Popular music lyrics are dumb. No really, I’m not just saying that. As easy as it is to mock the quality of lyrics today, there’s some real science behind looking at how dumb they truly are.
That’s why I set out to answer the big questions. Which genre is the most sophisticated? (Prepare to be disappointed.) Which artists are the dumbest? (Prepare to be surprised.) And, can any hit songs be comfortably read by a 1st grader? (Yes, they can.)
How exactly did I go about this?
I turned to the Readability Score. It uses writing analysis tools like the Flesch-Kincaid grade index and many others to create an average of the US reading level of a piece of text. I plugged in song lyrics (punctuation added by me, since most songs lack it altogether) and out of the machine popped out average grade level, word count, and other very interesting metrics.
All told, I analyzed 225 songs in 4 different datasets, resulting in 2,000+ individual data points. How’d I choose them? If they spent at least a few weeks (3+) at #1 on the Billboard charts for Pop, Country, Rock, and R&B/Hip-Hop for any given year, they made the list.
While the results are certainly enlightening, it’s important to note that this data doesn’t touch on the meaning of a song, the metaphors, how the words connect with the artist’s personal story, etc. to create deeper meaning. These numbers are fun and interesting, so just enjoy them.
What did the data tell us?
Is We Really Getting Dumber?
Well, this research is, if nothing else, great news for third graders. They may have a long way to go in terms of unlocking the deeper meanings of great literature, but hit music lyrics are right in their zone.
Did you miss that? Yes, I said third graders. Because only 2005 and 2006 would have given a reasonably competent third grader a tough time. Sure, we know hit music lyrics aren’t the peak of sophistication, but who knew the bar was this low?
Well, the bar is actually getting lower. These averages have really been on the decline over the last 10 years. And keep in mind that we’re looking at all the data from Pop, Rock, R&B/Hip Hop, and Country combined to show the overall trend.
So it’s clear we’re on the way down, but if you’re wondering “Was it men or women dragging the music down?” you’re not the only one. I was just as curious to find out.
Who Wins the Battle of the Sexes?
The short answer is that everybody is getting dumber, it’s not really a gender thing. Overall, my data showed that men talk more (higher word count), but women have slightly more intelligent things to say (higher average grade level).
Let’s take a look the average grade level over time to see how men and women fare.
It looks like hit music in general has settled on some formulas: Men should stick to roughly a 3rd grade reading level and women shouldn’t sing rock songs at all (more about that later).
What does it all mean exactly? Well, women seem to be a bit smarter than men, except for when they’re not (i.e., 2008-2009). Ultimately, the genre and the artist matter much more than the gender.
Granted, it’s not exactly a team effort. Certain artists do more than their fair share to bring their gender and genre group down or up through the years. So now it’s time to break down this data a bit more by genre and see who really sets the standard for dumb.
A Deeper Look into Genres
Does Country really have the “smartest” Lyrics?
Yes, yes, it does. In fact, if you average out all the hit songs in each category for the last 10 years, you get:
Average US Reading Level by Grade:
Country: 3.3
Pop: 2.9 (tie)
Rock: 2.9 (tie)
R&B/Hip Hop: 2.6
There are a lot of reasons for this. Remember that I mentioned that word length plays a role? Well, Country is the only genre generally devoid of words like “oh” or “yeah” repeated 20 times in a row. Sorry everyone else, but if you say it in the song, it’s counted as a “lyric.”
But it’s also about the syllables. Country music is full of words like Hallelujah, cigarettes, hillbilly, and tacklebox. Add to that long place names like Cincinnati, Louisville, Mississippi, and Louisiana, and Country has a serious advantage over the competition.
Unfortunately for Pop and R&B/Hip-Hop, places like L.A. and New York just don’t score that many points. But take a song like Dani California, and you’ll see that throwing in the word “California” more than a dozen times can make a real difference.
In 2007, Rock and R&B/Hip-Hop both plunged with the help of songs like “Buy U a Drank” by T-Pain (which just made it above a 1st grade reading level) and “I Don’t Wanna Stop” by Ozzy Osbourne (a more respectable 1.6 average grade level).
Then, in 2009, it was Country and Pop’s turn, when they each hit their own record lows with the help of songs like “Boom Boom Pow” by the Black Eyed Peas (2.0 grade level) and “Then” by Brad Paisley (which wasn’t much higher at a 2.2 grade level).
Was it the housing boom and bust that got people in the mood for listening to the simpler songs in life? Hard to say, but what’s for sure is that the people have spoken. No matter what the year and the economic situation, they do not want to listen to anything a third grader would find challenging.
Looking at the overall trend, it seems things have leveled off since 2010, with all four major genres resting comfortably into the 2nd-3rd grade range and R&B/Hip Hop ranking last in 5 of the past 10 years. Sorry 1st graders, but you’ll have to settle for R&B and Hip Hop from 2007.
Still, besides those grade level averages, how do elements like word count play into the picture?
Interestingly enough, there’s a definite correlation here between the average length of song and the average grade level. Problem is, it’s an inverse relationship — shorter songs actually have a higher grade level.
Shockingly, R&B/Hip Hop and Pop seem to be talking a lot and not saying much.
Country and Rock, on the other hand, certainly seem to have a winning formula: keep it short, while not skimping on word or grammar complexity, and you have nicely aged song. It’s surprising what you can fit into less than 300 words.
What’s clear is that over time, not a lot has changed. Aside from normal fluctuations, all the genres seem to have a standard level they stick to. Frankly, having listened to my fair share of radio for the past 10 years, that’s not exactly surprising.
Artist VS. Artist: How Low Can They Go?
Hint: Very Low.
I went through each category and picked 7 of the top artists based on their number of hit songs and how long those songs stayed at #1. So without further ado, here are the facts about the artists whose voices we hear most often in each genre:
This is probably a good time to reiterate that these are the numbers, plain and simple, and that all Beyoncé partisans should address their complaints to the people at the Readability Score. We can’t hide the facts: of these 7 top R&B and Hip Hop artists, she has the second smallest average word count and the least sophisticated lyrics.
Who’s the standout? None other than Slim Shady himself, with Nicki Minaj and Macklemore following up in the number 2 and 3 spots. Is Kanye West talking a lot and not saying anything? Yes. Should you be surprised?
Wait, I’mma Let You Finish. No.
The Country data here seems to be telling us something. The more devoted teenage girls are to an artist, the more poorly these artists score. Okay, that wasn’t exactly fair, but Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts, and Florida Georgia Line are bottom of the pack here in terms of average grade level at 3.4, 3.2 and 2.93.
The queen of Country, however, is definitely Carrie Underwood with a grade level of 3.72. Blake Shelton (3.63) and Brad Paisley (3.54) are close behind. If there’s one trend clearly at play here, it’s that (again) longer lyrics don’t exactly translate into more sophisticated lyrics. But, perhaps Rock has something to say about that.
Yes, Rock has plenty to say about the “longer lyrics = less sophisticated lyrics” trend. Not just any Rock either, we’re talking about Nickelback. Yes, the Canadian rock band so many love to hate manages to get the longest AND most sophisticated lyrics in the Rock category.
Just as surprising, Linkin Park came in with the shortest lyrics and the second most sophisticated. Who knew? Still, on the whole, major Rock artists and groups stay pretty firmly in the 2nd and occasionally 3rd grade. I guess guitars can compensate for just about anything.
If there’s a single stunning fact about this genre, it still has to be that not a single female singer made it onto the Rock list. That means not a single lady stayed at the top of the charts for four or more weeks during the entire last 10 years. Why that might be frankly deserves its own post.
But how does this all compare to what’s maybe the most generic, the most ubiquitous, and the most popular category of all? Ke$ha fans, prepare yourselves…
As promised, Ke$ha does manage to score the worst of any major artist I looked more closely at. Not just a little worse either, although Lady Gaga makes a valiant effort to keep up (keep down?).
Unlike the other genres, the Pop stars who stand out are a bit less surprising with the gold, silver, and bronze going to Mariah Carey, Adele, and Justin Timberlake, respectively.
Pop actually holds its own pretty well with Mariah Carey scoring higher than anyone in the other three categories. Bravo Mariah, bravo!
But how do artists and their songs compare across genres?
Top Songs: The Good, The Bad, and The Very Ugly
Remember how I mentioned that Country has done very well? Well, here’s a bit of insight into why. Fully 5 of the top 10 smartest songs in this study are country songs. Only a single song (thanks Rihanna) made it from R&B/Hip Hop.
This of course brings us to the shame list, the dumbest 10 songs of the last 10 years. Here, Country has completely vanished, replaced by a fairly even representation of Pop, Rock, and R&B/Hip Hop.
Somehow, Three Days Grace and Maroon 5 managed to score on both charts. The former scoring the dumbest song in the entire study alongside the 3rd smartest.
