By Stephen Beech

Pop songs have become more negative over the last 50 years, according to a new study.

Researchers found that the lyrics to hit tunes have also become simpler and contain more stress-related words.

The findings reflect the "complex" ways people use music to navigate stress, suggests the study published in the journal Scientific Reports .

Dr. Maurício Martins and his colleagues analyzed the lyrics of the top 100 most popular English-language songs in the United States each week between 1973 and 2023, according to the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Analysis of the 20,186 songs showed that, in general, lyrics have become simpler and more negative over time and contain more stress-related words.

The team say the trend has coincided with increasing rates of depression and a

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