Music That Makes You Dumb?
By Morelli
CalTech grad student named Virgil Griffith has conducted an interesting (albeit somewhat unscientific) study relating music preferences with SAT scores. While SAT scores are criticized for not accurately determining intelligence, the results show that the “smartest” students’ favorite musician is Beethoven, with an average SAT score of 1371, and at the other end of the spectrum is Lil’ Wayne, with an average score of 889.
Other bands at the top of the scale are Counting Crows, Radiohead, and Sufjan Stevens. Check out the full image of the results after the jump:
Surprisingly, no style of music stands out above the rest, but rather most bands fit within the 1000 to 1150 score range. Another question is whether music can be legitimately associated with smarts.
Does intelligence choose the band? Or does music define how smart we become? Where do your favorite bands appear? Do you think that music can make you dumb?
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 8:00PM
Ok, really? It looks to me as though Virgil did not sample a large range of SAT scores. I scored a 1220 and my favorite band is Death Cab. It is an interesting idea though.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 8:09PM
correlation does not equal causation
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 8:12PM
I happen to be a pretty smart dude and enjoy lil wayne a lot
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 8:22PM
Intelligence determines personality determines taste in music, if you're just considering individuals. people of similar intelligence tend to associate with each other, which means their tastes will tend towards converging (not always, but people share music among friends and listen to music with friends, so the tendency is pretty undeniable), which would make more people of a given intelligence likely to listen to similar music.
It's pretty silly to think that our intelligence is directly related to what music we listen to, though.
I haven't taken the SAT (signed up for it in a couple weeks), but I have taken the ACT, and I got a 34. My favorite band? Against Me! (they're folk punk, if you aren't familiar).
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 1:24PM
NEWS AT 11, BLACK PEOPLE LIKE HIP-HOP AND DO WORSE ON THE SATS.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 8:36PM
It does figure that people who listen to Gospel on a whole generally are shown to be less intelligent on SAT scores. Religion clouds logic
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 8:39PM
interesting study. i'm a bit unsure about the basic concept behind IQ anyway, considering that the concept is fairly dubious. BUT this sort of study opens a really interesting discourse about music and aptitude. i scored a 1390 back when i took it and i was listening to mostly James Brown back then. maybe the JBs helped out!!!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 9:16PM
That's mad cool, but correlation doesn't prove causation. There' no way to determine if music causes different intelligences or if different intelligences are drawn to certain music. Sweet study, but no real findings.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 2:28PM
[...] Source [...]
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 9:49PM
Are you freaking kidding me!!!…..who is the person that put Sublime, Greenday, and AFI in the same group. They are completely related…..NOT. I don't understand where you got your facts from, or your bands? This is my first comment that i have ever written on any page I have ever stumbled upon. I am glad that you can hear my fury as i write how horrible this page is. It makes no logical sense that a person's music choice proves they are stupid. You see, a persons music choice says nothing about their logic or intellect. A person may like a certain sound that someone else does not, it doesn't make them stupid. I guess i could understand your research better if you said you were going by stereotypes. But anyone could say white people are snooty and black people are lazy, or Asian's are good at math, but with no evidence, why would you believe me. This seems like a test that was created in a basement, by a bunch of high school punks, trying to get attention. AHHH i have so much to say but you probably wouldn't understand it!!!!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 9:57PM
what happened to the electronica genre? does nobody listen to electronica?
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:00PM
bullshit study
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:10PM
Heh. Techno ….
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:10PM
Hmmm, let's think, what socio-economic groups are more likely to listen to the genres correlated with lower scores? Maybe rather than indicating that certain music "makes you dumb", this is just another bit of evidence supporting the accusation that standardized testing uses WASP-biased language choices.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:11PM
What about electronic music?!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:12PM
Whats funny about this chart is that it illustrates the racism of the SATs more than anything. SAT is a test for white people and as most hiphop/R&B/Jazz/Reggae/Rap are minority/black dominated of course they're going to score lower.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 3:16PM
[...] thank you Gavin | Beatcrave March 4th, 2009 | found in music, news var gaJsHost = ((“https:” == [...]
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:17PM
obviously the hip hop kids aren't likely enrolled in SAT prep courses like the middle class white nerds who listen to sufjan stevens and beethoven. i question the intelligence of the survey conductor.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:17PM
just shows how shallow and fake students are when they are defining themselves. they grow up.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:18PM
Well I got a 1550 (2330 new scale) and I can honestly say that I'd much rather throw on a Lil Wayne track than a Beethoven one. Just saying.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:19PM
Great post. It's nice to be vindicated, since I've long held the belief that you can gauge intelligence by musical preference. Although confounding to see Beethoven at the top of the scale, while "Classical" is down in the 900's next to Jay-Z (?).
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 3:20PM
Is this a joke?
Music preference has a lot to do with what you were raised listening to and socio-economic status. Those born into higher income brackets are more likely to consider themselves above listening to anything “less than” classical music and are more likely to have greater access to a “classical” education. Furthermore, wealthy parents are more likely to put their kids through better private schools.
Not to mention SAT’s are not an indication of intelligence, they are a measure of how well you comprehend English and the operations of math.
This has to be one of the most retarded studies ever conducted.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:20PM
I think what we're looking at here is race (by musical choice) vs SAT scores. I'm guessing non-native asians (many whom probably listen to music of their cultural ethnicity that wasn't put down as a choice) are amongst the majority who selected Beethoven.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:23PM
You are a bigot.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:24PM
not enough EDM.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:24PM
Obviously this isn't meant to be a rigorous study that shows anything. This article left out a few key points – he gathered data on people's favorite music based on what they listed on Facebook, and correlated that with the average SAT scores of the schools that they attended.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:26PM
this is a joke, an absolute joke. not that 1290 is a monster number, but i feel it makes me a reasonably intelligent guy. AND PUTTING JAZZ SO FAR DOWN ON THIS LIST IS THE DUMBEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN. oh wait, 2nd dumbest. the real dumbest thing i have ever seen is insinuating that smart people listen to counting crows.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:26PM
Its matching social-economic status to music preference. The economic status effects the SAT scores more that the music will.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:29PM
Ummm. Sample size?
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:33PM
I listen to Industrial and Metal and scored 1580.
Maybe the techno remix of Beethoven's fifth I have did the trick.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:35PM
to those of you freaking out: this isn't a real study. Yes, this guy came up with this through surveys, but he isn't saying listening to beethoven makes you smart nor that smart people listen to beethoven. It's just a cute little thing. Drawing any real conclusions from this would be impossible.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:36PM
I think the sample group should have been a lot bigger. Some of the correlations i can definitely understand, but some of them seem a little out of whack. CAKE for instance puts it's listeners in the 1000 range, that's below "Jimmy Eat World" and "Linkin Park". Also note that in people who listen to "Classical" fall into the 950-990 range, however "Beethoven" listeners are the smartest on the list. Is Beethoven not classical? There is no real organization here it's mostly random, so as to say that the findings are, "anyone can listen to anything". Myth Busted.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:42PM
Let me guess. Every single post above mine is some idiot claiming that they got a perfect score on the SAT whilst listening to crappy music.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:43PM
Maybe you should learn now to capitalize words like "I" before you question the intelligence of others.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:43PM
I love that people with terrible taste in music are attempting to justify the results. Music doesn't make people dumb, but you'll notice the artists that more intelligent people enjoy are an acquired taste. In the beginning it takes more effort, thought and even introspection to truly appreciate Radiohead or Beethoven than Lil Wayne or Gospel music. The latter especially since it does all the thinking for you and tells you how you should feel on top of that.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:45PM
is the type of music they listen to also related to how many arrests they have too. or the kind of clothes they wear? of course it is. If you want to get serious here, wasp biased language choices….?? its english. there is a way you get taught english, then you learn slang and b/c lazy and make up words, or you try to act cool and just want to sound just as ignorant as everyone else, even tough you are not ignorant, because someone taught you english in school.
and to contradict this study and every argument for or against it. Five minutes ago i was listening to massive attack, then metallica, then johnny cash, garth, and now 2pac. Music has alot to do with the way people act, what they do, etc, but you cannot state that THIS PARTICULAR KIND OF MUSIC MAKES ALL PEOPLE STUPID. i hate ranting, hard to stay on track.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:48PM
The SAT doesn't test "intelligence."
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:49PM
xD This is completely inaccurate.
I scored a 2020 on my SAT's my first try.
One of my favorite rappers? Kanye West.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:49PM
Well, I scored a 1270 on my SAT overall when I took it, and I spent the last three years of highschool pretty immersed in system of a down (1036-1120). I'd say that I don't correlate with what this chart is finding, but I could just be an outlier
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 3:50PM
Cool, want a fuckin medal? I'm a complete idiot and I like Beethoven and Radiohead.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:50PM
i scored 1440 and i happen to like beyonce's music a lot. i dont think it's the music that makes you dumb. the best thing you could determine from this study would be what music is favored by students, graphed in relation with their SAT scores.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:50PM
False. Those are mutually exclusive.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:54PM
Not to be a pain in the ass…but obviously Virgil must be listening to the wrong end of the music chart. Had he done his research, he would have found that MCR isn't in the emo spectrum, but rather what wikipedia calls "Alternative rock, Post-hardcore, Pop punk". Besides, my friends and I got pretty decent SAT scores, and it had nothing to do with what music we listen to. Your SAT score does not reflect how smart you are, nor whether you are dumb or not, "the SAT measures critical thinking skills that are needed for academic success in college." according to CollegeBoard.com which makes the SAT's.
Music does not reflect intelligence, this Virgil guy is just trying to make himself look important, this chart is obviously biased, and he's also obviously got a huge rubbery one for Beethoven. I haven't ever listened to Beethoven in my life, and I got a 2000 on the new 600 to 2400 SAT scoring system. I listen to all sorts of music, ranging from Imogen Heap, to My Chemical Romance, to whatever.
Virgil Griffith wasted a lot of time on something he obviously put no effort into.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:54PM
Wow, thats pretty cool dude!
RT
http://www.privacy-center.pro.tc
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:58PM
How can classical be at 996 and beethoven be at 1356 ?! Seems a bit of a testing issue.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:00PM
More news! WHITE PEOPLE LIKE HIP=HOP TOO!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:02PM
I agree with linkbuildr and tekhed, where the fuck is the electronica genres? Trance? Dance? come on!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:03PM
news at 12, asdf will find out that, in fact, a black man is the president of the country
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:04PM
The most interesting thing I noticed was that while Beethoven was at the top of the charts, by a large margin, classical music as a genre didn't fair nearly was well relative to other genres.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:05PM
Obviously not if you like Lil Wayne.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:07PM
What categories would you have put them in? They clearly all go into Alternative or Rock. Calm down. And no where are they stating music determines intelligence, they're merely raising the possibility. Work on your reading comprehension and come back in a few years.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:08PM
We don't believe you.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:08PM
What stands out to me is that most of the African-american music is listed towards the lower end of the scale (I don't want to say this test was racially biased, but it sure looks that way). How is it that Jazz, one of the most important and influential genres of American 20th century music is categorized as being enjoyed by lower scoring individuals? This nonsense needs to be thrown out as inaccurate.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:10PM
I love Lil' Wayne, Love Jay Z, Hate Phish, Hate the Eagles, and love Bob Dylan and love Ben Folds. Does that make me very stupid, very smart or just not of average intelligence????
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:11PM
I question the higher-scoring kids truly or only liking Beethoven. Given that they've very likely been raised with very high academic expectations from their parents, they're quite likely to put Beethoven down because that's what they're sure their parents and social set would expect of them.
At the other end of the spectrum, the low score could simply just be an indicator of the average intelligence level of someone who would ACTUALLY ADMIT TO liking Lil' Wayne.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:13PM
I thought it was a joke honestly, I'm on my second year at Stanford and love Lil' Wayne, I also do like Cat Stevens and Guster…
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:17PM
Hi: Bottom line is that a relevant correlation between music choice and race exist. There is also a strong correlation between race & historical educational disadvantages which determine your SAT scores. So I think what the study truly found is that we still need Affirmative Action. Blacks & Hispanics are most likely to score low on standardized tests which love hip hop and reggeaton (which is not mapped there but those listeners probably scored as low)
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:17PM
ohhhhh George you are so hilariously wrong. The SATs are a logic and reasoning test.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:18PM
The beatles, 1560… i think it's all coincidence
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:20PM
They're also going to score lower because they're dumber.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:22PM
George = Nigger Apologist
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:25PM
Hmm…I scored a 1440 and my favorite band is Breaking Benjamin. I suppose that makes me an outlier.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:26PM
Lol, this is a pretty interesting study. No reason to bash the guy doing the poll, he just got results from as many people as he could and put them onto a graph. Sure, this definitely isn't really any kind of statement on what music is "wholesome for your brain." About the only trend I see is that people who responded with specific band names tended to have higher scores than people who responded with the name of a genre, which doesn't necessarily mean anything. For all we know, the other students in this guy's group just did studies on crustaceans… Virgil just decided to look at something that interested him – nobody's going to deny you college admissions because you listen to Lil' Wayne, that would be ridiculous. Cool study, just don't take it too seriously people.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:28PM
Correlation doesn't necessarily mean causation. It seems more likely that intellect would dictate the music we select than the other way around – although this too is a dubious assertion. I agree with others that question the validity of the variable definitions. It is well known that the SAT is biased against those who are poor, black, female, and southern – these characteristics are also obviously associated with music preference. It is also true that not everyone can and does pay for SAT prep courses and private tutoring – these are privileges for the middle class and wealthy respectively. I also question the sample, are these just college students from CalTech? Music preferences will likely vary by region and CalTech probably does not have a lot of racial minorities either. Lastly, the SAT is not an indicator of intelligence and was never intended as such. For anyone – Virgil or the author of this article – to imply that it is is idiotic and plainly counter factual. Point is, there are many confounding variables in operation here and Virgil has done nothing to establish that any relationship observed is not attributable to the effects of any of those confounding variables. To attribute causality in this context would mean that the interpretation of the relationship is very likely spurious.
To put it simply, this article is stupid, this "research" is stupid, and I have my reservations about Virgil.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:29PM
hahah, the really smart kids don't listen to music. Music is for idiots.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:29PM
supposedly most incompetent people do not recognize that they are incompetent.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:32PM
Wow… Jazz is in the low end of the spectrum???
I guess the researcher has no first-hand knowledge of music, or he/she would know that Jazz is actually a music style that takes a "bit more" knowledge to appreciate than other a-la-pop styles… In fact, you will find many people bored by Jazz because they don't "get the nuances or can't grasp any rhythm other than a 2:4, 3:4 or 4:4…)
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:36PM
Wow! Look at all those people who don't have a favorite band, and are ALSO scoring 1500's! That's nice to see.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:37PM
Well I'm a Christian and got a 1360.
And I like Beethoven AND Daft Punk.
What now?
=P
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:37PM
So my liking sufjan Stevens and indie is giving me my 93 average. Cool!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:42PM
um no your not. The proof is in the chart.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:42PM
I'm not surprised by the results, and I'm not trying to discredit them at all, but just pointing out that I'm an exception to the case.
My faves right now include T.I., Rihanna, and Kelly Clarkson, but I scored well north of Beethoven range. But when I was in high school I was listening to Radiohead, Beck, and Berlioz. So maybe my tastes have simply devolved severely.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:45PM
@ASDF I'm black, scored a 1490 and my favorite artist is Janelle Monae. I also like Outkast and The Shins. I don't like Lil wayne, and I much prefer Rachmaninov and Motzart to Beethoven.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:45PM
Religion does not cloud logic. Blind Faith clouds logic. I can have blind faith in anything. Blind faith in Barack Obama can cloud logical analysis of his performance as president and therefore reduce objectivity.
I am a scientist (Geologist) and consider myself a religious man (Roman Catholic). But I can easily slide away the curtain of Dogma (blind faith) and observe the physical Earth with an objective, logical eye.
On other hand, I have friends who have blind faith in Richard Dawkins and overtly celebrate his appearances and writings, without ever logically analysing any of his thoughts and ideas.