Showing My Homework
For anyone who’s a bit more curious, here’s the full list of the four categories ranked by average grade level.
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Ranked by Grade Level
| Average Grade Level | Title | Artist | Year | Weeks at #1 | Word Count | Characters per Word | Syllables per Word |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.8 | Diamonds | Rihanna | 2012 | 11 | 382 | 4 | 1.4 |
| 4.1 | Thrift Shop | Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz | 2013 | 14 | 725 | 3.9 | 1.3 |
| 3.9 | Irreplaceable | Beyoncé | 2006 | 9 | 549 | 3.5 | 1.2 |
| 3.9 | Slow Down | Bobby Valentino | 2005 | 4 | 452 | 3.8 | 1.2 |
| 3.8 | Moment 4 Life | Nicki Minaj Featuring Drake | 2011 | 5 | 648 | 3.7 | 1.2 |
| 3.7 | The Monster | Eminem Featuring Rihanna | 2013 | 13 | 710 | 3.7 | 1.2 |
| 3.7 | We Belong Together | Mariah Carey | 2005 | 14 | 418 | 3.5 | 1.2 |
| 3.4 | Mercy | Kanye West, Big Sean, Pusha T, 2 Chainz | 2012 | 4 | 968 | 3.9 | 1.2 |
| 3.4 | I Remember | Keyshia Cole | 2008 | 7 | 319 | 3.7 | 1.2 |
| 3.3 | No One | Alicia Keys | 2007 | 17 | 314 | 3.2 | 1.2 |
| 3.3 | Let Me Love You | Mario | 2005 | 11 | 477 | 3.7 | 1.2 |
| 3.2 | Best I Ever Had | Drake | 2009 | 7 | 811 | 3.5 | 1.2 |
| 3.2 | Hold On, We’re Going Home | Drake Featuring Majid Jordan | 2013 | 5 | 343 | 3.5 | 1.2 |
| 3.2 | Pretty Wings | Maxwell | 2009 | 14 | 267 | 3.9 | 1.2 |
| 3.2 | Lotus Flower Bomb | Wale Featuring Miguel | 2012 | 5 | 589 | 3.6 | 1.2 |
| 3.1 | Be Without You | Mary J. Blige | 2006 | 15 | 575 | 3.4 | 1.2 |
| 3 | Anaconda | Nicki Minaj | 2014 | 6 | 641 | 3.4 | 1.2 |
| 2.9 | Deuces | Chris Brown Featuring Tyga & Kevin McCall | 2010 | 9 | 596 | 3.4 | 1.2 |
| 2.8 | I’m On One | DJ Khaled Featuring Drake, Rick Ross & Lil Wayne | 2011 | 10 | 722 | 3.4 | 1.2 |
| 2.8 | Motivation | Kelly Rowland Featuring Lil Wayne | 2011 | 6 | 369 | 3.5 | 1.2 |
| 2.8 | Heaven Sent | Keyshia Cole | 2008 | 9 | 495 | 3.6 | 1.2 |
| 2.7 | Look At Me Now | Chris Brown Featuring Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes | 2011 | 8 | 906 | 3.4 | 1.2 |
| 2.7 | Everything To Me | Monica | 2010 | 7 | 201 | 3.5 | 1.2 |
| 2.7 | Can’t Be Friends | Trey Songz | 2010 | 11 | 358 | 3.2 | 1.1 |
| 2.7 | Soul Survivor | Young Jeezy Featuring Akon | 2005 | 4 | 792 | 3.4 | 1.2 |
| 2.6 | She Will | Lil Wayne Featuring Drake | 2011 | 4 | 794 | 3.5 | 1.2 |
| 2.6 | Blurred Lines | Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. + Pharrell | 2013 | 16 | 674 | 3.3 | 1.2 |
| 2.5 | Candy Shop | 50 Cent Featuring Olivia | 2005 | 4 | 619 | 3.4 | 1.2 |
| 2.4 | Ni**as in Paris | Jay Z Kanye West | 2011 | 7 | 576 | 3.5 | 1.2 |
| 2.4 | Can’t Hold Us | Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Ray Dalton | 2013 | 7 | 758 | 3.4 | 1.2 |
| 2.4 | Happy | Pharrell Williams | 2014 | 12 | 544 | 3.5 | 1.2 |
| 2.4 | Love In This Club | Usher Featuring Young Jeezy | 2008 | 4 | 613 | 3.3 | 1.1 |
| 2.4 | It’s Goin’ Down | Yung Joc | 2006 | 8 | 589 | 3.5 | 1.2 |
| 2.2 | Gold Digger | Kanye West Featuring Jamie Foxx | 2005 | 4 | 774 | 3.5 | 1.1 |
| 2.2 | Lollipop | Lil Wayne Featuring Static Major | 2008 | 6 | 658 | 3.4 | 1.2 |
| 2.2 | There Goes My Baby | Usher | 2010 | 4 | 456 | 3.5 | 1.2 |
| 2.1 | Un-Thinkable (I’m Ready) | Alicia Keys | 2010 | 12 | 384 | 3.3 | 1.2 |
| 2.1 | Black Widow | Iggy Azalea Featuring Rita Ora | 2014 | 5 | 551 | 3.4 | 1.2 |
| 2.1 | Climax | Usher | 2012 | 10 | 326 | 3.4 | 1.2 |
| 2 | Blame It | Jamie Foxx Featuring T-Pain | 2009 | 14 | 803 | 3.3 | 1.2 |
| 2 | Adorn | Miguel | 2012 | 4 | 265 | 3.5 | 1.2 |
| 1.9 | When I See U | Fantasia | 2007 | 8 | 380 | 3.3 | 1.1 |
| 1.9 | Fancy | Iggy Azalea Featuring Charli XCX | 2014 | 13 | 535 | 3.4 | 1.2 |
| 1.8 | Love On Top | Beyonce | 2012 | 7 | 599 | 3.3 | 1.2 |
| 1.8 | What You Know | T.I. | 2006 | 6 | 870 | 3.5 | 1.2 |
| 1.7 | No Lie | 2 Chainz Featuring Drake | 2012 | 5 | 783 | 3.3 | 1.1 |
| 1.6 | Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) | Beyonce | 2008 | 12 | 687 | 3 | 1.1 |
| 1.6 | Say Goodbye | Chris Brown | 2006 | 4 | 793 | 3.2 | 1.2 |
| 1.6 | Bed | J. Holiday | 2007 | 5 | 597 | 3.3 | 1.2 |
| 1.6 | Need U Bad | Jazmine Sullivan | 2008 | 4 | 479 | 3 | 1.1 |
| 1.2 | Lost Without U | Robin Thicke | 2007 | 11 | 396 | 3.3 | 1.2 |
| 1.2 | Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin’) | T-Pain Featuring Yung Joc | 2007 | 8 | 545 | 3.4 | 1.1 |
| 1 | It Kills Me | Melanie Fiona | 2010 | 9 | 316 | 3.3 | 1.1 |
In the R&B/Hip Hop category, Rihanna’s Diamonds may seem like a surprising choice for sophistication, but throwing those rocks around got her average word length up to a full 4 characters. Macklemore’s high score, on the other hand, seems to speak for itself. Respect the Jammies is all I’m saying.
Then there’s Robin Thicke and Melanie Fiona… What can we say about the subtle metaphors and other intricacies which surely lie behind lines like “Tell me how you love my body?” Not a lot, really. Like Macklemore, they speak fairly well for themselves.
