Introduction

It squirms to life when you least expect it. You’re brushing your teeth and have a nice rhythm going—shuhk-a shuhk-a shuhk-a shuhk.

Then without warning a little band in your brain starts warming up.

Suddenly it starts belting out the title song from a certain TV show:

Derek Drymon: "SpongeBob SquarePants Theme" (excerpt) (1999)

Ack! The earworm has awakened! it will now play that same bit of song over and over and over in your mind! What is going on? Is there any hope? Or will the earworm eat your brain?!

Don’t worry too much if you have “earworms.” They’re not really creepy-crawlies that live in our heads. They’re sections of songs that we remember in our minds. Once they start, these music memories can repeat uncontrollably—for hours, days, even weeks at a time. Research indicates that nine out of ten people have experienced earworms that have lasted for an hour or longer. A few unfortunate folks even report having a song stuck in their heads for a year or more. (You can spot them because they run around yelling, “AAAHHH! Get this song out of my head!”)

Why does this happen? And what can we do about it?

Earworms

More than 100 years ago, Germans coined the term öhrwurm—earworm—to describe the experience of a song stuck in the brain. Scientists call it other names, like “stuck tune syndrome” and “musical imagery repetition.” But the creepy image of an earworm crawling into people’s brains caught on. There is even a musician known as DJ Earworm.

Recalling a favorite song in our imaginations can bring a private smile. But an earworm is different.

"Usually an earworm is a fragment of music, usually three or four bars, which go round and round and round,” Dr. Oliver Sacks said in an interview. Dr. Sacks is a neurologist and author who studies music and the brain. “This is a special form of involuntary musical imagery which is out of control and can become quite unpleasant and intrusive.”

While songwriters have learned many tricks for creating earworms, squashing them is another story. Earworm sufferers try many ways to erase an annoying melody. Some try to replace it by thinking of another song. Others sing the earworm song all the way through to its end. Others tackle a task that takes extra concentration. One study found that the harder people fight to quiet an earworm, the longer it tends to torment them.

TV and radio ads are a common source of earworms. Advertisers do their best to compose jingles or short songs they hope will turn into earworms. If they succeed, that means they have done their job to get customers to remember their restaurant, breakfast cereal, or other product. Another advertising strategy is to add classical or pop music that has already gained fame. For example, Bob Seger’s hit song “Like a Rock” was the theme song for Chevy trucks for many years.

Bob Seger: "Like a Rock" (excerpt) (1986)

The same is true for music from TV shows, movies, even video games. Chances are if someone says "Hey, Macarena" or "The Siiiim-psons" you can instantly hum part of it—and you might not be able to stop for a couple hours.

Los Del Rio: "Macarena" (excerpt) (1993)

Danny Elfman: "The Simpsons Theme" (excerpt) (1989)

The Science

The auditory cortex is where earworms do most of their karaoke routine. This is a part of the brain that does a lot of the processing of sounds, including music. It is also where musical memories are stored.

This was the finding of researchers at Dartmouth College. They conducted a brain scan experiment to test where the brain deals with “imagined music.” They played part of a familiar song, then interrupted it. The people being tested imagined the parts that were missing.

"We found that the auditory cortex that is active when you’re actually listening to a song was reactivated when you just imagine hearing the song,” says David Kraemer, the lead researcher. In other words, the auditory cortex acts as your imagination’s MP3 player.

Dr. Oliver Sacks wonders if earworms are largely a product of the electronic age. More than a century ago, most people had to go to parties, concert halls, or places of worship to hear music. There were no radios, stereos, or MP3 players that people could turn on and play their personal playlist. But today, people are surrounded by music wherever they go—in cars, stores, and through their headphones. Earworms have constant access to people’s minds and memories.

So far, no one knows why imagined songs sometimes get stuck in our minds. Still, the subject of earworms fascinates brain scientists. They have found that people’s memory for music is incredibly powerful. And putting information to music can help us remember facts and details more easily. For example, the ABC Song sung to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” probably helped you learn your letters, right? People can remember the melody, beat, and words to a song years after they last heard it.

Researchers wonder if studying what makes earworms so stubborn could offer insights into how our mind makes and keeps other memories.

The Earworm Hall of Fame

These audio players contain excerpts from a few of the catchiest pieces of music ever written. When you listen to them, try to pick out techniques the composer used to make them stick in your head.

"If I Were a Rich Man" is a song from the 1964 musical Fiddler on the Roof. It was written by Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock. The song is performed by Tevye, the main character in the musical, and reflects his dreams of glory. The title is inspired by a 1902 monologue by Sholem Aleichem in Yiddish, Ven ikh bin Rothschild (If I were Rothschild), a reference to the wealth of the Rothschild family. A repeated phrase throughout the song, "all day long I'd bidi-bidi-bum," is a reference to the practice of Jewish prayer.

