The Paradox of ‘Pleasurable Sadness’: Why Do We like Sad Music?

Gloomy songs frequently top the charts

People generally go out of their way to avoid feeling sad. Paradoxically, gloomy melodies have always been popular among music lovers. Melancholic classical pieces, such as Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings and Mozart’s Requiem, are considered some of the most beautiful compositions ever written. Adele’s sorrowful songs have frequently topped the charts.

Recent studies have shown that many people don’t associate gloomy tunes with negative emotions. On the contrary, they’ve found that sad music evokes a pleasing feeling of nostalgia and peacefulness in the listeners. It’s the so-called “paradox of pleasurable sadness.”

Musicologists explain that composers and songwriters use certain techniques to convey sadness. In Western culture, for example, the minor key and a slow tempo are often associated with sorrowful music. Recently, psychologists and philosophers have tried to understand why people find songs in minor keys aesthetically and emotionally pleasing. In other words, they aim to learn why sadness can be artistically enjoyable.

The Biology Behind ‘Pleasurable Sadness’

When people experience loss, their bodies activate a so-called “consoling reaction” by releasing oxytocin and prolactin, two hormones with an anti-anxiety effect. These substances help people cope with their grief and pain by making them feel calm and supported. Researchers, for example, have found traces of oxytocin and prolactin in tears. In other words, a “good cry” can make people feel better.

In a recent study, Ohio State University professor of music cognition David Huron suggested that sad music triggers the release of prolactin in the listeners, thus “producing a consoling psychological effect.” However, there still isn’t enough evidence to support professor Huron’s theory. A 2019 study, for example, found that gloomy tunes didn’t increase the levels of prolactin in its 39 participants.

Empathy, Nostalgia, and Catharsis

In the treatise “Poetics,” Aristotle wrote that tragedy evokes “terror and pity,” thus allowing the spectators to achieve emotional “catharsis,” or purgation of negative emotions. University of Illinois professor Shahram Heshmat explains that sad music arouses vicarious emotions without directly connecting with a real-life situation or object. As a result, it helps listeners explore their negative feelings in a safe setting.

Similarly, Trinity College professor of psychology and neuropsychology Simon McCarthy-Jones refers to sad music as an “emotional gym” that allows listeners to experiment and test their response to sorrow. A 2013 study found that people didn’t actually feel sad when listening to melancholic music. In reality, they only perceived the emotions shared by the composer. In other words, the listeners were able to understand and empathize with the state of mind of the artist.

American writer James Baldwin wrote: “The things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had ever been alive.” A recent study led by Dr. Joshua Knobe, an experimental philosopher and psychologist at Yale University, suggests that people are drawn to sad songs because they make them feel less alone. In particular, gloomy tunes resonate with those who struggle through hard times by giving them emotional comfort and support.

Dr. Tuomas Eerola, a professor of music cognition at Durham University, proposes that the sense of (emotional) connection conveyed by sad music explains why empathetic persons are statistically more moved by sorrowful melodies. His study found that those with a higher ability to understand and relate to other people’s emotions are more easily “moved” by gloomy tunes. According to Dr. Eerola, the experience of feeling moved “is often intense and pleasurable.” As empathy is one of the most important interpersonal and social skills, relating to the sadness expressed in a piece of music gives listeners a sense of belonging and serenity.

Several studies found that only a small percentage of people say they feel sad when listening to gloomy tunes. On the contrary, many experience emotions like nostalgia or “sweet sorrow.” The melancholic melodies make listeners relive and long for past moments. Psychologists say that remembering meaningful events or loved ones gives people a sense of peace and belonging. This may explain why people crave the “bittersweet sadness” evoked by sorrowful music.

‘Aesthetic Sadness’

In his study, Dr. Knobe found that people attribute more artistic value to “deeply emotional but technically flawed songs” than to technically perfect pieces. In Western culture, sadness has historically been a mark of superior artistic and aesthetic qualities. In the Renaissance era, for example, Italian scholar Marsilio Ficino established the concept of the “melancholic genius.” Dr. Eerola points out that scholars who seek to tackle the paradox of “pleasurable sadness” cannot overlook this historical association between sadness and beauty.

According to a study led by Free University of Berlin scientists, the emotional response of its participants to sad music belongs to the category of “sublime.” Similarly, Adrian North, head of the School of Psychology and Speech Pathology at Curtin University, argues that melancholic tunes evoke “feelings of transcendence and awe” in the listeners. The contemplative quality of sad music also hints at the idea that the composer is trying to reveal an insight about art, life, and human nature. All of this may explain why listening to gloomy tunes is a rewarding experience for many.

Despite the recent surge in the number of studies on the beauty of sad music, researchers admit that the “paradox of pleasurable sadness” remains unsolved.

While future investigations may gain a deeper insight into the appeal of gloomy melodies, it could also be argued that the power and value of music lie in its ability to connect the listeners to their inner selves, thus creating a transcendent experience that defies explanation.

“The true work of art,” wrote German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, “leads us from that which exists only once to that which exists perpetually and time and again in innumerable manifestations.”