Can't Get That Song Out of Your Head?
Written Jul. 1, 2009 by Melissa DeCesare in Content + Terrestrial Radio with 7 Comments
We’ve all been there. You hear a song and long after it is finished, it is still replaying in your head…again, again and again. Believe it or not, there is an actual term for this madness: an "earworm." According to Wikipedia, “earworm is a term for a portion of a song or other musical material that repeats compulsively within one's mind, known colloquially as music being stuck in one's head.“
There have been studies done on earworms by James Kellaris which show that some people are more susceptible than others to earworms, but that just about everyone will experience this phenomenon at some point. So now that we know we are normal, why does this happen?
While the true cause for earworms is still unknown, we do know that some are stickier than others, even if the song itself isn’t one of your favorites. This stickiness is often what makes a song a hit and what gives it life for use in commercials and movie trailers and in our overall pop culture. Think “All Star” by Smash Mouth, “Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba and even “Tom’s Diner” by Suzanne Vega. Each of these has the ability to haunt you for days at a time.
Although earworms, described by Kellaris as a “cognitive itch,” can trigger a pop culture craze like “Mambo No. 5,” they can also send it crashing down after overexposure. After a certain point, the "burn" factor takes over and the song becomes so negative that it can’t be tolerated. There can be a fine line between stickiness and crispiness--songs can disappear from the airwaves for weeks, months or even years in some cases until the dust has settled and it is thought to be safe again. But more than likely, you’ll remember the hook long after that song has vanished.
What earworms have plagued you over the years? Let us know in the comments!
Reader Comments
Your 2¢, in chronological order — add your comment below.
Over the past week ... it's been "Smooth Criminal."
'The tide is high' in all its different versions.
Check out the book Musicophelia by Oliver Sacks on the effect of music on the brain and neurological circuits.
Billy Ray Cyrus' "Achy Breaky Heart" and "Mmmm Bop" by Hanson,
It happens to me regularly and not always with "bad" songs. Yesterday, it was Louie Armstrong's "Sunny Side of the Street," which I heard on a Canadian jazz station (91.1 Toronto) Last week it was the pop sweetness of this 60's classic: "They say candy is sweet but it just can't compete with...." Now it's your turn.
I agitate my wife's earworm all the time by just saying:
Oopps I Did It Again
Rhinestone Cowboy by Glen Campbel.
sorry it took me so long to respond but I think one of the most unfailing 'earworms', though not actually a 'hit' in the conventional term although it did reach #55 on the billboard singles chart in '69 (& made up of non-sensical lyrics not unlike scatting)...is probably 'mah na mah na' by piero umiliani.
most often referenced to the muppets (since it was used on the premier episode of 'sesame street' in '69 & many times since) it actally came from a 1968 italian 'mondo' film called 'sweden: heaven & hell', a psudo-documentary about the wild sexual practices in sweden from director luigi scattini.
point is....whenever i'm with someone who has a song they can't get out of their mind, i start singing 'mah na mah na' & they're off & running with it...