Who has the clouded logic?
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:51PM
The SAT's and other standardized tests don't necessarily measure one's intelligence, but rather one's ability to take a test. If we want a more intelligent student body, we need to change our education system. How about learning through experience and research instead of being fed information while shuffling through white rooms?
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:52PM
Really? So since my favorite bands are Christian, I should have no logic? I guess my 1520 was some sort of fluke then…
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:54PM
Probably not!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:56PM
Funny. I live and breath classic rock and scored high 1300's when i took the SAT a couple of years ago. Also, I came from a predominantly Spanish background
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:56PM
Totally agree. The SAT is a horrible judge of intelligence. I went to to school with a guy who was a complete idiot (made F's, couldn't do problem solving, no creative skills) and he made a 1400 on the SAT first try.
And the only reason the Metallica people are in the middle is because they were too busy kicking ass and writing awesome music to have to deal with the SAT.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:56PM
Correlation doesn't necessarily mean causation. It seems more likely that intellect would dictate the music we select than the other way around – although this too is a dubious assertion. I agree with others that question the validity of the variable definitions. It is well known that the SAT is biased against those who are poor, black, female, and southern – these characteristics are also obviously associated with music preference. It is also true that not everyone can and does pay for SAT prep courses and private tutoring – these are privileges for the middle class and wealthy respectively. I also question the sample, are these just college students from CalTech? Music preferences will likely vary by region and CalTech probably does not have a lot of racial minorities either. Lastly, the SAT is not an indicator of intelligence and was never intended as such. For anyone – Virgil or the author of this article – to imply that it is is idiotic and plainly counter factual. Point is, there are many confounding variables in operation here and Virgil has done nothing to establish that any relationship observed is not attributable to the effects of any of those confounding variables. To attribute causality in this context would mean that the interpretation of the relationship is very likely spurious.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:56PM
Who the hell is Sufjan Stevens?
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 11:59PM
I love lil wayne and most hip hop. I'm dumb. I got a 2230 on my SAT. That's the 99th percentile. My friend got a 2400 and he loves hip hop. My other friend got a 1590 out of 1600, and she can't stand anything BUT hip hop.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:00AM
Really, and no period at the end of your sentence?
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:01AM
shoot me in the face.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:02AM
While I question the merit of certain aspects of the SAT, it is still a basic scholastic aptitude test, something that all schoolchildren at the high school level should be able to successfully complete before graduation. It is not a "test for white people"- plenty of black students (including myself) have performed excellently. Rather, students from lower socioeconomic strata, who are statistically more likely to be academically disadvantaged, may do poorly on the exam, regardless of race.
And I love Beethoven as much as I love Hip-Hop and Jazz. I listen to both when I perform procedures in the hospital. All great Hip-Hop and Jazz derive their roots from classical music.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:05AM
You probably wont accept this – but everything you have posted makes you look thick. I'm sure everyone else is thinking it too.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:06AM
Stereotypes are stereotypes because usually the hold true, that's how they come into being. And it was a survey form a graduate student as it says, he took a poll and people wrote down their favorite bands, I'm sure he didn't pull them out of thin air. As for the grouping of Sublime, Green Day and AFI they very much do fit together considering the alternative label is very broad. He already has more groupings than I would use for a simple survey, he shouldn't have to go down into all the music snob genre's which are highly made up anyways. And finally as for all your stuff you have to say that no one would understand, yes we would, we just wouldn't care, the two are not synonymous.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 5:07PM
So basically interviewing people put all of the music in the 1000-1150 range which is around the average range of SAT scores. When you average what people who take SATs listen to you get an average. This is quite possibly the dumbest study I have ever seen. It is actually idiotic enough for me to comment on a blog, congratulations.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:07AM
Not anyone taking SAT's you may be thinking of LSD.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:08AM
I fail to see how the SAT can be "racist" at all when all it asks are basic math and grammar questions.
Pretty interesting nonetheless, if not complete BS.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:08AM
I am an idiot, but i love Beethoven!
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:11AM
A test for white people? Wow I didn't know paper could be racist but there we have it, maybe if we included a section on the proper way to hold a "piece" when knocking over a 7-11 they'd do better? Bur lets be honest there's just as many white people who do bad, the people who do good just aren't the kind that listen to stuff promoting things like killing cops and picking up bitches.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:14AM
Very interesting comments. I have an idea, let's take a few infants from some black family, the ones that grow up to be gangsters/drug dealers/rappers and force them to listen to Beethoven and see how they score, I bet they get a perfect score, after smoking crack nonetheless too.:-)
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:17AM
George – The SATs are racist? How do you make a math equation un-racist? How do you make spelling un-racist? Your argument is one of the more feeble excuses being used by ignorant people to explain away a disturbing trend in our society.
Instead of claiming that requiring people to understand math and speak English is racist, let's figure out what is wrong with our society and fix it.
The tests aren't the problem – and to be honest, I don't think the schools are all that bad either. It's the parents. Plenty of people are able to succeed using the system. The people who are failing are doing so because they're not being told at home to utilize the teachers, textbooks and opportunities with which they have been provided.
Blacks will start performing better in school when rappers start rapping about doing their homework instead of robbing drug dealers and slapping hos. Modern African American culture has reversed the progress made during the Civil Rights era, effectively belittling kids trying to better themselves through education, and until that notion is destroyed, we will continue to see lopsided test results.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:17AM
Common Sense said it best, "correlation does not equal causation". Generalization by a genre is a failed method to make an association, though there most certainly is not a direct one in the first place. That aside, within each genre, individual artists make music of varying degress of complexity. For example, many could argue that a lot of techno is 4/4 monotony, but some some artists make incredibly complex music e.g. Venetian Snares, which you could argue that the apparent 'randomness' (chaos is more appropriate – something that appears random, but is in fact deterministic) would cause your brain to be more active or aware – this may be a better type of music for thinking abstractly.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:19AM
I scored 1330 on my SATs, am a Christian (sorry Nick Marino), and listen to mostly music in the 990 to 1200 range. Then again I have pretty diverse taste.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:19AM
I am pretty sure he wasn't trying to do a scientific study, he just threw this together for fun. If you take a look up at the article it says "somewhat unscientific."
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:26AM
Wow just wow i dont know where to start but not everyone who listens to rap/hip hop is black or poor. In fact most of the time i hear rap being played its from the car of a 16-27 year old white person. People need to stop blaming things on race already. Also alot of true hip-hop will beat the intellectual pants off most of this "smart music" take Aesop rock for instance he is one of the most intelligent person i have ever heard on a microphone.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:27AM
Let me guess, this study was done with a total of 25 people?…so it "proves" nothing except that one guy who likes Beethoven did really well on a test, and one guy who likes jazz did badly.
Do one with a reasonable number of subjects or GTFO.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:29AM
I'm only upset about their genre classifications. Bob Marley is pop now!? WTF?
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:31AM
hahaha, wow. Not just black people listen to hip hop and rap. I love all the underground hip hop coming out of my home city like P.O.S. and Atmosphere, and im white and scored a 1380. Sometimes a study is just conducted to show interesting correlations, obviously not to say everyone who listens to Lil Wayne is a moron, just to explore a trend that exists in our society.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:32AM
Does a study have to prove something or overtly imply anything to be interesting? Granted, the blogger's premise is silly (sorry) but I don't think you can really infer anything about the study's conclusions or biases from this.
Isn't it enough to say "Here's an interesting correlation" and leave it at that?
Also, this is some guy doing a project at Cal-Tech, not Pew or CNN. Let's cut him some slack for the small statistical sample. How many of you got 10k responses for a college project?
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:38AM
System of a down and tool are NOT metal.
Also, this is stupid to suggest listening to music in the low range makes you stupid. It's a matter of environment, preference, and coincidence that makes those with higher SAT scores fans of different kinds of music.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:38AM
Jen, just wondering how much WASP-biased language choices account for (practically not statistically) significant differences in standardized test scores.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:40AM
The SATs are racist? Really? Please explain.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:43AM
american kids are by default stupid. end of study!
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:44AM
Journey is not last…. this voids the test.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:45AM
dude there you go, i always knew i was smart because i listened to radiohead
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:47AM
Rigghhht, you're very smart and listen to Lil' Wayne? Funny comment! What's with all these "Lil" rappers these days? Lil bowow, Lil Wayne, Lil flipper etc. etc. They all pretend to be a big bad ass gangster but in reality they'll end up someones prison bitch.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:47AM
I see you didn't include highbrow electronica because it would throw off the curve?
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:51AM
I suppose that the SATs should be written in ebonics? Should we dumb anything else down while we're at it? How about if we change street signs to slang, perhaps if STOP signs read "YO STOP!" it would make you happy. Why can't anyone take responsibility for the fact that they are simply too lazy to enforce rules and get involved in their child's education. Can the parents read? Some people choose to rise above and become something and some do not. You can't blame the tests. The tests are written in English, with proper punctuation, and are grammatically correct. If your stupid kid doesn't understand it, is YOUR FAULT!
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:52AM
It's your fault.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:57AM
note: slayer not featured in this
Thursday, March 5, 2009 1:02AM
LOL you just got mad over sublime, greenday, and afi. newb!
Thursday, March 5, 2009 1:06AM
Firstly, the Author is attending Cal Tech, and that is very like to be an indication of intelligence. When's the last time you were admitted to Cal Tech, or any school of that caliber, if ever? Secondly, which version of the SAT is this based on?
Thursday, March 5, 2009 1:07AM
Stupid fucking chart.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 1:09AM
This study maybe unrealistic, however do you notice the lack of mainstream rap on the right side of the chart?! No Mars Volta fans though? WTF?
Thursday, March 5, 2009 1:11AM
i win because sufjan wins! HOORAY!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 5:13PM
[...] a comment » Here’s an entirely unscientific way to make yourself feel super smart or kinda [...]
Thursday, March 5, 2009 1:14AM
I think musical preference is more socio-economic as opposed to intelligence, which is why there is a correlation.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 1:20AM
I'm with George…by correlating stylistic tendencies with SAT scores, you're really getting at the racial and socioeconomic barriers in our education system.
Music here provides a layer of abstraction – what's hiding behind the stylistic categories are subcultures – the lines of which can be drawn along race or socioeconomic status…hence, it tells us that poor people, or minorities, do worse on the SAT.
None of that implies anything about those people, except that those minority or poor sections of society aren't being served well by our education system, which of course we knew.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 1:23AM
Seems like those who have a 1200 or higher just don't like music much, or don't listen to any.
Wonder what a 1200+ looks like dancing?
lol!
Thursday, March 5, 2009 1:24AM
Common Sense said it best, "correlation does not equal causation". Generalization by genre (as featured in the Legend) is a failed method to make a correlation, though there most certainly is not one in the first place. That aside, within each genre, individual artists make music of varying degrees of complexity. For example, many could argue that a lot of techno is 4/4 monotony, but some some artists make incredibly complex music e.g. Venetian Snares. You could argue that the apparent 'randomness' (chaos is more appropriate – something that appears random, but is in fact deterministic) would cause your brain to be more active, by necessity, in order to notice the frequent changes in rhythm, tone, tempo – which may be a better type of music for thinking abstractly.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 6:34PM
What’s the sample size? Article isn’t worth much without mentioning it.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 5:37PM
[...] read more | digg story [...]
Thursday, March 5, 2009 1:38AM
Hrm…It seems that this study is based on the old 1600 SAT scale. Now the score is out of 2400. Am I missing something here, or are they?
Thursday, March 5, 2009 1:38AM
Unless I'm wrong.. this is just for fun. I don't think anyone's said it's a serious study, but you can take it as you will. And what about world music?
Thursday, March 5, 2009 1:41AM
I got a 1450 on my SATs… and i listen to Lil Wayne on a regular basis… But i also listen to Classical when i study…
but yes, correlation does not equal causation… there is a third variable in this research that one needs to take into account and i believe that it is income… People who generally listen to rap / hip hope generally do not have the educational opportunities as someone who listens to classical…
BTW, SAT prep courses don't really help with your SAT scores. I think on average, they only improve your score by 50 points
Thursday, March 5, 2009 1:42AM
1590. I like Lil' Wayne and i greatly dislike Beethoven. I do like Radiohead,
Thursday, March 5, 2009 1:45AM
Maybe Smart people just like smart music.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 1:55AM
Of course anyone who places any stock in what a flawed concept such as religion has to say obviously has some flaw in their minds preventing them from seeing the truth
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 5:57PM
[...] Música que te vuelve idiotabeatcrave.com/2009-03-03/music-that-makes-you-dumb/ por Chupoptero hace pocos segundos [...]
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 7:00PM
I will just throw on some Beethoven so I can figure out which Logical Fallacy this is…
Thursday, March 5, 2009 2:00AM
GoGo Monkey I take it you are into Gospel music
Thursday, March 5, 2009 2:02AM
lol awesome reply…lets see i got a 1390 four years ago and my favorite band is….mike jones!! ya bitch! (no i cant really pick a favorite band but..prob outkast/wu tang/cypress hill for rap..though i'm really burnt out on outkast or sublime/perfect circle/chevelle. I guess I would say sublime..or bob marley..or jimi hendrix..or pink floyd…
Thursday, March 5, 2009 2:04AM
yeh i'm christian and i got a 1390 too….
Thursday, March 5, 2009 2:09AM
Rofl… he can hardly be considered black.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 2:15AM
news at 12:01 the president is half white – this is so confusing. Anyone seen my other sock?
Thursday, March 5, 2009 2:34AM
Fortunately, Wayne does not represent Hip-Hop. Probably Wu-Tang, Cypress Hill, East Coast Avengers, everyone in AOTP, every MC in Viper Records, and then we've got Fort Minor and Apathy/Celph Titled…those two together probably spit of the whole dictionary and then some. Most underground MCs are ridiculously clever with their lyrics, and probably teach you more vocabulary than your average high school English teacher. More power to them, I say.
The SATs are also a skills aptitude test; they don't test any ideas based on formulating your own opinion. So someone who does terrible on, say, the math section of the SAT could be hella smart in real life. I mean, I don't think I'm dumb and I suck at math. =/
Thursday, March 5, 2009 2:36AM
Let's think about this, is it possible to ever equate music into numbers? Also, it is important to note that the data was collected from users on Facebook, and then compared to the average SAT scores of the schools those users frequented. I don't know how many users were polled, but this is all very general data. Electronic music is entirely discounted, like Drum and Bass, Trance, Dubstep, Squarepusher…
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 6:36PM
[...] Music That Makes You Dumb? [...]
Thursday, March 5, 2009 2:36AM
Well kids this is what we call an "outlier", in statistics when something is on one extreme past the large bulk of the rest it is usually ignored since while it may seem to be an exception to the rule its simply just considered to be negligible compared to the large mass where most of those values exist. I hope we all learned something today.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 2:47AM
Venetian Snares is great!
Thursday, March 5, 2009 2:58AM
Lil Wayne would probably score more than you on an I.Q. Test…
Thursday, March 5, 2009 3:02AM
your a fag, and i will posses your cock
Thursday, March 5, 2009 3:02AM
hey i scored a 1220 and my favorite band is Death Cab.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 3:03AM
Why are The Used so low? I'm offended
Thursday, March 5, 2009 3:09AM
I think there was a shitty movie based on this concept a couple years ago… Do us big boys who are interested in getting somewhere in this world a favor, and go watch that movie till your brain rots.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 8:10PM
(It's called the perfect score)
Thursday, March 5, 2009 3:12AM
How big was the sample?
