Why Songs Get Stuck in Your Head (and How to Get Them Out)

You hear a few seconds of a song in a shop, and three hours later it's still playing in your head. Scientists call these musical loops "involuntary musical imagery." Everyone else calls them earworms.

Almost everyone gets them

Research by James Kellaris, a marketing professor at the University of Cincinnati, found that around 98% of people experience earworms. They're more likely when we've heard a song recently or many times, when we're tired or stressed, and during easy, repetitive tasks that leave the mind free to wander.

What makes a song sticky

In 2016, a team led by Kelly Jakubowski asked thousands of people which songs got stuck in their heads most often, then analyzed the music. Earworm songs tended to:

• Have a fairly fast tempo.
• Follow a common, easy-to-remember melodic shape, rising and falling like many nursery tunes.
• Include something a bit unusual, such as surprising leaps or repeated notes, that makes them stand out.

Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" topped the list of songs people named most often.

How to get rid of one

• Chew gum. A study from the University of Reading found that chewing gum reduced how often people "heard" a song in their head, probably because it interferes with the mouth movements we make when imagining singing.
• Do a puzzle. Moderately challenging tasks, like a sudoku or an anagram, keep the mind busy enough to crowd out the tune. Too easy, and the song comes back; too hard, and the mind wanders.
• Listen to the whole song. Earworms are often just a fragment on repeat. Hearing the song to the end can give your brain a sense of completion.
• Try a "cure" song. Some people swap in a different tune they like better, though it can become the next earworm.

Need something to occupy your brain? Try the IQ test or a round of guess the flag.