Is Music Getting Worse?

The Rest Is Science

Goalhanger

Science, Physics, Mathematics

4.5 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 9 December 2025

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Has music really been getting worse… or is it just shifting in ways we don’t always notice? And why does the soundtrack to your teenage years feel like the single greatest playlist ever made? Hannah and Michael explore music’s strange grip on our minds. They trace why certain lyrics feel simpler than they used to, and what gives our formative songs lasting emotional charge. And what exactly is the reminiscence bump, that curious memory quirk that makes certain songs feel unforgettable? Join Hannah and Michael as they unravel the personal, subjective and surprisingly enigmatic story of why our musical tastes tug at us so powerfully, and what they reveal about how we learn, remember and feel. ------------------- For more information about Cancer Research UK, their research, breakthroughs and how you can support them, visit ⁠⁠https://cancerresearchuk.org/restisscience⁠⁠ Cancer Research UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1089464), Scotland (SC041666), the Isle of Man (1103) and Jersey (247). A company limited by guarantee. Registered company in England and Wales (4325234) and the Isle of Man (5713F). Registered address: 2 Redman Place, London, E20 1JQ. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/restisscience Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee 🌍 ------------------- Find The Rest Is Science all over the internet by ⁠⁠clicking here.⁠⁠ ------------------- Video Producer: Adam Thornton Video & Social: Bex Tyrrell Assistant Producer: Imee Marriott Producer: Becki Hills Senior Producer: Lauren Armstrong-Carter Head Of Digital: Samuel Oakley Exec Producer: Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode is brought to you by Cancer Research UK.
0:02.8	Imagine this. Inside all of us, billions of cells follow millions of instructions
0:08.9	written in microscopic code. And when a new cell grows, it copies those instructions,
0:14.1	but the smallest error can lead cancer to develop.
0:17.6	Right. And this is the reason why there isn't a single cure for cancer, because, you know,
0:20.9	there are more than 200 different types. Each of them have got different distinct characteristics,
0:26.8	you know, different challenges, different mysteries. And that means that trying to cure cancer isn't
0:31.0	like following a single path. It's like trying to map out an entire forest. That's right. And Cancer
0:35.7	Research UK is the world's largest charitable
0:38.7	funder of cancer research. I mean, their work spans more than 20 countries with over 4,000
0:44.2	scientists, doctors and nurses pushing knowledge forward to save and improve lives worldwide.
0:49.9	You know, over the last 50 years, the work that this charity has done has helped to double cancer survival in the UK.
0:58.8	And you have to think about that is more parents at the dinner table, right?
1:02.2	That is more friends at their birthday parties.
1:04.7	That is more people who are living longer, better lives.
1:07.8	For more information about Cancer Research UK, their research, breakthroughs,
1:12.9	and how you can support them, visit Cancer Research, UK.org, forward slash rest to science.
1:25.7	Hello and welcome to The Rest is Science.
1:28.3	I'm Michael Stevens.
1:29.4	And I'm Hannah Fry.
1:30.4	Hannah, in your opinion, when was the best era for music?
1:37.0	This can be completely subjective, right?
	...

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