Thursday, March 5, 2009 3:15AM
good choice of music
Thursday, March 5, 2009 3:23AM
To repeat what has already been said correlation does not equal causation. I'm all for helping those who have not gone through school in a good environment get into college, but it should be financial help and programs at the university to help them with the work-load. Not free admission, you still should have to prove that you have the intelligence to do the work. I personally hate the idea of Affirmative Action because it has not evolved at all. Things are definitely different from the 1960's. It's not fair to those that don't get in because too many of their race beat them out and its not fair to those who want to get in because they deserved it not because they happen to be a certain race. I have no solution to this problem, but don't go suggesting that says Affirmative Action because we don't need the same thing from a past era. It's not fair to those who still need the support and its not fair to those who now no longer need the help. I think that the survey was interesting but doesn't prove a single thing. So quit closing your mind and realize that things are different now. The same strategy doesn't apply 30 years later. Way to go continuing on with stereotypes that no one enjoys.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 3:24AM
I agree with D-chi. Beethoven, Daft Punk and God are pretty much the best, and I scored in the 1300s. Re: "Religion clouds logic" – actually, religion and religious thinkers did a bunch to help progress logic theory throughout the last few thousand years*. And it might be hard to support the claim "people who listen to Gospel on a whole generally are shown to be less intelligent" with evidence based research. But don't fret…when you grow older and can go to school, you'll do better at reasoning!
*aside from a few mishaps like the crusades or witch burning or the galileo thing.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 3:26AM
You're probably stupid as fuck, lil' wayne is terrible and so are you for liking him. Fuck you.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 3:42AM
Metallica fan believes anything that comes in a form of a graph must be true.
Seems like his intelligence fits in this case
Thursday, March 5, 2009 3:47AM
and by saying that you sound racist and are stereotyping
Thursday, March 5, 2009 3:58AM
I scored a 1425 and my favorite music remains to be hip hop, rock and pop, not to say I don't ever listen to classical, Chopin would be my favorite. All this shows is what music is being targeted towards which audience. Lyrically, lil wayne appeals to a crowd that perhaps wasn't exposed to classical music at any age? This would probably work out better if it included perception, targeted audience and not specific artists but genres.
It's an interesting experiment but it ignores the fact that upbringing has a lot to do with it, My father's favourite music is jazz, blues and classical, I constantly heard it as a child, and wasn't exposed to pop culture at the age of about 12.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 3:59AM
higher not more
Thursday, March 5, 2009 4:11AM
Thank god I don't like Classical music. That would make me an idiot. I only listen to the Beethoven, because I am smart like that for real.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 4:22AM
Now thats what i call a comeback.
i scored around 1300. And Ive been haunted by sounds from system of a down, who hold a very strong political view, Breaking Benjamin, to Radiohead,Schubert and Rachmaninov
Thursday, March 5, 2009 4:23AM
lil wayne is fo shizzle nizzle my jizzle a good gang-star his SAT score isnt lil like his name lil wayne, hes a wicked cool super rapper who is so smart he made a time machine from a tec-9 and a toaster and a blunt and some bling and it was rad
Thursday, March 5, 2009 4:24AM
Speaking strictly in generalizations, this statement contradicts itself severely.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 4:26AM
laugh outloud. Im staring to love this site.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 4:28AM
Fixing racial inequalities in education is really a lot easier than that. The simplest way to do it is to take all tax money in each district and instead of distributing it based on how rich or poor a neighboorhood is, which is essentially what is being done right now, you take all of that money and give each and every district in the United States the same amount of money based on enrollment. This way instead of having poor black neighborhoods with next to no funding, everyone gets an equal chance at an education because every school gets proportionally the same amount of money.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 4:29AM
you may 'posses' my cock.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 4:32AM
what about the hicks that watch nascar and live in trailors dont they too deserve a chance?
Thursday, March 5, 2009 4:37AM
mainstream music period dumbs ppl down
Thursday, March 5, 2009 4:40AM
Fuck you Fall Out Boy aren't emo.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 4:53AM
Now, I'm not saying that IQ and SAT tests have anything to do with intelligence- I'm proof enough of that. I got a 1470 on the SATs, and I can't find my house from my school. Standardized tests are all about knowing the information and what you are exposed to. For example, I was well prepared for this test due to my vast experience with tests like it and (most likely) my education and upbringing. I know how to take tests well. However, this music correlation is VERY interesting to me- as I said, what is important is what you are exposed to. The reading material, music, art, people, games you play, ect. all impact how you interact with the world. It would be interesting to see if some music simply DOES stimulate your brain in a more profound way than other music. Or perhaps, it doesn't- and us Radiohead and Sufjan fans are just as stuck up as people say
Thursday, March 5, 2009 4:56AM
I find it hilarious that you replied to a comment about a logical fallacy "Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc" or correlation does not equal causation. And said another logical fallacy yourself known as the Availability Heuristic.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Availability_heurist…
You knowing a guy is not an example of how that is wrong.
You people are stupid.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 4:57AM
and you are brainwashed.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 4:57AM
well if you yielded to logic and renounced the silly idea of a god, maybe you would have gotten a higher score.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 4:58AM
most likely yes. lets go to a southern evangelical church and get a sampling of SAT scores…or hell, try to find some people who even TOOK the SAT and went to college….
Thursday, March 5, 2009 5:00AM
music wont MAKE you dumb, but only a buffoon would listen to lil wayne.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:06PM
this is completely unscientific. you should be ashamed to post something so biased. that’s what it is, biased.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 5:06AM
Why is everyone arguing about whose music is better or whose SAT score is higher?
Really, it doesn't matter.
Live and let live.
Good for you, whatever score you got on your SAT.
Good for you, whatever music you like.
Neither make you better nor worse than anyone else, just different.
Go enjoy a bit of life now, that's why we're here!
Thursday, March 5, 2009 5:10AM
i do think classical music is helpful for creative thinking, but Beethoven is not the only composer out there. if the study were accurate, other virtuosos like brahms, paganini or chopin would be present in the most listened to category for the highest scorers.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 5:18AM
I scored a 1510 on my SATs, and I listen mostly to Euro metal and classic rock; not the assortment of pretentious D-bag music that is mostly high on this chart.
If there is any bearing to the placement of the music on this chart, it just goes to show that sheep mentality exists within the "academic elite" as much as it does anywhere else and high scores on tests are not enough to make people secure in themselves.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 5:26AM
Filthy commie! Maybe that's how they do it in Canada, but here in Amerika, the best and the brightest of the whitest are given all the opportunities that are owed to them. That the underclass are permitted the merest hint of an education at all before entering a life of servitude at some fast food restaurant is a testament to how equal Amerika is to its people.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:39PM
There's a danger of setting yourself up for a logical fallacy here ==> i.e. Correlation is not causation.
Here's a link that succinctly explains some examples of this ::
http://www.stat.tamu.edu/stat30x/notes/node42.htm...
Or for more info check out the wikipedia article!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Correlation_does_not…
Correlation between music preference and standardized test score will more likely be based on a common set of socio-economic factors not from any direct relationship of musical taste and the type of intelligence it requires to score well on standardized tests.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 5:44AM
did the researcher give the subjects a list of bands that he has heard of? this list is very bland, i mean, its all quite commercial. underground bands are not even considered in this list.. but maybe people of average intelligence are the way they are because they are so ordinary in their tastes?
Thursday, March 5, 2009 6:02AM
wot choo sayin bout my lizzle wizzle nizzle lil wayyyyyne – HE DONE MADE THE TIME MACHINE NOT THEM PAGANANANAIAIAINIAS
Thursday, March 5, 2009 6:03AM
my favorite artist is lil wayne and i scored a 1530……i love this statistic.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 6:23AM
Techno is not a genre.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 6:25AM
thanks anon….i'd hold my breath if i were you.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 6:27AM
Exactly. Instead of all you "intelligent people" backhandedly braggin about your SAT scores(which is not verifiable here) lets look at the facts. this is a graph that is meant to prove a correlation. To prove a correlation there has to be two variables and both those numbers need valid numbers to be compared. Instead this guy has compared bands people listen to and their SAT scores. He doesn't provide the number of people polled, or how many people who got 1300 were beethoven listeners. there is also no room for exception handling in this correlation for example im sure one person who listens to jay z scored in the 1300s. Its called critically thinking. the fact that people read this shit and form opinions based on something so incomplete and inaccurate is why our generation is so unbelievably fucking ignorant
Thursday, March 5, 2009 6:39AM
whats up with these 1200-1300 SAT scores?
Most of the people I know got around the 1900's, one of them got a 2400 (screw him lol), and the worst I know of amongst my friends (he's not really my friend though… lol) got a 1750. We must be a whole group of outlier cliques.
It's a test to determine your aptness at taking tests. Now, we all know how to take a test, right? Don't study, and Bullshit the hell out of any answer you can find. Stream of consciousness should eventually get you to the right answer, right?
oh, and I listen to S.O.A.D., random screamo bands (normally just 1 or 2 songs per band), Daft Punk, RISE AGAINST (God I love them), and Flobots.
I disapprove of songs that describe meaningless shit. like the majority of rap songs. Some are good, others merely decent, but the majority of rap songs are simply a superiority complex taking form.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 6:47AM
1330 i listen to lil wayne and chopin wtf.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 6:52AM
This is probably the most intelligent thing that I have read in this thread. Hands down. The way our generation is fed information and assumes it as absolute fact is ludicrous. Interdependent knowledge and critical reasoning skills have lost their place in our schools, only to be replaced by monotonous memorization skills. It's sickening.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 6:56AM
Well going by that logic, only religion causes such blind faith. So therefore, after distributing the logical middle we see that Blind Faith, through the medium of Religion, fosters ignorance and subordination.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 6:57AM
Not as much of a fluke as my 1620… boy did someone screw up in the numbers department.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 7:00AM
Green Day at the bottom? Is that good or bad?
Thursday, March 5, 2009 7:01AM
Your sarcasm is appreciated, comrade.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 7:02AM
the title is very misleading
Thursday, March 5, 2009 7:14AM
do you even know what incompetent means?
Thursday, March 5, 2009 7:18AM
CURRENT HIP HOP = STUPIFYING MUSIC
Thursday, March 5, 2009 7:23AM
Umm is a 1300 supposed to be good? Is this on the 1600 scale?
Also, no this does not apply to me. ^_^
Thursday, March 5, 2009 7:25AM
i like you! and lil' wane is not even close to ganster for anyone who thinks he is. How can you be gangster and sound like you are crying on all your tracks? Lil' Wayne=pussy rapper. 2Pac, Biggie, and Jay-Z are true gangsters.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 7:30AM
YEHHHHH what I SAID RULES! lil wayne he da man. i listened to him when i done sit my SAT'S AND I SKORED A SHIT LOAD NIGGA YEHHHH by a shitload i mean none cos i failed. BUT THEN I WENT BACK IN TIME WITH LIL WAYNE AND IT WAS DOPEEEEEEEEE YEHHHH
Thursday, March 5, 2009 7:30AM
I am extremely confused.
Why is Beethoven sitting on the far right, yet the oval with the word Classical (assumed to mean the entire genre) is closer to the rap artists?
Thursday, March 5, 2009 7:34AM
what is SAT stand for? i took act…god i am dumb oops sorry i know there isn't a god
Thursday, March 5, 2009 7:36AM
If a guy made 1400 on his SAT then he was intelligent. Bad student…. but intelligent.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:49AM
Putting my racism aside, I think that it is that hippity-hop music, that nintendoo, fidget games, intersurfs, mytube, and youspace that makes our kids stupid. Oh and that devil music every one calls "jaz".
Thursday, March 5, 2009 7:53AM
What a pointless chart. There are stupid people out there that listen to Beethoven, did you know that?
AND, there are a lot of intelligent metalheads, and classic rock fans. I think you put it correctly that "intelligence chooses the band". (I think) that's how it is today.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 8:16AM
I'm not sure you're using the term virtuoso correctly. Isn't a virtuoso an instrumentalist who is reknown enough to have had a composer write a piece specifically to be performed by him? I could be mistaken, but that's how I've heard the term thrown around before.
But, I do agree that the study is a little lacking in variety of classical composers. I would have liked to see Mozart and possibly Palestrina represented as well. However, we should take in mind that this was a largely casual survey and the findings aren't intended to be scientific proof of anything. It's just a fun tidbit to look at.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 8:22AM
honestly dont believe this…. i feel it is more of a cultural preference kind of thing for music and cultural ties to who does better on SATs. that is a better indicator than music and SAT scores. and dres ties it up nicely
Thursday, March 5, 2009 8:44AM
Im not big in to classical, but chopin is recognizable to me, and is as good at what he does as eminem is at his or I am at what I do, which is search engine optimization, got a 1440 on the sat's, could not afford college nor get a scholarship due to grades
Thursday, March 5, 2009 8:48AM
Ahh, Who am I kidding? I never applied. Knew I, nor my mom would ever have the dough. Then I had my first kid. Made 6 figures in 2 industries since then
Thursday, March 5, 2009 8:48AM
I like how Beethoven is listed as "Indie Music" according to the color chart
and most of you are idiots also,
just thought I'd put that here in case you come back to read more comments
Thursday, March 5, 2009 8:49AM
where's trance? and i made a 1460…
Thursday, March 5, 2009 8:50AM
Actually Evanescence isn't too bad either…
Thursday, March 5, 2009 8:54AM
I want to see a study relating SAT scores to how often you post comments on the internet.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 1:26AM
This chart is clearly photoshopped.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 2:46AM
Hi,
I think the number of tests was insufficient, this can be a very interesting experiment, but i tend to agree with a few folks here, that test can be influenced by several factors, that are not recuductable to intelligence alone, to make a sound test you would have to use a graphic logical test, that would be a raw count of your IQ regardless of culture or instruction.
I support the idea that the results may be interesting on a very large scale, i also understand the cost implied…and what would the applications be of the results?
Thursday, March 5, 2009 9:47AM
well the motherboard aint friend but ken said the interior design is throwing of the earths axis so i guess well cook up some jiffy-pop and pray for stifling bong rips that boom with thunderous intensity and vibrate the tectonic plates until fermentation is achieved and we're all drunk off of laxatives
Thursday, March 5, 2009 2:00AM
[...] personne et la musique qu’elle écoute ? Aux Etats-Unis, un étudiant de CalTech a réalisé une étude inédite qui compare la musique que les individus écoutent avec leur score au SAT, un test de [...]
Thursday, March 5, 2009 3:02AM
[...] we become? Where do your favorite bands appear? Do you think that music can make you dumb?Suzi Roo, Music That Makes You Dumb? Mar [...]
Thursday, March 5, 2009 10:53AM
what do you mean "you people?"
Thursday, March 5, 2009 11:00AM
This doesn't prove that music makes you smart.. This just tells you what type of music people like on the levels of their "smartness". ie, "smarter" people or people with higher SATs scores have Beethoven as their favorite artist. Not the other way around.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 11:38AM
Led Zeppelin forever…….. I'm 19 and listen to this greatest band to walk on planet earth!
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:03PM
What do YOU mean you people ?
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:17PM
the guy who conducted this study was obviously desperate to publish and came up with this idea stoned out of his mind… congrats to him for this completely ridiculous study being recognized, although it was completely criticized… and for good reason… for one thing, as has already been mentioned, the SATs are no predictor of intelligence… and thanks to all the psych 101 students for contributing the "correlation is not causation" comment they banged into your heads, i'm sure the intent of this "study" was to present something interesting to be debated, not to prove causation because anyone with a brain knows that listening to lil' wayne doesn't make you stupid, nor does it predict your SAT scores (reliable for intelligence or not)
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:48PM
I scored a 1,000,000 (the new new standard) and I listen to post-modern new art music. Hey all you electronica at least people have complained about not have a genre, no even knows about my genre. Has anyone heard of Takemitsu, Crumb, Stockhausen, or Corigliano? I mean Beethoven and all those classical-romantic composers are cool and we sure do love them in America (which is why no orchestra would program music by a living composer) but aren't they all just a bunch of dead Germans and Russians?
Thursday, March 5, 2009 1:17PM
That's so funny ! He should have included more options for jazz, I imagine smarter people tend to listen to classical music and jazz. The problem is – SAT is not necessarily a benchmark for being smart, an IQ test would have been a better option. Still funny thought, seeing Lil Wayne at the bottom.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 5:30AM
[...] makes you dumb? Music That Makes You Dumb? | BeatCrave – Music Blog, MP3 Downloads, Videos, News, Giveaways Interesting study…not sure I believe it. __________________ . . . I like pussy . . . . . . [...]