Top Country Songs Ranked by Grade Level
| Average Grade Level | Song Title | Artist | Year | Weeks at #1 | Word Count | Syllables per Word | Characters per Word |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.8 | All About Tonight | Blake Shelton | 2010 | 3 | 311 | 1.3 | 3.9 |
| 4.9 | That’s What I Love About Sunday | Craig Morgan | 2005 | 4 | 254 | 1.2 | 3.7 |
| 4.9 | We Were Us | Keith Urban And Miranda Lambert | 2013 | 3 | 283 | 1.3 | 3.9 |
| 4.7 | Before He Cheats | Carrie Underwood | 2006 | 5 | 304 | 1.2 | 3.8 |
| 4.6 | Good Directions | Billy Currington | 2007 | 3 | 303 | 1.2 | 3.8 |
| 4.6 | The House That Built Me | Miranda Lambert | 2010 | 4 | 310 | 1.2 | 3.7 |
| 4.5 | We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together | Taylor Swift | 2012 | 9 | 376 | 1.3 | 3.8 |
| 4.4 | The World | Brad Paisley | 2006 | 3 | 248 | 1.3 | 3.6 |
| 4.4 | Summertime | Kenny Chesney | 2006 | 5 | 294 | 1.2 | 3.6 |
| 4.1 | Beer In Mexico | Kenny Chesney | 2007 | 3 | 242 | 1.3 | 3.7 |
| 4 | I’m Still A Guy | Brad Paisley | 2008 | 3 | 364 | 1.1 | 3.5 |
| 4 | Making Memories Of Us | Kieth Urban | 2005 | 5 | 247 | 1.2 | 3.5 |
| 3.9 | So Small | Carrie Underwood | 2007 | 3 | 274 | 1.2 | 3.9 |
| 3.9 | Take Me There | Rascal Flatts | 2007 | 3 | 256 | 1.2 | 4 |
| 3.7 | She’s Everything | Brad Paisley | 2007 | 3 | 358 | 1.3 | 3.5 |
| 3.7 | Consider Me Gone | Reba | 2010 | 4 | 303 | 1.2 | 3.4 |
| 3.7 | If You’re Going Through Hell (Before The Devil Even Knows) | Rodney Atkins | 2006 | 4 | 362 | 1.1 | 3.6 |
| 3.6 | Sure Be Cool If You Did | Blake Shelton | 2013 | 5 | 371 | 1.2 | 3.6 |
| 3.6 | Something In The Water | Carrie Underwood | 2014 | 3 | 340 | 1.2 | 3.6 |
| 3.6 | Watching You | Rodney Atkins | 2007 | 4 | 398 | 1.2 | 3.5 |
| 3.5 | Wasted | Carrie Underwood | 2007 | 3 | 343 | 1.2 | 3.6 |
| 3.5 | Better Life | Kieth Urban | 2005 | 6 | 325 | 1.2 | 3.4 |
| 3.5 | Shutgun Rider | Tim McGraw | 2014 | 3 | 277 | 1.3 | 3.7 |
| 3.4 | Letter To Me | Brad Paisley | 2008 | 4 | 450 | 1.2 | 3.4 |
| 3.3 | Don’t Blink | Kenny Chesney | 2007 | 4 | 383 | 1.1 | 3.8 |
| 3.2 | Stay | Florida Georgia Line | 2013 | 6 | 410 | 1.2 | 3.4 |
| 3.2 | Somewhere With You | Kenny Chesney | 2011 | 3 | 374 | 1.2 | 3.4 |
| 3.2 | Drink A Beer | Luke Bryan | 2014 | 5 | 176 | 1.2 | 3.6 |
| 3 | Don’t You Wanna Stay | Jason Aldean With Kelly Clarkson | 2011 | 3 | 222 | 1.2 | 3.6 |
| 3 | Why Don’t We Just Dance | Josh Turner | 2010 | 4 | 230 | 1.1 | 3.5 |
| 3 | Living In Fast Forward | Kenny Chesney | 2006 | 3 | 235 | 1.2 | 3.6 |
| 3 | Play It Again | Luke Bryan | 2014 | 9 | 436 | 1.2 | 3.5 |
| 2.9 | Honey Bee | Blake Shelton | 2011 | 4 | 355 | 1.2 | 3.3 |
| 2.9 | Jesus, Take The Wheel | Carrie Underwood | 2006 | 6 | 307 | 1.1 | 3.4 |
| 2.9 | Cruise | Florida Georgia Line | 2013 | 24 | 421 | 1.2 | 3.7 |
| 2.9 | Bless The Broken Road | Rascal Flatts | 2005 | 5 | 239 | 1.2 | 3.7 |
| 2.8 | What Hurts The Most | Rascal Flatts | 2006 | 4 | 280 | 1.2 | 3.6 |
| 2.7 | This Is How We Roll | Florida Georgia Line Featuring Luke Bryan | 2014 | 6 | 383 | 1.2 | 3.6 |
| 2.7 | Burnin’ It Down | Jason Aldean | 2014 | 14 | 436 | 1.2 | 3.7 |
| 2.7 | That’s My Kind Of Night | Luke Bryan | 2013 | 12 | 390 | 1.1 | 3.6 |
| 2.6 | Never Wanted Nothing More | Kenny Chesney | 2007 | 5 | 352 | 1.2 | 3.3 |
| 2.6 | Felt Good On My Lips | Tim McGraw | 2011 | 3 | 326 | 1.2 | 3.4 |
| 2.5 | Big Green Tractor | Jason Aldean | 2009 | 4 | 368 | 1.1 | 3.3 |
| 2.5 | Need You Now | Lady Antebellum | 2009 | 5 | 237 | 1.2 | 3.3 |
| 2.5 | Our Song | Taylor Swift | 2008 | 6 | 386 | 1.2 | 3.6 |
| 2.5 | You’re Gonna Miss This | Trace Adkins | 2008 | 3 | 317 | 1.2 | 3.5 |
| 2.5 | Keep Me In Mind | Zac Brown Band | 2012 | 4 | 287 | 1.2 | 3.4 |
| 2.3 | It Won’t Be Like This For Long | Darius Rucker | 2009 | 3 | 317 | 1.1 | 3.4 |
| 2.2 | God Gave Me You | Blake Shelton | 2011 | 3 | 274 | 1.1 | 3.3 |
| 2.2 | Then | Brad Paisley | 2009 | 3 | 285 | 1.1 | 3.5 |
| 2.1 | The Man I Want To Be | Chris Young | 2010 | 3 | 266 | 1.1 | 3.2 |
| 1.5 | As Good As I Once Was | Toby Keith | 2005 | 6 | 380 | 1.1 | 3.2 |
Country scored very well overall; what kind of lyrics could have made that happen?
Let’s just say they got some help from feel good pills and red Gatorade. I already mentioned the long words which brought country to the champion’s table (tackleboxes and cigarettes anyone?), but longer sentences also played a part (thanks Keith Urban).
Of course, even for Country, it wasn’t all roses and bourbon.
Toby Keith and Chris Young did the genre no favors with their pleads to God and their baby. These lyrics scored low with a combination of short phrases and clippy writing. If only they could have mentioned Mississippi more…
Top Rock Songs Ranked by Grade Level
| Average Grade Level | Title | Artist | Year | Weeks at #1 | Word Count | Characters per Word | Syllables per Word |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.5 | Dani California | Red Hot Chili Peppers | 2006 | 12 | 296 | 4.2 | 1.5 |
| 5.2 | Animal I Have Become | Three Days Grace | 2006 | 7 | 258 | 3.9 | 1.4 |
| 4.5 | Be Yourself | Audioslave | 2005 | 7 | 194 | 3.9 | 1.3 |
| 4.5 | Inside The Fire | Disturbed | 2008 | 14 | 293 | 4 | 1.3 |
| 4.3 | The Pot | Tool | 2006 | 4 | 320 | 4.1 | 1.3 |
| 4.2 | Check My Brain | Alice In Chains | 2009 | 8 | 148 | 4 | 1.4 |
| 4.2 | Isolation | Alter Bridge | 2011 | 7 | 218 | 4.1 | 1.4 |
| 4.2 | Another Way To Die | Disturbed | 2010 | 8 | 321 | 3.9 | 1.3 |
| 4.2 | Something In Your Mouth | Nickelback | 2009 | 4 | 470 | 4.1 | 1.3 |
| 4 | Say You’ll Haunt Me | Stone Sour | 2010 | 8 | 369 | 3.8 | 1.3 |
| 3.9 | Your Decision | Alice In Chains | 2010 | 8 | 162 | 3.7 | 1.2 |
| 3.7 | Boulevard Of Broken Dreams | Green Day | 2005 | 14 | 289 | 3.5 | 1.2 |
| 3.5 | New Divide | Linkin Park | 2009 | 8 | 250 | 4 | 1.2 |
| 3.4 | Psycho | Puddle Of Mudd | 2008 | 9 | 338 | 3.6 | 1.3 |
| 3.4 | Remedy | Seether | 2005 | 5 | 355 | 3.5 | 1.1 |
| 3.4 | Second Chance | Shinedown | 2009 | 10 | 250 | 3.8 | 1.3 |
| 3.3 | Speak | Godsmack | 2006 | 6 | 181 | 3.7 | 1.1 |
| 3.2 | Lifeline | Papa Roach | 2009 | 6 | 283 | 3.7 | 1.3 |
| 3.2 | Through Glass | Stone Sour | 2006 | 7 | 520 | 3.8 | 1.2 |
| 3.1 | Save Me | Shinedown | 2005 | 12 | 199 | 3.8 | 1.3 |
| 3 | Best Of You | Foo Fighters | 2005 | 4 | 338 | 3.7 | 1.2 |
| 3 | Break | Three Days Grace | 2010 | 11 | 187 | 3.9 | 1.3 |
| 2.9 | What I’ve Done | Linkin Park | 2007 | 8 | 158 | 3.5 | 1.2 |
| 2.9 | Animals | Nickelback | 2006 | 6 | 480 | 3.6 | 1.2 |
| 2.9 | Chalk Outline | Three Days Grace | 2012 | 13 | 244 | 3.6 | 1.2 |
| 2.8 | Walk | Foo Fighters | 2011 | 4 | 305 | 3.7 | 1.3 |
| 2.8 | Photograph | Nickelback | 2005 | 7 | 489 | 3.5 | 1.2 |
| 2.8 | Country Song | Seether | 2011 | 10 | 411 | 3.5 | 1.1 |
| 2.7 | The Pretender | Foo Fighters | 2007 | 6 | 499 | 3.4 | 1.2 |
| 2.7 | Cryin’ Like A Bitch! | Godsmack | 2010 | 5 | 258 | 3.7 | 1.2 |
