Why Sad Songs Make Us Happy
Sometimes It (Doesn't) Hurt Instead Adele.tv So. Many. Feels. Even though listening to sad songs should leave us feeling terrible, we have a tendency to actually kind of like them. Case in point: A 2008 study found that minor-key music sounded sadder than major-key music to people, but that people found it more likable. Well, a group of Japanese researchers just got paid to figure out why we enjoy crying it out with Adele over her broken heart so much. It's not just masochism--although we understand that the song is supposed to evoke sadness, we end up feeling more positive or ambivalent emotions in response. In a study of 44 people, participants listened to one of three lesser-known classical pieces--to avoid emotional influence from memories connected to hearing the piece before--in both a major and minor key. Researchers asked them to pinpoint the feelings they experienced while listening to the...