Good times and endless love: Billboard R&B/Hip Hop songs of the year across social and economic conditions.

Abstract

Previous research shows songs on the Billboard charts and the artists who create them vary according to social and economic conditions. However, only country and pop charts have been analyzed thus far. In the current study, we assess the music and lyrics along with the sex and age of the artists who recorded 65 Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop songs of the year between 1946 and 2010. Mirroring both country and pop artists, after the introduction of MTV in 1981, audiences gravitated toward more mature and therefore more comforting artists when the economy is sour and social problems are more prevalent. However, unlike pop stars but like country artists, female R&B/Hip-Hop artists are more likely to place songs atop the Billboard charts in difficult social and economic times. Still, like songs atop the Billboard Pop charts (but unlike country Billboard hits), when social and economic times become difficult, R&B/Hip-Hop songs are less likely to have lyrics about leisure or fun, and they are more likely to be longer, slower, and therefore sadder sounding. We hypothesize trends in the R&B/Hip-Hop charts are closely aligned to the pop charts because “black music” is, and always has been, more influential on pop than the more folk-oriented country music.

Popular music lyrics and the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Qiu et al (2020), for instance, analysed the emotional lyrical content of top 10 songs in Germany and the United States between 1980-2017 and found that high unemployment rates predicted higher levels of anger in the lyrics. Similarly, in several studies, Pettijohn has shown that reproductive and meaningful themes are more prevalent in songs that are popular during difficult socioeconomic periods, suggesting a concern with relationships, security, and safety needs when experiencing challenges; whereas lyrical references to fun and leisure are more prevalent during positive socioeconomic periods (Eastman & Pettijohn, 2019;Pettijohn & Sacco, 2009a). For instance, Pettijohn and Sacco (2009b) conducted a content analysis of top-charting songs in the USA from 1955 to 2003 based on listeners' ratings.…”

“…During economic hard times, lyrics had a higher prevalence of person pronouns and references to social processes (e.g., friendship, talking), suggesting a greater desire for social affiliation during threatening conditions (Pettijohn & Sacco, 2009a). Eastman and Pettijohn (2019) lyrics increased as values on the General Hard Times Measure increased (Eastman & Pettijohn, 2019). In other words, during tough social and economic conditions, people tend to seek out music with lyrics concerning interpersonal relationships and support from others.…”

Unemployment rate predicts anger in popular music lyrics: Evidence from top 10 songs in the United States and Germany from 1980 to 2017.

“…Pettijohn and colleagues have examined trends in top songs during times of socioeconomic difficulty (Eastman & Pettijohn, 2019; Pettijohn, Eastman, & Richard, 2012; Pettijohn & Sacco, 2009a, 2009b). They used an aggregated index combining unemployment rate, disposable personal income, consumer price index, death rate, birthrate, marriage rate, divorce rate, suicide rate, and homicide rate to indicate the socioeconomic condition in the United States.…”

“…1 songs from 1955 to 2008 and showed that songs during social and economic bad times had less beats per minute and less common key signatures, suggesting that they were more reflective and serious. Finally, Eastman and Pettijohn (2019) analyzed Billboard rhythm and blues/hip-hop songs of the year between 1946 and 2010 and found that songs are more likely to be longer, slower, and about relationships with others rather than leisure or fun when socioeconomical conditions deteriorate.…”

“And you don't like, don't like the way I talk”: Authenticity in the language of bruce springsteen.

“…Analyses of song lyrics can also inform the perceived authenticity of genres of music and specific artists (Christenson et al, 2019). For example, in rap music, mentions of sex and substance use are considered expressions of authenticity (Eastman & Pettijohn, 2019). Authenticity in music can carry several meanings, including representing an original style of writing—one that bestows integrity, realism, and a lack of pretense of the artist (Moore, 2002).…”