Thursday, March 5, 2009 6:41AM
I don't have an SAT score because in Europe we don't rely on IQ-tests that much. Although in some tests I got an IQ between 130 and 140, I also appreciate black music a lot.
I would clearly second the statement above "correlation does not equal causation". In fact it is not music that makes you dumb or smart, but different social groups have different cultures. Therefore it is more likely a socio-demographic and socio-economic issue than one of intelligence. I don't think this study was intended to be racist, but in some way it tends to be abused for despicable motives.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 1:44PM
I fall somewhere between the mouthbreathers and the Stephen Hawkings on this test., as I suspect most of humanity probably does.
Columbus Seo, I agree that the musical creations of Chopin and Eminem have their respective strengths. One of Chopin's weaknesses, however, is that he's been dead for around 160 years, so he isn't really as good at composing as he once was (though I'm sure he's great at decomposing by now:-)) I couldn't compose music or optimize a search engine to save my life and we don't have SATs in Britain, though I'm sure I'd fail them abysmally if we did.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 1:44PM
What do YOU mean "YOU mean you people" ?
Thursday, March 5, 2009 1:50PM
This is the most outrageous thing I have ever seen. As if music is somehow determines in anyway intelligence? Your criteria is a musical preference and a number on a standardized test? Someone needs to kick this kid out of school. He is obviously too stupid to be in CalTech.
The smartest person I ever met, a prominent ER surgeon, listens mainly to GANGSTER RAP. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. Dumbarse.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 7:10AM
You are taking a big leap in your assumption that rap fans are somehow a minority. The truth is that most rap is consumed by "whites".
Thursday, March 5, 2009 2:41PM
the title of the post is "Music That Makes You Dumb"… i think the connection is pretty obviously implied! not saying it's the truth, but i think there's definitely an element of that here.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 2:45PM
You're kidding right? Historical education disadvantages… you can't be serious with that crap. Blacks and hispanics score lower on these tests because they don't apply themselves or care about scoring well (and several studies that have been banished and hidden show they simply aren't as smart as other races). Blaming whitey for their low intelligence doesn't solve anything.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 2:48PM
There wasnt even SAT when Beethoven was alive. Beethoven wasnt even from the US. This stupid. Standardized testing doesnt prove anything in this case.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 2:49PM
While I agree that this graph is unscientific, it still represents what EVERYONE on here knows but is to afraid to say aloud : Fans of rap and other "black" music consistently show a lower intelligence than others on average.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 2:51PM
That's how education funding is done in Iowa — and guess what, it hasn't helped.
#1 Factor behind school success: involved parents
Thursday, March 5, 2009 7:51AM
And they are the lower part of the food chain. Wanna be wiggers…. under educated, useless, waste of skin and water.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 2:54PM
Dead Poetic isint even listed =.="
Thursday, March 5, 2009 3:20PM
I listen to Mozart and I scored an 850
Thursday, March 5, 2009 3:22PM
Speaking of intelligence tests… does the author of this study not realize that "Beethoven" is actually "Classical" music? The results given here are akin to saying that people who enjoy watermelon are much brighter than the people who enjoy large green fruit.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 3:25PM
around blacks, never relax
Thursday, March 5, 2009 3:37PM
Affirmative Action is a joke. There need to be better solutions to those problems, not affirmative action. Why put someone that's less talented in place of someone that actually earned the scores to be there, just because of race? If someone wants something, then they have to work just as hard as everyone else to get there, they don't get a freebie card because they aren't white. Equal rights for everyone doesn't mean giving non-whites an advantage. I think it'd be great if they could give less privileged people spots WITHOUT having to deny people that actually earned the spot – because I have no doubts that there are plenty of people out there that probably didn't score well on entrance exams due to a poor background in education but are intelligent enough to do well at that school. Some of the best schools in the country have started programs where they offer lower (or even free) tuition for underprivileged people who can't otherwise afford to go to school there, which is awesome – but those people still have to work hard to get accepted to the school. I don't care what race you are or how bad your childhood was – if you want something, you have the power to do what it takes to get out of a bad environment and do well for yourself. Sure, some people have it harder than others. Someone growing up in a ghetto is going to have a harder life than someone growing up in the suburbs – but that's life, there's always going to be people that have it harder or easier than someone else.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 3:44PM
There is no cause and effect relationship. This simply shows correlations.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 3:55PM
A virtuoso is not ONLY an instrumentalist… and that is not the definition. A virtuoso involves any kind of musician (vocalists are included) in which THEY create new ways to perform a piece or have an incredible ability to do something that most people have never attempted or been able to do. These people don't have to have a piece written specifically by a composer. Look up Lizst, he is a pianist and composer, and is world reknown for being a virtuoso on the piano. Maybe you should
look up these terms before you suggest that someone used the wrong defintion.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 8:56AM
It’s time to face it, if you listen to lil wayne, you’re a fucking moron and you don’t need a failing test score to prove that point.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 4:03PM
I've actually got this crazy idea. What if Nature applied the same rules when it created us as are used in role playing games. You can give a character (a race) more strength, but less intellect, or visa versa, or balance all the stats. Everything I'm about to say is just generally speaking and completely hypothetical (and mostly just a joke). Now, it seems as though Asians are generally of a smaller build than other races – but overall, seem to have a high level of intelligence. Black people on the other hand, are generally the strongest race, having a bigger build overall than other races, and this is why they probably have so much athletic ability, but that comes at a price – overall, they seem to have a lesser intellect. And of course Caucasians are just in the middle on most things. Another situation that gives this thought a little more credibility is situations like autisms or disabilities. Sometimes, when a person who has a part of their brain that doesn't fully develop, that person can overdevelop another part of the brain to 'make up' for it. Also, people with sensory impairments, such as being deaf or blind – seem to make up for the missing sense by overdeveloping the other senses. These people often have capabilities beyond what a normal human being has. These other situations seem to point out nature's 'balancing' act. This isn't something I take very seriously, just a thought that occurred to me one day – but who knows, could be some truth to it.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 4:15PM
What about psy music ? we are from another world!
Thursday, March 5, 2009 4:43PM
These are all very good points. please take care to note the wording i used. when i said "on a whole" i did not mean every person that listens to gospel, what was implied was the majority. If i failed to communicate that properly, then that was my problem. I also agree, blind faith does cloud logic.
What was also implied, but no one seemed to pick up on, again could be my fault for not communicating it properly, not everyone is stupid. I read these comments to my comment and I learn from them what I can, and merely take it as constructive criticism and possibly learn something I had not previously known.
I used to be a christian, but I could not follow religion blindly. To those of you that have religion and is not following it with blind faith, which it pretty much requires you to, I congratulate you.
I believe the bible has a great many stories of how to live one's life. I do not agree that I should believe in a god that i dont know exists or not. Following a god that i have no knowledge of its existence is blind faith.
Having just stated the above, how can you claim to be following a religion and claim to not follow it on blind faith? please note, i am not attacking anyone, i am just curious.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 4:51PM
This is one of the most asinine studies I've ever heard of. Intelligence is how quickly and efficiently we learn. It has nothing at all to do with an individual's taste in the arts.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 4:59PM
So wait, smart people ONLY listen to Beethoven?
This is pathetic, completely not worth publishing at all, you should be ashamed of this story. Complete and utter bullshit.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 4:59PM
Well, I find it most interesting that everyone is taking this as legitimate empirical evidence, and no one is asking what we don't know. We don't know how many people were polled, if they were given a list of bands to choose from, if they are from similar backgrounds economically and socially, or if they honestly divulged their scores and their preferences (as people tend to lie to themselves as much as they do to others). These are just a few of the inconsistencies and vagueries.
I think most people who have decent critical thinking skills would pass by this blog, at least this page of it, without a second thought. In fact, I don't even know why I'm taking the time to write this much. Afterall, my existence isn't countenanced by this study in any way shape or form. I scored a 1490 on the SAT, and I like about a third of the bands on the list, but even more that have no mention. But most of the time, if I'm being honest, when I'm by myself I'd rather listen to revolutionary rap music than anything else. So, if the music we listen to really makes us "dumb", would I have scored even higher than I did if I practiced my violin more and "jammed" less?
I hope people really start to take a look at themselves before its too late…
Thursday, March 5, 2009 5:16PM
The answers to those questions would be irrelevant when dealing with a theory that is built on a foundation of false assumptions.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 5:32PM
Amen. I think that's exactly what it shows — that the SAT is a more accurate measure of race/wealth than of ability. (Those aren't sour grapes — I scored radically well. But I was also a rich white kid.)
Thursday, March 5, 2009 5:33PM
these are the most unintelligent replies i have ever read
Thursday, March 5, 2009 5:38PM
Is Techno not considered musice?
Thursday, March 5, 2009 5:40PM
ese tal virgilio es bien grifote, pinche junkie
Thursday, March 5, 2009 5:48PM
Or God got me through that freakish test.
You know, that could be it, too.
Jesus loves you!
Thursday, March 5, 2009 5:51PM
I love you.
And yeah, what was with the Crusades? I think basically a bunch of Catholics lost it, then everyone chilled out again.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 6:05PM
Despite Against Me! falling into the punk category, they are very, very intelligent.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 6:20PM
"So I think what the study truly found is that we still need Affirmative Action."
Odd conclusion. I'd think that, following your reasoning, what it found is that we still need to *actually fix the broken education these students get*.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 6:23PM
For anyone questioning how the SAT could be racist (or more appropriately, socially biased)- Obviously math isn't what is being questioned, but if you look at the essay Race, Intelligence and Ideology: A Review Essay of The Bell Curve (although published more than ten years ago), it shows what obvious bias the SAT has:
Herrnstein and Murray concede this problem and give an excellent example of the built-in bias that IQ tests entail. This particular example was taken from the verbal analogy portion of the SAT (p. 281).
RUNNER:MARATHON
(A) envoy:embassy
(B) martyr:massacre
(C) oarsman:regatta
(D) referee:tournament
(E) horse:stable
As Herrnstein and Murray explain, "The answer is oarsman:regatta–fairly easy if you know what both a marathon and a regatta are, a matter of guess work otherwise. How would a black youngster from the inner city ever have heard of a regatta?" (p. 281).
I don't know what questions the newest version of the SAT has; but if they're anything like this old question, it's fairly understandable on why it is more favorable to middle and upper class students. But hey, I wouldn't know. I took the ACT.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 6:27PM
Best comment yet…
Thursday, March 5, 2009 11:39AM
Rap is crap and here's why: http://guitar.today.com/2009/02/18/why-it-sucks-t...
Thursday, March 5, 2009 11:45AM
I also have to comment on the representation of the jazz genre… seriously, the only artists mentioned were Norah Jones (hate to break it to ya, not really jazz. At all.) and Frank Sinatra (who, frankly, was a more of a pop singer than anything else)? Really? No Coltrane, Davis, Parker, Peterson, Holliday, Fitzgerald, Evans, Tatum, Mingus? This "study" really does not do justice to any genre other than pop, rock, alternative, and metal.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 6:53PM
Wow, I personally listen to music all the way from Beethoven to Breaking Benjamin and I scored high enough to receive a Academic Honors Scholarship for college. I am a senior in college getting a 4 year BS in Business Management. I listen to classical, rap, pop, techno, dance, christian, and whatever else I like in the moment. This is truly unscientific and does not seem to be taking an accurate sample of the population. I just have to laugh.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:11PM
Erm …. Hip hop and reggeaton were both mapped, as any idiot can plainly see.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 7:12PM
Jazz = dumb? I'm wondering what fucktard Griffith's true SAT score was.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 12:13PM
One outlier doesn't disprove anything
Thursday, March 5, 2009 7:13PM
Oh really? It looks to me as though Virgil sampled a range of SAT scores from ~870 to ~1400. That's a pretty large range.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 7:18PM
rap is consumed?
Have you consumed your daily value of raps today?
Thursday, March 5, 2009 7:19PM
i think you spent too long typing that.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 7:22PM
Wow, of the bands shown that I like, their listed intelligences ranged greatly. Really all over the board. Add that to the fact that my favorite bands aren't even listed, and I am not sure where I would fall.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 7:23PM
you people are mean
waddaya mean waddawhy mean?
Thursday, March 5, 2009 7:26PM
assumption.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 7:32PM
do you ever feel misunderstood?
In the black of night, when I see your face in my dreams, the razor tempts me.
Does it tempt you too?
has anyone ever called you… the "e" word?
e… e.. em…. o?
just kidding, who gives a fuck about anything. you know this study isn't supposed to prove anything, its ADMITTEDLY non-scientific and was done out of curiosity.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 7:35PM
What is surprising to me is that "Jazz" (as a genre) and "Classical" are toward the left.
It would make sense to me that more intelligent people enjoy more complex music. I would love to see a real study done on this topic. But this is an interesting graphic, even though it is wrought with error if viewed as a scientific study.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 8:18PM
I got a 2250 on the refined score. I think that translates into a 1430 or so, and my Favorites are the Beatles. I don't think this is a particularly good study because it does not count the musical transitions of substance and style.
Sure bands like The Beatles may have started out poppy and boy-meets-girl-obsessed but they transcended into something unlike any other seen musically in recent times. The same could be said for MANY artists on this list.
Except Lil' Wayne, his rap is average at best, but I guess compared to the absolute SHIT that the industry is cranking out now he is good by those terms and those only.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 9:27PM
i wouldn't say it's music that makes you dumb. i'd call it 'music selection of dumb people,' since those dumb people who listen to lil wayne were probably dumb before he came around.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 10:25PM
Yeah i listen to a shit ton of pink floy dand made a 1380, that's roughly 270 points higher than it saysi ahould have made, i really dont think the music that you listen to has that big of a correlation to your SAT
Thursday, March 5, 2009 3:31PM
Music doesn't make people retarded, retarded people make music, and then even more retarded people listen to that music.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 10:36PM
I scored a 1400 on my SAT and I have never listened to Beethoven in my life.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 10:47PM
Wow…
This is totally bullshit.
The guy who did this "study" obviously loves Beethoven.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 11:32PM
You know what I think? I think that people who say they prefer beethoven are pretentious dumbasses who like appearing educated. How smart can you be if you haven't found any music better than Beethoven in the last 300 years? The SAT is crap. Its a measure of pretentiousness.
Thursday, March 5, 2009 11:39PM
stop with the racist bullshit up there.
if you didn't see Common Sense's comment the first time, here it is:
CORRELATION DOES NOT EQUAL CAUSATION
CORRELATION DOES NOT EQUAL CAUSATION
CORRELATION DOES NOT EQUAL CAUSATION
CORRELATION DOES NOT EQUAL CAUSATION
CORRELATION DOES NOT EQUAL CAUSATION
CORRELATION DOES NOT EQUAL CAUSATION
CORRELATION DOES NOT EQUAL CAUSATION
CORRELATION DOES NOT EQUAL CAUSATION
CORRELATION DOES NOT EQUAL CAUSATION
CORRELATION DOES NOT EQUAL CAUSATION
CORRELATION DOES NOT EQUAL CAUSATION
wake up, geniuses..
Thursday, March 5, 2009 11:47PM
i put a Beethoven in your Beethoven so you could compose while you compose!!!!11!!!!1111!
Friday, March 6, 2009 12:05AM
You iz the one what makes a dumb reply, if my nizzle da man 'lil wayne was here he would bust a cap made entirely out of diamons in yo ass, the cap would be so rad that you wouldnt even really mind getting shot so it wouldnt be that bad i guess. BUT FO RIZZLE HE WILL NEVER TAKE YOU BACK IN TIME WITH HIM
Friday, March 6, 2009 2:17AM
This is basically one of the best posts I have ever seen!
Friday, March 6, 2009 2:22AM
Wow…I'm really happy for my obscure loves for Sufjan Stevens and Ben Folds…I though I was just a weirdo…
Thursday, March 5, 2009 7:28PM
It looks like he barely interviewed anyone that got over a 1200. I took my SAT a long time ago but most of us got 1200 in those days.
