Image: Impericon Festival Leipzig, 2023
We’re always happy to hear when our favorite genre scores well in a study. And that’s exactly what happened: In the study “The Most Intelligent Music Artists”, Heavy Metal bands were clearly identified as the smartest in the music world. The study was conducted by Prodigy Education, a developer of educational games.
How Was The Study Conducted?
To determine which artists and bands are the most intelligent, a large pool of song lyrics from top Billboard artists and iconic musicians from past decades was analyzed. The lyrics were evaluated for vocabulary diversity, meaning the complexity of their word choices. In the words of Prodigy Education:
"We analyzed the lyrics of top Billboard artists and iconic musicians from past decades to uncover patterns in emotion and complexity. Lexical diversity – the variety of unique words used in an artist's lyrics – helped us determine which artists and genres have the richest vocabulary. We also surveyed music fans to see how their listening habits influence their work performance and how music plays a role in their children's study routines at home."
Black Sabbath, Slayer & Co. Shine With Complex Lyrics
It may not come as a surprise that some of the most beloved metal bands rank high in the statistics. Black Sabbath, considered the forefathers of metal music, topped the list with 52%, alongside the rock band Pink Floyd, who also scored 52%. Close behind were Slayer with 51%, Megadeth with 45%, Judas Priest with 44%, and Iron Maiden also at 44%. Motörhead made the cut as well with 42%.
The Most Positive And Negative Metal Bands
Another part of the study examined the emotions conveyed through song lyrics and highlighted which bands tend to express positive or negative sentiments. According to the results, Led Zeppelin and Judas Priest rank among the more positive rock and metal bands. However, several metal bands lean towards the darker side, with Slayer taking the top spot, followed by Iron Maiden, Slipknot, System of a Down, and Metallica in the top 10.
While this may sound grim, it’s worth noting another study that highlights the benefits of metal music for mental health. Due to the intense emotions conveyed through their music, metal is said to be particularly good for the psyche. We’ve covered this topic extensively in another article - click here to read!
