In What Ways Do Music Influence Drug Usage

The discussions regarding drug use in music have been ongoing since the 1940s. The saying “wine, women, and songs”, represents a link between substance use and music, the quote dates back centuries. Nevertheless, when keeping in mind the recreational use of drugs, a variety of instances have been highlighted to show how massively the music industry can influence the demographics of people who listen to it. Although, it should be noted that the above premise is presented from the empirical results that music influences individuals’ moods.

The problem statement of the above premise is how music may be a trigger that may lead to drug use and abuse, particularly in the current environment where drug terminologies such as ‘Molly’ are currently often used in music lyrics.

As aforementioned, it has been proved through a variety of empirical studies that firstly; music influences people’s moods and thus may have therapeutic qualities. Secondly, the frequency of drug terminologies has increased in music lyrics over the recent past.

Therefore, it can be argued that currently the discussions about the relationship between drugs and music may be concluded in the 21st century. The premise presented can be derived from the empirical evidence provided by Mark (1986) who discussed the influence of popular culture on adolescents, Vuolo, Christopher, and Sarah (2014) who collectively discussed the relationship between lyrics and drug use and finally Denise Herd who discussed changes in drug use prevalence in rap music songs.

The Therapeutic Profile of Music and Its Influence on Audiences

For antiquity, young adults and adolescents have been known to identify strongly with messages in popular music lyrics.

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As indicated by (Arlene) young adults are known to recognize their expenses from a sociological standpoint after reading the lyrics of a song while enjoying the song (244). Consequently, he states that this makes them eager to talk about the artists’ experiences. A majority of ‘millennials’ today feel pressured as well as the need to assume the identities of their role models who are majorly pop, rock, and hip-hop artists. With this in mind, it can be argued that music may play a major role in introducing an individual into the life of drug use if the lyrics encourage it (Arlene 244). Therefore, it can be hypothesized that an adolescent’s reactions to the lyrics of a song may take a similar direction as therapy. That is, as the adolescents continue to identify strongly with an artist, their problems, as well as solutions as presented in the songs, may become those of the adolescent.

Taste Clusters of Music and Drugs: Evidence from Three Analytic Levels

Music is known to influence people’s moods and thus, over the years, there has been empirical evidence showing how different genres of music have led to drug abuse. As indicated by Becker, “taste for such experience is a socially acquired one, not different in kind from acquired tastes for oysters or dry martinis” (Vuolo, Christopher, and Sarah 528). Currently, rock and hip-hop represent the most studied music genres that have been studied about substance use and abuse. The use of drug terminologies has been regularly documented in Hip-hop lyrics since the 1970s. As indicated by Herd, a provoking demonstration of the phenomenon took place for over a century between the mid-1980s through the first half of the 1990s when crack cocaine became the drug of choice in most inner cities of America (169). During this time, most Hip-hop artists took up the role of ‘street epidemiologists’ who witnessed as well as experienced the issues of these toxic environments. Consequently, symbiotic relationships grew between drug dealers and rappers, which transformed hip-hop culture.

The drug culture has influenced a wide range of music genres. Rock is possibly the most-investigated music genre about drug use and abuse. There are various rock subgenres, several of which have been linked to substance use, particularly heavy metal also known as hard rock. As presented by Arnett reports in 1991, for most young listeners of heavy metal this sub-genre is more than just an entertainment outlet, as it has shaped most of its audience’s social perspectives, habits, in addition to values. Individuals who are known to have strong preferences for hard rock appear to have particularly high levels of sensation seeking in addition to an uncontrollable rebellion within them (Vuolo, Christopher, and Sarah 530). With such confirmation provided through empirical research, it can therefore be argued that heavy metal listeners maybe engage in both legal and illegal substance usage.

Studies regarding the relationship between drug use and music outside the hip-hop and rock genres have not provided conclusive results; however, some patterns have been detected. For instance, because most religions are linked to a low or a complete ban on substance use, audiences of religious music tend to be less likely to abuse alcohol as well as other drugs. On the other hand, when it comes to country music, alcohol is considered a necessity for dealing with issues of life. Therefore, the premise is that young adults who are avid rock listeners may engage in drug use due to the influence of the songs they listen to regularly.

From the information that has been provided in the paper, it can be hypothesized that music has a therapeutic character that may influence a young adult’s actions and due to the increased use of drug terminology, it can be argued that music can be a tribute to drug abuse. Nevertheless, the studies used to provide the above hypothesis come from different eras and present dissimilar assumptions through related. The proposed project will center its focus on linking the results from the two studies and presenting a conclusive answer regarding the age-old discussion of the ways do music influences drug usage

Works Cited

1. Herd, Denise. ‘Changes in drug use prevalence in rap music songs, 1979–1997.’ Addiction Research & Theory 16.2 (2008): 167-180.
2. Mark, Arlene. ‘Adolescents Discuss Themselves and Drugs through Music.’ Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 3.4 (1986): 243-249.
3. Vuolo, Mike, Christopher Uggen, and Sarah Lageson. ‘Taste Clusters of Music and Drugs: Evidence from Three Analytic Levels.’ The British Journal of Sociology 65.3 (2014): 529-554.