Graphic detail | Sad songs say so much

Data from Spotify suggest that listeners are gloomiest in February

Around the world, the most popular tunes this month will be depressing ones

RESIDENTS OF THE northern hemisphere might think that their moods are worst in January. Christmas is over, the nights are long and summer is a distant prospect. Newspapers often claim that “Blue Monday”, in the third week of January, is the most depressing day. To create a quantitative measure of seasonal misery, The Economist has analysed music consumption.

This article appeared in the Graphic detail section of the print edition under the headline “Sad songs say so much”

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