Link Found Between Metal Acts and GDP

The average metal fan would like you to believe that they are receiving the bad end of a deal with society; all the anger and violence often channeled through metal music tends to portray its fanbase as low class, outcasted individuals. However, a new studio seems to claim just the opposite: metal heads are more likely to be found in wealthier societies.

Richard Florida studies sociology and music, and two years ago published a chart detailing which areas in the world have the highest concentration of metal acts. As one might expect, the regions of Scandinavia had the highest concentration, quickly followed by the US and Western Europe.

While these findings aren’t surprising in and of themselves, they become quite interesting when one compares them to a chart detailing the average GDP across the world. As it turns out, whenever there are more metal acts, the average GDP and quality of life in the area is almost always higher.

While there are a few different explanations one might adopt to explain these findings, the most likely one is simply that metal is an extremely technically demanding genre, and in higher wealth countries musicians are more likely to have access to the gear and training necessary to play their instruments at such high levels. Regardless, it’s quite an interesting finding. You can check out the map above for yourself.

What do you make of this?  Does it make sense to you or do you disagree?  Leave us a comment below and tell us about the metalheads and GDP in your neck of the woods.