Pop records set a bad example by portraying ageing and old people in a negative light, focusing on dying and physical decline, according to a study in a nursing journal.

UK researchers trawled the musical archives from the 1930s to the present day for any tracks mentioning old age.

The majority – 55 out of 76 songs – focused on “bad” aspects of ageing.

The Beatles and Elton John feature on the “negative list”, along with Pulp and The Who.   More