- Researchers examined entries on the Billboard year-end singles charts dating back to 1950.
- And another study shows The lyrics have grown increasingly repetitious. too!
You've likely heard enough from your parents about how older tunes are superior.
However, they might be correct – a study shows that song melodies have grown simpler since the 1950s.
Studies show that the intricacy of the tunes from the top hits annually in the U.S. has declined over the past seven decades.
The team, from Queen Mary University of London , examined the leading melodies (typically the vocal line) from songs that made it into the top-five spots on the US Billboard annual singles chart for every year spanning 1950 through 2022.
They pinpointed two major drops in melodic complexity occurring in 1975 and 2000, as well as a minor one in 1996.
The change in melody around 1975 might be attributed to the emergence of genres like new wave, disco, and stadium rock, according to them.
In the meantime, the modifications recorded in 1996 and 2000 might reflect the emergence of hip-hop or the integration of digital audio workstations, allowing for the repetitive playback of sound loops.
When comparing many of the greatest hits from various decades, the progression of music becomes clear to observe.
In 1964, the number one song was 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' by The Beatles. Beatles In the year 1980, the comparable hit was Blondie's 'Call Me'.
The dance song 'Macarena' by Los Del Rio was the top choice in 1996, and in 2003, 50 Cent’s rap hit 'In Da Club' topped the charts.
Although Adele’s emotive hit ‘Rolling in the Deep’ dominated the charts in 2011, Dua Lipa’s dance-floor anthem ‘Levitating’ claimed the top spot in 2021.
The analysis, featured in the journal Scientific Reports It was also found that although the intricacy of song rhythms and pitch structures diminished over the years, the rate of notes performed each second went up.
They also suggested that the increase in the usage of digital instruments might have allowed for musical complexity to be conveyed via sound quality instead of relying solely on melodies.
As per their observation, the predominant trend highlighted by these analyses indicates a reduction in complexity alongside an increase in note density within popular melodies as time progresses, particularly after the year 2000.
In the 1950s, the variety of tones accessible for musical creation was confined to the sounds that could be produced using the actual instruments and equipment present during that era.
Today, thanks to readily available digital music production tools and vast sample and loop libraries, individuals equipped with just a laptop and internet access can generate whatever sounds they envision.
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