Pop music may still soundtrack our joy, but a new analysis of more than 20,000 Billboard hits shows the mood has shifted dramatically. Over the last 50 years, lyrics have grown darker, simpler, and far more stress‑laden, with anxiety‑related language surging by more than 80%. Researchers say these trends mirror rising national distress in the US, turning the Hot 100 into an emotional barometer of American life.
To take a closer look at how pop’s emotional landscape has transformed, and to see watch the data unfold across five decades? Click on.