Friday, March 6, 2009 2:37AM
I scored a 1350 and my favorite band, when I took the SAT 3 years ago, was All Time Low. All Time Low still ranks as one of my favorites, too.
Friday, March 6, 2009 2:52AM
Eh. I think that it's mostly just a joke, but the results are somewhat interesting, and if you look at music as a broader indicator of cultural preferences, you have to wonder what the results would have been had this been a survey dealing with video games, television, etc…
Friday, March 6, 2009 2:55AM
My guess is that not enough people listed electronica groups as being among their favorite for it to be put on the graph. Would be interesting to see where people who like more obscure musical genres placed in this study, though.
Friday, March 6, 2009 3:01AM
Jen, although the link between musical genres and socio-economic industries is interesting, I highly doubt that this is reflective of any inherent racism in the SAT. There was some controversy over word choice a few years ago, and so the phrasing used on the current SAT is very carefully picked out to avoid problems like that.
The link between poverty and lower achievement on the SAT (and, to some extent race, as a result of generally lower socio-economic status among different ethnic groups), however, is a disturbing trend which these preferences seem like they may reflect. I believe that it emphasizes the need for schools to reach out to students who are in lower socio-economic groups and help them to succeed, and to lower drop out rates among those who fit into such financial groups.
Friday, March 6, 2009 3:05AM
SAT study courses don't help anyone. I've known people who have taken those for months before taking the SAT and done poorly, and I know people who haven't taken them at all and scored very high.
Friday, March 6, 2009 3:37AM
I'm pretty sure it's a Miata… could be a Del Sol, too, though…
Friday, March 6, 2009 3:38AM
This is BS. I scored a 1450 and I like most of the bands on here, including Lil Weezy
Friday, March 6, 2009 3:39AM
SAT doesn't stand for anything anymore. It used to stand for Standardized Aptitude Test but college board recognized it didn't entirely test aptitude, so now its just "SAT".
Friday, March 6, 2009 4:10AM
Take a look at the correlation between range and score. At the top of the chart we see a larger range of dates and genres, narrowing towards the bottom. A more open minded person is more likely to score higher on a SAT
Friday, March 6, 2009 4:17AM
I read somewhere the chances of winning a nobel prize do not significantly increase beyond an IQ of 120.
Friday, March 6, 2009 4:35AM
I refuse to believe that anyone who listens to Nickelback could possibly score higher than 600 on the sat. That should be enough to disprove it right there.
Friday, March 6, 2009 4:57AM
Please delete the internet. I have lost faith in humanity.
Friday, March 6, 2009 5:09AM
You're an idiot. Retarded people listen to retarded music, thus blacks and hispanics are retarded, not disadvantaged.
Friday, March 6, 2009 5:31AM
haha – did he check up on these scores? Maybe those that claim Beethoven is their favorite artist are also those that claim a higher score on their tests. If this is the case it is merely measuring pretentiousness. Well, that and drug use – I imagine more people who like club music are more likely to go clubbing – and thus do more drinking – which may affect their score.
Friday, March 6, 2009 5:31AM
That's only addressing one element of the problem though. Probably the biggest one in the context, but children who are growing up with entrenched violence, racism, dysfunction, etc in their home lives aren't going to be on equal footing with the kid who grows up in a safe and nurturing environment, even if they're going to a fabbo school. The second school is likely to need to put more money into intervention and support to help the kids overcome those external factors, not to mention things like more money spent fixing vandalism, funding things that children can't afford to pay for, and so will still wind up with less going to the actual education.
Unfortunately if the situation really was that easy, we would probably have resolved it by now. There just isn't a single thing you can throw money at and make the problem go away.
Friday, March 6, 2009 5:34AM
Exactly. Children who are coming from dysfunctional backgrounds are still not going to be on equal footing even with the schools themselves the same, and the schools in disadvantaged areas are likely to need to spend more money and attention on dealing with those issues, leaving less for the actual educational side.
Friday, March 6, 2009 7:15AM
Perhaps more of a symptom than a cause – perhaps the school system is so out of date, that only the students that listen to the older music can make sense of the work
Friday, March 6, 2009 8:07AM
religion and religious thinkers did a bunch to help progress logic theory but they also did a lot to push logic backwards. the entirety of the medieval ages condemned aristotle and other innovative greek philosophers, on many points. empirical examination of mental illness being one of them. hippocrates said, look at the symptoms while the church, even up to a thousand years later, tried to censor scientific progress and claimed demonic possession as etiology of many mental illnesses.
Friday, March 6, 2009 8:09AM
im an athiest and i got a 2230 out of the new 2400 scale. and i listen to all types of musical genres.
Friday, March 6, 2009 8:12AM
actually, really smart people make retarded music because they know they can make money off it. look at jay z baby
"This is why I’m hot
I dont gotta rap
I can sell a mill sell you nothing on the track "
people eat that shit up. hey if i can make a mil saying nothing on the track, sign me up for a record deal. who wouldn't take that offer up?
Friday, March 6, 2009 8:14AM
thats a really dumb title for this article. it is very leading. obviously author's biased intentions are coming through with this post.
Friday, March 6, 2009 9:07AM
Though I think this is rather interesting, there can be some problems of endogeneity or multivariable.
That is, is it the music that makes you dumb or since you are already dumb you listed to certain music?… We would have to get a dummy variable to solve this. (funny)
Also, what about other variables influencing the results such us:
1) SES (socio-economic status)…if you pay attention, most of the average SAT (i would consider that 1200 hundreds or so) listen to Rock and stuff like that. I would associate it, by and large, with middle class. Reggaeton: latino communities at a social disadvantage to begin with.
2) LIFESTYLE: it could be the place that people listening to Beethoven might already be more inclined to study more hours than those who don't; therefore aking them achieve higher test scores.
Interesting, but not the truth.
Friday, March 6, 2009 9:12AM
remember that these are probably average scores, there are probably people out there who's favorite band is lil' wayne, but still scores about as high as you did.
Friday, March 6, 2009 9:55AM
Music Doesnt makes you dumb, it sometimes makes you horny though
Friday, March 6, 2009 2:58AM
My mama use to listen to music while cooking, thats why she always makes a good sweet creampie pie
Friday, March 6, 2009 3:52AM
Where’s electronic music on that chart?
Friday, March 6, 2009 10:55AM
FUCKING NIGGERS, KILL EM ALL.
Friday, March 6, 2009 12:11PM
i would reather be retarded than listin to bathoven
Friday, March 6, 2009 12:15PM
us nascar fans listin to music to DUH! my favorite musiv artist is Avril Lavigne
Friday, March 6, 2009 12:21PM
lol
!
I like how you had to specify that vocalists where musicians too
Friday, March 6, 2009 2:04PM
So, if you scored around a 1500 you listen to no music? That is very interesting considering I scored a 1550 and listen to music constantly
Friday, March 6, 2009 2:09PM
You people are dumb
It's not saying those music you listen to MAKE YOU DUMB
Take a statistics class.
The results show a correlation….not causation.
All the statistic reports is that
DUMB people TEND TO LIKE THOSE MUSIC (little wayne)
SMART PEOPLE tend to like THESE MUSIC
SMARTEST PEOPLE tend to LIKE classical MUSIC
OK!?!?
Why this is so is not explained by the study.
Friday, March 6, 2009 2:56PM
thats just your opinnion you fag , not everone likes your shity music
Friday, March 6, 2009 3:48PM
Interesting unscientific study. I wonder if he had a control group? I wonder how he went about with this experiment. Did he just ask people what their SAT scores and what music they liked?
Friday, March 6, 2009 3:51PM
The article's title has a question mark at the end, indicating irony, and posing a question regarding the study conducted by Virgil Griffith.
Friday, March 6, 2009 4:25PM
Then you should study statistics harder.
Friday, March 6, 2009 4:28PM
every1 know its ELI PORTER mayne that well destroy beethoven…cause "he the best mayne, he did it" and smashed that SAT to the stratosphere…DONT BE ENVYOUS MONEY, B.
Friday, March 6, 2009 4:40PM
i know plenty of dumb white folks who think lil wayne is the second coming…….
Friday, March 6, 2009 5:46PM
Pretty cool, I love Lil Wayne and I scored a 1200, and I hate Beethoven….Correlations are great and all but be careful about making accusations because there are always exceptions.
Friday, March 6, 2009 5:54PM
lol stop being a inter-snot… no one gives a shit if you know what a virtuoso is……..fact of the matter is, this site means absolutely nothing, with out test-response, and applied science. its all inconclusive…
Friday, March 6, 2009 5:58PM
LOL so you agree with the post then….
Friday, March 6, 2009 6:18PM
I listen to Sufjan Stevens and I'm a total retard so take that.
Friday, March 6, 2009 7:19PM
results don't surprise me
you'd have to be a dumb shit to listen to lil wayne
Friday, March 6, 2009 7:31PM
Could it be that your musical taste has more to do with your intelligence level than you intelligence level has a correlation to your musical taste?
It's quite simple, people listen to what they relate to most, and the more intelligent they are, the more complex intelligent music they will like. All race and gender aside.
Friday, March 6, 2009 8:05PM
I scored a 1497 and I can not stand Beethoven. Actually, I'm a straight up metal head.
Friday, March 6, 2009 8:24PM
The Who (classic rock), I got a 1520 (old composite)/2250(new composite).
Music choice has nothing to do with scores, unless it's rap. Rap=lowscore, because 99 percent of people who listen to rap are morons. How about instead of affirmative action we give the job to the person who will do it best?
Friday, March 6, 2009 11:44PM
I totally agree with you. As interesting as this is, it's kind of like saying our SAT score is dependant on the food we eat. While it really helps to eat healthy food and listen to healthy music, it's not a deciding factor nor can it be truly correlated to IQ. I'm going a step futher to say their will never be a big enough sample because tastes are so different.
Friday, March 6, 2009 5:27PM
Very interesting and fun, even if not scientific.
Saturday, March 7, 2009 1:51AM
Man, I'm sure he is just proving a point, more or less.
Saturday, March 7, 2009 2:24AM
ha! i still think its hilarious (and actually not that suprised) that lil wayne is at the lowest. I'm not a genius of some sort, but i listen to alternative stuff, and even though thats still a bit low, it got better than that jack ass! (the weirdest part of all, is that i'm black.)
Saturday, March 7, 2009 5:32AM
Well, I scored a 1450 and I very much enjoy listening to bands such as Radiohead, Coldplay, Bury Your Dead, The Early November, Rage Against the machine, Blink-182 etc. etc. So I do not personally see a correlation between music and intelligence but I will agree that most of the "less intelligent" people that I know enjoy Lil' Wayne and other musicians of that type.
Saturday, March 7, 2009 5:34AM
I dont think this is terribly accurate. My musical taste lies in the 996-1196 range but my high school marks were in the top 1.45% of the state. Im aussie, but the equivalent SAT score is 2300.
Saturday, March 7, 2009 6:13AM
DO YOU SEE WHAT YOU'VE CREATED, AL!?
Saturday, March 7, 2009 6:55AM
I got above a 1400 for my SAT score and most of the music I listen to is on the "dumb" end
Saturday, March 7, 2009 8:16AM
I would say the person's intelligence has an effect on the music they choose to listen to, rather than saying that the music affects the person's intelligence.
Saturday, March 7, 2009 8:35AM
And Asians top the charts…
I listen to reggae and I scored 1288…
But yeah, Hip Hop is just plain trash now…The contemporary Hip Hop scene murdered the soul of the art.
Saturday, March 7, 2009 9:16AM
Psssh. Didn't even bother with SATs.
Scored a 145 on a certified adult IQ test at 12 years of age.
What about anomalies such as myself?
Besides, who's to say that intelligence can be quantified by SAT scores, anyway?
Saturday, March 7, 2009 11:13AM
blink 182 are not alternative
they are pop shit.
Saturday, March 7, 2009 12:16PM
So…the study has no merit because he didn't include you?
Saturday, March 7, 2009 5:31AM
Your name explains a lot..you do realize that The Fray and Jack Johnson are also included..and sound nothing like Sublime, Greenday and AFI. They all do fall under Alternative. There may be a ton of sub-genres but this study doesn't really include them.
Saturday, March 7, 2009 12:33PM
Not necessarily race, but social class, definitely, as a lot of white kids listen to hip hop, too. Notice that country tends to be on the lower end of the curve, too. And on the other end of the scale–what kind of teenagers listen to Beethoven? Rich, privileged, educated kids. So it isn't that any kind of music makes you dumb, it's just that your social class determines what kind of music you prefer.
P.S. Reggaeton is up there. It's about six rows from the top on the left.
Saturday, March 7, 2009 2:16PM
The Used is my favourite band, and I listen to the quite a lot. And just to let you know, my SAT score was above average. I can't remember the exact number – it's been awhile.
Saturday, March 7, 2009 5:04PM
Fo snizzle
Saturday, March 7, 2009 5:07PM
Considering the great gap between beethoven and the rest of the artists, i'd say he must have something that turns on peoples mind.
Saturday, March 7, 2009 5:16PM
hahahahahahaha
Saturday, March 7, 2009 6:55PM
I like all kind of bands, from the dumbest to bethoven, i must be geting smarter and dumber
Saturday, March 7, 2009 7:31PM
I dont think it has anything to do with race, if you like Lil Wang you are a moron. Plus Nas listeners did much better, so race isn't an issue, just intelligence. Plus I know lots of stupid white kids who love Lil Wang, and they are only getting dumber by listening to him.
Saturday, March 7, 2009 8:44PM
WHAT?!?!
OKAY!!!
YEAH!!
Bert McCracken's whiny screaming must kill brain cells or something but how come there isn't any metal bands on there.. not a single one. I like pretty much all types of music so I wonder how I'd rank. =P (since im canadian and don't take SAT's)
Saturday, March 7, 2009 11:10PM
YO. Like, wtf, this is whack. The artists at the bottom of the list are just more listened to, and therefore more stupid people listen to them because there are more stupid people than smart people. DUH. Listen to Lil' Wayne, he ROCKS
Sunday, March 8, 2009 12:02AM
Interesting… but where would a band like Tool be established. I've heard idiots listen to the music just for the feelings they get, but a well-rounded mind can find solace in the composition…
Sunday, March 8, 2009 12:07AM
Everyone listens to music… it truly has become the most popularized form of art and expression, and one of the reason's is that you don't need to exert yourself much. All you need is an ear, or, if you're more lucky, two can provide. Hell, you don't even have to listen to music that is playing… have you ever heard of background music? It enhances life. Music, that is.
Where do you think country music comes from anyways?
Sunday, March 8, 2009 12:20AM
"Hi: Bottom line is that a relevant correlation between music choice and race exist. There is also a strong correlation between race & historical educational disadvantages which determine your SAT scores. So I think what the study truly found is that we still need Affirmative Action. Blacks & Hispanics are most likely to score low on standardized tests which love hip hop and reggeaton (which is not mapped there but those listeners probably scored as low)"
You are the one making the sweeping assumption that only black people like Lil Wayne and the other rap artists up there. Many different races enjoy many different types of music, so you are the one generalizing and you are the one that needs an education in ethnic understanding and acceptance. Hell the high scorers could be Afro Americans listening to Beethoven and Whites listening to Lil' Wayne, there is no data presented that represents race, other than your prejudice assumptions, which helps prove that yes, the nation is still prejudice, but affirmative action is not the solution. It is your restricting point of view, and many others alike it.
Sunday, March 8, 2009 12:59AM
Al Gore did not create the internet, despite popular belief.
Sunday, March 8, 2009 5:51AM
Well, I never took the SAT, but I scored a pretty easy 27 on the ACT, including a 30-something on the reading comprehension. My favorite bands are all over the place. I like Beethoven, I like Carrie Underwood, but my favorites are Third Day and Casting Crowns. Which brings to mind the question…why the heck are you supposedly "smarter" if you listen to Third Day over Casting Crowns, or Jars of Clay over Third Day?
