Why metal fans are brainier
A disproportionate number of bright students listen to metal. No wonder – it’s difficult, erudite and still the voice of the outsider.
As Metallica once said, let it be written. It’s not the students who love Radiohead that are likely to be the brainiest in their University but the kid down the hall with the Tool t-shirt and a fixation with the floor. A study published today reveals that a disproportionate number of members in the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth (a body of 120,000 students which represents the top 5% of academic achievement) list heavy metal – or “metal”, as its devotees these days know it – as their favourite kind of music.