The proof that songs are getting more stupid

What we have long suspected has been proven by science; songs are getting more dim-witted.

Popular songs that is.

A study in the US compared the Billboard top 100 songs over the last 10 years from the genres of Rock, County, Pop and Hip-Hop and found that on average the lyrics used in all are at just over a grade 2 reading level.

The study also found that there has been a gradual decline in the average reading level of lyrics over the last 10 years, as you can see below.

Country ranked number 1 in the study with an average reading grade of 3.3, Pop and Rock were tied with 2.9 and Hip-Hop poled last with 2.6.

One of the reason Country managed to win the crown was because it is the only genre that doesn’t regularly have ‘ohhhh’ or ‘yeaaahhhh’ sung 20 times in a row per song.

In terms of stand out performers, Mariah Carey was the best with an average of 3.95, Eminem had the second highest average grade level in his songs with 3.7 and quite surprisingly Nicki Minaj was second with 3.4.

The most lyrically complicated song over the last ten years was Blake Shelton’s ‘All About Tonight’ with an average grade level of 5.8, so not even in high school.

Finally the dumbest song over the last ten years was Three Days Grace with ‘The Good Life’, it also happens to be one of the worst songs in the last ten years.

To have a look at the whole study simple head over here: http://www.seatsmart.com/blog/lyric-intelligence/

Words by John Cooper