ABSTRACT
Although sadness is typically described as a negative emotion, in esthetic contexts it is paradoxically associated with pleasurable experiences. Here, we take an interdisciplinary approach to the investigation of sadness in music, accounting for philosophical, psychological and neuroimaging approaches. We offer a comprehensive framework explaining how sad music can become pleasurable and what motivates people to seek sad music. The evidence discussed throughout this chapter shows that pleasure in response to sad music is related to different psychological benefits and is the outcome of a complex interplay of personality traits, current mood and contextual variables.