*clings to her Third Day, Casting Crowns, Jeremy Camp, and MercyMe CDs as well as her academic awards*
Sunday, March 8, 2009 6:38AM
So people who like good music are stupid? Whoever likes Beetoven is probably someone with no friends…..
Sunday, March 8, 2009 7:47AM
Interesting that jazz music listeners scored low on SATs, which really doesn't really test creative/interpersonal stature… while jazz does
Sunday, March 8, 2009 3:16PM
this is sad. i took the SATs in seventh and eighth grade through an honors program, my favorite band is MCR and I scored in the 1200's both times. This study is certainly very "unscientific"
Sunday, March 8, 2009 4:26PM
All my favorites put me in the 1036-1156 range. I got a 1320 the first & only time I took the test. Which apparently means I don't like music, because nothing falls in that range. This was quite an interesting idea, though.
Sunday, March 8, 2009 4:34PM
I really do not understand why so many people only comment on stuff to start a debate or take away from what they're commenting on. This was never meant to be taken so seriously, and thought it was pretty entertaining to see where my favorite artists' music showed up.
Sunday, March 8, 2009 5:33PM
Apparently you failed the verbal section. Your punctuation or use of simple words like "in to" where you mean "into" is not to the level I would expect from one of my fifth graders.
Sunday, March 8, 2009 7:42PM
yeah, just like this
http://href.hu/x/8eso
Sunday, March 8, 2009 9:37PM
Similar study was done decades ago re: country music. Do people who drink too much like country music or does country music make you drink too much?
Sunday, March 8, 2009 10:16PM
Music shouldn't be so connected with intelligence, yes maybe it can make you think but you're either intellignet or you're not. Music is about feeling anyway….
Sunday, March 8, 2009 3:39PM
greenday the best…
Sunday, March 8, 2009 10:47PM
the most uneducated people on the planet have the ability to appreciate a wide variety of music and various genres of music if it is presented to them. i don't see the correlation in this study. one doesn't need a high SAT score to determine if food tastes good, if a flower looks pretty, or Nirvana sounds cool. a more interesting study perhaps would be to compare IQ scores of musicians of different genres of music: country, punk, metal, hip hop, etc..
Sunday, March 8, 2009 10:57PM
1) This study is flawed because correlation does not equal causation. 2) You can just say it. Black people like rap.
Sunday, March 8, 2009 11:47PM
Definitely got a 1510 on the SAT and love Lil Wayne
Funny though
Monday, March 9, 2009 12:34AM
you guyz be trippiin' staright retardiddddd
Monday, March 9, 2009 12:46AM
SAT scores don't display one's intellect. This entire thing is fallacious.
Monday, March 9, 2009 2:53AM
This chart is plain and simple inconclusive. There are like 90 bands in the middle-range of the SAT scores, and average nationwide score is something like 1050 on the SAT. So basically this is saying that the people who get the average score on the SAT listen to music. Great.
Monday, March 9, 2009 3:47AM
im hispanic and I scored a 1260…and its kinda crazy that a lot of my favorite bands fit in that range. I also LOATHE hip hop and reggeaton (unless you talkin' bout the roots lol)
but i know where your coming from, i just wanna point out that we all don't fit the stereotype.
Monday, March 9, 2009 3:56AM
Wow pretty interesting? basically it sais all black people are stupid and white people are more intellegent…how racist?…
Monday, March 9, 2009 4:08AM
You my friend are a tool.
Monday, March 9, 2009 4:50AM
I iz bak to reclaim the respect that has been lost for my boy da big man 'lil wayne. the troof is that he taught me everything i knowed about being smart and also being a wicked cool gangster who is big but also lil at the same time. he also taught science that making a time machine requires more drinkin and less thinkin and more bling. He is too smart for the SATs cos when he tried to sit them the paper caught on fire cos he was too wicked smart. FO SHIZ NIZZY NIZZLE WIZZLE
Monday, March 9, 2009 5:25AM
Get a life, yo homey! The only person out there taking the results of this thing for what they are is Billy-Bob Wayne, Sr. What a sage!
Monday, March 9, 2009 5:55AM
If there is any choclate in the milk its choclate milk ''He's black' Like it or not.
Monday, March 9, 2009 5:58AM
Yes but does he love lil wayne…? Cuz lil wayne's got more karots then Fuckin vegetarian
Monday, March 9, 2009 6:39AM
So what, then?
1890 on my SAT, and my fav bands are Switchfoot, Billy Joel, the Eagles, Dire Straits (not shown, but probably somewhere around the Eagles), Queen, the Beatles, Coldplay, Falling Up (not shown, my guess would be like… around Switchfoot?), Nightwish (not shown, alternative, I guess?), dcTalk (again not shown, probably around Relient K/Switchfoot) and Mae. I also like Rise Against, Jack Johnson, Linkin Park, Aerosmith and so on so forth.
And there's no way people who listen to Switchfoot score as low as this shows. Jon Foreman is a simply brilliant lyricist, one of the reasons I have faithfully bought their albums ever since I started listening to them (going on 8 years now).
I think it is not what, per se, you listen to, but perhaps the variety of what you listen to and what music you put consideration and thought into. I'd think that if you'd only listen to one band, then there's not much to reflect on.
Maybe it's just me. Who knows (who really cares, to be honest)?
Monday, March 9, 2009 7:06AM
Dude, Affirmative Action is shit. Why should people be given a preference just because of their race? I think it is bull shit that some say whites have more advantages, when in reality all minorities have to do is work hard in school like whites do. No, instead minorities want to act like their lives are shit and go sell drugs and be criminals, in some cases, yes they are in a bad situation but that doesn't mean they can't work and get out of it. Thats just goes along with college scholarships being based on race. Why I, a white lower-middle class guy, should be put out of the running for a scholarship, when say an upper class black who clearly doesn't need the scholarship gets picked to get it. America is still obsessed that we should be sorry for slavery. Yes, i agree that slavery was an abomination and should have ended. BUT I do not believe that 300 some odd years later we should still be apologizing for it. I mean look at Europe. 6 MILLION Jews died and they moved on. I think America needs to do the same.
Monday, March 9, 2009 7:25AM
I got a 1990 (that's including the writing section) my first time taking the SATs, without studying, and I love Lil' Wayne. This is just a matter of taste, and it's not supposed to be real, obviously.
Monday, March 9, 2009 7:27AM
I imagine the guy asked for a few favorite bands and you SAT score, then plotted each band to the average of the scores. That's why they're all centered around 1050, the average SAT score for all takers. So one guy that scored about 1380 says Beethoven and it makes it look like anyone that got a good score listens to Beethoven. I mean, I would hope only bands that were picked a lot would show up and that he found some people that scored above 1380 (one out 100 get a 1600 and many more get close)
Monday, March 9, 2009 9:30AM
have you nothing else to do but be a petty winge bag… and befor you bitch about my abilities i have learning difficulties so maybe next time you'll think befor you make dudgements on ''in to'' or ''into'' i wouldnt have put it in right either.. but i guess you win the smart competition… you fucker
Monday, March 9, 2009 12:45PM
I think you are confusing cause and effect. What if it is the other way around and intelligence helps dictate what music we choose?
Monday, March 9, 2009 2:11PM
Wowwww…..
Monday, March 9, 2009 3:07PM
Hey what about John Williams or Portishead or Air or maybe Enigma ?:D
Monday, March 9, 2009 3:33PM
How would affirmative action help education?
Monday, March 9, 2009 5:43PM
I think Genre is more important than actual artists. And I think you'd find a greater correlation between the two instead of singling out artists. I don't really have a favorite artist anymore, it cycles depending on my mood.
Monday, March 9, 2009 5:47PM
All this chart proves is that morons listen Rap/R&B and mainstream "Pop". Not just morons, but apathetic morons. They aren't smart enough to even know they are morons.
Monday, March 9, 2009 6:30PM
You're an idiot. I'm half hispanic and I love several of those bands, all across this graph. I was one of the "Promising Youth" that you and your mental type think are all rich white kids.
Monday, March 9, 2009 7:09PM
I agree with Makaid. I don't think it is a matter of music making you more or less intelligent, I think it is the other was around. Dumb people will listen to dumb music, I'm sure if they surveyed for weird al, the majority of people who listen to him would also score low on IQ tests. Whereas smart folks are more likely to listen to music with a little more to it than just a strong baseline
Monday, March 9, 2009 7:20PM
Al Gore helped develop the internet into what it is today. he never said he "invented" it.
Monday, March 9, 2009 7:47PM
well this test isn't about "bustin a cap" it is about intelligence. it takes little to know intelligence to shoot someone.
but in my opinion, it is not the music that makes people dumb but the listeners, being dumb, decide to listen to whatever music is most easily accessible instead of developing a taste for fine music or developed music because they do not have developed ears that can truly develop opinions. and the music will become more about "bustin a cap".
Monday, March 9, 2009 9:21PM
al gore has too many pubes. i've researched that to the depths of hell.
Monday, March 9, 2009 10:13PM
I don't think that a young Beethoven's music lover is smarter than any other music fan. But I'm sure that the music is "young" or "old" like the brain of the listener. Perhaps that Mozart brain was "old" at 7 years (old) and he liked to compose merry melodies as survival reaction. To hear music is a brain exercise who evolves it musically like mathematics quiz evolve to smarter brain. Is'n it ??!!..
Monday, March 9, 2009 10:46PM
You are an idiot.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 12:08AM
stupidest, least quantitative experiment ever.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 3:43AM
Its not that Lil Wayne makes people stupid, its that in general, stupid people listen to Lil Wayne
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 3:47AM
You are all a bunch of assholes! This was obviously PhotoShopp'd
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 3:51AM
he failed to mention that these were SAT scores taken in Alabama. This information obviously obfuscates the fiduciary principle of the real matter at hand! And that matter is……can we hang OCTO-MOM yet????? PLEEEEZE WOORRRRRLD!!!!!DO ME A SOLID HERE AND STRIKE THE WHORE DOWN!!!!!!!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 4:17AM
That's fascinating that they did this sort of study. I think I understand it in a way, though. Beethoven is a composure that is less appreciated, and more so by those who are more "straight laced" in a way. Most of those kids are also the ones who get high grades. As you progressively get worse grades, you're getting into more of the rap and hard rock. It's a stereotype, granted, but most "gangsters" listen to rap, and "gangsters" are typically more apathetic and could care less about grades and studying. The mainstream, or the average joe, listens to music in the middle-range because it's what's popular. I happen to listen to a range of things like Goo Goo Dolls and System of a Down. I think Goo Goo Dolls is higher on the list because they've got more meaningful, calmer songs. The more aggressive songs, such as from SOAD, typically cause more tension in the mind and they don't help you focus as easily.
That's just the guess of a fourteen year old, though.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 4:41AM
Franz Liszt is the most virtuosic pianist of all music history. Mozart was the most prolific composer and the largest child prodigy. Beethoven composed the most famous music of today, and Prokofiev rocked this world like he was the ocean and it was a sea with his piano concertos and Ballets. Brahms was NOT a virtuoso, only a very good composer.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 5:38AM
HAHAH!! Now thats funny!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 5:52AM
LIL WAYNE IS BOMBBBB!!…lol…i love beethoven too though..
I got a 1936 on the SAT..where does that put me on the chart?
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 6:02AM
I don't think intelligence can be determined by the music you listen to, but by open-mindedness you have regarding various types of music. Here, in UCLA there's actually a course about rap, hip-hop, and R&B being very high forms of poetry. In my opinion, to say those that listen to these types of music are morons is quite ignorant.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 7:36AM
Not actually all correct, I know people who dedicate their lives to music and have an extremely low IQ when tested on reasoning and mathematical problems, yet have an in depth knowledge of music, listening to some of the most intellectually stimulating music ever made, but I also know people who don't listen to modern music or classical but are very clever all the same. It comes down to taste, that's not directly linked to intelligence. And by the way, your favorite artists probably won't reflect the majority of the music you listen to…
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 2:52PM
Actually… If you understand how scoring works on the SAT..you'd know they give scoring "handicap" To students from poor neighborhoods (black or white) and Universities allow lower average scores for minority students to be accepted than they do for White Americans.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 7:16PM
I find the notion that liking "fine music" like classical music is correlated with intelligence kind of sad. I scored fairly high on the SAT and I listen to Lil' Wayne and Kanye West as well as multiple other hip-hop artists. I also listen to Death Cab for Cutie and Coldplay. I don't, however, enjoy classical music. I don't think the sample was large enough for this to be an accurate study.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:02PM
wow!! bravo. You put in a lot of time and effort to do this. i am not only disgusted but i am also in awe of you stupidity to say certain musical group or artist make children,teenagers, and or adults look dumb. now who the fuck are you to tell me that i am dumb i am a honors student with nothing but a's and b's but i listen to tool,cold play,disturbed,led zeppelin,ac/dc, ect… you cant even grow the balls to tell me face to face that i am dumb you go on the internet and do so on there. personally go fuck your self. and have a nice day.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:03PM
You fucking retard. You don't know that. Only way to prove that is to carry out your own survey. You seriously just pissed me off.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:23PM
Did anyone entertain the idea that certain music targets certain income brackets? Music reaches various people based on how they relate to it. A low income neighborhood with bad schools is going to provide a lower education standard. There are a lot of economic variables that would fall into a comprehensive view of this study.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:59PM
um… no offense, but that's completely incorrect. the reason for low scores on SAT tests is preparation, whether the person is white, black, or purple.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 12:10AM
im in pre-algerbar in 7th grade and i love these people. you guys dont know what your talking about.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 1:54AM
Free Tibet!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 4:05AM
That's because Lil' Wayne is an awful rapper, so if you automatically like what's fed to you you probably can't think much on your own. Our culture isn't feeding us Beethoven.
Big L and Biggie are quality rappers.
I feel like this is an obnoxious and pretentious sounding post but I think it's true.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 5:43AM
I'd expect TOOL to be higher up on the list, due to their elegant use of time signatures and the intricate mathematics involved with their music. Not to mention their incredible lyrics and the constant allusions within them.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 6:07AM
I know about the whole "race & historical educational disadvantage" thing…but I just don't agree with it. My parents and their families lived in poverty and grew up in huts in the South Pacific. Had to learn two languages besides their dialect to attend school. Worked hard to come to the US and now they are doctors. Hard work, determination, and want for a better life is all it takes- no excuses. But this is just my opinion.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 6:18AM
i like lil wayne more than any of those bands (and i def dont listen to beethoven) and i scored a 1550 on my SAT
this has to be the worst study i've ever seen…and im pretty sure u just made it up to fit ur hypothesis
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 10:52AM
you peaople are either racist, or wanna be intalectuals… wake up your country is fucked your even more fucked and reading through this makes me sick.. none of you have a single thred of care for other people bar a few…
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 1:56PM
where is jazz?
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 4:48PM
Don't you find it amusing to see the comments supporting Lil Wayne? They seem to be proving the point rather than negating it. It's interesting the way that works…
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 10:18AM
Haha rappers are big time losers. Here is why:
http://guitar.today.com/2009/02/18/why-it-sucks-t...
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 10:19AM
Haha rappers are losers. Here's why:
http://guitar.today.com/2009/02/18/why-it-sucks-t...
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 6:45PM
Could you just…please…learn to be literate? 'diamons' don't exist. Diamonds do. Lil' Wayne never created a time machine, and nizzle isn't a word. Also, no one has ever made bullets out of diamonds, that would just be anal.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 6:48PM
DRES, Are you implying that Blacks and Hispanics are disadvantaged when it comes to Historical education because they are learning about 'white american history'?? because the bottom line is when you are taught something in history class, regardless what it is, you have the ability to learn it, like any other student, may they be asian, african, muslim, hispanic ect ect ect.
