Skip to main content
  • Book
  • © 2017

Why Are We Attracted to Sad Music?

Palgrave Macmillan

Authors:

  • Universal subject-matter with implications for scholars in philosophy, psychology, music and healthcare
  • Heavily based on recent studies undertaken in the field of health by the author
  • Empirical approach to an expansive subject which has been covered by a lot of literature

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check for access.

Table of contents (14 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-ix
  2. Introduction

    • Sandra Garrido
    Pages 1-6
  3. What Is Sad Music?

    • Sandra Garrido
    Pages 7-31
  4. The Philosophical Debate

    • Sandra Garrido
    Pages 33-49
  5. Physiological Effects of Sad Music

    • Sandra Garrido
    Pages 51-66
  6. The Role of Sad Music in Mood Regulation

    • Sandra Garrido
    Pages 87-99
  7. Musical Prescriptions: Do They Work?

    • Sandra Garrido
    Pages 149-169
  8. The Role of Sad Music in Grief

    • Sandra Garrido
    Pages 233-251
  9. Back Matter

    Pages 267-270

About this book

In this book, perspectives in psychology, aesthetics, history and philosophy are drawn upon to survey the value given to sad music by human societies throughout history and today. Why do we love listening to music that makes us cry? This mystery has puzzled philosophers for centuries and tends to defy traditional models of emotions. Sandra Garrido presents empirical research that illuminates the psychological and contextual variables that influence our experience of sad music, its impact on our mood and mental health, and its usefulness in coping with heartbreak and grief. By means of real-life examples, this book uses applied music psychology to demonstrate the implications of recent research for the use of music in health-care and for wellbeing in everyday life.

Reviews

“Garrido has written a book that is interesting and provides the reader with numerous studies that discuss attraction to sad music. The book is a valuable resource in the study of psychology, especially when a person is suffering from depression. The insight provided in regards to the link between listening to sad music, depression, nostalgia and rumination is fascinating.” (Hennie Weiss, metapsychology online reviews, metapsychology.mentalhelp.net, Vol. 21 (38), September, 2017)


“Why Are We Attracted to Sad Music? is fresh, erudite, and exhaustively researched. A great strength of the work is its breadth of scholarship. … In addition to psychologists, the book will also be of interest to emotion researchers, philosophers of aesthetics, and musicologists. … In summary, Garrido offers an expansive, exhaustively researched dissertation on sad music acrossa range of disparate literatures.” (J. Ian Norris, PsycCRITIQUES, Vol. 62 (22), May, 2017) 

Authors and Affiliations

  • MARCS Institute for Brain Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Milperra, NSW, Australia

    Sandra Garrido

About the author

Dr. Sandra Garrido is a researcher in music psychology, a pianist and violinist, and the mother of two small boys. After completing her PhD at the University of New South Wales, Australia, she spent several years in research at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and the Australian Research Council’s Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions. She is currently a Dementia Research Fellow at the MARCS institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development at Western Sydney University. She has authored over 30 academic publications and co-authored a book entitled My Life As A Playlist (2014).

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Why Are We Attracted to Sad Music?

  • Authors: Sandra Garrido

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39666-8

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham

  • eBook Packages: Religion and Philosophy, Philosophy and Religion (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2017

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-319-39665-1Published: 15 December 2016

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-319-81936-5Published: 07 July 2018

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-39666-8Published: 05 December 2016

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: IX, 270

  • Topics: Aesthetics, Music, Emotion

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access