Justin Bieber lyrics better known by young adults than Shakespeare's work

More knew 'Girlfriend, girlfriend, you could be my girlfriend' was Bieber than recognised 'To be or not to be' as Shakespeare

If you needed further proof this generation is more concerned with Justin Bieber than William Shakespeare, look no further.

A study has found that those between the ages of 18 and 25 are more likely to recognise a lyrics by the “Baby” singer than words crafted by William Shakespeare.

The survey, commissioned by Deezer, found that 43 percent of young people could identify Bieber lyrics while only 38 percent recognised the work of England’s famous playwright.

Over half knew the lines “Girlfriend, girlfriend, you could be my girlfriend” and “Is it too late now to say sorry?” were from Bieber songs, while only a third knew “To be or not to be” was a Shakespearian line.

“Strong reasons make strong actions” and “All that glitters is not gold” fared even worse, with just 12 percent recognising the former and 17 percent the latter.

Sam Lee, Deezer UK & Ireland’s music editor, told The Guardian: “Like Shakespeare, Justin Bieber is undoubtedly one of the most well-known figures of his time and his popularity means people nowadays seem to know their ‘baby, baby, baby, ohs’ more than their ‘wherefore art thou Romeo’s.’”

Bieber is the most streamed artist on Deezer this year, following the release of Purpose last year. 1,000 UK adults were surveyed by the streaming service in April 2016.