Earworms: Sometimes Good, Sometimes Bad

[PrincessLuceval]

Similar to "If I hear that song one more time..." but not quite the same. What are some songs which pop in your head randomly and stay for hours/days?

 

This song, with its harmonies and repeated chorus, stays with me. Luckily, it's a gorgeous song.

 

[Tabbyclaw]

There was a six-month period in college where there was never more than an hour at a time where I did not have Tori Amos' "Talula" running through my head. I have no idea why, but thankfully it has not recurred.

[spaceytraci1208]

Every day, without fail, at some point I will have Chickenheads by Project Pat (don't judge me) going through my head.

Most common earworms for me are TV or movie themes though; one day at work I had the theme from Garfield and Friends running in a constant loop throughout the day.

 

Today was this:

 

Edited October 9, 2014 by spaceytraci1208

[Jeebus Cripes]

Most common earworms for me are TV or movie themes though; one day at work I had the theme from Garfield and Friends running in a constant loop throughout the day.

 

If I watch American Dad, my day is totally overtaken by the theme song being sung either in my head or aloud--all day/night. Shit, just typing this is making me want to sing it.

 

I had "Sweater Weather" by The Neighbourhood in my head on loop for a long while. Not a bad thing at all. Trying to think of one that sucks... Oh, god, that horrible Cotton Eyed Joe song --the techno version, no less--- was constantly in my head during the mid '90s.

 

Edited because I can't ever not confuse the titles for American Dad and Family Guy.

Edited October 10, 2014 by Jeebus Cripes

[harrie]

My life is an earworm, I have one almost every day.  Yesterday was Kongos' "Come With Me Now" which is not in itself a bad song, but it's so freakin' overplayed it's ridiculous.  (I know, we have a topic for that...)   Today's is much nicer; it's Billy Bragg and Wilco doing "California Stars."

 

Edited October 9, 2014 by harrie

[DeLurker]

No good place to put this but it is an earworm....

 

Randy Freakin' Newman wrote the music for Lolly Lolly Lolly Get your Adverbs Here (as in Grammar Rocks from Schoolhouse Rocks).

 

Just found this out and immediately had to post it.

[Mindymoo]

Mr. Roboto has been stuck in my head for days. I unapologetically love Styx and the song, and I do not care how stupid it is.

 

https://youtu.be/3cShYbLkhBc

Edited December 6, 2015 by Mindy McIndy

[DeLurker]

It's not an earworm for me technically, but I have been known to burst out SCIENCE!  a la  Thomas Dolby's She's Blinded Me with Science.

[NutMeg]

Not long ago, I was watching Reign (guilty pleasure of mine), and there was that acoustic version of a song I knew I knew but couldn't match to anything specific - I sang it for days to everyone who would listen and looked like they could help - then went to look at IMDB - turned out it was the Vitamin String Quartet's version of Elle King's Ex's and Oh's. I downlowded both versions (and one more) and have been mentally (or loudly) soinging them since.

[DeLurker]

Awesome!

 

Since I read Mindy McIndy's post about Mr. Roboto, my brain has been pulling up 80s vintage earworms.  Not it is The Vapor's Turning Japanese.

 

The whole song really, but especially -

No sex, no drugs, no wine, no women, no fun, no sin, no you, no wonder it's dark
Everyone around me is a total stranger
Everyone avoids me like a cyclone ranger
Everyone

[BatmanBeatles]

I wish there was a way to get rid of Fall Out Boy's "Uma Thurman".

[AimingforYoko]

I wish there was a way to get rid of Fall Out Boy's "Uma Thurman".

I'd avoid The Munsters.

[Miss Dee]

Earworms:

--Bad when not being able to place the song makes you fear you will be driven insane.

--Good when they inspire you to look up your ex and confess that she's the worm of your heart.

[topanga]

I heard "Hotline Bling" on the radio on my way to work this morning, and now it's on a constant loop in my brain. Someone, make it stop, please!!!!!!!

 

It's not a bad song, and I like the beat, but most of the lyrics bother me. Drake is upset that his booty call is getting her own life now that he's left the City (Toronto?). 

[SunnyBeBe]

Quote

 

Now, psychologists believe they have figured out exactly why certain songs tend to stick in our heads more than others. The phenomenon is called involuntary musical imagery (INMI) — more commonly known as “earworms.”

“Earworms are an extremely common phenomenon and an example of spontaneous cognition,” the study’s lead author, Kelly Jakubowski, PhD, of Durham University in the U.K., told CBS News. “Psychologists know that humans spend up to 40 percent of our days engaging in spontaneous cognition and are starting to try to understand why our brains spend so much time thinking thoughts unrelated to our present task and how such thoughts might be useful.

 

 

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/psychologists-identify-why-certain-songs-get-stuck-in-your-head/

Do you have a song that you just can't get out of your head?  I've had this one song that haunts me.  I don't even like the song. I have NO idea why I carry it with me so much.  It's Taking It To The Streets by The Doobie Brothers.  I love the Doobie Brothers and many of their other hits.  But this one?  I'm clueless! lol

 

[Shannon L.]

I'm surprised this hasn't been mentioned yet:

 

867-5309!

[SunnyBeBe]

Shannon, do you like the song 867-5309?  I get why we get addicted to a song that we love and play a lot, but, to me, the mystery is why we get onto one that we don't really care for or even listen to that much.  

[amaranta]

On ‎11‎/‎13‎/‎2017 at 2:24 PM, SunnyBeBe said:

Do you have a song that you just can't get out of your head?

Once this song is in my head it's damn near impossible to get it out. It's not a song or an artist I ever really listened to, but I guess by the power of its sheer existence it manages to pop into my brain and stay there.  Press play at your own peril:

 

And then there's Word Up!  I actually like it, more so when one is free to dance, but not enough for it to get stuck on my head in a loop:

 

[Shannon L.]

6 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Shannon, do you like the song 867-5309?  I get why we get addicted to a song that we love and play a lot, but, to me, the mystery is why we get onto one that we don't really care for or even listen to that much.  

I actually do like it.  It's catchy.  There are a few articles out about earworms and a couple of things that contribute to it do include it being "catchy".  In other words, simple tune and repetitive lyrics.  There's more to it, but I think that's probably the biggest reason they stick with us for so long.