| 2.7 | Painkiller | Three Days Grace | 2014 | 4 | 249 | 3.5 | 1.2 |
| 2.6 | Face To The Floor | Chevelle | 2011 | 12 | 216 | 3.7 | 1.2 |
| 2.6 | Fake It | Seether | 2008 | 7 | 339 | 3.6 | 1.2 |
| 2.5 | Shepherd Of Fire | Avenged Sevenfold | 2014 | 7 | 273 | 3.6 | 1.2 |
| 2.4 | Rope | Foo Fighters | 2011 | 5 | 264 | 3.4 | 1.1 |
| 2.3 | Trenches | Pop Evil | 2013 | 4 | 287 | 3.5 | 1.1 |
| 2.3 | Words As Weapons | Seether | 2014 | 5 | 239 | 3.5 | 1.1 |
| 2.3 | Been Away Too Long | Soundgarden | 2013 | 5 | 239 | 3.6 | 1.2 |
| 2.2 | Something From Nothing | Foo Fighters | 2014 | 13 | 306 | 3.5 | 1.2 |
| 2.2 | Live To Rise | Soundgarden | 2012 | 6 | 225 | 3.5 | 1.1 |
| 2.1 | Pain | Three Days Grace | 2007 | 13 | 332 | 3.6 | 1.2 |
| 2 | Hail To The King | Avenged Sevenfold | 2013 | 10 | 246 | 3.8 | 1.1 |
| 1.9 | Breath | Breaking Benjamin | 2007 | 7 | 234 | 3.4 | 1.1 |
| 1.8 | Never Too Late | Three Days Grace | 2007 | 7 | 297 | 3.3 | 1.2 |
| 1.7 | The Day That Never Comes | Metallica | 2008 | 7 | 182 | 3.8 | 1.1 |
| 1.7 | Heaven Knows | The Pretty Reckless | 2014 | 5 | 338 | 3.6 | 1.2 |
| 1.6 | I Don’t Wanna Stop | Ozzy Osbourne | 2007 | 5 | 406 | 3 | 1.2 |
| 1.6 | Bully | Shinedown | 2012 | 12 | 369 | 3.3 | 1.2 |
| 1.6 | World So Cold | Three Days Grace | 2010 | 5 | 265 | 3.4 | 1.2 |
| 1.4 | Unity | Shinedown | 2012 | 4 | 372 | 3.3 | 1.1 |
| 1.2 | Let Me Hear You Scream | Ozzy Osbourne | 2010 | 4 | 340 | 3.3 | 1 |
| 0.8 | The Good Life | Three Days Grace | 2010 | 5 | 215 | 3.1 | 1.1 |
If the Red Hot Chili Peppers do have to pay a price for that panorama, it’s not showing up here. “Dani California” performed extremely well with an average grade level of 5.5. Three Days Grace even bucked their overall poor score with “Animal I Have Become.”
None of this, however, can undo what Ozzy hath wrought. “Let Me Hear You Scream” set a pretty low bar (1.2 to be exact). His other song, “I Don’t Wanna Stop,” didn’t do much better, either at 1.6.
Then again, it would be a crime not to mention Three Days Grace’s other record setting song: The Good Life. With an average grade level of 0.8, it was the lowest scoring song of the hundreds analyzed. Who said the good life was complicated?
Top Pop Songs Ranked by Grade Level
| Average Grade Level | Title | Artist | Year | Weeks at #1 | Word Count | Syllables per Word | Characters per Word |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | She Will Be Loved | Maroon5 | 2004 | 4 | 351 | 1.2 | 3.7 |
| 4.8 | E.T. | Katy Perry Featuring Kanye West | 2011 | 6 | 293 | 1.4 | 4.1 |
| 4.6 | Hips Don’t Lie | Shakira Featuring Wyclef Jean | 2006 | 7 | 617 | 1.3 | 3.7 |
| 4.6 | California Gurls | Katy Perry Featuring Snoop Dogg | 2010 | 7 | 411 | 1.4 | 4.2 |
| 4.5 | We Are Young | fun. Featuring Janelle Monae | 2012 | 5 | 352 | 1.3 | 3.9 |
| 4.2 | Shake It Off | Mariah Carey | 2005 | 5 | 352 | 1.2 | 3.6 |
| 4.2 | Forever | Chris Brown | 2008 | 5 | 446 | 1.3 | 3.7 |
| 4.2 | The Reason | Hoobastank | 2004 | 8 | 231 | 1.2 | 3.2 |
| 3.9 | Irreplaceable | Beyonce | 2007 | 7 | 549 | 1.2 | 3.5 |
| 3.9 | Leave (Get Out) | JoJo | 2004 | 5 | 330 | 1.1 | 3.4 |
| 3.7 | We Belong Together | Mariah Carey | 2005 | 10 | 418 | 1.2 | 3.5 |
| 3.7 | Boulevard Of Broken Dreams | Green Day | 2005 | 4 | 289 | 1.2 | 3.5 |
| 3.7 | The Monster | Eminem Featuring Rihanna | 2014 | 5 | 710 | 1.2 | 3.7 |
| 3.6 | Hollaback Girl | Gwen Stefani | 2005 | 6 | 459 | 1.2 | 3.4 |
| 3.5 | Set Fire To The Rain | Adele | 2012 | 4 | 346 | 1.1 | 3.6 |
| 3.5 | My Love | Justin Timberlake Featuring T.I. | 2006 | 4 | 784 | 1.2 | 3.4 |
| 3.5 | Over And Over | Nelly Featuring Tim McGraw | 2004 | 8 | 546 | 1.2 | 3.3 |
| 3.4 | Summer Love | Justin Timberlake | 2007 | 4 | 642 | 1.1 | 3.3 |
| 3.3 | No One | Alicia Keys | 2008 | 5 | 314 | 1.2 | 3.2 |
| 3.3 | Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) | Kelly Clarkson | 2012 | 4 | 429 | 1.2 | 3.7 |
| 3.3 | Animals | Maroon 5 | 2014 | 4 | 505 | 1.2 | 3.6 |
| 3.2 | Big Girls Don’t Cry | Fergie | 2007 | 8 | 400 | 1.2 | 3.4 |
| 3.2 | Leavin’ | Jesse McCartney | 2008 | 5 | 403 | 1.2 | 3.4 |
| 3.2 | Bleeding Love | Leona Lewis | 2008 | 9 | 393 | 1.2 | 3.8 |
| 3.2 | I Knew You Were Trouble. | Taylor Swift | 2013 | 7 | 588 | 1.2 | 3.5 |
| 3.2 | One More Night | Maroon 5 | 2012 | 8 | 492 | 1.2 | 3.4 |
| 3.1 | Be Without You | Mary J. Blige | 2006 | 4 | 575 | 1.2 | 3.4 |
| 3.1 | Low | Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain | 2008 | 6 | 731 | 1.1 | 3.7 |
| 3.1 | All Of Me | John Legend | 2014 | 5 | 374 | 1.2 | 3.4 |
| 3 | Roar | Katy Perry | 2013 | 5 | 445 | 1.1 | 3.2 |
| 3 | Locked Out Of Heaven | Bruno Mars | 2013 | 4 | 323 | 1.1 | 3.5 |
| 2.9 | Rolling In The Deep | Adele | 2011 | 5 | 574 | 1.2 | 3.6 |
| 2.9 | Pieces Of Me | Ashlee Simpson | 2004 | 5 | 326 | 1.2 | 3.5 |
| 2.8 | Teenage Dream | Katy Perry | 2010 | 4 | 421 | 1.2 | 3.5 |
| 2.8 | We Found Love | Rihanna Featuring Calvin Harris | 2011 | 8 | 292 | 1.2 | 3.8 |
| 2.8 | Check On It | Beyonce Featuring Slim Thug | 2006 | 6 | 617 | 1.1 | 3.2 |
| 2.8 | Apologize | Timbaland Featuring OneRepublic | 2007 | 7 | 219 | 1.2 | 3.2 |
| 2.7 | Firework | Katy Perry | 2011 | 4 | 391 | 1.2 | 3.6 |
| 2.7 | Cupid’s Chokehold | Gym Class Heroes Featuring Patrick Stump | 2007 | 5 | 668 | 1.1 | 3.1 |
| 2.6 | Telephone | Lady Gaga Featuring Beyonce | 2010 | 4 | 664 | 1.2 | 3.3 |
| 2.6 | Payphone | Maroon 5 Featuring Wiz Khalifa | 2012 | 4 | 589 | 1.1 | 3.5 |
| 2.6 | Blurred Lines | Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. + Pharrell | 2013 | 10 | 674 | 1.2 | 3.3 |
| 2.6 | Dynamite | Taio Cruz | 2010 | 4 | 413 | 1.1 | 3.3 |
| 2.5 | Toxic | Britney Spears | 2004 | 4 | 289 | 1.2 | 3.2 |
| 2.5 | U + Ur Hand | Pink | 2007 | 4 | 478 | 1.2 | 3.5 |
| 2.5 | Promiscuous | Nelly Furtado Featuring Timbaland | 2006 | 8 | 588 | 1.2 | 3.3 |
| 2.4 | Can’t Hold Us | Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Ray Dalton | 2013 | 4 | 758 | 1.2 | 3.4 |
| 2.4 | Happy | Pharrell Williams | 2014 | 5 | 544 | 1.2 | 3.5 |
| 2.3 | Dark Horse | Katy Perry Featuring Juicy J | 2014 | 5 | 470 | 1.2 | 3.5 |
| 2.2 | Say It Right | Nelly Furtado | 2007 | 4 | 247 | 1.1 | 3.2 |
| 2.2 | I Gotta Feeling | Black Eyed Peas | 2009 | 7 | 646 | 1.2 | 3.2 |
| 2.1 | Whatcha Say | Jason DeRulo | 2009 | 4 | 544 | 1.1 | 3.6 |
| 2.1 | SexyBack | Justin Timberlake | 2006 | 5 | 644 | 1.2 | 3.3 |
| 2 | Since U Been Gone | Kelly Clarkson | 2005 | 7 | 288 | 1.1 | 3.3 |
| 2 | Boom Boom Pow | The Black Eyed Peas | 2009 | 7 | 526 | 1.1 | 3.6 |
| 1.9 | Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) | Katy Perry | 2011 | 6 | 460 | 1.2 | 3.6 |
| 1.9 | Grenade | Bruno Mars | 2011 | 5 | 447 | 1.1 | 3.3 |
| 1.9 | Run It! | Chris Brown | 2005 | 4 | 706 | 1.1 | 3.3 |
| 1.8 | Hey Ya! | OutKast | 2004 | 6 | 497 | 1.2 | 3.4 |
| 1.8 | Gives You Hell | The All-American Rejects | 2009 | 4 | 463 | 1.1 | 3.4 |
| 1.7 | Poker Face | Lady GaGa | 2009 | 5 | 573 | 1.1 | 2.9 |
