Rand you make very good points and give good advice. There is room for both negative and positive songs. Getting the proportions correct is maybe another matter. It is up to ALL songwriters to express different experiences feelings and POV as we see fit. The day any of these emotions are suppresed or discouraged is the day music dies.

I do not know much about pitching especially in Nashville..LOL
BUT we should all experiment trying different styles and genres otherwise we stagnate.
Some have accused the industry of stagnation and producing the same old same old......unless we ALL experiment and innovate then it will never change.
If record execs know what they are looking for and insist on a set tried and tested formula then that is what they will always get. I am thankful that there are a few who can see originality and innovation and are prepared to give them a chance. Sadly they are in the minority.

Re a writer pitching a sad negative song...well he can pitch what he likes. If the powers that be are not interested in sad songs on principal then that is a very sad indictment on them rather than on the songwriter.

Leonard Cohen Bob Dylan and a few others did not baulk at the prospect....not to mention the wrist slitting writers of songs like D.I.V.O.R.C.E and Lucille "four hundred children and a crop in the field" the guy had real probs but with all those kids he should have got them harvesting instead of bitching LOL

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=687727&songID=5238055