Is This is Proof That Music Has Been Dumbed Down?

May 19, 2015May 19, 2015 Alan Cross 1 Comment

Okay, so the lyrics to most rock and pop songs aren’t exactly Shakespeare. They’re not designed to be all scholarly and academic. But is it possible than things are being dumbed down even more?

According to a survey by Powell-Morse (as reported in Consequence of Sound), the average reading level of big #1 pop song in 2005 was between grade three and four. An analysis of songs from 2014 now place the reading level at around grade two.

If reading this story is too much, then just look at this picture (called a “graph”) that spells out everything nice and clearly.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

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