| 1.5 | Wide Awake | Katy Perry | 2012 | 4 | 354 | 1.2 | 3.4 |
| 1.5 | TiK ToK | Ke$ha | 2010 | 7 | 499 | 1.1 | 3.4 |
| 1.4 | So What | Pink | 2008 | 5 | 494 | 1.1 | 2.9 |
| 1.2 | Moves Like Jagger | Maroon 5 Featuring Christina Aguilera | 2011 | 6 | 469 | 1.1 | 3.3 |
Now I finally arrive at Pop. Maroon 5 really put it best when they pointed out that “it’s not always rainbows and butterflies.” That line may have gotten them high points, but their odd tongue-centered request was enough to undo it all.
Katy Perry is in a similar position, with high and low scoring songs leaving her averaging out somewhere in a muddled middle. On the other hand, maybe we can just attribute her higher scoring songs to Snoop.
Pink on the other hand is a much simpler picture. True, her repeated use of words like “nah” puts her in good company (The Beatles, for example); but in terms of “smart” lyrics, she doesn’t do herself any favors.
Okay Children, What Have We Learned?
What have we learned here? Well, the concept of creating for the lowest common denominator is certainly going strong. So what if popular music doesn’t tend to lend itself to sophistication? Are most of these songs still great? Definitely.
Perhaps we can be a little less judgemental of elementary schoolers (you know who you are). It also wouldn’t hurt to be a little more judgemental of contemporary songwriters. More than anything, these findings are a reminder of just how fun dumb can be. In the end, there’s nothing wrong with that.
Comments (94)
May 18, 2015 at 3:18 pm
I think you could make a full academic paper out of this, but you might need to improve a few things.
1) The reading level is only what you can prove changed; not really whether the lyrics or singers getting smarter or dumber over time or versus different genres.
2) You should make clear how you estimate the reading level. For instance, the Power Sumner Kearl and Flesch formulae depend on the number of words in sentences, which might be a less relevant criteria for song lyrics. Alternately, formula that depends on word counts might be biased if your song lyrics list the chorus multiple times.
3) A more detailed analysis might look at a broader selection of song lyrics. What you’re really measuring is the reading level of the type of music that is popular.
4) Along the same lines, if you had a broader selection of music both by popularity and by year you could also do some analysis like calculating a weighted average of the reading level based on song sales or radio play or critical success. You might find some interesting trends if even critical darlings have had lower reading levels.
5) One potential hypothesis is that there is less more in music, which means there’s less incentive for smart people to make it. It would be interesting to thoroughly test. Or perhaps popular music sales would have fallen even further if they hadn’t reduced the reading level of the lyrics?
May 19, 2015 at 12:27 am
I agree this would be a great academic paper. I would also be interested in seeing how it relates to songs from the 1940-1990’s these are all songs within the past 10 years, but it doesn’t prove much if you’re not comparing it to something tangible like music from the past. Also most of these artist don’t write their songs, so there is the question of comparing the songs that are top hits that the artist themselves are involved in the writing process verses ones that have no involvement in the writing process.
May 20, 2015 at 2:56 pm
Yes please, John’s and SSG’s is something that would make this study alot more interesting!
April 28, 2016 at 4:12 pm
It would really be interesting to challenge the method applying it to a presumed “noble” corpus, such 50s beat poetry or surrealist poetry. Will shed light over what is “dumbness” as considered by the researcher.
May 18, 2015 at 4:02 pm
Why is your website covering up some of the text with social media share buttons?
May 19, 2015 at 8:46 am
Could be your computer/phone or web browser. I’ve had problems with the social media share buttons covering things when reading an article on my phone, so I’ve pulled it up on a computer and had no problems. I’ve also had that problem in reverse, where social media share buttons are covering things when trying to read an article on my computer, but had no problems on my phone. I’ve also had issues on one computer, but not another (work vs home).
May 20, 2015 at 3:16 pm
I noticed that on my iPad. But when I touched any one of the buttons, a double arrow appeared. When I touched on the double arrows, the buttons were whisked away. When I wanted to link the article to my Friends, I touched the double arrows again, and the buttons returned.
May 18, 2015 at 4:43 pm
Reading level is not necessarily indicative of anything. “The Old Man and the Sea” has a reading level of 4th grade, after all. Depending on how you punctuate it, “Losing My Religion” would have about a 3rd grade reading level. Is that really a song you think 8-year-olds would understand?
The intelligence of any written work is in the ideas expressed, not in the words used to express them.
November 6, 2015 at 1:21 am
Well said. I’m wagering the reading level of most lyrics from 20th and 21st century artists is not very high. Either way, it’s not a valid way of evaluating the intelligence of a work, which you explained well.
Moreover, it’s not just wrong, but fairly immature to argue a correlation between the reading level of a work and it’s intellectualism. That seems like a grade-school level error to me right there: “my song has more fancy words in it than yours does, so mine is smarter.” Righto then.
The study isn’t smart, or science. The author admitted he conducted his entire study with the presupposition that pop lyrics are dumb because they’re simple.
Simplicity does equate to stupidity. On the contrary, Einstein’s theory of special relativity is very short (e=mc2), and he also said:
“Everything should be as simple as possible, but not simpler.”
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t know it well enough.”
The epitome of effective communication is conveying your message as concisely as possible, not the opposite.
March 27, 2016 at 9:37 pm
that’s exactly what I was thinking!
May 18, 2015 at 6:39 pm
+1 for good statistical analysis practices
May 18, 2015 at 6:45 pm
I believe you need to widen the spread on this project to gather a statistically sound set of data. Create a program to break down lots of artists’ lyrics AND go back in time all the way to the 50s or 60s to compare intelligence per decade.
“In the end, there’s nothing wrong with that.” sums up WHY stat projects like this need to happen and be publicized. The dumbing down of people and kids is no joke. When the message is “your potential doesn’t matter”, that detrimental thinking becomes the norm, and we lose potential thinkers, geniuses, and great minds to people who decide that intelligence can be wasted.
