Study Reveals Pop Music Fans Not Very Intelligent

Beyonce fans 'among least intelligent but Beethoven fans are cleverest'

Those who prefer indie music are most intelligent, while pop, rock and gospel fans were all ranked at the lower end of the scale.

Fans of legendary acts like Queen, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Sinatra and Bob Marley are all around average and above when it comes to intelligence, according to Griffiths.

Radiohead, U2 and Bob Dylan all have intelligent fans, he said.

link

I can understand the low ranking of certain Rock music and why it would fall at the lower end of the music/intelligence scale but what the heck is so surprising about what this study has revealed about RAP music?

I mean, like, DUH!
Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne.

Maybe all that sub-sonic hard driving bass thumpin' is finally affecting the cerebral cortex??

Nuff said yo.

...Gospel??? Uh oh.

Here are more links:

Lil Wayne and Beyonce Officially Have the Stupidest Fans

Beyonce Fans Are Morons Say Scientists

Beyoncé, Lil' Wayne 'have dumbest fans'

Like, DUH!

I am a fan of some pop music, but would rather be listening to Dvorak. But Britney Spears shouldn't even worry about being a good or bad role model, because anyone who likes her enough to emulate her would be as stupid as she is anyway. I say, show all the cooch you want, gurl!

[edit on 18-3-2009 by sadisticwoman]

Wut u b sayn bout ma hommiz g? u b dissin uz wat whak shiz fo sho! JT beyonce 2pak an lil wayne wil whup u candy craka azz!

Hardly surprising really... most of the sheep I've bumped into listening to this rubbish are called sheep for a reason. Most of them think they are black, 7ft tall and drive gallardos. In reality they're usually about 5ft 6", wear the full range of flat peaked hats and basketball shirts with 'pants around the ass looking for something on the side in prison', try to start fights with exactly the wrong people and happen to drive around in an 1989 corolla

Oh and... 'don b a h8r'
Pathetic.

Not surprised. I can't even count how many soungs I've heard on the radio where I was like 'What the hell do these lyrics mean?' and then I change the station just to hear the same song..over and over and over again. A week later the same idiotic song is #1 and I'm still left thinking WTF? Did I miss something?

[edit on 18-3-2009 by xEphon]

The methodology of determining intelligence based on preferences stated on social network sites is flawed beyond validity. They don't reflect anything more than a veneer presented by the members to appeal to others. In science they have a saying, 'Garbage in, garbage out' when referring to nonsense papers. Garbage data, garbage analysis

Despite the poor study, I think it's self-evident that people who choose to listen to music 'off the beaten track', are more critical and intelligent than ones that focus their attentions on the transience of a Top 40. I'm only using experience and not seeking to generalize. Dumb asses can be found listening to any type of music. I should qualify my stance by admitting that I like various music by all of the acts mentioned in the extract

dude you gotta love the scientists website. www.musicthatmakesyoudumb.com Brilliant!!

Not much of a surprise though. Although I would have expected Jazz to rank much higher than it did. It was near the bottom. Whereas I'd figure it would be somewhere in the upper two thirds.

Can't say I'm really surprised given the garbage that is popular music. I'm stunned people actually like it and even pay for it.
Here in Oz we have a radio station called Triple J. They play indie/alternative etc but basically anything NOT mainstream. I love it. The kind of people who listen to the J's definately think outside the box a little more.

Lady Gaga.
How bright do you think her fans are?

Originally posted by Kandinsky

Despite the poor study, I think it's self-evident that people who choose to listen to music 'off the beaten track', are more critical and intelligent than ones that focus their attentions on the transience of a Top 40.

I think content rather than "off the beaten track" is the key here. You can have music that is not popular, but still revolves around ones genitals. (ie; "look at that booty shake" "OMG I am so in Loooooove with him" type lyrics) It seems to me that the break is content. Music with lyrics that talk about issues other than breeding and sex seem to fall on the intellectual end. Genres that typically focus on relationship related angst tend to end up on the less intelligent end.

