Music and intelligence

[Kris015]

A couple of years ago my sister told me that people with low intelligence mostly listened to pop and techno music and that people with high intelligence mostly listened to Classic music or metal.

I have tried this on my class and it might just be correct.
But still i wonder if she is right.. And haven't been able to find ANY articles on this, but who knows.
It doesn't apply to everyone, just the majority.

To the questions:
Is this right?
And can anyone tell me why or why not?

Discuss.

 

[Gxas]

I listen to techno. I'm not stupid.

 

[grimsprice]

No. Its not right, its an evidence-less assertion thinly veiling a strait up attack on the mental state of people who listen to music she doesn't like.

 

[Georgie_Leech]

I think it's probably more coincidence than anything.

 

[SonicKoala]

I know what she's talking about - I remember seeing this study where they compared student's test scores (SATs, in this case) with the types of music they listened to, and found (in general) that student's who did better in school tended to listen to classical music.

http://www.labnol.org/internet/music-taste-linked-to-intelligence/7489/

In my experience, I've found that this actually does tend to be true. I work with a lot of stupid people, and everytime they bring their iPods to work, I get to listen to a bunch of shitty modern hip-hop.

 

[arsenicCatnip]

It's fairly baseless, but I'd want to agree.

Then I look at my best friend, who listens to a lot of pop and is one of the smartest women I've ever met. I look at my ex-husband, who listens to classical and metal nearly exclusively and is intelligent but not a genius.

My music collection is eclectic, as is my intelligence style, and I'm happy that way.

 

[hittite]

Possibly true, there's a lot of variables. The real question is: is this cause, or effect?

 

[Dr.Susse]

I love classical, jazz and most forms of instrumental and I barley passed year 12 (except music first in the class baby!)

 

[BonsaiK]

A couple of years ago my sister told me that people with low intelligence mostly listened to pop and techno music and that people with high intelligence mostly listened to Classic music or metal.

I have tried this on my class and it might just be correct.
But still i wonder if she is right.. And haven't been able to find ANY articles on this, but who knows.
It doesn't apply to everyone, just the majority.

To the questions:
Is this right?
And can anyone tell me why or why not?

Discuss.

Hang on, I listen to pop and rap and classical and metal. Does that mean I'm really smart and really stupid at the same time?

I smell a rat.

 

[Riobux]

...Metal?

Also, I'd probably disagree with the techno = low intelligence idea. There are certain scenes that are more likely to listen to techno, some of those more likely to be unintelligent scenes (chavs and "wiggers"). Some more likely to be more intelligent scenes(yuppies and homosexuals (before I get yelled at, there are more intelligent homosexuals than intelligent chavs and by scene, I mean the dance scene)).

Also, I somewhat disagree with the pop idea. I doubt the most unintelligent people listen to bands like R.E.M.

 

[Skizle]

...Metal?

Also, I'd probably disagree with the techno = low intelligence idea. There are certain scenes that are more likely to listen to techno, some of those more likely to be unintelligent scenes (chavs and "wiggers"). Some more likely to be more intelligent scenes(yuppies and homosexuals (before I get yelled at, there are more intelligent homosexuals than intelligent chavs and by scene, I mean the dance scene)).

Also, I somewhat disagree with the pop idea. I doubt the most unintelligent people listen to bands like R.E.M.

I think its supposed to be modern music. I love 90's music, mostly 90's pop and alternative, must be the nostalgia disease, by no means am I an idiot.

 

[hittite]

...Metal?

Yes, metal. In terms of the rhythms and chords used, classical and metal are highly similar. it's unsurprising, really. If you trace the geneaology of music, you'll find that metal is the direct descendant and heir to the throne of classical. Which is probably why this works so well.

 

[Trivun]

I listen to pop and techno. Mainly indie rock though, and indie folk, but since from an early age I had to rely on my mother driving me places and having control of the car radio, I was practically forced to listen to mostly pop stuff. So yeah, although my tastes have changed, I still like a lot of pop and techno (mainly the techno side since coming to university, since that and R&B seems to be all they ever play in the nightclubs my friends frequent - very few of my friends share my preference for indie meaning we avoid those sorts of clubs when we go out...).

I listen to a very small amount of classical, and only extremely rarely. I also happen to loathe almost all metal, except for nu metal (like Linkin Park) and speed metal (like Dragonforce). So really, I should fit your low intelligence group. In reality? I'm at university, went to a grammar school, am a member of Mensa, and do logic puzzles for fun. So I'd say I'm pretty intelligent.

Conclusion? Your sister's theory is completely wrong and without any decent evidence. Either that, or I'm simply the exception that proves the rule...

 

[Mythbhavd]

I've heard that theory bantered about time and again, but I don't buy it. It's like saying that the intelligent people read only the classic novels. Frankly, some of the "classics" are just bad. When it comes to music, there is classical music that is bland and metal music that is anything but intelligent. There are techno songs that are sweeping and intricate and there are pop songs that carry deep meanings.

I'd rather say that a person who listens to only one genre of music is severely limiting him/herself. Is that a sign of lower intelligence? Not necessarily, but it is a sign of someone who may not be willing to expand his or her horizons. That would go both for those who limit themselves to classical or metal and those who limit themselves to pop or techno.

 

[S.R.S.]

I think it's more of a jab at people who listen to it really.

You have to be brain dead to listen to that! or on drugs...

 

[ottenni]

Not in my experience. Almost all the metal heads i know are a bunch of dipshits while the smartest people i know tend to like pop or indie. But classical is an interesting point, you may be onto something there.

 

[Guitarmasterx7]

It may be statistically true, but that doesn't mean there's a connection. It's probably because pop and techno are what's "in" right now, so the mass population listens to it, and generally they prove to be idiots. Though I will say that musically classical music/orchestra and metal (barring Napalm Death/Cannibal Corpse stuff) are a lot more articulate and engaging in structure than other genres. Maybe because it's more complex it's enjoyed by more intelligent people? I dunno, really if given any statistic you could try to logically connect it in a billion different ways, but in the end, whatever the statistic, something is going to come out on top, regardless of whether it's correlated or not.

 

[userwhoquitthesite]

lets consider the implications of people to listen to classical remixes and rap-metal

madness!

 

[Distazo]

I know what she's talking about - I remember seeing this study where they compared student's test scores (SATs, in this case) with the types of music they listened to, and found (in general) that student's who did better in school tended to listen to classical music.

http://www.labnol.org/internet/music-taste-linked-to-intelligence/7489/

In my experience, I've found that this actually does tend to be true. I work with a lot of stupid people, and everytime they bring their iPods to work, I get to listen to a bunch of shitty modern hip-hop.

Thats a very interesting study, it almost seems like the more mainstream a band or artist is the further back they are in SAT scores.