Think R.E.M's classic Everybody Hurts. Or Eric Clapton's Tears in Heaven.

It's a paradox that has stumped music researchers for generations.

How can an activity that produces such a negative emotion be so popular?

But new research suggests negative emotions generated from listening to music could actually in the long-term produce pleasure.

Confused?

The Australian study found sadness experienced when listening to music "might actually be liked and can enhance the pleasure of listening to it".

The research by University of New South Wales Professor Emery Schubert, published in the journal PLOS ONE, is based on a study of 50 participants consisting of primarily of undergraduate music students.

Each student self-selected a piece of sadness-evoking music that they loved which included classics from Ludwig van Beethoven to the modern hits of Taylor Swift.

Participants were then asked to imagine if their sadness could be "removed" when listening to the music - which the majority self-reported they could do.

After the imagined removal of sadness, participants asked if they liked the piece of music any differently.

Eighty-two per cent said that removing the sadness reduced their enjoyment of the music.

"One explanation relates to play," he said.

"Experiencing a wide range of emotions in a more or less safe environment could help us learn how to deal with what we encounter in the world."

Previous studies refer to an 'indirect effect hypothesis' which means that people may experience sadness, but it is something else they enjoy - being moved.

"But the findings of this study suggest that being moved and feeling sadness have overlapped meanings," Professor Schubert said.

"In other words, being moved triggers sadness and sadness triggers being moved."

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But Professor Shubert acknowledged there were some limitations to the study particularly around allowing participants to self-select music.

"It's always risky to ask a participant to choose music that they both love and makes them feel sad, as it may give them a cue about the aim of the study," he said.