Sad Music Can Boost Your Health

We know that music inspires us, uplifts us, and connects us. But did you know that music we consider “sad” achieves those outcomes just as well as—if not better than—happy music? A new study in the Journal of Aesthetic Education confirms it: sad music increases our sense of connection to ourselves and others through its emotional depth, paradoxically improving our mood. A survey of 450 participants revealed listeners feel most connected to music that conveys feelings of sadness, love, joy, loneliness, and sorrow. The research shows that using music to feel our feelings, including sadness, has its benefits…as long as we don’t get stuck there.