Social Science Result of the Day

Robert J. Oxoby of the University of Calgary reports in
"On the Efficiency of AC/DC:
Bon Scott versus Brian Johnson" that:

Our results suggest that having participants listen to songs by AC/DC in which Brian Johnson served as vocalist results in participants realizing more efficient outcomes. Thus, in terms of a singer’s ability to implement efficient behavioral outcomes among listeners, our results suggest that Brian Johnson was a better vocalist than Bon Scott.

I think the trend toward economists studying silly topics may have gone too far. Don't we still need people to look into minor questions like how do changes in income tax rates effect GDP growth? This comes via Tyler Cowen, whose blog I now fear may be helping to encourage a more-than-optimal level of silly research.

Comments

Hmm, maybe I don't fully understand what implementing an efficient behavioral outcome means, but it kinda sounds like the sort of thing rock music might ordinarily try to prevent. Thus, for its intended aims, Bon Scott is a better singer...

Posted by Dan | August 20, 2007 12:55 PM

So once again the Dismal Science proves itself, uh, tone-deaf to the finer, more discerning sensibilities of those of us schooled in the humanities and the history of the human spirit and its highest expression: For AC/DC is "Highway to Hell" and a lot of undistinguished but great-sounding Angus Young riffing, period. Bon Scott, R.I.P.

Posted by elle loco | August 20, 2007 12:59 PM

Hmm, maybe I don't fully understand what implementing an efficient behavioral outcome means, but it kinda sounds like the sort of thing rock music might ordinarily try to prevent. Thus, for its intended aims, Bon Scott is a better singer...

"She was a fast machine
She kept her motor clean"

I think we know what efficient behavioral outcome Brian Johnson was singing about.

Posted by Bill | August 20, 2007 1:01 PM

As he once said in a post discussing this topic, the returns to doing this research will diminish enough that it'll swing back in the other direction. So I'm not worried.

Posted by Brian | August 20, 2007 1:01 PM

I can't listen to AC/DC from after Bon Scott's death. Brian Johnson AC/DC is like a parody of AC/DC.

Posted by Freddie | August 20, 2007 1:09 PM

There's nothing silly about AC/DC. Except that theirs go to 11.

Posted by Gregorio | August 20, 2007 1:24 PM

Actually Who Made Who is an excellent-- albeit grammatically troublesome-- song.

Posted by Gregorio | August 20, 2007 1:27 PM

Sadly, I doubt that this vital research will filter down into the convenience store parking lots across America where this question is being passionately debated by metal heads ...

Posted by justaguy | August 20, 2007 1:28 PM

AC/DC is to Metal as Steven Segal is to Action.

Posted by Gregorio | August 20, 2007 1:34 PM

Speaking of silly (yes, not apropos of your post but I had to stick this somewhere) check out this story about the new Tom Cruise movie:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BERLIN, Germany (Reuters) -- Eleven people were injured when they fell off the back of a truck during the shooting of Tom Cruise's latest film in Berlin, police said on Monday.

"We have no findings to suggest anyone famous was involved in the accident," said a police spokesman, adding he did not know whether it would affect the shoot this week.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yes, thank God no one famous was involved. In other news, no one famous perished in the Utah mine accident. Or the Minneapolis bridge collapse. Wouldn't such a police spokesperson over here provide endless entertainment?

Posted by steve duncan | August 20, 2007 1:37 PM

AC/DC is to Metal as Steven Segal is to Action.

I assume by that you mean, kicking major ass.

To those would be purists bashing Brian Johnson, 'Back in Black' is not only very righteous, it's the 4th best selling album of all time. 21 million copies in America alone, and at least 40 million worldwide. RIP Bon Scott, sorry you missed the party.

Posted by Bill | August 20, 2007 1:52 PM

As Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys would attest, record sales are the true measure of artistic merit.

Posted by Gregorio | August 20, 2007 2:08 PM

Yes, "Back in Black" is a great album. But think about how much better it would be if that were Bon Scott singing.

Posted by too many steves | August 20, 2007 2:15 PM

there has always been a key divide in economics. Microeconomics deals with unimportant questions to which we can get good answers. Macro deals with crucial questions to which we almost never get convincing answers. Matt wants more macro. there are a lot of macroeconomists out there. Cowen rarely links to their work though because, I think, the answers aren't as good as what you get in micro studies.

Posted by anon | August 20, 2007 2:23 PM

Gregorio:

As Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys would attest, record sales are the true measure of artistic merit.

'Artistic merit'? Nobody's claiming 'Back in Black' has 'artistic merit' you snob. It's hard rock, probably the best hard rock album ever recorded.

too many steves:

Yes, "Back in Black" is a great album. But think about how much better it would be if that were Bon Scott singing.

Boy, I bet you're the life of any party.

Posted by Bill | August 20, 2007 2:43 PM

Gotta agree with Bill here. Scott was more of a shrieker and his voice didn’t pack the same wallop as Johnson’s. I feel the same way about Van Halen. Roth was an unrepentant clown and showman but Sammy had the range.

Posted by tinisoli | August 20, 2007 3:41 PM

There you have it, folks. The people who think Brian Johnson is a better singer than Bon Scott are the same people who like Van Hagar.

Wow, I'd better watch the smug superiority. I feel like Petey here.

