Why the Brain Seeks Out Sadness in Music

Sadness is a common but unpleasant emotion – it’s one of the six basic emotions alongside fear, happiness, anger, surprise and disgust. Sadness is also inherently viewed as negative, but as science has indicated, it’s not always a bad thing. Take music, for example – the brain is actually capable of receiving pleasure from sounds and lyrics that focus on sadness.

The emotional power of music

The big picture: Music deeply affects human emotions, acting as a strong tool for expression and connection. This impact stems from how music interacts with the brain's emotional centers.

Music possesses a remarkable ability to evoke more than a dozen different emotions, including excitement, sadness, empathy, hopefulness, peace, tranquility, passion, fear, tension, nostalgia and empowerment.

• Music directly impacts frontal brain regions that are associated with emotion, meaning the words you hear produce a neurological response.
• The speed, loudness and pitch of music can impact emotions more effectively than other sounds.
• By helping to increase levels of dopamine and serotonin, music can improve mood and create positive emotional responses.

Many people use music as a tool to manage and express their emotions effectively.

• Music can ease negative emotions and enhance positive ones.

What is pleasurable sadness?

The bottom line: Typically, people view images, listen to music and watch videos to boost their mood or to seek pleasure. Most of the time, what you see and hear is positive. But there is also a part of the brain that gravitates toward negative emotions such as sadness.

Pleasurable sadness is when people find enjoyment in sad or melancholic music.

• The idea focuses on bittersweet nostalgia, causing listeners to reflect on personal experiences and emotional connections.
• People embrace pleasurable sadness when it's non-threatening, contains aesthetically pleasing melodies and offers mood regulation and empathy benefits.
• In many cases, pleasurable sadness is present in empathic people (those who have the ability to understand and share the feelings of others).
• Despite the negative connotation of “sadness,” listeners can experience a sense of peace and belonging.
• MRIs have shown sad music can activate brain areas associated with emotional regulation, reward processing and auditory perception.

The takeaway: Those who enjoy sad music showcase the intriguing connection between music, emotions and the human mind, where conflicting feelings can merge to form a satisfying listening experience.

Characteristics of sad music

Lower pitch levels are a common theme of sad music.

• This contributes to a somber and melancholic tone that aligns with the emotional theme of sadness.

Pitch ranges in sad music also tend to be narrower.

• The use of a narrow range of pitches enhances the sense of introspection and emotional depth, creating a focused and contemplative musical expression.

The tempo of sad music is typically slower.

• A slower tempo allows for a gradual and poignant unfolding of melodies, thus intensifying the emotional impact on the listener.

Minor mode is used more frequently in sad music.

• The prevalence of the minor mode (characterized by a distinct pattern of intervals) in sad music contributes to its characteristic sound, as minor chords and tonalities inherently convey feelings of melancholy and introspection.

The neurological response to sad music

What we know: The way our brains react to sad music is complex. It involves specific brain areas becoming active, the release of chemicals in the brain, changes in brainwave patterns and the interaction of emotions and thoughts.

Sad music sets off a mix of feelings, thoughts and physical reactions in the brain, resulting in a special and deep emotional experience. Affected areas of the brain include the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex.

The amygdala is a small structure in the brain that processes emotions such as pleasure and fear.

• When exposed to sad music, increased activity in the amygdala leads to an emotional reaction.

The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain located at the front of the frontal lobe that aids in decision making, problem solving and social behavior.

• Upon activation, the prefrontal cortex helps interpret the emotional cues present in sad music and provides meaning behind what you’re listening to.

The insular cortex is a region of the brain within the lateral sulcus that helps process emotional and sensory information.

• This area of the brain contributes to the emotional experience of sad music by providing empathy and self-awareness.

The cingulate cortex is a part of the brain in the cerebral cortex that plays a role in emotional regulation and decision making.

• During the listening process, the cingulate cortex influences how we perceive and respond emotionally to the sadness.

The hippocampus is a region of the brain located in the medial temporal lobe that plays a role in memory formation, learning and navigating spaces.

• This area helps process sad music by connecting emotions with memories, which produces a sense of nostalgia.

The release of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters also occurs when listening to sad music.

• Dopamine, which is associated with pleasure and reward, is released when exposed to sad melodies.
• Prolactin and oxytocin, two brain chemicals linked to emotional responses and social bonding, are also released.

Mirror neuron activation occurs when you both perform an action and when you observe someone else performing the same action. In other words, your brain mirrors what others do and helps you understand their intentions.

• As it relates to sad music, this mirroring that occurs in the brain activates empathic feelings to help connect with others.