The lyrics of more than 6,000 songs were analyzed. This is an Inside Science story. "Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth," sings Pharrell Williams in "Happy," but the joyful sentiments ...

Over the past 50 years, U.S. pop music lyrics have become simpler, more repetitive, and increasingly focused on stress and negative emotions.

From ‘80s new wave to ‘90s grunge to the latest pop single, music has changed a lot over the decades. Those changes have come not only in terms of sound, though; lyrics have also evolved as time has ...

When comparing today’s hit tunes with the top 40 of past decades, strong opinions are never in short supply. Every generation seems to lament its successor’s musical tastes and listening habits.

Songs have gotten more repetitive and angrier since the 1980s, according to a new study, furthering research that suggested songs have gotten shorter, simpler and more negative over the years due to ...

To understand the role of storytelling in contemporary pop music, researchers at UC Berkeley created a machine learning ...

Debating the merits of today’s popular music versus the hits of the past is largely a matter of taste. But regardless of your opinion on the subject, one thing is clear: pop music is objectively ...

The history of attempts to explain music with math and science goes back to antiquity. In the past few years, though, it has ...