Music and Deviant Behavior

Often times throughout history and in today’s world, music along with lyrics of songs and musical artists are blamed for deviant behavior in adolescents and teenagers. Some argue that subcultures are created because of artists and their music which leads to groups of young adults taking part in deviant behavior, while others argue the opposite; that the behavior leads the person to listen to the music. There is also concern about the effect that music videos have on the behaviors of the listeners of music throughout all genres. Although there is not much extended research on music and the effect it has on its listeners there is plenty of speculation, theories, and minor studies.

Music has been around for thousands of years throughout the world dating all the way back to prehistoric times proven by the digging up of a 9,000-year-old flute that had seven holes drilled into it to create a musical scale in China ("Prehistoric flute music:," 2000). Music went through numerous stages before becoming what we know music as today. The earliest periods of music were the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque Periods which took place from the years 500-1760. The next cluster of periods were the Classical, Romantic, and Modern Periods which ended in 1930 to bring us to the most recent periods: Twentieth Century Period and the ongoing Contemporary and Twenty First Century Periods.

One of the earliest controversies involving an artist’s actions and songs in in the music world came on June 5, 1956 when rock and roll legend Elvis Presley performed a rendition of his song “Hound Dog” that had the public outraged. He received backlash for his pelvis-shaking intensity his fans screamed for while television critics described it as “appalling ...

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...as known for back in the rocker days of the late 1900s. Metal artists such as Judas Priest to Marilyn Manson have been accused “…of encouraging Satanism, drug use, suicide, and promiscuous sex” (Haenfler, 2013, p. 61). All these subcultures are seen as normal to the people within them. The idea of audience relativity is what makes society view them as deviant.

The idea that music leads its listeners to participate in deviant acts can be left up to each individual’s opinion. The truth is, is that there is not sufficient research to prove or disprove whether music has a strong influence, if any, on the listener’s choices to engage in deviant behaviors. One thing for certain is that music can influence a population’s appearance and culture. Whether or not music causes listeners to be deviant, music will continue to be produced and played around the world.