Network analysis of 21,480 musical pieces reveals jazz and classical compositions have simplified dramatically since the 1960s, converging toward the structural patterns of pop and rock.
Your favorite Coltrane solo and your Spotify Discover Weekly playlist might have more in common than you think. A new computational study published in Scientific Reports this April mapped the mathematical relationships between notes across six genres, uncovering a surprising trend: jazz and classical music have been steadily adopting the simpler, more repetitive structures that define popular music.
The Algorithm That Decoded Musical DNA
Researchers used network science to trace how musical complexity has evolved across genres and decades.
Niccolò Di Marco’s team at the University of Tuscia analyzed MIDI files spanning classical, jazz, pop, rock, electronic, and hip hop, treating each composition like a social network where notes form connections based on order, transitions, and harmonic relationships. Their findings challenge assumptions about genre boundaries.
Early 20th-century jazz and classical pieces displayed highly varied, complex note patterns that explored vast musical territories. But post-1960s compositions increasingly mirror the repetitive, uniform structures found in commercial pop music. “We are observing an evolution in music,” Di Marco explains, noting this represents structural change rather than declining quality.
Digital Tools Reshape Musical Exploration
Technology democratized music creation but may have narrowed the harmonic landscape that composers explore.
Di Marco attributes this convergence to digital technologies that made recorded music and composition software widely accessible, fundamentally changing how musicians explore “musical space.” Like TikTok’s algorithm gradually homogenizing content creation, digital tools might unconsciously guide composers toward familiar patterns that streaming platforms reward.
However, cultural musicologist Friedlind Riedel from the University of Salzburg pushes back against simplification fears. She emphasizes that “musical listening opportunities have probably never been more diverse” and notes the study’s narrow mathematical focus excludes lyrics, production, and cultural context.
Beyond Complexity Anxiety
The research reveals structural trends without diminishing artistic value or listener choice diversity.
This data doesn’t doom music to algorithmic blandness. Di Marco’s previous work tracking minimalism in album artwork suggests broader cultural shifts toward streamlined aesthetics rather than creative decline. Modern musicians may find “different ways to create great music” within simplified structures, focusing energy on production innovation, lyrical depth, or emotional resonance that computational analysis can’t measure.
Your playlist still spans centuries and continents. While the underlying mathematical framework might be converging, the creative expression layered on top remains wonderfully diverse across genres and generations.