May 25, 2015 at 8:00 am
I don’t have time to run every song, but clearly songs used to be more complex. Take “Tequila”, by the Champs, for example, which was a number one pop song, March 1958.
Lyrics: Tequila. Tequila. Tequila.
0.39*(3 words/3 sentences)+ 11.8*(9 syllables/3words) -15.59 = 20.2. That’s college and FOUR YEARS of GRAD SCHOOL to ALMOST understand that song.
May 26, 2015 at 10:13 am
According to the Readability Score, that one only has an average grade level of 15.1 – no grad school, but some college, required.
May 19, 2015 at 12:54 am
Please include hipster music category
screw the mainstream
April 3, 2017 at 6:38 am
Hipster’s not a music category.
May 19, 2015 at 4:13 am
Please rank my fav, FIONA APPLE! PLEASE!
May 19, 2015 at 5:03 am
It’s certainly an interesting project, but I question your underlying assumption that lyrical complexity is inherently a valued attribute in popular music.
I especially question your equivalence of a high rank on the Readability Index with “intelligence”—intelligence of the song, the artist, the audience, or otherwise. For instance, you write, “women seem to be a bit smarter than men, except for when they’re not (i.e., 2008-2009).” But most of these artists—men and women—don’t even write their own lyrics, let alone have a say in which lyrics they’ll sing. Behind a female artist may very well be a male-heavy team, and vice-versa.
To give just one example of where I feel this approach clearly breaks down: OutKast’s “Hey Ya!” is ranked among the “dumbest” songs of the decade, but I’d argue it’s easily one of the most complex, meaningful, and “intelligent” pop tracks of our generation—easily more “intelligent” than anything higher-ranked Rihanna, Shakira, or Chris Brown have put out.
May 19, 2015 at 7:23 am
I thought this was super interesting, but like others I think there is room for improvement and making the data more qualitative.
I’m going to use the song “Swimming Pools (Drank)” by Kendrick Lamar as example. (Peaked at #17 on Billboard Hot 100) . Acording to https://readability-score.com/, Swimming Pools is ranked at 14.4 grade level using the Flesch-Kindcaid formula and has an average grade level of 12.0. Both 14.4 and 12.0 are high reading levels for a song with such “dumb” lyrics, and not only does the song have a higher reading level but the entire song is an extended metaphor for alcoholism which not obvious unless you think critically about the lyrics. This extended metaphor is an example of one the many subtleties that make a music’s lyrics more “intelligent” that you’re not accurately measuring.
Now I understand you looked just at songs that ranked #1 on Billboard, but doesn’t it stand to reason that the biggest song at any given time would be the most easy to consume song of that genre? For example, during Swimming Pools peak week on that charts (12/15/2012) was the same week Diamonds by Rhianna was #1 which according to your data is a 4.8 reading level. It’s unfair to judge all of popular music with just the biggest song at that time especially when there are situations like this where at just rank #17 there is a song that makes your conclusion of lyrics getting “dumber” make little sense. You shouldn’t judge popular music’s intelligence by the #1 song just like you shouldn’t judge a teacher’s proficiency by their star pupil or a basketball team by their one star player.
May 21, 2015 at 7:27 am
Kudos to you my friend. You hit the nail on the head. I find it hard to believe that syllable length is a measure of intelligence. If I use the word Snuffleupagus 100 times in a song am suddenly Einstein? But more importantly, this study loses credibility when you find the data has been cherry picked.
May 19, 2015 at 10:04 am
Mr. Powell-Morris,
You commented that any hit song could be comfortably read by a first grader, yet your analysis by year puts the average grade reading level at anywhere from about 2.7-3.4. They could be read by a first grader, if the first grader is reading at a third grade reading level. Which is basically what you said after your first chart.
As for music getting dumber, well it does appear that way based on your chart. In your 10 year analysis, our high year is 2006, at about a reading level of 3.4 and the low years being both 2009 and 2014, with a reading level of about 2.7. The difference between the high and low is .7 years. Not exactly a huge difference there.
What I found interesting was that immediately after the highest reading level year, 2006, the reading level dropped to about 2.8 in 2007, which is about where it stayed for the remaining years of the analysis. From 2007-2014, the reading level of songs ranged from about 2.7-2.9, with the exception of 2013, when we got all the way back up to 3.0.The average of those 8 years, including 2013, is about 2.8. Given your graphs, music got dumber immediately in 2007, and has been holding steady ever since.
All of this begs the question, were 2005 and 2006 anomalies? It would appear that way, but without data from additional years, we really don’t know. A 10 year spread is a very short time span overall. You want to convince me that music is getting dumber? Give me at least 30 years of data. More would be better.
May 19, 2015 at 10:48 am
Shouldn’t you be looking at the person who WROTE the song and not who sang it? Some of these artists do write them but others do not. I think that would be more relevant, unless the singer has such poor use of vocabulary that it was written specifically for their skill set.
May 19, 2015 at 11:11 am
It’s Bravo for males and Brava for females. Interesting faux pas when discussing how dumb music is.
May 19, 2015 at 12:40 pm
Why are Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole or Lupe Fiasco not mentioned at all in this list?
May 19, 2015 at 1:52 pm
Well, according to the article “If they spent at least a few weeks (3+) at #1 on the Billboard charts for Pop, Country, Rock, and R&B/Hip-Hop for any given year, they made the list.” None of the artists you asked about met the criteria, that’s why.
May 19, 2015 at 1:08 pm
I would like to see Metal added to this list, and while it may not be popular radio music, I would still like to see the correlation between it and the others.
May 19, 2015 at 2:04 pm
Can you do one of these for heavy metal? I would love to see how much of a difference there is some of the super complex metal lyrics; some much akin to reading a Lovecraft story, would measure up against all of this unintelligent dross. Hopefully you do it!!!!
May 20, 2015 at 12:54 pm
Iron Maiden Murders in the Rue Morgue
Readability Formula Grade
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level 9.4
Gunning-Fog Score 10.8
Coleman-Liau Index 6.4
SMOG Index 5.3
Automated Readability Index 9.3
Average Grade Level 8.2
May 22, 2015 at 12:53 am
(I know it’s death metal)
Nile – The essential salts
Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level – 12
Gunning-Fog Score – 14.5
Coleman-Liau Index – 11.3
SMOG Index – 9
Automated Readability Index – 14
Average Grade Level – 12.2
May 19, 2015 at 2:33 pm
Considering the obvious stereotype of the Progressive Rock listener as nerdy, introverted, highly intellectual yet socially inept, I would be highly intrigued to see how Prog artists would fare compared to mainstream music. The lyrical depth of a Peter Gabriel, Yes, Pink Floyd or King Crimson or (personal fave) Rush song makes it commercially unappealing, yet their fans value the intricacies of said lyrics as well as the melodies that frame them.
May 20, 2015 at 12:55 pm
Rush Limelight
Readability Formula Grade
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level 10.8
Gunning-Fog Score 14.8
Coleman-Liau Index 10.1
SMOG Index 10.5
Automated Readability Index 11.1
Average Grade Level 11.5
May 19, 2015 at 3:29 pm
A very important thought which should not be understated when it comes to the artistic and aesthetic qualities of a song are — yes of course the music itself — but as far as lyrics are concerned, it is the unpredictability and/or thought provocativeness of the words which for most country music is, sorry to say, severely lacking. When poetry sticks to grammatical formulas and lacks metaphor (country is wrought with literal storytelling), it fails as poetic art.
May 19, 2015 at 10:13 pm
you didn’t rank Rap God. What the hell?
May 19, 2015 at 10:19 pm
Gotta love these writing analysis tools. If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t know that Bill Ayers wrote Barack Obama’s book. Nice to know they’re still hard at work.
May 19, 2015 at 10:22 pm
Hi, so I just did an experiment I ran your article through the same scoring mechanism you used (https://readability-score.com/). The results? Average grade level of 1.3.
May 19, 2015 at 11:24 pm
To be honest, I’m not surprised that Eminem is number one in Hip-Hop and number three overall. He’s very creative and original.
May 19, 2015 at 11:46 pm
Where does Hollywood Undead rank?
They have some pretty complex lyrics in some of their songs.
May 20, 2015 at 12:54 am
Agreed.
May 20, 2015 at 1:44 am
He took top billboard music of the last decade. He also stated at the beginning that this does not include meaning. I hate nickelback too and was painfully suprized that they made it to the top of the list but you cant argue with stats. And, I love Bob Dylan and Radiohead but they did not make it to the top billboard, which can only mean most people like dumb music. Just not you and me!
May 20, 2015 at 2:32 am
Where’s Cradle of Filth and their overly complex Lovecraftian lyrics?
