For decades, older generations have insisted that music was better in their day. Now, a study from the University of Tuscia in Italy offers a more nuanced verdict: classical and jazz music have indeed become less structurally complex over time — but that may not be a loss.
Published in the journal Nature, the research examined approximately 20,000 MIDI files spanning from 1600 to 2021. The team, led by assistant professor Niccolò Di Marco, applied tools from complexity science to measure melodic and harmonic transitions. Their findings reveal that both genres have increasingly adopted simpler structural patterns, resembling those of more contemporary, less intricate music.
Measuring Musical Evolution
“We first considered how to measure the 'complexity' of music in a way analogous to approaches used for text,” Di Marco told Euronews Culture. “After reviewing the literature, we found that the only robust method close to our approaches was to work with MIDI files — a digital representation of music — and apply tools from complexity science.”
The study acknowledges limitations, particularly the inability to accurately capture note selections in MIDI transcription, which relies on a twelve-tone pitch system. Nonetheless, the analysis of transitions in melody and harmony showed a clear trend: classical and jazz have converged toward simpler structures over centuries.
This echoes a 2024 study by Queen Mary University of London, which identified a similar simplification in chart-topping songs. While some might blame technology and cultural homogenisation, Di Marco argues for a more nuanced view.
Complexity, Not Decline
“There are also broader cultural and practical factors to consider,” Di Marco explained. “The 20th and 21st centuries saw a diversification of musical languages and audiences, with some composers favouring clarity, repetition, or accessibility over dense structural elaboration.”
He suggests that classical music may not be becoming less complex, but rather differently complex — shifting away from harmonic and melodic intricacy toward other dimensions that are harder to quantify. This could include timbral exploration, rhythmic innovation, or digital production techniques.
The research is part of a wider project examining how human life has evolved since the advent of the internet and social media. Previous findings indicate that online communication has also simplified. Yet Di Marco sees this as a natural adaptation, not a cause for alarm.
“I would argue that in a much more interconnected world, the presence of simpler musical structures is not necessarily negative — especially in terms of accessibility and broader reach,” he said. “Moreover, our paper is not meant to criticise or lament a supposed simplification of music, but rather to measure a possible evolution in certain aspects of it.”
For European audiences, the study offers a fresh perspective on cultural heritage. From the concert halls of Vienna to the jazz clubs of Paris, the continent’s musical traditions are evolving — not fading. As Di Marco’s team continues to explore how digital life reshapes expression, the findings remind us that change in art is rarely a simple story of loss or gain.
