In 2012, depo_s of reddit used data from Encyclopedia Metallum to compute the relative number of metal bands for over 130 countries and territories. Thanks to depo_s’ foundational work it is fairly easy to compare the density of bands with other variables.
Thus, I wonder what the relationship is between the concentration of metal bands and the level of economic development in a country?
First, some quick notes on the relationship I am comparing. Encyclopedia Metallum is one of the largest collections of metal bands from around the world. However, since its database consists largely of death and black metal bands — the more dark and “extreme” forms of the genre — it is biased against more popier-sounding bands. It would be interesting to have this data expanded to include a broader array of bands including the hard rock genre.
Moreover, I measure economic development using the 2012 data from the Human Development Index (HDI). The HDI is formulated through the combination of life expectancy, mean years of schooling, expected years of schooling, and gross national income per person.
The results:
There is a positive relationship between metal bands per 100,000 people and economic development using data from 132 countries and territories. R=.52 and is statistically significant with p<.01.
Countries with a high number of relative bands and high economic development include Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, and Denmark.
Countries with a low number of relative bands and low economic development include Uganda, Pakistan, Mozambique, Laos, and Iraq.
The Nordic countries easily take the cake ( NOT AT ALL SURPRISING ). Even if we focus regionally, such as comparing nine East/South Asian countries (Bangladesh, India, Japan, Laos, Pakistan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam) that are at different degrees of economic development, the trend remains true.
What should we learn from this? Obviously, the louder your sound, the more educated, healthier, and richer your community is going to be. Back off foreign aid. Get ready for the world tour!
