Who are metal’s most negative bands?
In a recent survey published by the Prodigy Education Study, one of the key components was taking a look at the lyrical content of some of music’s top artists and breaking them down into who is providing the more positive and who is delivering the more negative sentiments.
Looking at music genres in particular, metal was deemed the least positive based on the average sentiment score of the lyrics. The most positive came from the world of pop, followed by country and R&B/Soul. Metal finished last behind hip-hop/rap and EDM.
Knowing that metal as a genre was viewed as the least positive, it should probably come as no surprise to see some familiar names atop the most negative artist list.
Who Are Metal’s Most Negative Bands?
Metal actually holds down the top four spots five of the Top 10 most negative artists for their lyrical content.
Topping the list is Slayer, who have toiled in darker subject manner for years. Their appearance at the top of the list is likely not surprising given that they have songs titled “Hate Worldwide,” “Evil Has No Boundaries,” ‘Payback,” “Hell Awaits” and “Raining Blood” amongst others.
Slayer, “Hate Worldwide”
Iron Maiden came in second on the “Most Negative” list. “Hell On Earth,” “The Evil That Men Do” and “The Number of the Beast” aren’t exactly cute and cuddly material.
The next two entries are more modern. Slipknot, who brought us “The Devil in I,” “My Plague” and “Heretic Anthem,” ranked just ahead of System of a Down, whose negativity spilled over into “Toxicity,” “Revenge” and “Kill Rock ‘n’ Roll” among others.
The other metal band to make the Top 10 of providing negative content in their lyrics was Metallica. They claimed the No. 8 position thanks in part to such songs as “Sad But True,” “The Unforgiven,” “Seek and Destroy” and “Creeping Death.”
It should be noted that negativity can find its way into other genres as well. The “negative” list is rounded out by alt-pop singer The Kid Laroi at No. 5, rapper Megan Thee Stallion at No. 6, Denzel Curry at No. 7, Dasha at No. 9 and Big Sean at No. 10.
the most positive and negative artists in 2024 prodigy eduction study
What Else You Need to Know
While metal took a hit for being negative, it’s important to note that the genre actually scored quite well when it came to lyrical intelligence. The genre topped all others with a 41 percent score for lexical diversity. In addition, Black Sabbath were deemed the most intelligent artists based on their lyrical content, just ahead of Pink Floyd and Slayer.
READ MORE: Heavy Metal Actually Good for Fans’ Mental Health
For this study, Prodigy compiled a list of today’s top Billboard artists plus popular artists from each decade. They then analyzed the lyrics of 10 songs by each artist to determine sentiment, most common words and lexical diversity.
They also surveyed 1,000 Americans to explore how music impacts work productivity and kids’ study habits.
Be sure to check out more of the Prodigy Education Study and the results in a variety of categories.
12 Things Science Has Learned About Metalheads Through Music Studies
What conclusions has research drawn about heavy metal fans? Many, actually, and some that might even shock or surprise the casual listener. The more we understand how we enjoy music, the more we learn how different genres can affect us. And heavy metal is a music style the often goes under the microscope.
Gallery Credit: Philip Trapp