An occasional indulgence – albeit to varying degrees – for some, alcohol can be a source of inspiration to others. In fact, references to alcoholic beverages are commonplace in music.
Now, Australian academics are looking into whether the prominence of alcoholic mentions in this realm has any influence on the drinking habits of music lovers.
To undertake their study, researchers affiliated with La Trobe University in Melbourne drew on the findings of 26 scientific articles published between 1997 and 2022. This enabled them to analyse references to alcohol in over 12,000 songs, as well as in video clips that accompany some of them.
The researchers observed that 25% of the music content studied mentioned alcoholic beverages, either in the lyrics or in the video clip. Rap is the musical genre most likely to contain references to alcoholic beverages, in contrast to rock.
Songs released between 1997 and 2010 have fewer mentions of alcohol than more recent releases, perhaps linked to the fact that the 2010s were marked by greater visibility on ways of consuming alcohol, including binge drinking. As commentators on their times, artistes may have increased the number of references to wine, beer and other beverages in their lyrics to evoke this societal evolution.
But the full explanation is more complicated. In their paper, the academics point out that “this high prevalence of alcohol references in music might be due to a complex interaction of cultural influence, artistic expression, commercial interests, and other contributing factors”.
Moreover, alcohol is associated in the collective imagination with abundance and opulence. In many cultures, it’s unthinkable to celebrate a birth, a wedding, a graduation or a retirement party without alcohol flowing freely.
Musical creators are aware of the social aspect of drinking and don’t hesitate to make use of it: it’s not uncommon to see depictions of drunkenness in music videos without preventive messages about the effects of excessive alcohol consumption.
Yet, such warnings are necessary, according to the researchers, who assert that “music with alcohol references might have a significant influence on drinking behaviours”.
One of the studies included in their meta-analysis shows that 15- to 23-year-olds who listen to songs about alcohol, and are able to identify at least one brand of alcoholic beverage mentioned in the lyrics, are more likely to be heavy drinkers.
Furthermore, bars that play alcohol-related music tend to do better business than those that don’t.
The academics stress, however, that their conclusions should be treated with caution given the vastness and diversity of their research.
In any case, their findings suggest that alcohol in music may have an impact on listeners’ habits – including potentially bestowing a cool image to a drink that is linked to 140,000 deaths a year in the United States.