Listening to sad songs may seem like wallowing in pity, but a study to be published in the Journal of Aesthetic Education found that sad music can help people express their emotions, which in turn creates a connection that can help them heal.
“Our main point is that the value of sad music lies in its ability to create a sense of connection, regardless of whether it actually evokes sadness in the listener,” Tara Venkatesan a cognitive scientist at Oxford University who took part in the research, told Health. “And it’s that sense of connection, not necessarily the experience of sadness itself, which is what makes listening to sad music really great!”
Should you wish to get nostalgic with the sad music, note these melancholy top hits from the decades of your youth:
The ‘50s
The Platters’ sultry “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” topped the Billboard chart for three weeks in January and February 1959.
The ‘60s
“Hey Jude” by The Beatles peaked on September 28, 1968, and is No. 2 on Billboard’s list of the top-ranking hits of the 1960s (behind Chubby Checkers’ “The Twist.”)
The ‘70s
“Killing Me Softly With His Song” by Roberta Flack spent five nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 in 1973.
The ‘80s
The theme song from the 1984 movie starring Rachel Ward and Jeff Bridges, “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)” by Phil Collins hit No. 1 on April 21, 1984.