It may not be the histroy their ancestors endured but it is what you are given to learn and what you are tested on…Race should have nothing to do with it…
For example, I am Irish and went to an English school in Britian and was taught about English History and guess what, I scored high on my English History paper, but im not english!!! OH MY GOD!!!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 6:56PM
Pre-algebra is taught in most schools during the seventh grade, don't act so smart, because you're just an average seventh grader who fucked up spelling the word 'algebra'
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 6:59PM
He never said you were dumb, he was merely showing the members of this site an interesting study. Noone called anyone dumb except for the people arguing through comments. Get off the 'roids or whatever the hell is making you so moody and pissy.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 12:35PM
I'm not sure if its scientific or not, but It may prove the SAT's to be accurate! How many intelligent people do you know that listen to LIl Wayne, the All American Rejects, Justin Timberlake, and The Used?
(Between The Buried and Me favorite band. Personal SAT score: 1510)
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 7:59PM
Notice how barely anyone is talking about the actual chart? We're just sitting here insulting each other. Maybe everyone should consider no matter what music we listen to we're all idiots because we're doing the exact same thing. People who listen to classical music are calling those who listen to R&B pathetic idiots with no ability to make their own decisions and those who are listening to R&B and Rap are calling classical music lovers tight-ass close-minded assholes. We're all a bunch of immature idiots in one way or another, move on and get over it already!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 8:01PM
P.S. The chart is bullshit and obviously not scientific! How pathetic are we for debating something that is clearly not supported by evidence and was probably written by someone who scored high on their SATs just to push that stick already up their butt even further!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 8:29PM
a virtuoso is defined by a player that makes the most technical of passages seem easy. not the easiest term to define by that, but most textbooks will have a definition closest to that. Although many virtuosos did have composers that would write music specifically for them. I know paganini had his own composer but his name escapes me at the moment.
Thursday, March 12, 2009 12:00AM
WASP based language choices? like English?
Thursday, March 12, 2009 2:29AM
[...] Lil’ Wayne makes you dumb. Умноо.. ай обвини музиката, че си тъп. http://beatcrave.com/2009-03-03/music-that-makes-you-dumb/ в Любими преди 1 минута edno23.com Начало контакти [...]
Thursday, March 12, 2009 2:18PM
Music cannot make you dumb. This chart probably has to do with correlation between the social status/group and your grades.
Thursday, March 12, 2009 5:25PM
this is dumb
Thursday, March 12, 2009 5:46PM
Hoo!! variety good
Thursday, March 12, 2009 11:28PM
That's exactly what I was thinking! Wow, way to prove the legitimacy of this graph – talking like a moron and defending Lil Wayne.
This may not be good science, but it doesn't take much of an imagination to suppose that maybe people that listen to music with a social message or complex lyrics might be more intelligent than those that listen to some wannabe thug "rapping" about bitches and hoes.
Friday, March 13, 2009 1:54AM
my cousin who is deaf, blind, severely mentally retarded and has tourettes would score infinitely higher on an IQ test than little wayne.
Friday, March 13, 2009 4:54AM
[polldaddy 1450940 http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/1450940/ polldaddy]
Friday, March 13, 2009 3:43PM
I'm shocked at this list. I'm 15 and I scored a 1530 on it this year. I listen to a lot of bands like The Postal Service, Foo Fighters, and Maroon 5. It's a little surprising how this graph turned out.
Friday, March 13, 2009 9:53AM
My Chemical Romance isn’t emo.
Far from it, actually.
Friday, March 13, 2009 10:28AM
I find it hard to believe that so few people bothered to remember several key points about this study. First, Virgil at no point states that one type of music causes and increase in intelligence, he simply looked at the correlation. The only place that it is implied is in the title, and even there it is framed as a question, not a statement. Second, it is not possible to list every band, so all of you complaining that your favorites are not on the list, which would be because there were not a significant number of people who liked that band in the study. Finally, many of you seem to be missing the concept of an average. There are people who listen to Lil’ Wayne who will score high on the SATs and people who listen to Beethoven who will score low. At no point did Virgil say otherwise. He simply presented a graph of the averages. I am shocked by the volume of people complaining about the flaws in this study. Yes music choice is related to many other factors that could influence SAT performance, and no he did not examine all of them, but if you want a better study, do one rather than posting hundreds of complaints about someone else’s work. And please read previous posts before putting a 1 line comment about how terrible something is. Odds are someone has already said it, and probably said it more eloquently. I am aware that I am ignoring my own advice as I post this, but as the majority of posts are either “I like this band and scored higher that the graph says I should have” or “Correlation is not causation” I felt the voice or reason needed to be expressed as much as possible. Feel free to insult me as I will not be checking back to see it.
Friday, March 13, 2009 1:04PM
lol so false, lil wayne is one of my favorite artists and i scored a 1450 on the SAT with out studying for it at all
Friday, March 13, 2009 1:17PM
I think that something along the lines of an IQ test, instead of the SATs would be much more accurate, since most of the people i know who listen to jazz, prog and classical are highly intelligent but don’t give a toss about academics.
Friday, March 13, 2009 3:01PM
fuck this survey man.
my SAT scores were 1280
for the two sections and
my fave. artist is eminem
this whole concept of music having an adverse effect on intellect is stupid. I actually am more dumb simply because i had to read this nonsense. fuck the creator of this survey. probably some moronic close minded individual who hates rap due to a development of ignorance due to his upbringing from equally ignorant parents. Not saying all rap is good but when you take in the message in good rap it’s amazing, deep, and clear. is all rock good? no. so you cannot be saying that just because it’s rap it makes you stupid.
stupid ignorant shit. i ought to smack the shit out of your half wit parents for bringing you up like this. you’re an idiot and your study shows us nothing.
Saturday, March 14, 2009 12:28PM
Ese estudio es una estupidez. No tiene nada de científico.
Saludos
Saturday, March 14, 2009 5:10PM
Lil Wayne doesn’t make you stupid; stupid people listen to Lil Wayne
Saturday, March 14, 2009 5:47PM
FWIW, I scored a 1350, and my musical tastes tend to be in the 1100 range on the chart.
Saturday, March 14, 2009 6:50PM
These results seem pretty logical to me. It stands to reason that a person with higher SAT scores has a well rounded knowledge base, and that person probably would not confine him or herself to Top 40 radio. (NPR anyone?) I am not surprised to see Indie and Alternative so well represented at the top end. I do not think the study is scientific enough to draw any hard and fast conclusions from, however.
Sunday, March 15, 2009 4:31AM
I’m a musician,not American, but this whole study seems to have racist undertones. Like “let’s put the black folk down even more! ” I think whether you score well on this SAT might be at least partly related to socio-economic status and educational opportunity rather than your listening habits. Eg; Jazz scores lowly on this survey yet is a high-end black American art form. Amongst musicians, whether they like it or not, it is regarded as one of the most difficult styles to successfully perform, combining deep cultural knowledge, incredible instrumental skill and amazing creativity; improvising, composing on the spot. Now, true purveyors of this art form would have to have some understanding of the intricacies of jazz, so how could you infer that they’re dumb? I’m guessing your SAT doesn’t test musical intelligence.
Sunday, March 15, 2009 4:35AM
I’m a musician,not American, but this whole study seems to have racist undertones. Like “let’s put the black folk down even more! ” I think whether you score well on this SAT might be at least partly related to socio-economic status and educational opportunity rather than your listening habits. Eg; Jazz scores lowly on this survey yet is a high-end black American art form. Amongst musicians, whether they like it or not, it is regarded as one of the most difficult styles to successfully perform, combining deep cultural knowledge, incredible instrumental skill and amazing creativity; improvising, composing on the spot. Now, true purveyors of this art form would have to have some understanding of the intricacies of jazz, so how could you infer that they’re dumb? I’m guessing your SAT doesn’t test musical intelligence.By the way, Bob Dylan cant sing and Hitler was into Wagner.
Sunday, March 15, 2009 7:25PM
I personally think that it makes a bit of sense. Who is more likely to study and get good grades: The quiet one in school who listens to sufjan, ben folds, and bob dylan or the party kid who listens to lil wayne and beyonce? race has nothing to do with it, mindset does.
Monday, March 16, 2009 4:18AM
Ok…
But I am a non native speaker (from Bosnia), who listens to SOAD, Bon Jovi, Radiohead, Coldplay, Damien Rice, etc. and I scored 1370 on Math and Reading sections. (2010 in total)
Don’t see the connection with the music at all.
Monday, March 16, 2009 8:16AM
[...] Music That Makes You Dumb? [...]
Monday, March 16, 2009 9:25PM
this chart means jack shit, i got a 1330 and listen to mostly hip hop music…. study is worthless
Monday, March 16, 2009 4:08PM
Ummm…to answer the questions above…because ….that's what comments are for… Probably not, your as smart as you want to be, and it's kind of amazing how I don't see any of the bands I like on here(not a one), no……music has no control over a person and if it does your insane…Oh music made me go shoot my dog because it was barking…gay….And people who make music don't give a shit what you do as long as you buy their music…and I am A black female and I listen to almost everything, give everything a try. Yeah… and my favorite band is The Mars Volta. so…suck my cock….hahahahahaha that's funny because all of you seem to be dudes. AND IF WE ALL WERE THE SAME, HELL PEOPLE WOULD KILL THEMSELVES JUST TO PROVE THAT THEY WERE DIFFERENT…..SO……AND YOU WONDER WHY THERE IS NO CURE FOR AIDS…..INTELLIGENCES IS NOT EVERYTHING. Something simple, people make complicated so ……Hope I answered your question(s)…
kwa heri
Monday, March 16, 2009 11:14PM
gay
Monday, March 16, 2009 11:15PM
G A Y. say it loud
Monday, March 16, 2009 11:17PM
BA-NA-NA. NA NA. GET YOURSELF AN EDUCATION
Monday, March 16, 2009 11:18PM
MAN THIS IS FUN…
Monday, March 16, 2009 11:20PM
GAY
Monday, March 16, 2009 11:32PM
UM…. NOPE…..BUT YOU SHOULD GET YOURSELF A NEW EDUCATION……Because your light years away…. and were just now seeing You… I JUST WANT TO BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE
COME ON YOU CAN DO IT. AND IF YOUR SMART …WELL YOU CAN PICK THIS WHOLE CONCEPT OUT, AND OH YEAH TELL ALPHA CENTAURI I SAID HEY. yeah yeah it pacifies…funny
Monday, March 16, 2009 11:35PM
I'm sorry but, I only want this to be for you:) UM…. NOPE…..BUT YOU SHOULD GET YOURSELF A NEW EDUCATION……Because your light years away…. and were just now seeing You… I JUST WANT TO BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE
COME ON YOU CAN DO IT. AND IF YOUR SMART …WELL YOU CAN PICK THIS WHOLE CONCEPT OUT, AND OH YEAH TELL ALPHA CENTAURI I SAID HEY. yeah yeah it pacifies…funny
Monday, March 16, 2009 11:58PM
actually- do your research, Lil Wayne was a straight A student. and rap music isn't about "bustin a cap" but if your ignorant people actually listened to what it said, you would understand that rap music depicts what people have actually lived through in the ghettos of this country…but white people refuse to see anything other than their suburban streets now don't they
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 2:25AM
Wow. How incredibly hypocritical. First, you use "your" incorrectly. It's "you're." A contraction. Then you use a perversion of the word "gay." I'm not even going to get into that. Don't open your mouth if you're not sure that what you are saying is correct.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 2:50AM
Your SAT scores don't define you.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 2:57AM
not historic educational disadvantages. SAT culturally biased to inflate white scores
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 4:41AM
"it takes little to know intelligence to shoot someone". Don't you mean "it takes little to know intelligence to shoot someone". and you speak of intelligence. Also who is to say what is "fine music".
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 4:43AM
"it takes little to no intelligence to shoot someone" looks like I am just as bad
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 6:31AM
this study is an example of how to draw conclusions without any evidence. the person who did the study merely qualified taste in music as smart and not smart. Affirmative action has nothing to do with SAT scores. Economic situations, ethnic background and exposure to music have more to do with musical taste than intelligence. Intelligence is a completely separate category that reflect completely different factors like genes, education, and comprehension of abstract ideas.
Monday, March 16, 2009 11:43PM
Nice article!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 12:11AM
This study is useless as most people know very little of music, including many intelligent high scoring SAT kids. Much of our musical preference is based on the people we are surrounded with and other social forces. Even so I'm sure that makes this study acceptable for most people. I personally believe that music tells very little about intelligence, and rather that it reveals more about personal background.
Our culture is not raised to view music on an individualistic level. So called "dumb" kids are listening to Lil' Wayne because it is on MTV and their friends listen to it in the car. So called "smart" kids listen to Beethoven because their parents had them take two years of piano lessons and told that that listening to "socially acceptable, historically correct" music will make them get better grades and feel better about themselves. Unfortunately for the dumb kids, the smart parents made the better decision.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 7:43AM
I hate people like you.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 7:52AM
What are you talking about? It's any exceptionally skilled musician. Period.
You sound like a snob, too. Check yo facts next time, bitch.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009 5:56PM
Suzi, it's an average. Just because Virgil samples a larger range of SAT scores doesn't mean it's going to put Death Cab higher on the chart. You're saying that everyone who's favorite band is Death Cab is very smart. Which frankly is dumb of you to think.
Thursday, March 19, 2009 7:45AM
Hey you guys, im the guy that said lil wayne probably scored "more" on an IQ than some douche bag and i just want to take full responsibility for the degredation of this lovely website. and article.
- Gersh
Monday, March 23, 2009 7:13AM
[...] Music That Makes You Dumb – Go figure, Lil’ Wayne is the lowest. [...]
Wednesday, March 25, 2009 3:34AM
bullsh!t i listen to rap and sh!t but i get straight a's and pwning everyone
Wednesday, March 25, 2009 9:12AM
[...] the highest scores listen to Beethoven, while those with the lowest listen to Lil’ Wayne. Most of the students who listened to country fell in the average range. (via [...]
Thursday, March 26, 2009 2:06AM
Somebody shoot me… People who listen to other people talk fast about taking drugs and mindlessly having sex with women need to get a life right NAO.
RnB/Rap/Pop music = DO NOT WANT
ROCK = WANT
CLASSICAL = WANT SOMETIMES
But honestly. People who rap about their two cents only have two cents because thats how much their brain costs… And I live in Australia, where there is no two cents. Only five cents.
Thursday, March 26, 2009 5:40PM
Disclaimer: I would like to say that SAT score in no way reflect intelligence, and when I refer to intelligence in the following comment, I am in now way referring to SAT scores, though I am somewhat explaining why bands placed in certain areas, though I in no way am promoting SAT scores having anything to do with intelligence in any way shape or form.
This article seems to suggest that certain music makes you dumb, where I think it would be much more logical to determine that smart people listen to certain music and dumb people listen to certain music. Though I still don't think that conclusion makes much sense at all, but it’s still better than what the article suggests. When it comes down to it, more complex music is normally more appreciated by more intelligent people, as they can understand and appreciate things like time signature changes, where people who listen to music primarily to dance to, would like things like Little Wayne. Now, this is not meant to sound judgmental, I simply want to make a separation between good music and the music people like, which this article fails to acknowledge.
Thursday, March 26, 2009 5:41PM
I noticed that someone previously commented on Tool's placement in the chart, and how they found it weird because Tool is really complex music. I agree, Tool is complex, however their type of music is way less accessible to the people that would acknowledge how good Tool is, due to the hard nature of the music. They are in a category that a lot of intelligent people wouldn't listen to. Bands like Opeth and Between the Buried and Me would also fall under this category. Therefore, a lot of their audience is simply people who like hard music, who id say overall are not the smartest of people.
Now, when it comes to a band like Radiohead, they score high due to the fact that they are accessible, non-dance music. What this means is, only people that truly enjoy music for the sake of music (not as a backbeat) listen to them, and their music is very accessible (Easy to listen to). Radiohead is however very complex, but in a much more subtle way than Tool, so they fall into the Alternative and Pop category, and people of all musical intelligence can enjoy them.
