The worst decade for music, according to science

Unravelling the cultural zeitgeists of different eras often involves immersing yourself in the music, which, in turn, reflects fashion choices and prevailing attitudes, too. Notably, many influential figures in the swinging 1960s were active participants in the civil rights movement and protests for peace. For instance, Aretha Franklin stood as a fierce champion for egalitarian causes, intertwining her musical prowess with a fervent dedication to social justice.

While engaging in extensive debates over the best or worst musical decades could take hours, days, months, or even years, scientific analysis points to one specific era that was deemed more monotonous than others. Computer scientists in 2015 examined the evolution of popular music and observed that, over the last 50 years, mainstream music has generally maintained stylistic diversity, offering up a wide array of originality and individualism.

However, there was one decade that swayed towards commercial conformity. The scientific study found that the 1980s were a samey grey mass of soppiness and snyths.

Based on their research, which involved analysing nearly 17,000 tracks, the conclusion was drawn that the mid-to-late 1980s marked the most homogenous period in music over the past 50 years. This scientific deduction asserted that its lack of diversity made it the most monotonous and unoriginal compared to all other musical decades.

While this may be somewhat true, the 1980s have also been deemed one of the most iconic eras in all of music history. Maybe there is some class to be found in conformity? 

It was a decade shaped by two aligning forces: technology and MTV. Both of these pushed music towards a marketable end. Synths created a ‘new sound’ that meant you were either fresh or falling behind, so even Bob Dylan incongruously joined the craze with the substandard Empire Burlesque. And MTV made sure that everyone with a hope of making money from their art made sure their latest hit was perfectly pairable with a glossy, four-minute music video.

Although a more in-depth exploration of 1980s music might reveal a broader spectrum of sounds in an array of the era’s often overlooked subcultures than the computer-based analysis suggests, the research did uncover intriguing patterns in 1964, 1983, and 1991. 

These years witnessed significant upheavals in the pop music landscape, marked by swift changes in musical styles. The dataset mirrored the shifts in what was in fashion from decade to decade, and the revolutions in the data align perfectly with historical musical transitions.

For instance, the British Invasion revolutionised pop music in 1964, and 1983 brought forth the era of new technology and synthesisers, and by 1991, rap and hip-hop began asserting their dominance on the mainstream. The latter shift was particularly substantial, partly because rap and hip-hop genres typically feature minimal harmonies, marking a stark shift in the make-up of pop structuring.

Although the common perception is that pop music tends to sound similar, the data tells a different story – proving that contemporary pop is actually as diverse as ever. What’s more, despite scientific findings suggesting otherwise, the 1980s persist as one of the most beloved musical decades in history. Nothing can diminish the vibrant allure of the era’s catchy melodies and electronic instrumentation. Just see ‘The Whole of the Moon’ for fist-pumping proof.

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