The song ended some time ago, but you still can’t get it out of your head. Welcome to the world of earworms. Throughout history, there have been endless songs that became stuck in thoughts, though earworms are also subjective to the listener. Researchers at the University of New South Wales in Australia recently found why some songs stick in people’s heads long after they’ve been played. The study narrowed down the parts of a song that slip into conscious thoughts and linked repetition and the chorus of a song, specifically, as the strongest culprits when it comes to incessant earworms.
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“Most research on earworms to date analyses what’s in the hook – the short riff or passage to catch the ear of the listener,” said Professor Emery Schubert and author of the study, which was published in the journal Music & Science. “But what hasn’t been considered is that the hook is invariably repeated in the music, most commonly in the chorus.
Schubert continued, “The implication is that earworms might not have anything to do with the musical features at all. It largely doesn’t matter what the music is, as long as repetition is part of the music structure.”
Other preconditions, such as familiarity, a state of relaxation or a “low-attentional state,” and more were also cited in the potency of earworms.
In 2016, a study by the American Psychological Association zeroed in on several specifically persistent earworms, including Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey, Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance,” and Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know,” among others.
Here’s a look at five more earworm-caliber songs released over the years.
1. “Y.M.C.A.,” The Village People (1978)
Played at weddings, graduations, and most celebratory bashes, everyone always dances to The Village People’s classic 1978 hit, “Y.M.C.A.” Initially embraced as a gay anthem, the song has since transformed a song of universal unity.
“Y.M.C.A. was not written to be a gay song because of the simple fact I’m not gay,” said Village People founder Victor Willis in 2017. “I wrote it about hanging out in urban neighborhoods in my youth. ‘You can hang out with all the boys’ was a term about me and my friends playing basketball at the Y. But I wanted to write a song that could fit anyone’s lifestyle. I’m happy the gay community adopted it as their anthem, I have no qualms with that.”
The earworm:
It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
They have everything For young men to enjoy
You can hang out with all the boys
It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
You can get yourself clean
You can have a good meal
You can do whatever you feel
Read the full story behind The Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.,” HERE.
2. “Who Let the Dogs Out” Baha Men (2000)
Who let the dogs out? / Who, who, who, who, who? Now repeat.
Released as the title track on the Bahamian group Baha Men’s sixth album, “Who Let the Dogs Out” was an international hit. Written by Anslem Douglas, who originally released it as “Doggie,” the Baha Men cover of “Who Let the Dogs Out” made it into the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, but it faired better on the U.S. dance chart at No. 6 and remained stuck on most listeners’ thoughts long after.
The earworm:
Who let the dogs out?
Who, who, who, who, who?
Who let the dogs out?
Who, who, who, who, who?
Who let the dogs out?
Who, who, who, who, who?
Who let the dogs out?
Who, who, who, who, who?
Read the full meaning behind Baha Men’s “Who Let the Dogs Out?” HERE.
3. “Can’t Get You Out of My Head,” Kylie Minogue (2001)
It doesn’t get more repetitive than all the la-la-las in Kylie Minogue‘s 2001 hit “Can You Out of My Head.” In a three-year study by the American Psychological Association of some of the most frequently named earworms, Minogue’s dance hit ranked No. 2 under Lady Gaga’s earworm chart-topper “Bad Romance,” and just above the 1981 Journey hit “Don’t Stop Believing.”
The earworm:
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
I just can’t get you out of my head
Boy, your lovin’ is all I think about
I just can’t get you out of my head
Boy, its more than I dare to think about
4. “Gangnam Style,” Psy (2012)
South Korean pop star Psy’s 2012 dance hit “Gangham Style” was more of an earworm because of its persistent beats and refrain of Gangnam style. The song became a viral sensation on YouTube and was the first video to reach one billion views. “Gangnam Style” also hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped multiple charts internationally and helped paved a path for all the Korean pop that followed.
The earworm:
Oppa is Gangnam style, Gangnam style
Oppa is Gangnam style, Gangnam style
Oppa is Gangnam style
5. “Happy,” Pharrell Williams (2013)
When Pharrell Williams was working on the score for the 2013 animated film Despicable Me 2 with Heitor Pereira, Universal Pictures insisted that he sing one song he had lined up, “Happy.” Prior to releasing his second album, Girl, in 2014, Williams initially gave “Happy” to CeeLo Green to record. In a twist of fate, the song was never released by Green and became one of Williams’ biggest hits.
The earworm:
Because I’m happy
Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof
Because I’m happy
Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth
Because I’m happy
Clap along if you know what happiness is to you
Because I’m happy
Clap along if you feel like that’s what you wanna do
Read the entire story behind the origins of Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” HERE.
Photo by Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