Thursday, March 26, 2009 5:42PM
It should be noted that musical intelligence and actual intelligence are two very different things, though I find most people with musical intelligence are normally smart people because music is not an easy thing to understand at a high level. However, one does not have to like good music to be intelligent. People can even like music that isn't good even though they know what good music is. For example, I like Blink-182, and though I don't listen to them really ever, I still enjoyed their music when I was younger and would enjoy it now if someone were to put it on, though I doubt id do it on my own. Now, Travis Barker is a fairly good drummer, but I don't think I could take someone seriously who tried to argue that Blink-182 was really complex and good music. But there is nothing wrong with liking music that isn't the most complex and original, and it certainly doesn't make you stupid.
Thursday, March 26, 2009 5:42PM
In conclusion, this whole article has nothing to do with music, but everyone reacts to lists or categorization, either positively or negatively, so it got a lot of attention (obviously I include myself in that statement). However, it’s important to realize that bands are not always of the same complexity of their fans and visa versa. When it comes to genres of music, it is impossible to dictate any sort of intelligence scale, because EVERY genre has good and bad music (as in complex and painfully simple). It is not necessary to make complex music to be good, but it is one of the only qualifiers you can argue that isn't opinion based. But in the end, my only point is nothing in the article concluded anything that could be deemed a conclusion, other than the people who take SAT's like a lot of different kinds of music. Genius.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009 5:32PM
I got an 1150, but my favorite band on that chart is Something Corporate. I took the SAT in eight grade though, so any result would mean even less than it otherwise would…
Saturday, April 4, 2009 11:00AM
[...] Music That Makes You Dumb? [...]
Sunday, April 5, 2009 4:17AM
i like the idea, but it can't be accurate. i know plenty of smart kids, including myself who like rap music..that definately varies…
Monday, April 6, 2009 1:57AM
This "study" is terribly unscientific. I see that Norah Jones (my former student) is rated higher than jazz. She would laugh at that! She, herself, studied jazz (with me) with dedication and could tell you first hand about the intellectual challenges required to master it. The problem is that jazz is TOO challenging for most people. Any highly intelligent person who also has a broad-based background in music would tell you that jazz is for SMART people.
I notice in the survey that the word "jazz" was printed, but NOT ONE name of a jazz player, group, style, or even a period in jazz history was mentioned. And did you notice that "Beethoven" and "Classical Music" were at opposite end of the spectrum? Beethoven IS Classical Music!!! How "scientific" could this study possibly be?
We have a musically illiterate society. And because so many of our most brilliant people love jazz and classical music, this "study" stands refuted, in my opinion.
Monday, April 6, 2009 5:37AM
Why is everyone taking this so seriously? This is some funny shit haha
Monday, April 6, 2009 11:36AM
This studied above all proved that 18year-olds do not know a whole lot about music.
Saturday, April 11, 2009 10:40PM
oh wow, my favorite band is Led Zeppelin, and i scored an 1180, pretty close to the margine shown
Sunday, April 19, 2009 11:50PM
I made a 1380 on my SAT's… I like Lil Wayne, Walls Of Jericho, Between the Buried and Me, and Bless The Fall.
Sunday, April 26, 2009 2:10PM
Yes, because Radiohead and Beethoven are so elite and really, incredibly difficult music to listen to (as in "complicated"). But then again, I kind of agree, anyone would have to listen to Radiohead more than a few times to even remotely like them because they're so bad = Radiohead is leet and complicated.
Thursday, April 30, 2009 12:57AM
I hardy think people who listen to Tool are score that low and people who listen to Coldplay score that high there is obviously some bias in this.
Friday, May 1, 2009 4:16PM
Out of Christian music, only Gospel makes it near the top? That's stupid. I wonder how large this student's sample group was?
I suppose Gospel being toward the top makes sense though… usually students aren't into that genre, so a taste for it indicates an ultra-heavy family influence. And the family influence would apply to studying as well as music. I MUCH prefer Christian contemporary to Gospel any moment of the day, but I guess I can see the logic of Gospel rating higher… though as to why the contemporary groups rank so very low, I haven't the faintest clue.
Saturday, May 2, 2009 6:45PM
Remember, kids: Lil' Wayne melts your brain…
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 1:19AM
1360. And my favorite band is blink-182. Hmmm…
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 1:23AM
this should be renamed, music that dumb people like
Sunday, June 7, 2009 12:29AM
that's because they made the question about his fav group or someting like that, and if you answer with a gender, you're lying and maybe you say that only to give the image of being a smarther guy, but NOOOOOOOOT
Wednesday, June 10, 2009 7:11AM
I wish this was set to the ACT because I'd like to see what range I'd fall into. Eh, the David Bowie range seems right where I would fit in actually. Oh and everyone I know who likes Lil Wayne is a complete retard.
Sunday, June 14, 2009 6:40PM
It's an average. Of course a few smart people listen to lil wayne, but most of your peers are dumbasses, which is why the score is low.
Sunday, June 14, 2009 11:46AM
The survey probably wasn't trying to find out "if music causes different intelligences or if different intelligences are drawn to certain music." It is just a survey that compiles what types of music educated people listen to and vice-versa.
It's very informative.
Monday, June 29, 2009 4:09AM
This is the most ridiculously bias and opinionated article ever… Musical taste is not determined by intelligence. The complexity of a Lil Wayne song at times can rival some of the great rock classics he isn't always going over a 4 beat or even rhyming in that signature. Its almost in poor taste and slightly racist that you would even do that.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009 11:36PM
Love Against Me by the way. I don't agree that certain kinds of music make you stupid. What it might be is that a particular moral majority that listens to a particular kind of music might not be the smartest people in the world. For example, lil Wayne or any hip hop for that matter doesn't seem to be listened to by many "smart" people. As well as country. Those forms of music are simpleton at best. Which might say something about the people who listen.
Friday, August 28, 2009 12:47AM
I think a more accurate description of this "experiment" is music that affects your level of concentration, not your intelligence. Being less able to concentrate will definitely affect scores–I know if I listen to Linkin Park or Nightwish or some other rock/alternative/metal band, I have a really hard time focusing on the material I'm reviewing. If I listen to, say, some video game music (such as that of FolksSoul/Folklore or Genji), it's much easier to concentrate because the music (to me) is less distracting. But those are just my thoughts. :]
Monday, August 31, 2009 1:01AM
People who listen to Jay Z are considerably dumber then people who listen to Metallica. That's true.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009 8:49PM
oh damnnn. i guess ima have a low score cause i listen to my chemical romance.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009 4:14PM
Hey, that's very true! A larger number of African Americans listen to Hip-Hop and African Americans have a lower average S.A.T. score. It's a fact, and one would only be considered a racist if they assumed this statement implied something about the value of people of any race. White men can't jump, and they listen to country, and they're responsible for a huge number of moral atrocities, but does saying that mean I hate white people?
Tuesday, September 8, 2009 7:23PM
This chart is just blatant bullshit.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009 7:51AM
Love how electronica was completely missed in the graph. Does that mean they were too smart to take the SAT, they're above or below the chart, or is it that you did this in the USA? I'd assume the latter.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009 11:11PM
I think this not every one but he does have a point hate lil wayme
Saturday, October 10, 2009 1:27AM
okay you're obviously a troll.
don't generalize, you sound like a damn fool.
Saturday, November 14, 2009 6:34PM
Well you obviously didn't get my point, because I was explaining that the music DOESN'T make you more intelligent, but that some artists require more thought to appreciate, and therefore more intelligent people are on average going to enjoy it. An artist being on the 'lower end' doesn't denote that its listener is less intelligent, it's just an average. Hence you'll find the most accessible music closer to the middle. This just means its listener could be anywhere on the scale, but that an average sampling of Switchfoot fans will put their intelligence around 1076. Nevertheless, this study was not very thorough obviously. For example, Jazz is nothing but introspection and thought, and fans of say Miles Davis or Clifford Brown would definitely not be on the lower end of the spectrum. Rather than taking it at face value, you could look at the chart deduce that people with lower scores are more likely to name a genre than list their favorite artists. And of course just listing a genre doesn't actually mean you know anything about it… so those examples really tell us little about the genre itself.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009 8:57AM
Does the fact that hardly anyone commenting here seems able to interpret the results of the survey reasonably (i.e. not as a personal attack or a claim of causation or a “proof” of anything) say about the educational system, the general quality of reasoning and debate skills in today’s society….or the music users of this site listen to?
Wednesday, December 16, 2009 9:00AM
“say more about”, it should read
Monday, December 28, 2009 9:27AM
by looking at a small set of comments i can see that contemporary thought doesn’t allow for ideological extrapolation concurrent with acceptable rational and normal/progressive theology. i can tell you two and 2 make four but can i then expect you to explain to me how and why?
Thursday, January 28, 2010 11:09AM
I highly doubt the validity of this. How many people were tested? Also, high SAT =/= high intelligence. There is so much more to “intelligence” than can be inferred from one cognitive test. Treat this experiment and this article with a grain of salt.
Thursday, January 28, 2010 11:11AM
Also, where’s the electronica, IDM, industrial, etc.? You’re missing so many genres here.
Monday, February 1, 2010 4:14PM
I think it’s the music that causes people to love hard or something.
Thursday, February 4, 2010 8:07AM
I think that everyone has the oppertunity to be intelligent no matter what music they listen to.
If you listen to a certain band and have a logical reason for why you like them, such as their lyrics, or what the band stands for, then you are intelligent in that area.
Basically, say that I was a DJ spinning Electronic music. What I know about Electronic music compared to someone who has never heard of the genre/or even someone that has, but doesn’t know how to put the beats together proves that I am more intelligent in that area then they are.
Their is a difference between being School Smart and Survival Smart! If you don’t believe me then go watch “The Blindside” in theatre. It has Sandra Bullock, Kathy Bates, Tim McGraw, Ray McKinnon & Quinton Aaron in it.
If you really wanted to make this fair then you should look at a part of the SAT’s instead of the whole. The part you should be comparing to music intelligence is the Reading Stories and understanding them or their metaphor’s. Why? Because all lyrics in songs are is poetry. Figuring out the metaphor behind each song is actually harder then it looks.
Monday, February 8, 2010 8:38AM
i dont know, i guess you could speculate that certain type of people listin to certain music and that accounts for the variance but this in kind of silly if you ask me.
Friday, February 12, 2010 5:55PM
I wonder how many of those people that listened to lil’ wayne came from low income families or broken homes? I would think a bad childhood may play a role in determining not only someones I.Q. but also possibly what music they choose to listen too. Not to mention culture. Some cultures don’t put as much emphasis on education as others do. I agree this was a very unscientific study. For this to be legit you would have to include all those factors.
Monday, March 22, 2010 12:39PM
Just stumbled on this while googling something else. Gotta say: Dumb study title, dumb blog writer. “music that makes you dumb?” “Does intelligence choose the band?”
Correlation is not causation…It should be plainly obvious to anyone that has taken college statistics and sociology classes that people who score highly on the SATs correlate with higher socioeconomic status. And people at higher socioeconomic levels are much more likely to enjoy Beethoven than people from the hood. But it’s not even about the hood. Bands such as TOOL are more commonly listened to by kids with bad home lives than by kids that go to Harvard. Nothing to do with intelligence. End of story.
This logic is so elementary, yet seems to escape the authors & editors of this blog, as well as the majority of commenters. Such is the state of American society…
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 12:40PM
This is a great post.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 3:00PM
How many of you’ll know how pointless this is?
To each his/her own..
Friday, April 23, 2010 9:12AM
Haha, this is a bit complicated, but I see understand the
Thursday, June 10, 2010 2:48AM
Thanks for your post and I think music is the world within itself.
Saturday, July 24, 2010 9:57AM
notes fuel below sensitivity
Friday, August 13, 2010 12:09AM
helpful post.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010 1:57AM
yeeeeeeeeeeboi techno is the shit
Tuesday, November 30, 2010 8:12AM
I listen to Beatles and i scored a 1359…
Sunday, January 9, 2011 6:57PM
a study over on Beatcrave out of Stanford with a correlation between type of music listened to and SAT…. Radiohead gets you the highest score of any contemporary artist, which makes me pretty happy
Thursday, January 27, 2011 3:54AM
I just know that all the morons defending the people with low SAT's who listen to garbage like Lil Wayne scored low on their SAT's as well. All this study has done is point out the obvious.
Sunday, March 20, 2011 8:52PM
I just can not imagine with incredibly blog greatly that saved me. Thank you “Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.” – Oscar Wilde
Thursday, May 19, 2011 8:10AM
interesting stuff!!!! and true to a certain extent
Thursday, May 26, 2011 2:34PM
Amazing… 5 star study…I did see the Rss wasn’t operating, anyone else observe this, or perhaps is it simply me. Lol
Friday, June 24, 2011 4:53AM
Very interesting article! Genuinely enjoyed reading it, thanks
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 10:24PM
Well,music can be legitimately associated with smarts.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011 3:35AM
High grade products and services; I am going to unquestionably return to your site for further material.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 12:41PM
Very interesting insights. I don't believe that music makes you dumber. If anything, it makes you smarter! If you really learn how to listen and listen very deeply to everything you are hearing, you are activating many parts of the brain at once. This is great for keeping your mind young and your memory sharp.
Monday, September 12, 2011 11:38PM
This is a great post ! it was very informative. I look forward in reading more of your work. Also, I made sure to bookmark your website so I can come back later. I enjoyed every moment of reading it.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011 2:47AM
-Howdy! This is kind of off topic but I need some advice from an established blog. Is it very difficult to set up your own blog? I'm not very techincal but I can figure things out pretty quick. I'm thinking about making my own but I'm not sure where to be
Friday, September 16, 2011 2:30AM
Wound up here trying to find some thing entirely else
Tuesday, September 27, 2011 11:50PM
I need to read more on this topic…I admiring time and effort you put in your blog, because it is obviously one great place where I can find lot of useful info.
Saturday, October 29, 2011 5:54PM
nice post dude….
Saturday, November 12, 2011 3:56AM
Thanks for your post and I think music is the world within itself.
Sunday, January 1, 2012 8:12AM
Great read!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 7:16PM
so classical and jazz fans are below average . That makes PERFECT sense because MANY studies proves that affirmation absolutely wrong .
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 3:07PM
I wonder how much the age factor comes into it when i was 14 I was into the sex pistols today i'd much rather something much more mellow. I also doubt many teens would be into classical music now but could well be by the time they're 50.
Thursday, March 15, 2012 8:37PM
This is my first time i visit here. I found so many interesting stuff in your blog especially its discussion. From the tons of comments on your articles
Wednesday, May 9, 2012 12:48PM
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Monday, May 14, 2012 8:34PM
It’s an average, it doesn’t matter if you got like. 1200-1400 and like lil Wayne. It averages out. I’m sure there are a lot
more people who got 700-900 and like lil Wayne than there are people who scored 1300+ and like lil Wayne
Sunday, July 15, 2012 6:04PM
Where does techno fit in?
Sunday, August 5, 2012 1:07PM
I listen to heavy metal and scored almost 1600 and was zoned out for an eighth of the test. And the test itself means nothing about a person’s intelligence . It only shows if you can endure a brutal and boring 5 hour test.
Sunday, December 9, 2012 1:42PM
Haha I listen to a variety of music, a lot of which is in the middle-lower end of the scale, but I got a 2080 SAT (I think the scale is out of 1600 though? so It would be like 1390) and a 35 ACT. Bands/singers I listen to include Evanescence, Breaking Benjamin, Lifehouse, Hinder, Switchfoot, and Kelly Clarkson. Although this is very interesting, I don’t think music and SAT scores are correlated, and high SAT scores don’t necessarily mean intelligence.
Sunday, December 23, 2012 8:53PM
Half of this is Bull, I listen to MCR and The Used, Im one of the smartest people in my grade.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013 4:13AM
Ahhh… Nothing is better than looking at the ‘facts’ ‘proving’ that your taste
in music affects your IQ.
Because, I’m 10 years old and… Have been working on GCSEs for only 12 weeks now, and I’m already doing a mock test, and I listen
to Dubstep all the time!
So, this is absolute horse shit.
Monday, March 18, 2013 1:12PM
gospel is low intel? OMG this is racism…