Among female performers, the proportion of
songs referencing dating stayed relatively constant across five decades, 78 - 83 %
Among male performers, the proportion of
songs referencing dating dropped over time, starting at 69 % in the 1960s and falling to 59 % in the 2000s, despite an increase to 78 % during the 1980s power ballad era.
71 % of
all songs referenced a dating relationship, including more than half of all songs in every decade