Music with lyrics that are political, or involve the deeper human dilemmas, or lack lyrics altogether, not surprisingly appeal to those who are using their higher reasoning functions for more, (at least some of the time) than mate hunting.

reply to post by Kandinsky


Exactly what I was thinking. Not to mention that no kind of conclusion can be based on a correlation.

What about Tenacious D ??

I'm a proud JB and KG fan

These divas and gangstas haven't made a dime off of my household but I do like the new? guy on the radio called Gorilla Zoe.

99% of the music on the radio in my city is stale, every song is about being in the club, drinking, or grinding how boring

I'll take my Lamb Of God over the crap they call music on the radio any day.

You guys would like one of their newest, I'll try to post and censor the lyrics.

Contractor by Lamb Of God
Chopping lines in international sand,
Feeding blood junkie habits of the elephant man
Quench his thirst with black water rising,
Executive outcomes on a burning horizon

Yeah mf'r, let's take a ride
We're rolling Route Irish, someone has got to die
Trick or treat, it's IEDs,
So roll the dice as we leave,
Cuz it's eight miles of pure luck
With more bang for Sam's buck

Guaran-f*****g-teed, someone will bleed

Privatize to conceal all the lies,
Big business is booming like it's the Fourth of July
No need for all the formalities,
Jump the kangaroo courts
And plant the lynching trees

Yeah mf'r, let's take a ride
Running red lights in a green zone,
someone has got to die
Hidden Aegis, nothing here to see,
So load the dice for me please, and lets
Store the pint of blood to cash in to refund

Guaran-f'g-teed, just sign the deed
Guaran-f'g-teed, Someone will bleed

Someone has got to die
Ours is not to reason why,
Ours is but to do if the pay rate's right
Black liquid assets, f**k the mujahideen
Paint their picket fences red with the American dream

Lay the hammer hammer down, get the job done right
Jacked up and clocked in into a fire fight
Covert reactions and you never saw me
A glass parking lot in the American dream,
They all die.
F'g Murder.

Yeah, the methodology seems rather flawed. Anyone who wants to 'appear smart' would put down 'Beethoven' for their favourite musician....they probably think that prospective employers/admissions people might be looking up their profiles. They probably don't even know any other artists from that period, and if pressed, would classify everything before 1900 as 'classical'.

I myself put up "René Goscinny" under my favourite author as a joke...it be hilarious if someone actually looked up who he was.

What would be really awesome is to check their last.fm to see their most listened to musicians, but even that can be abused. Perhaps their CD sales....?

Besides that, I'd think the correlation would be something a little deeper than just a genre. I like a whole range of musicians (from 2pac to King Crimson to Wagner to Billy Joel), and if my scores are anything to go by, I think I'm above average (not to brag, though ).

[edit on 18-3-2009 by babloyi]

We were discussing a similar topic earlier and came to the conclusion that the more open minded you are about music, tends to leads to open mindedness all around. Some people Love ziggy cartoons, and its believed that those people tend to be more intelligent than people who dont get ziggy. I Myself am a Farside man.

Pop music tends to be simple, both in the music and lyrics. Some people Hate Dream Theater because their style is "Too Complex."

Different strokes for different folks. I try not to judge people by their CD covers, but alot of the time they will ostracize themselves through the learned mimic behavior of their pop music influences.

Yes man, it's just the standard 72bpm minute garbage regurgitated out for the millionth time.
I also believe country is the same kind of standard garabage an therefore don't listen to either.
If I do, I only listen to the upbeat faster stuff like Lionel Richie, someone that actually has talent!
I recommend everyone hit CTRL+SHIFT+G in WMP and start listening to their music faster! I gurantee you'll digg it, literally! I turn it up again to 1.5x speed and instead of music draining your energy, at 1.5x the music matches my energy levels and gives me a magic boost!

Also listen to everything, classic - metal - future trance (venetian snares)
If you listen to the music as well you will find there are many talking about the NWO, going all the way back to queen questiong reality, to eminem saying NWO in one of his first albums and then having the Bush Snr NWO speech as his introduction to one of his songs on his latest album, to bands like COG expressing their feelings towards it (MUST WATCH THE ARE YOU INTERESTED VIDEO CLIP BY COG - SO MANY SYMBOLS ETC)
to immortal technique angels of death and exposing the NWO.

