[DanielBMarkham]

I usually don't like stories along the lines of "scientists correlate brain size with political party" but I liked this one. I'm just not sure there's anything meaningful here.

Most folks in the states know that Democrats are by and large young, city folks. Republicans are older people who live in rural areas (fly-over country). So it's not very surprising that Republicans like country music and Democrats like younger pop music.

Two things stuck out. One, that Pink Floyd listeners trend Replubican! Who knew? Second, that Democrats have a much more diverse taste in music than Republicans (not news, probably, but interesting).

[jbooth]

Seriously, Pink Floyd? Maybe it's a case of age outweighing the lyrical content and the overall cultural bent of the music?

I'd have accepted the beatles-ish even split, since everyone likes Pink Floyd and the Beatles even though both are very counter-culture. But leaning Republican is just plain weird for the band that made "Us and Them", "Another brick in the wall", "Have a cigar", etc.

[gyardley]

I don't know - distrust of and feelings of alienation from elites are pretty common conservative themes. I'm both conservative and a big Pink Floyd fan, and never felt that that was weird.

Of course, any band with enough albums is likely to have both conservative and liberal-leaning songs. Even the Beatles - a song like 'Taxman' isn't exactly liberal.

[efa]

Agree. I think people assume Republican means social conservative values only (thus they relate to country music). But Libertarian types are frequently Republicans. I see Pink Floyd themes being conservative. Conservatives are anti all powerful controlling government (freedom from tyranny).

[meepmorp]

> Conservatives are anti all powerful controlling government (freedom from tyranny).

No. People who support democratic (note the small D) ideals are against an all powerful controlling government and tyranny. Note that this can include anarchists, in addition to those favoring a more traditional states. Neither conservatives nor liberals have shown themselves adverse to using the machinery of the state to give force to their views.

[brianwhitman]

I was very upset when I saw that result but a good scientist never shows his bias :(

I do really think that once we get better at "artist evolvement" (separating Pink Floyd into two or three separate artists as they had very distinct phases) the PF signifier will drop. I only listen to Syd and "It Would Be So Nice" era PF and definitely am not a Romney booster.

[waterlesscloud]

Everybody becomes The Man over time. The CEOs of today were getting stoned in their dorm rooms in the 70s and 80s.

[jbooth]

Even if you divide it, what do you get, the relativist, existentialist, anti-war and anti-corporate mainstream era contrasted with the full-on acid freak hippie Syd era? Both seem pretty culturally liberal to me.