Good grief

Sure,it is essentially a subjective judgement,but songs written in a major key,like Aquas Barbie Girl,are immediately identifiable as peppy and upbeat,while songs like Lana Del Reys Videogames,written in a minor key,generally evoke the same feelings one gets while contemplating the state of the Indian economy. According to the study,the oldies really were golden: in the 1960s,nearly 85 per cent of the Top 40 were written in a major key,while in the second half of the 2000s,that figure plunged to 43.5 per cent. This raises a question: has the popularity of emo-music made us sadder,or is the music sadder because were emo?

All this sadness apparently conveys mixed emotional cues and indicates that our tastes have become more complex,says the study. The songs are more nuanced and sophisticated now,doing away with the hitherto rigid distinction between commercial success and art-house cred,like Radioheads mass appeal highlights. But that doesnt explain Lady Gaga,or her Poker Face,or the less-than-Shakespearean Fun,fun,fun,fun/ Lookin forward to the weekend from Rebecca Blacks viral hit Friday.