Credit crunch impacts music tastes

by Catherine Woods - Tuesday, 15th July 2008 - - Business comment

Here’s a little-known effect of the credit crunch: it’s driving music lovers from ditties to dirges.

According to entertainment recommendation website TheFilter.com, Elton John was right when he sang:

Turn them on, turn them on
Turn on those sad songs
When all hope is gone
Why don't you tune in and turn them on

They reach into your room
Just feel their gentle touch
When all hope is gone
Sad songs say so much

The Filter, which was set up by Rhett Ryder and Martin Hopkins and is backed by music legend Peter Gabriel, says the number of people listening to snippets of gloomy music or rating these tracks as positive has soared in the last month.

Chief executive David Maher-Roberts tells us: “We’re seeing more of our users than ever before rating depressing or slightly miserable tracks more highly than happier types of music. It’s logical to assume that this is a reflection of what’s happening in the economy.”

Top ten most popular depressing songs as rated by The Filter users

1. Amy Winehouse - Tears Dry On Their Own

2. The Beatles - Eleanor Rigby

3. The Smiths - Heaven knows I'm miserable now

4. Coldplay - Trouble

5. The Verve - The Drugs Don't Work

6. Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb

7. Blur - No Distance Left To Run

8. Radiohead - How to Disappear Completely

9. R.E.M. - Everybody Hurts

10. Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart

Picture source