Why Do We Love Sad Songs?

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Original Air Date: 
December 12, 2010

Are you a sucker for a sad song? “Greensleeves.” “Yesterday” by the Beatles. For some reason, we love a melancholy tune. But why?  In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, we’ll explore our love of sad music. We’ll look into the effects the minor third has on our brains and we’ll delve into the saddest music ever written: Barber’s Adagio for Strings.

To The Best Of Our Knowledge
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The saddest music of all to many people is Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings.”

To The Best Of Our Knowledge
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According to psychologist Meagan Curtis, the inherent sadness of the minor third is what we hear in music.

To The Best Of Our Knowledge
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There are sad songs in rock, and sad songs in jazz, but the resting place for the saddest songs is clearly in country music.

To The Best Of Our Knowledge
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No matter what genre you’re writing for, adding a cello can increase the melancholy.

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November 13, 2011
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Last modified: 
August 02, 2024