Sad Songs Have Positive Effects On A Person's Well-Being, Study Suggests

The music we decide to listen to can greatly affect our mental health. Whether we choose songs based on the type of music we are into, who our favorite artists are or how we feel at the moment, music has a powerful way of influencing our emotions and overall well-being.

Listening to sad songs can make us reflect on our past experiences. It can also give us comfort on days we feel low. But did you know that listening to sad songs can also have a positive impact on a person's well-being?

In a recent study published in the Journal of Aesthetic Education, a team of researchers discovered that sad music doesn't merely induce a hollow feeling, as they also have a positive impact on one's mood and foster a feeling of connectedness.

"Our main point is that the value of sad music lies in its ability to create a sense of connection, regardless of whether it actually evokes sadness in the listener," Tara Venkatesan, a Ph.D. researcher at the University Of Oxford, told Health. "And it's that sense of connection, not necessarily the experience of sadness itself, which is what makes listening to sad music really great!"

Venkatesan and her team conducted a study involving 400 individuals to understand why sad songs are highly valued among people of all ages. The participants were asked to evaluate various sad songs that represented deep and complex emotions but lacked technical perfection, technically flawless songs without emotional depth, emotionally charged songs that were technically flawless and songs that were both unemotional and flawed in technical aspects.

Participants experienced a strong connection when they listened to songs that expressed emotions such as sadness, love, joy, loneliness and sorrow.

The results of the study suggest that sad music creates a sense of connection and highlights the importance of establishing emotional bonding between individuals, which eventually helps foster meaningful conversations and serves as an antidote to anxiety.

"In other words, regardless of whether we enjoy sad music, we value sad music because it creates a sense of connection," Venkatesan added.