Skip to Search Skip to Live Player Skip to Content Skip to Footer

Matt Knight

Matt Knight

Matt Knight

Music from the 80s & 90s Make People Happier Says New Study

Author Matt Knight

A new study shows that you will be even happier listening to music from the 80s & 90s than current music. It’s science, therefore it has to be true.

Benefits of Listening to This Music

Research just published in the journal Scientific Reports shows that song lyrics have become angrier and more repetitive over the past four decades. Researchers analyzed the lyrics of 12,000 English-language songs released between 1980 and 2020. They found that there has been an increase in anger and negative emotions.

One researcher said anger-related words may have become more common because “music reflects more general changes in society and culture.” On the other hand, researchers also found lyrics have become simpler and easier to understand, with more rhyming lines and more chorus. Personally, I take this to mean that although today’s songs may be “catchy,” the angrier lyrics might cause you to be a bit less joyful.

For example, listen to songs like Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” or S.O.S. Band “Take Your Time (Do It Right)” and tell me that you can resist turning the volume up and singing along with lyrics such as:

(Queen) Don’t stop me now / I’m having such a good time, I’m having a ball / Don’t stop me now / If you wanna have a good time, just give me a call.

(S.O.S. Band)You know you ought to slow down, you been working too hard and that’s a fact / Sit back and relax a while, take some time to laugh and smile / Lay your heavy load down so we can stop and kick back / It seems we never take the time to do, all the things we want to.

RELATED: A Night with Dave Stewart and Bryan Adams at Prudential

Truth be told, when these songs come on in the studio I’m CRANKING the speakers up. I’ll also take this time to remind you that we play all the best 70s, 80s & 90s tunes that will make you even happier than you are right now here on 100.1 WJRZ!

Matt Knight's Top Toys From The 80's

Being a kid in the 80’s meant SOOOOO MANYYYY TOYS! I had a giant toy chest in my bedroom that was mostly filled with Transformers and He-Man figures, but I loved board games just as much. There were so many things to play with and now I present what made my bedroom a mess as a kid with the top toys of the 1980’s.

VOTE: 80 Essential Hits From The ’80s

  • Hungry Hungry Hippos

    Eventually, you’d probably lose most of the marbles which makes this game useless. There was absolutely no skill involved, but it sure was fun! But the time when we had a full complement of them meant hours of slamming that lever until you had more than 3 other friends.

  • Lite-Brite

    This was the kind of toy you’d just display as art. Putting the colored pegs into the outline of a design and you thought you were a modern day Picasso.

  • Big Wheels

    Technically, this was a toy that got released in 1978, but my genius parents knew to get one of these as I got a little older in the early 80’s. I hauled ass on this thing down the street. Notice the kids in the commercial wearing no helmets while doing spinouts as the streamers on the handles would fly in the wind. What a time to be alive.

  • Teddy Ruxpin

    IT WAS A TALKING TEDDY BEAR! At the time, this was so futuristic as a kid that I didn’t know if any other toy could top this. You’d pop a cassette tape in his back and he’d start telling stories and singing songs to you. Come to think of it, this probably gave tons of kids nightmares.

  • Micro Machines

    I think John Moschitta’s fast talking commercials are really what got me to buy these tiny toys (probably a choking hazard), but you could stuff at least a dozen into your pocket.

  • Simon

    A toy that actually helped your cognitive skills. Once it started going super fast, I’d hang in there for a while. Ultimately I was pretty much enamored by the sounds and lights. This kid walking up to the Simon like he’s king of the world was incredible.

  • Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine

    This would make your house THE house to be at in the summer. Fire up the machine and make some sweet sno-cones for the neighborhood.

  • Transformers

    This was IT. There was no topping this for me. The amount of Transformers I had probably could have turned into a serious profit for me in 2021, but you’re not leaving toys in boxes as a kid. I was obsessed with Transformers and owning them all was just a bonus.

 

Sign me up for the 100.1 WJRZ email newsletter!

Be the first to know about our awesome ticket giveaways, concert announcements, updates with your favorite artists, and more delivered right to your inbox.

*
*
By clicking "Subscribe" I agree to the website's terms of Service and Privacy Policy. I understand I can unsubscribe at any time.
Author Matt Knight
Category:
Tags:
,

More 100.1 WJRZ

Load More