New research suggests listening to sad music can help overcome the heartbreak of an ended relationship. The study contradicts common wisdom that upbeat music is best when feeling the blues after emotional turmoil. It might account for why people began singing the blues – music to accompany painful or miserable times. The research is from the University of California at Berkeley. It says people find comfort in listening to tunes that reflect their negative mood. It also says weepy movies and books, or gloomy artwork provide comfort and console broken hearts. Study co-author Stephen Palmer said: "Emotional experiences of aesthetic products are important to our happiness and well-being."

The research is to be published in the August edition of the "Journal of Consumer Research" and is titled: "Interpersonal Relationships and Preferences for Mood-Congruency in Aesthetic Experiences." The authors say: "Consumers experience serious emotional distress when intimate relationships are broken, and look for a surrogate to replace the lost personal bond….[In] negative moods, [they] might choose aesthetic experiences consistent with their mood (sad music; tear-jerking dramas) even when more pleasant alternatives are also available." They report on another study that found we prefer "angry music" when we are frustrated – by being interrupted, by someone being late, or after losing an Internet connection.