Monica Reed

Photo: Canva

Are song lyrics simpler and more repetitive these days?

When it comes to music, they just don’t make it like they used to, according to new research. A study looks at how music has changed over the last few decades and finds song lyrics have become simpler and more repetitive.

Researchers analyzed more than 12-thousand English-language rap, country, pop, R&B and rock songs released since 1970.

  • They studied how long and complex the words used by songwriters were, as well as how frequently phrases are repeated and whether they represent happy, sad, positive or negative emotions.
  • Study authors found that the number of different words used in songs has gone down in the last 40 years, especially in rap and rock songs.
  • They note that with the exception of Taylor Swift – known for her complex, poetic lyrics – “modern music tends to be rather dumbed-down.”
  • The number of “angry” words in songs has gone up since 1980, as has the number of long words with three or more syllables.
  • On streaming services, a song has to be played for at least 30 seconds to be considered “consumed.” Researchers think this has led to lyrics that are simpler so they can be identified as soon as a song starts.
  • The study also reveals that fans of different music genres prefer lyrics from different eras, including rock listeners who prefer lyrics from older songs, while country fans prefer new ones.

“There’s more rhyming lines and also more chorus,” explains senior author Eva Zangerle, a computer scientist at Austria’s University of Innsbruck. “We basically found that lyrics [have gotten] easier to comprehend.”

(Video courtesy of Tedx Talks)

News from ClarksvilleNow.com

The suspect in the bank robbery at Walmart on Madison Street on Oct. 21, 2025. (Clarksville Police Department, contributed)

yesterday in Crime, News

UPDATE: Bank robbery inside Walmart on Madison Street in Clarksville

The bank inside the Walmart on Madison Street in Clarksville was robbed Tuesday afternoon, and police were searching the area for the suspect.

yesterday in News

UPDATE: Power restored after outages affecting traffic signals downtown

A power outage is affecting over 500 residences in downtown Clarksville and some traffic signals.

yesterday in News

Montgomery County Commission debates support for public notice in newspapers

The County Commission’s 2026 legislative agenda seeks to “remove the burden” of local governments having to publish public notices in newspapers.

yesterday in News

Gary the Guardrail lives on in final resting place at O’Connor’s Pub in Clarksville | PHOTOS

Gary the Guardrail has been memorialized at O’Connor’s Pub at the intersection of Trenton and Tylertown Roads in Clarksville.

Erin Poland Nolder (Contributed)

yesterday in Elections, News

Erin Poland Nolder announces candidacy for General Sessions judge

Local attorney Erin Poland Nolder has announced her intentions to run for General Sessions judge in Montgomery County.