Research
Sex, Drugs, and Country Music? A Content Analysis of Substance use, Sex, Violence, and Weapons in Country Music
Because adolescents are strongly influenced by popular media, adolescents aged 15 to 18 years listen to an average of 3 hours of music per day, and 98 million US residents listen to country music, we aim to describe the prevalence of references to health-risk behaviors in country music. MP3 recordings of the top 30 rated country music songs during 2001–2010 were reviewed independently by investigators for health-risk behaviors, including references to substance use, sex, violence, and weapons. Of 300 songs analyzed, 100 (33%) had at least one reference to substance use, sex, violence, or weapons. Thirty-six (12%) songs contained references to sex, 11 (4%) to violence, and 7 (2%) to weapons. References to substance use and sex occur frequently in country music. Parents, clinicians, and educators should be aware of music to which children listen and its potential behavioral effects. The country music industry should consider the consequences of lyrics that could negatively influence adolescent behavior.