Posted by too many steves | August 20, 2007 3:51 PM

AC/DC is to Metal as Steven Segal is to Action

A false equivalence. The point of AC/DC is not to be "metal," it's to be sleazy barroom cock-rock, of which it is the quintessence.

Listening to AC/DC and expecting it to be metal is like drinking green tea and saying, "wow, this is shitty coffee."

Posted by SDM | August 20, 2007 4:04 PM

The Brian Johnson AC/DC is music you'd put on when you want to get stuff done, Bon Scott AC/DC is more about rebellion. So, the economists results make perfect sense. Bon Scott is a better singer, but "Back In Black" is the best AC/DC album. That's possible because there's more to AC/DC than the singer, plus Brian Johnson wears his welcome out fast.

Posted by American Citizen | August 20, 2007 4:21 PM

My "metal" analogy was in response to this post:

Sadly, I doubt that this vital research will filter down into the convenience store parking lots across America where this question is being passionately debated by metal heads ...

Posted by justaguy | August 20, 2007 1:28 PM

HEY SDM- I never asserted AC/DC was metal or supposed to be metal. Justaguy did. Only to the most uninitiated does AC/DC seem like Metal. Same with Segal. It is campy kung-fu henchman snuff-porn, but not proper Action by any stretch (you'd have to build up some kind of genuine tension to earn that categorization). So YOU think before YOU leap, you fucking asshatted bitchfaced cockgobbling moronic munchkin-head!

As far as Bill is concerned, you are a fat ugly stupid pigfaced sheep-rapist. I hope you crash your rusted Vanagon into something sharp. Bill said: "To those would be purists bashing Brian Johnson, 'Back in Black' is not only very righteous, it's the 4th best selling album of all time. 21 million copies in America alone, and at least 40 million worldwide. RIP Bon Scott, sorry you missed the party." You were the one using record sales to justify Back in Black's "righteousness." Lord knows record sales justify that, you Spice Girl-loving son of a mangy motherless goat!

You two knuckleheads can go fuck off and die! I'll see YOU in the pit. And NO, liking shitty music is NOT OKAY. You don't just LIKE what you LIKE; it says something about your SOUL, your EDUCATION and your CULTURE. If you listen to the shlock shoveled out by the Big Fleet corporate radio machine, tap your stupid Nike-clad toes to Mambo #5, rock out to Amy Winehouse's horse-faced junkie glorification mainstream-piss pablum "Rehab," YOU are the problem. YOU are boring, ugly, stupid, and the reason fuckers like Bush get elected, the ice caps are melting, congress if full of fat corrupt scoundrels, the world hates the US but slurps down our commercialized pop culture like so much syrup from a super-sized SlurpeeTM. BAD TASTE KILLS. SMASH A WINDOW- OVER TURN A CAR- PUNCH YOUR MAILMAN IN THE FACE!

IM ROLLIN DOWN RODEO WITH A SHOTGUN/ THESE PEOPLE AIN'T SEEN A BROWNSKINNED MAN SINCE THEIR GRANDPARENTS BOUGHT ONE!

Never mind they were on Epic (Sony); you catch my drift baby! 8-)

Posted by Gregorio- Most Metal Commenter EVAR! | August 20, 2007 4:25 PM

It's true that AC/DC is not a proper metal band, nor were they trying to be.

"Sleazy barroom cock-rock" may connote the average fan well enough, but it doesn't do justice to AC/DC's brand of hard rock: pure, artless and relatively affectless. And inimitable by everyone except cover bands.

Posted by Bill | August 20, 2007 4:26 PM

They usually only play the Brian Johnson versions of Bon Scott-era songs, so very few people know that he sounds like. But I must say I prefer Scott's voice, though many of the better hooks came after his death.

Posted by Gregorio | August 20, 2007 4:34 PM

Gregorio, I think you nailed it, Scott was the better singer, but the rest of the band developed quite a bit by the time Johnson came along so the overall quality of the material got better.

Posted by Eric K | August 20, 2007 4:43 PM

Right. It's annoying when people make Bon Scott vs. Brian Johnson and either/or proposition. Incidentally I think using the term "singer" for either of them is being charitable. They're vocalists.

Posted by Bill | August 20, 2007 5:25 PM

He's got big balls,
She's got big balls,
But we've got the biggest balls of them all!

Unlike MY, who fails to take a position on the result of the day.

Ball sucker!
Ball sucker!
Ball sucker!

Posted by Bon Scott's ghost | August 20, 2007 9:10 PM

It's simple to determine if something is rock or metal.

Rock - screaming from the top of the lungs
Metal - screaming from the bowels of the lungs.

AC/DC? Top of the lungs.

Posted by slightly_peeved | August 20, 2007 10:00 PM

Is there anything after "Back in Black"? Oh, yeah, "For Those About To...", which was when I stopped listening to (new) AC/DC.

I agree that BiB is a great album. I listen to it a lot. But I listen to the Bon Scott albums, too, and I prefer him. But BiB is a great album. Funny how that worked.

Posted by Keith M Ellis | August 21, 2007 10:48 AM

OXby was on "as it happens" on CBC RADIO ONE last night saying the study was a joke, he punched it out in ahour and a half at the Vancouver Airport Bar. He was shocked people actually took him seriously,, especially Steven Leavitt

Posted by Olexicon | August 23, 2007 10:35 AM