Feeling down, depressed and lonely? I know a place you can go...
For me it's doom metal, for others depressive black metal, downtempo music or just classical music...
But why when we're depressed and feeling like shit, do we all go to depressive music? I find myself listening to dark music when in dark mood. And I do get that kind moods a lot.
I want to hear your ideas and opinions...

We listen to depressive music (definition varies per person) because it "makes us feel we're not alone in our suffering", as though there is something that can relate to our situation. That's how I see it anyways.
I listen to a lot of downtempo when at that state. It helps me calm down and relax. When I need aggression I tend to listen to a lot of grind (funny enough, I listen to it a lot when I am depressed). Lyrics also tend to get focused on as well, personally, which isn't the case when I am doing alright. So I don't know if there is a direct correlation between "depressive music" and feeling down. I guess anything that we can relate to, regardless of whether it is supposedly depressive or not, does the trick.

I dislike sad music, no matter which mood i am in

To add my 2 cents, I can't say I'm with you on this. When I'm down in the dumps i listen to the music that makes me feel good and not depressing music. I need tunes that bring me up and not keep me in the same state. Although I do like listening to HIM when I'm in a heartache. That being said kinda understand where your coming from.

I guess it has something to do with what MechanisT said, but for me it just feels out of place to listen to happy music while sad. It's like I channel my sad feelings into the music, "floating in a sweet depressive feeling", as I use to say. I personally listen to post-metal (sludge doom), funeral doom and instrumental rock when I'm down.

Written by theFIST on 06.03.2013 at 19:15

I dislike sad music, no matter which mood i am in

Really? I'm the opposite. Happy music is grating and makes me feel like shit, but sad music makes me happy. I'm not precisely sure why, I guess I'm just bass-ackwards.

For me, though, I relate it to eating. I can't eat light and sunshine and good feelings, I can only survive if I eat dead things; if I take the life from plants and animals and chew them up. Most happy music just feels empty and vapid, and it leaves me hungering for something else.

To me, when I'm feeling down, I feel like the music channels that emotion and lets it pass through me. If I am unable to channel that emotion, it just sits stagnant and rots; I feel like I am unable to escape the feeling, unable to express it. I feel trapped by it. Sad music creates an external focus point for that emotion and allows it to flow out, much in the way that crying makes people stop feeling sad after a little while (and actually it's been proven by scientific study that tears release stress hormones, http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/emotional-freedom/201007/the-health-benefits-tears).

Written by Jaeryd on 06.03.2013 at 20:14

Written by theFIST on 06.03.2013 at 19:15

I dislike sad music, no matter which mood i am in

Really? I'm the opposite. Happy music is grating and makes me feel like shit, but sad music makes me happy. I'm not precisely sure why, I guess I'm just bass-ackwards.

For me, though, I relate it to eating. I can't eat light and sunshine and good feelings, I can only survive if I eat dead things; if I take the life from plants and animals and chew them up. Most happy music just feels empty and vapid, and it leaves me hungering for something else.

To me, when I'm feeling down, I feel like the music channels that emotion and lets it pass through me. If I am unable to channel that emotion, it just sits stagnant and rots; I feel like I am unable to escape the feeling, unable to express it. I feel trapped by it. Sad music creates an external focus point for that emotion and allows it to flow out, much in the way that crying makes people stop feeling sad after a little while (and actually it's been proven by scientific study that tears release stress hormones, http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/emotional-freedom/201007/the-health-benefits-tears).

yes really
i also don"t really like the feeling of sadness and try to find a way of avoiding it whenever possible

i also don"t use food while it"s still alive, dead food moves less and makes it possible to take my time enjoying it

heard about such studies, but don"t feel what you just described

I dont know, it helps, because flower metal brings you down, what alse to do, sad music heals, some might cut wins, and drunk them selfs, some might put sorrowful music, it helps in my case, so -----I dont know why m, but it helps, maybe it is a point?

Catharsis, that's why

Feeling down and depressed I will listen to more death metal

I used to do that when I was a pup, now it sounds ridiculous to me. It's been a few years since I don't get depressed, but I think I just would listen to whatever I want at the moment regardless of my mood.

I never get sad... instead i get creative...

Listening to sad music makes you less sad by showing someone sader than you, maybe?

I dont listen to music when I'm really sad. I just sit in my chair or bed till I think it off.

Why do we listen to sad music when you're dead? .............because you are fucking SAD.

When i am sad, i talk to young jackanapes. It eases you.

I usually listen to devin townsend , black metal power metal and acoustic folk when im down , i dunno guys i feel kinda depressed right now because i feel absouloutly terrible at guitar and ive just had a pretty bad fight with my girlfriend and im completely fucked on all sides for my exams and tests that are enroaching, so i think im gonna find some sort of escape in music.

Just an observation, but this sounds like a question to the little kids on the AT&T commercials

I was just wondering the same thing actually... It really depends on the situation though. Sometimes I'll listen to sad music while depressed because "misery loves company" and sometimes it feels like music is the friend that's there for you and understands you if that makes any sense... Other times, I wanna listen to something more empowering. Not necessarily happy music, but something that raises my energy and makes me feel like I can overcome whatever's bringing me down.

Written by Sophist on 08.03.2013 at 19:01

Catharsis, that's why

And there you go. /thread

I could've just said that instead of my paragraph response that I wrote.

Unless you define "Sad music" and "melancholic music", I would prefer melancholy over sadness.

I don't listen to Doom but I find Post-rock like God Is An Astronaut or Agalloch quite sympathy and match my "sad" mood, somehow.

I tend to do the same thing, too. Although the three songs I've listened to recently, who are by Lou Reed, are so sad I can't even stand listening to them.

Written by atkmetal123 on 11.03.2013 at 16:07

I don't listen to Doom but I find Post-rock like God Is An Astronaut or Agalloch quite sympathy and match my "sad" mood, somehow.

Try Rosetta's cover interpretation of "Homesick". Perfect for sad moods.

As Thrashette said it's because '"Misery Loves Company" and I really avoid listening to sad and depressive songs and also the songs which can make me feel moody,even if I'm depressed and down

Sad music do calming your mind and easing your stress. I have experienced with sad and beautiful doom though just "sad", not the utter melancholic twiching ruthless frustration music... But dont using sad music for treating your sadness IMO, just treat it as music for enjoying, not make it extreming exaggeratation of emotion and affair.