There are millions of others and the more you know about the truth the more you become aware of, almost all metal bands sing about something along the lines of reality - government etc.

Thanks for making my day by confirming those POP NUTTERS are all IDIOTS! LOL, but really they are!

Originally posted by drsmooth23 Some people Hate Dream Theater because their style is "Too Complex."

The people that hate on Dream Theater have no ear for music, have no interest in learning about higher forms of music and due to al the pop nonsense they listen to it is really no suprise they are usually people from this genre that were never introduced to anything else!

Originally posted by BASSPLYR Although I would have expected Jazz to rank much higher than it did. It was near the bottom. Whereas I'd figure it would be somewhere in the upper two thirds.

Hey man, I can't access the site for some reason, though as an ex Jazz musician I can say that Jazz music make you smarter if anything, the knowledge neede to appreciate it is great, it is great relaxing music, like instead of having a party and wacking on genius beehtoven, you wack on jazz and chill and appreciate the quality you are getting.

I'm taking it you mean it should be near pop music rather than near smart beehtoven?
Maybe you were meaning it should have been more near beehtoven, wish I could access this site to find out, either way, I'm either very insulted and amazed at your lack f appreciation for good music, think of jazz like this, Metal heads bang the crap out of their instruments and give it all they got, well jazz also does that but in a more improvisational way, those guys are smart and giving it all they got with their brain as well.

I thought it was common knowledge anyway.

Rap and R'n'B tend to attract the 'lower class' and minorities. Mainly because of the subject matter, and the fact that every video clip has to have overly abundant amounts of jiggling flesh.

I'm no better though.

I listen to anything I think contains guitar brilliance.

That covers a hell of a lot of musical genres, I know. Does that make me any less or more intelligent? No idea. And I really don't care.

Here is an idea of the extremes at both ends of the guitar spectrum.

Guitar brilliance - of the sleepy, feel good kind



Guitar brilliance - of the 'want to launch myself through a wall in a frenzy' kind (CRANK IT UP)

Never heard of Dream Theater until just now. Checking it out on Rhapsody and it's not bad.

I like anything that has intelligent lyrics and a good tune. 99% of the stuff on the radio is "i hate my dad", "i hate my girlfriend", "ho's and money", "look at how sexy i am", etc.

I like Incubus. Albums SCIENCE and Make Yourself being the more "intelligent" of the bunch IMO, but they're all good to me.

I've always liked classical music. Opera never did it for me in general, but I do like me some Berlioz on occasion. Jazz also never made it into my collection, but I respect it for being a good genre.

This doesn't surprise me much.

Get into music theory. the most popular chord progression is I VI V. It works no mater what key. Those always sound good together. Even try the various Blues chord progressions, mix that with rock, you have AC DC and many other rock groups. Now I don't like jazz but they have some interesting stuff in there. I am still trying to understand it!!!

The simpler it is, so it seems to me, the broader audience.

As soon as you try something different you get more complicated and it is harder to appreciate, I am guilty of that too!!!! (Dream Theater - the bass is too verbose. When the bass settles down to the bassist role I like it a lot better.)

Lyrics.............oh, my god..... you can get away with horrible poetic cliques like there is no tomorrow and it is OK!?! Forced rhyme, cliques, and other things I can 't think of their names cause I have been drinking..........

and then add to this: How do people really listen to music?

I mostly listen to the music first or the overall sound. The guitar or piano, the bass and drums. Horrible lyrics but a good mix? Cool!!!!

Lyrics I listen to last in most cases unless the voice in the prominent sound.

the skill of the singer and musicians usually comes last for me.

But don't let that stop you from listening to music if you like the lower intelligent stuff...................I won't. I like ...........skater boy from Avril and I like Bach. What ever the mood. Throw a little Iron Maiden and Slipknot in there too!!!

...............time for another beer and tequila!!!!...........


[edit on 3/19/2009 by Oolon]

well i could have told you that without a study. haha. Score for me, i Love indie music.