Psychologists and philosophers have long puzzled over why people enjoy songs about sad topics. Even more paradoxically, some of the saddest songs are set to upbeat tunes—The Beatles’ “Hello, Goodbye,” ...

We all know the powerful effect that music can have on mood. You might be feeling rather chirpy, but then a tear-jerker comes on the car radio and you arrive home feeling morose. For most of us, these ...

Sad songs can actually cause the release of a hormone in the body called prolactin. It's released when we feel true grief or ...

"What came first — the music or the misery?" That sad-sack line from High Fidelity more or less sums up most people's relationship with sad music: necessary and potentially indulgent. But as it turns ...

Tear-jerkers such as Adele’s Someone Like You frequently top the charts these days, while gloomy classical compositions like Mozart’s Requiem have moved people for centuries. Both portray and bring ...

“When all hope is gone, sad songs say so much.” It turns out that Elton John knew what he was talking about: Several studies have found that many people do choose to listen to sad music when they’re ...

I’ve had an intermittent relationship with podcasts. Over the past several years I’ve tended towards listening to epic audiobook stories on Audible. Books like Game of Thrones, the Harry Hole ...