Despite the surge of upbeat pop music during the pandemic, there’s something oddly satisfying about playing a sad song and letting the waves of melancholy wash over you. This shared experience poses a fascinating question in the music world: Why do we find pleasure in listening to sad music?
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Friday, November 10th
Throughout history, scholars have recognized music’s profound impact on the body and mind. Dating back to ancient times, the Greeks used music to treat illnesses and influence moods. In 1958, Dr. Agnes Savill cautioned that certain types of music that evoke feelings of depression or fear should be avoided by anxious listeners. It seems logical to assume that sad music would worsen our mood, yet many of us can’t resist its allure.
Researchers have approached the topic from various angles in their quest to understand this paradox. One approach is to ask people how different types of music make them feel. In a study conducted in 2012, participants were asked to rate their emotional responses to sixteen other pieces of music. Surprisingly, sad music didn’t elicit solely negative emotions. Alongside sadness, it also evoked positive and aesthetic emotions such as nostalgia, tranquility, and awe.
Emotions extend beyond psychology; they also manifest in measurable physiological reactions. In 2015, psychologists studied participants’ skin conductance levels and facial expressions while listening to various songs. They proposed that our strong physical response to sad music is rooted in an evolutionary mechanism known as “the contagion mechanism.” The emotional expression in music, similar to human voices, triggers an empathetic response within us.
Naturally, the connection between music and emotion is highly subjective. Psychologists argue that the enjoyment of sad music is influenced by individual differences and a combination of emotional and evolved traits like dissociation, absorption, fantasy proneness, empathy, and rumination. This complex paradox requires a nuanced understanding of each person’s unique experience.
This article is based on “Why Do We Listen to Sad Music?” published on www.jstor.org
