I was excited to learn that Shudder to Think, one of my favorite bands from the 1990s, recently reunited, is making new music, and is performing live again. If you like ‘90s rock and have never heard of Shudder to Think, I’d recommend starting with one of their bigger hits X-French Tee Shirt. Despite its simplicity, it can be a bit of an earworm—you have been warned.
One reason Shudder to Think has always stood out from other bands, apart from their very unique and unusual sound, is their disinterest in politics. Take this statement from Craig Wedren, the band’s lead singer: “I honestly don’t give a f*** about most singers’ opinions about politics. I’m inundated with political information. I don’t need to hear knee-jerk left-wing responses by punk-rock has-beens.”
This viewpoint is far from the norm for most musicians. Take, for example, Eddie Vedder, the lead singer of Pearl Jam—a much more famous ‘90s rock band. Vedder is well-known for wearing his politics on his sleeves at all times. He will wear t-shirts in support of Democratic politicians in performances that occur close to elections. In an interview, Vedder noted that one of the band’s recent singles is meant as an attack on President Donald Trump.
Vedder was also quick to defend Bruce Springsteen, who has been engaged in a war of words with President Trump. I am by no means defending the way the President responded to Springsteen’s comments—I find the entire exchange to be childish. But why do Springsteen or Vedder feel the need to step so deeply into politics when they are on the job performing music at a concert? And why does Blackie Lawless heap praise on President Trump to paying fans at a live performance?
A Nation Divided by Politics
Politics is incredibly divisive in the U.S. A poll last year from the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University found that nearly half of the U.S. electorate believes the opposing party is “downright evil.” Given these strong feelings, perhaps it is not surprising that most Americans are exhausted by politics. Another poll from late last year, immediately following the presidential election, found that about two-thirds of Americans are limiting media consumption to avoid politics.
From a business standpoint, the artists are potentially alienating half of their fans. With increasing tribalism and nearly half of the U.S. electorate viewing the other side as evil, the injection of politics into performance seems like it could be bad for business.
A recent study sheds more light on the political leanings of fans and its relation to music sales for the top 1,000 artists by streaming sales. Pearl Jam is slightly more popular in areas that lean Republican. Bruce Springsteen is slightly more popular in areas than lean Democratic. It certainly is not clear that either artist is helping sales by delving so deeply into politics. The same can be said for most of the top 1,000 artists by streaming sales– most of the top streaming artists perform about the same in areas that lean Democratic and Republican.
Interestingly, some artists perform much better in strong Republican or strong Democratic areas. Bad Bunny (recently selected to headline the Super Bowl LX halftime show) is much more popular in areas that lean Democratic, while Jelly Roll is much more popular in areas that lean Republican. Perhaps it is good for business for Bad Bunny to openly criticize President Trump, but is it good for the nation?
Despite the obvious political split for some musicians, there is definitely an opening in the market for music and musicians who keep out of the political arena. Hootie and the Blowfish are a completely different style of band than Pearl Jam. I can’t recall Darius Rucker, the lead singer of the band and a successful solo artist in his own right, ever making a political statement in his career.
If we focus on U.S. sales, Cracked Rear View Mirror, the best-selling album of Hootie and the Blowfish, outsold any album that Pearl Jam released. Admittedly, this is just one example, but given the exhaustion most Americans are facing with politics, I don’t think it is unique.
When it comes to professional athletes, Americans are almost exactly evenly split if they want professional athletes to engage in politics. Notably, this fraction has trended downwards from a similar survey five years ago.
Let’s be clear: Artists and athletes should have the freedom to speak their minds and espouse their political views. Freedom of speech is a key tenet of American exceptionalism. But mixing politics into the performance can be alienating and tiresome for citizens of an already polarized nation.
Americans today are more likely to prefer their music sans politics. Even chart-topping popstar Taylor Swift learned this the hard way. Staying out of politics for most of her career, she felt the need to endorse Kamala Harris in the most recent election, the result of which alienated many of her Republican fans. In the previously cited research measuring political leanings for top streaming artists, Taylor Swift fans are almost exactly evenly split between Republican and Democratic leaning areas.
On the other side of the aisle, musicians like Kid Rock are appearing at bill-signing ceremonies in Trump’s Oval Office. Republican or Democrat, musicians should not wade so deeply into the political arena.
Music Can Inspire and Connect Us
Music at its best can be an art form that brings us together. Academic research suggests that the same social factors that help us attach to groups are tied to our own emotional response to music. Regardless of your political beliefs, music can inspire us or help us get through a rough time in our lives. Music provides an escape from the talking heads and the cynicism that surrounds political discourse that most Americans today find to be exhausting. Research has provided evidence of a connection between attending live music performances and well-being and meaning. There is also evidence that attending live music events can reduce loneliness, thus contributing to improved mental health.
If the musical arena and political arena become intertwined, Americans will have fewer opportunities to meet people with similar interests but different political views. Bonding over music may inspire conversations between people on opposite sides of the political spectrum. Research shows that conversations with similar people with different political views can reduce polarization.
Evidence also suggests that few friendships, especially among Democrats, cross party allegiances. If musicians are overtly political, friends or potential acquaintances will have one less thing to talk about. As a result, Americans become more isolated, and mental health declines.
The beautiful thing about America is that musicians are free to say whatever is on their minds. All forms of artistic expression touch on social, cultural, and political ideas. Given our current political climate and the academic research suggesting that music has many positive effects on our well-being, social, and cultural life, artists may wish to reconsider mixing music and politics. Great music can make a positive difference, and divisive politics should not get in the way of all of these benefits.