May 20, 2015 at 7:50 am
They didn’t include a very intelligent genre, Punk. punk songs talk about politics. take nofx’s 18 minute song, the decline; it has no chorus and it’s an 18 minute long story about how messed up society is. add punk into this graph and you’ll see it Beat all the other genres.
May 20, 2015 at 8:52 am
How dumb would songs sound with more educated lyrics?
May 20, 2015 at 9:32 am
I liek dis
May 20, 2015 at 10:16 am
Not surprising. Literally every artist listed on this page is as asinine as their music.
May 20, 2015 at 10:36 am
Exactly!
May 20, 2015 at 12:01 pm
I tend to agree with the idea that lyrics are being dumbed down along with the society in general but a study of other eras would be appropriate to vet those assumptions.
One might conclude that artists are learning to reach the level of their audience and the dumbing down is intentional which would make them smart to do so.
-M
#blackhats movie coming soon
May 20, 2015 at 12:46 pm
Iron Maiden Murders in the Rue Morgue
Readability Formula Grade
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level 9.4
Gunning-Fog Score 10.8
Coleman-Liau Index 6.4
SMOG Index 5.3
Automated Readability Index 9.3
Average Grade Level 8.2
May 20, 2015 at 12:48 pm
Rush Limelight
Readability Formula Grade
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level 10.8
Gunning-Fog Score 14.8
Coleman-Liau Index 10.1
SMOG Index 10.5
Automated Readability Index 11.1
Average Grade Level 11.5
June 15, 2015 at 8:33 am
One of my favorite songs even after 32 years. Many commenters have pointed out that a longer timeline would have been better. I totally agree.
For those of us middle aged rockers, who can remember our parents and grandparents saying, “Music today is stupider when compared to the music in ‘my day'” and possibly thinking the same thing now, it would be great (and possibly surprising) to see an objective comparison.
All that being said, I’d note that Rush’s high points were the “Moving Pictures” album, with another peak in the mid-90’s. Their unequaled lyrics (in my completely subjective opinion) combined with both serious (Orwellian future of “Red Barchetta”) and off-beat (“The Trees”) subjects written by doctor of Philosophy Neil Peart were/are possibly too abstract/difficult for the average rock listener.
May 20, 2015 at 12:51 pm
Louis Armstrong What A Wonderful World
Readability Formula Grade
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level 1.5
Gunning-Fog Score 3.6
Coleman-Liau Index 6.1
SMOG Index 1.8
Automated Readability Index 0.6
Average Grade Level 2.7
May 20, 2015 at 12:56 pm
How can you be taken serious when Taylor Swift is in the Country category? ffs
May 20, 2015 at 2:10 pm
Woody Guthrie This Land Is Your Land
Readability Formula Grade
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level 10.2
Gunning-Fog Score 12
Coleman-Liau Index 6.6
SMOG Index 4.9
Automated Readability Index 11.1
Average Grade Level 9.0
May 21, 2015 at 8:01 am
Would you please work your magic on “Your cheating heart”?
May 20, 2015 at 2:23 pm
Did you add punctuation? Mr. Powell said that he added punctuation, because most songs lack it altogether. Depending on where one puts the punctuation and what punctuation is used, I suspect there could be a great variance in readability and grade level scoring. Which puts the findings into even more doubt than there already is.
May 26, 2015 at 10:16 am
The comment above was in reference to one I don’t see anymore. Someone had commented that when they put the lyrics of songs into the Readability Score, they got a higher average grade level.
May 20, 2015 at 3:02 pm
have you ever listened shakira’s songs like «how do you do» «Animal city» «Timor» or «costumes makes the clown»???????????????
May 20, 2015 at 4:03 pm
Well if we only count average characters per word and average syllables, than that Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious the most intelligent song in the history of songs.
May 20, 2015 at 10:06 pm
this is fun and all but I think this shows the intelligence of the consumers who bought and/ or requested these songs on the radio more than the intelligence of a bands lyrics. Bands such as Stone Sour and Tool often have words or phrasing I have to look up to understand the song. Case in point, Stone Sour’s song “Conflagration”. Never even heard of the word! So I learned a new word… I won’t get stuff like that from country, hip hop, or pop music. The typical consumer would probably rather buy a song that they don’t have to figure out, so that’s why I say it reflects more on them than the bands themselves. Also why you’ll never hear the epic Iron Maiden song “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” on the radio. A 10 minute song with no chorus, put that in your machine!
May 20, 2015 at 11:59 pm
Maybe smart musicians are dumbing down their lyrics for better business. Daft lyrics have always been around.
May 21, 2015 at 12:10 am
I’m not at all surprised by any of this. In a nutshell, devote your brain cells to better music and switch off the Radio. There is a lot more music than what gets spewed threw TV and radio. But you have to go find it.
May 21, 2015 at 4:38 am
So, repeating this investigation spanning from, say, the 1950s to the present day might give more meaningful data. Or, at the very least, it might better illustrate the flaws of measuring the intelligence of song lyrics in this manner.
May 21, 2015 at 7:59 am
Can we get some Underground Hip Hop a taste? Surely they’ll prove otherwise? Aesop Rock, Grieves, Common Market, Brother Ali.
May 21, 2015 at 1:35 pm
I would like to see a historical comparison as well; The Beatles, Stones, Elvis, Zep, Eagles, etc as well. Interesting article but we really only got examples of current music.
May 21, 2015 at 4:51 pm
Interesting article, but it’s a shame they didn’t widen out the search in this study with a comparison of more respected artists who write brilliantly such as Tool for instance.
Also the criteria for a song means the individual is highly limited and their intention is never to score highly on a test which is never mentioned throughout the article. It would be useful to get a full methodology on how the results were devised. Although I fear that will remain illusive.
May 22, 2015 at 4:12 am
Rank Sondheim, and Cole Porter!
May 22, 2015 at 5:21 am
Kendrick is the greatest, all yall got it twisted, yall fake, boo boo, music lovers need to get off this blog. It’s all about C-O-M-P-T-O-N BABY!!!!!!! and chance the rapper but he ain’t gonna drop Surf until I turn 90, #SoX
May 22, 2015 at 7:59 am
Top 40 music all sounds very similar. These songwriters actually have formulas for how to write a “hit song”. These songs are not art, they are products. Major record labels hardly ever take risks anymore. And why would they when they can guarantee people will listen to whatever crap they throw at them. In my opinion 95% of everything on the radio has sounded the same for the last 15 years.
This is the information age, people. We have the internet. With all the online publications and streaming services why would anyone listen to the crap on the radio when it’s easier than ever to discover thousands of artists out there making incredible music? It doesn’t matter what kind of music you’re into. Rock, metal, punk, electro, house, rap/hiphop, R&B, even country and pop are genres filled with artists that are thoughtful, intelligent, and incredibly diverse compared to the bland drivel saturating the airwaves.
The only conclusion I can can up with is that most people just don’t care about music. At all. They put on the radio not to feel inspired, but to distract themselves with noise. They don’t want to be challenged or stimulated. No one notices because they don’t know any better. Which is sad.
If you give a shit about music, you’re probably already searching it out. If you’re not, then then what are you waiting for?
July 9, 2015 at 12:44 am
Well said! There’s enough good music freely available on the Internet to keep listening to something different every day for years – without ever needing to turn on a radio, watch music TV, or visit an online music store. And if you don’t enjoy what you hear, why not make up your own songs? They can be as smart or dumb, lyrically, as you like, and while you’re having fun, bonus!: you actually get to learn how hard it is to make a halfway decent song :-).
May 22, 2015 at 12:08 pm
Adeste Fideles
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level 21.5
Gunning-Fog Score 19.9
Coleman-Liau Index 19.9
SMOG Index 16.3
Automated Readability Index 17.3
Average Grade Level 19.0
May 22, 2015 at 12:18 pm
Major-General’s Song from the Pirates of Penzance
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level 21.9
Gunning-Fog Score 24.5
Coleman-Liau Index 9.6
SMOG Index 16.5
Automated Readability Index 22.7
Average Grade Level 19.0
May 22, 2015 at 12:55 pm
I love this article!
May 23, 2015 at 9:56 am
Okay, first off if you’re going to do this, you can’t just do 4 genres. You have to do all of them. Have you read lyrics from any Alternative bands? What about Reggae? Another thing, not ALL Pop songs have dumb lyrics. Some are actually pretty decent. Try it, I dare you.
May 23, 2015 at 12:41 pm
I do wonder if other time periods songs were higher, or if this is standard? I also wonder what a song like We Didn’t Start the Fire by Billy Joel would score, or other songs that at least seem intelligent at first glance? I would love to put songs through your machine just for fun!
May 23, 2015 at 5:02 pm
It’s time to study Chinese pop songs’ lyrics. Some of them are so sophisticated that the listener needs at least have studied well in high school and literature to read the characters.
