcing anxiety. This indicates that music doesn’t just mirror stress—it can also serve as a coping mechanism.

No Strong Link to Household Income

To explore possible economic explanations, the researchers examined whether changes in lyrics were associated with shifts in median household income in the United States since 1973.

Interestingly, they found no meaningful association. This suggests that economic indicators alone do not explain why popular music lyrics have become simpler or more negative. Cultural, psychological, and media-related factors may play a larger role than income trends.

A Possible Reversal in Lyrical Complexity After 2016

While the long-term trend points toward simplification, the study also detected a notable change starting around 2016. Since then, the popularity of songs with more complex lyrics has begun to increase again.

This does not erase the broader 50-year trend, but it hints at a potential shift in listener preferences. The authors emphasize that more research is needed to understand what’s driving this change—whether it’s related to streaming platforms, genre diversity, or evolving audience expectations.

How Music Functions as Emotional Communication

Music has always been more than entertainment. Across cultures and history, it has served as a tool for emotional expression, social bonding, and stress regulation. This study reinforces that idea by showing how closely lyrical content tracks emotional patterns in society.

The authors argue that music can both shape and reflect moods over time, acting as a shared emotional language. Sometimes it amplifies stress and negativity, and at other times it offers comfort and escape.

Why This Research Matters

By analyzing tens of thousands of songs across five decades, this study provides one of the most comprehensive looks at how popular music lyrics evolve. Its findings help explain why modern hits may feel emotionally heavier or linguistically simpler, and why music often changes character during times of crisis.

Rather than judging these trends as good or bad, the researchers encourage readers to see them as part of a complex relationship between culture, emotion, and society—one in which music plays a central role.

Research paper:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-28327-5