May 29, 2015 at 9:38 am
I’d like to know what the average reading level of metal songs is. As it stands, that’s the only genre that has ever taught me new words.
May 29, 2015 at 10:31 am
If score is all that matters then Imperium Tenebrarum from Cradle of Filth just destroy everything on that list.
Readability Formula Grade
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level 30.4
Gunning-Fog Score 33.9
Coleman-Liau Index 10.3
SMOG Index 14.1
Automated Readability Index 37.9
Average Grade Level 25.3
July 1, 2015 at 5:02 pm
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July 10, 2015 at 5:06 am
I think this study have comprised of only those performers who we all know for sure did or do write their own songs …. E.g, If you look at singers like MICHAEL JACKSON and put his song BILLIE JEAN to the test you’ll see a GRADE LEVEL of 12 so I personally don’t find this study very helpful or accurate ….
July 10, 2015 at 9:19 pm
James Joyce’s “Ulysses” scores a 3.8. Just slightly “smarter” than country music. Langston Hughes’ “Theme for English B” got a 2.8, smarter than hip-hop but dumber than rock.
I’m thinking that using a tool designed for prose to evaluate poetry is a fatally flawed methodology.
July 12, 2015 at 10:55 am
I think country music lyrics are great, it’s backing them up that seems to be the problem.
All this talk about defending America, and no action. I’m very disappointed in almost all the artists. (You’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything ) well Noone is standing. Why aren’t the artist standing in line to give Obama an old fashioned spanking.
And what about religious freedom? ( Jesus take the wheel) Why doesn’t Carrie Underwood take the wheel ? Their all talk.
September 17, 2015 at 10:49 am
Request:
Out of pure self indulgent curiousity, was Slipknot graded/ranked at all? Considering their regular use of obscure multisylabic words and vivid imagery in their songs, perhaps they and other bands lower on the Billboard charts may prove to reinforce your argument but will likely also shed light on the point that the market at large seems to gravitate towards less thought provoking entertainment, which pains me to say being in the entertainment industry myself.
September 20, 2015 at 1:14 pm
I’m a pop and rock singer songwriter who used to be signed to Capitol, and this analysis is Pure, Sheer Fantastic. My music was considered “too intelligent” for radio, so I had to go independent. Interesting how Gaga has fared so well considering both she and I attended New York University. You sure wouldn’t recognize that from her spelling, grammar and songwriting structure. Yet she’s lauded on Interscope and I have stronger hooks and had to go independent? What’s up with that?
My label honcho and I, and my band, have all long suspected there was a conspiracy behind the endumbification of American pop music. Well now we know for sure! Thank you for this article and for its rock solid statistical science. I’ve sent it to my label CEO and to all my friends… yep: we KNEW it! 😀
You need to send this to Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter right the hell away. American listeners want intelligent music to return, but the majors won’t permit it… could there be a reason? (Puts tinfoil hat on tightly… then cries)
Superb article… this link is now being sent every freaking where…
October 31, 2015 at 2:12 pm
I googled “non-lyrical singing in pop music” and found this great article, having noticed the remarkably annoying formula lately of writing songs with NO WORDS AT ALL in the hooks……just “oh oh oh oh oh wa-oh” or “Oooooh-ooooo” or “wahhhh-whaaah,” etc. I would do some research on this subject on my own, except listening to all the examples would surely drive me mad. What ever happened to Neil Peart and those of his ilk? I realize Rush is still out there, but they’re no longer popular, since most people, sadly, have no comprehension.
November 5, 2015 at 11:36 am
one thing i always find disappointing is that there is no metal genre recorded. Heavy Metal and Rock are similar but also very different. Heavy Metal is more complicated and thought out than a lot of Rock songs. Take Bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motorhead, and Black Sabbath. Stuff that cant really be argued to be Rock, because they made Heavy Metal. I think if you would have done Metal and included those bands, you would have found that they are much higher than the rest.
January 7, 2016 at 12:34 am
I am sorry how does “calufornia gurls” by Katy Perry is more lyrically intelligent than “isolation” by Alter Bridge.
I consider myself equal fan of Katy Perry and Alter Bridge.
Katy Perry is just singing about crap and Alter Bridge is talking about feeling of isolation that has 1000x more meaning than Katy”s crap.
People may not agree. Don’t mind but those people disagreing with that should not call themselves human being.
January 17, 2016 at 7:49 am
As a songwriter myself (country) the idea is to write a lyric that tells the story clearly so every listener understands exactly the point that is being made. It might dumb down the words used but it increases the audience (smart business). As a general and vascular surgeon (yes that is how I support my family), I am hardly lacking in mental aptitude, I simply don’t believe choledochojejunostomy has =1 hit written all over it! By the way, I would like to know how this article scores.
January 17, 2016 at 7:52 am
Sorry, #1 hit not =1. I typed this on my phone without my glasses. I’m surprised there weren’t more typographical errors. Haha!
March 15, 2016 at 9:39 am
I think you should try looking at some death metal/deathcore, mostly the underground bands, they seem to have a wider range with their vocabulary, take white Chapel for instance, their lyrics seem like they would dominate most of these artists. Im just saying that death core/metal could make a great topic
April 20, 2016 at 12:12 pm
But Nickleback?
August 17, 2016 at 4:25 pm
Strictly speaking I don’t think you are really saying what you think you are. Readability doesn’t mean simplicity by any means. If a 3rd grader knows all the words you cannot by any means conclude that they understand it.
Excluding the word bathysphere from Margaret Atwood’s “Death of a Young Son by Drowning” it reads simply but it has the depth to write a 7 page paper off of while having only 10 three line stanzas. I can’t speak for much of the music chosen, sample size could use work, but the meaning of the Chevelle song you chose could hardly be understood by a 2nd to 3rd grader. The language is simple like most of their songs but there’s much more the “Intelligence” of song lyrics than readability. Have you listened to Radiohead’s “Burn the Witch” or “2+2=5″? There are very few words, and all of them are simple ones but the meaning of the songs are very complex and cannot be compared to songs like “Diamonds” in terms of ‘Intelligence.’
You may mean to say that the simplicity of words used and the amount of words has decreased in the relatively meager sample size you took of overly simplified genres but if you do not factor in the difficulty to interpret and understand the meaning of the lyrics you’re missing out on the majority of what determines the intelligence of any written work.
For those making sweeping statements about the lack of intelligent music, stop listening to party songs and just look. There is plenty of intelligent music out there – not as much as I’d like – but that’s because palatable sells.
February 11, 2017 at 10:49 am
Not only are the lyrics getting dumber but the music as well. It’s gotta change
April 10, 2017 at 10:50 am
R&B and Hip-Hop aren’t the same thing. It’s like putting Country and Rock together, or Rock and Pop together. Where’s the Metal category? Would be interesting to see an analysis like this that includes the complexity of composition and production, since music isn’t just lyrics.
April 25, 2017 at 9:29 pm
Yay Mariah is the smartest one
May 29, 2017 at 12:02 am
I thought your analysis was interesting. However, I question the applicability, because your study does not take into account reading comprehension. I was glad to find out that my college level essays are at college level, so that was good news. But then I put in the lyrics to “Hotel California” with punctuation, and the average level is 4th and 5th graders. Do you think that 4th and 5th graders would understand what the lyrics mean? I don’t think they would, because adults have questioned the meaning of the lyrics for decades. I know for a fact that when I was a child, I didn’t have a clue what the song meant. I put in other song lyrics as well, from what I would consider more sophisticated lyrics. “Parabola” by Tool, for example, has an average reading score for 6th graders. If they read those lyrics, they wouldn’t have a clue what it means. I started listening to “Parabola” in 8th grade, and even though I read the lyrics, I didn’t fully know what they meant until many years later. I then put in “Schism” by Tool, and the level is 8th grade. Again, I didn’t fully comprehend the meaning until years later. I put in “Tears of Pearls” by Savage Garden, and the level is for 4th and 5th graders.
So this is quite interesting. However, putting punctuation in lyrics can be difficult. Some parts will not create full sentences, so again this has to be questioned. The writers have to make their lyrics fit the music and vice versa.
We also have to take into account the fact that the brain is listening to all of the instruments while comprehending the lyrics at the same time.
Now that I have done this, this is actually even more fascinating. This may be why I haven’t really felt fulfilled in music since I was a teenager. The lyrics are usually too easy to understand. On the other hand, our reading levels plus comprehension levels are quite different than our every day speaking levels. English is strange like that. I remember when I was learning Spanish, I was informed that the Spanish language is written in the same way that it is spoken. The people who learn English are always very surprised though, because the way we speak is very different than the way we write.
Anyway, I hope that you will continue your research. This is very fascinating. This may be why I don’t like most popular music.