Sheldon Harnick: "If I Were a Rich Man" (excerpt) from Fiddler on the Roof (1964)

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Ghostbusters is a 1984 American supernatural comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman. The film stars Bill Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis as three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City, who start a ghost catching business. The film's theme song, "Ghostbusters", written and performed by Ray Parker Jr, sparked the catchphrases "Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!" and "I ain't afraid of no ghost." The song was a huge hit, staying #1 for three weeks on Billboard's Hot 100 chart and #1 for two weeks on the Black Singles chart. The song earned Parker an Academy Award nomination for "Best Original Song".

Ray Parker, Jr.: "Ghostbusters" (excerpt) from Ghostbusters (1984)

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The main theme to the 1966 TV show "Mission: Impossbile" was composed by Argentine musician Lalo Schifrin and is noted for being in 5/4 time. About the unusual timing, Schiffrin declared that "things are in 2/4 or 4/4 because people dance with two legs. I did it for people from outer space who have five legs." Schifrin received two Grammys for his work on the series and was also nominated for two Emmys. For the modern film series, a re-imagined electronic dance version of the theme song by rock band U2 was released in 1997, and it was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.

Lalo Schifrin: "Main Title" (excerpt) from Mission: Impossible (1966)

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Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (1969) is the first incarnation of the long-running Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon series, Scooby-Doo. It ran for two seasons on CBS as a half-hour long show. The reruns can be seen in syndication and on such channels as Cartoon Network and Boomerang. The theme song was written by Ben Raleigh with help from composer Hoyt Curtin and was sung by music executive Larry Marks.

Ben Raleigh: "Main Theme" (excerpt) from Scooby Doo, Where Are You! (1969)

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"Do-Re-Mi" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music. Within the story, it is used to teach the notes of the major musical scale to the Von Trapp children who learn to sing for the first time. The song is notable in that each syllable of the musical solfege system appears in its lyrics, sung on the pitch it names. It is also often one of the first songs that children will learn to play on simple instruments that have only the eight notes of one octave of the major C to C scale. It was originally written in this key and is sung this way in the original stage version of The Sound of Music. However, in the film version it was transposed from C to B-flat.

Rodgers and Hammerstein: "Do-Re-Mi" (excerpt) from The Sound of Music (1959)

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The music of Star Wars (1977) is by composer John Williams. Williams' scores for the series of films count among the most widely known and popular contributions to modern film music. The scores utilize an eclectic variety of musical styles, many culled from the Late Romantic period that itself was incorporated into the Golden Age Hollywood scores. The reasons for Williams' tapping of a familiar styles was to ground the otherwise strange and fantastic setting in well-known, audience-accessible music. Star Wars often is credited as heralding the beginning of a revival of grand symphonic scores in the late 1970s.

John Williams: "Main Title" (excerpt) from Star Wars (1977)

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"Yellow Submarine" is a 1966 song by The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon–McCartney), with lead vocals by drummer Ringo Starr. As a single, it went to number 1 on every major British chart, remained at number 1 for four weeks and charted for 13 weeks. It became the title song of the 1968 animated United Artists film, also called Yellow Submarine, and the soundtrack album to the film, released as part of The Beatles' music catalogue, and has since evolved into a popular modern-day nursery rhyme for children.

The Beatles: "Yellow Submarine" (excerpt) from Yellow Submarine (1966)

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"Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" is a song by Beyoncé Knowles from her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008). "Single Ladies" peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and has been certified quadruple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), having sold more than 4.7 million digital copies.

Beyoncé Knowles: Mvt. III "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" (excerpt) from I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008)

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"We Will Rock You" is a song written by Brian May and recorded and performed by Queen for their 1977 album News of the World (paired with with "We Are the Champions," it became a worldwide top ten single). In 2004 Rolling Stone magazine ranked it #330 of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time." In 2009, "We Will Rock You" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Other than the last 30 seconds containing a guitar solo by May, the song is sung a cappella (voice only), using only stomping and clapping as a rhythmic beat.

Queen: "We Will Rock You" (excerpt) from News of the World (1977)

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The It's a Small World attraction was created by Disney as the 1964 New York World's Fair's UNICEF pavilion. Walt Disney showed a scale model of the attraction to his staff songwriters Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman, saying "I need one song that can be easily translated into many languages and be played as a round." Disney was so delighted with the final result that he renamed the attraction "it's a small world" after the Sherman Brothers' song. It is the only Disney song never to be copyrighted, as UNICEF requested, and can be heard worldwide on musical devices ranging from keyboard demos to ice cream trucks; it remains, to this day, "a gift to the children of the world."

Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman: "It's a Small World" (excerpt) (1964)

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"Y.M.C.A." is a song recorded in 1978 by American disco group Village People. The song reached No. 2 on the U.S. charts in early 1979 and reached No.1 in the UK around the same time, becoming the group's biggest hit. The song continues to remain popular and is played at many sporting events in the USA and Europe. It is frequently played during breaks in the action at sporting events with crowds using the dance as an opportunity to stretch. A popular dance in which the arms are used to spell out the four letters of the song's title may have much to do with this.

The Village People: "Y.M.C.A." (excerpt) (1978)

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Alka-Seltzer is an antacid and pain reliever launched in 1931. In 1951, the "Speedy" character was introduced. Speedy's body was one Alka-Seltzer tablet, while he wore another as a hat; he proclaimed Alka-Seltzer's virtues and sang the "Plop, plop, fizz, fizz" song. In 1978, Sammy Davis, Jr. recorded a version of the famous "Plop Plop Fizz Fizz" jingle.

TV Commercial: "Alka-Seltzer" (excerpt)

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The Band-Aid was invented in 1920 by Earle Dickson, an employee of Johnson & Johnson, for his wife Josephine Dickson, who frequently cut and burned herself while cooking. The prototype product allowed his wife to dress her wounds without assistance. By 1924, Johnson & Johnson introduced the first machine that produced sterilized Band-Aids. In World War II, millions of Band-Aid bandages were shipped overseas, most of which went to the medical team. The product's long running commercial jingle "I'm Stuck on Band-Aid" was written by singer Barry Manilow.

TV Commercial: ""Band-Aid Bandages" (excerpt)

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Brylcreem is a brand of hair styling products for men first marketed in 1928, and is an emulsion of water, mineral oil and beeswax. It was first advertised on TV by the jingle "Brylcreem — A Little Dab'll Do Ya!"

TV Commercial: "Brylcreem" (excerpt)

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Dr Pepper is a soft drink created in the 1880s by Charles Alderton of Waco, Texas and first served around 1885 (preceding Coca-Cola by one year). In 1978, Jake Holmes wrote the lyrics to "Be a Pepper". A TV commercial was also created using the jingle and ran from 1977–1985. The "Be a Pepper" series referred to fans of Dr Pepper as "Peppers", and often featured crowd dance scenes with elaborate, over-the-top choreography. This became grist for a number of pop culture references and parodies.

TV Commercial: "Dr. Pepper" (excerpt)

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With a melody written by jingle singer and song writer Kenny Karen, this famous 1971 McDonald's jingle featured employees singing about their jobs and the cleanliness of your local McDonald's.

TV Commercial: "McDonald's" (excerpt)

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Meow Mix is well known for a popular advertising jingle, "The Meow Mix Theme", seemingly performed by a singing cat. The advertising agency put together film footage, looping images of a cat to make it look like it was singing. The music was then composed to fit, with the actual meowing performed by a professional singer. English subtitles were added, along with a bouncing ball pointing out the words, which were humorously just "Meow meow meow meow, meow meow meow meow, meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meowwwwww..."

TV Commercial: "Meow Mix" (excerpt)

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Mr. Clean's theme song, or jingle, has been around since the product's introduction in 1957, initially sung as a popular-music style duet between a man (Don Cherry) and a woman (Betty Bryan). It is the longest running advertising jingle used in television history.

TV Commercial: "Mr. Clean" (excerpt)

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The Oscar Mayer Company is an American meat and cold cut production company, founded in 1883, known for its hot dogs, lunch meat, and bacon. A 1974 TV commercial for its bologna featured a four-year-old boy holding a fishing rod and sandwich while singing, "My bologna has a first name, it's 'O-S-C-A-R'..." It became one of the longest-running TV commercials in the country. The lyrics are ingrained in the memories of most Americans of the appropriate age.

TV Commercial: "Oscar Mayer Balogna" (excerpt)

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Oscar Mayer had several advertisements on TV, but the most famous ad was probably the Oscar Mayer "Wiener" ad in 1965. This ad has been referred to as one of the best classic ads in the USA. The commercial shows a young girl leading a group of children, singing about how they "wish they were an Oscar Mayer wiener". After, a young boy is seen, and he starts singing about how he's "glad he's not an Oscar Mayer wiener", with the same tune.

TV Commercial: "Oscar Mayer Wieners" (excerpt)

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Rice-A-Roni (made up of half rice and half pasta) was introduced in 1958. With it came the first Rice-A-Roni commercial, featuring San Francisco's Cable Cars and the famous jingle. The Rice-A-Roni jingle and the San Francisco Treat® slogan became familiar to every household in America in the 60's as the product was introduced through television advertising.

TV Commercial: "Rice-A-Roni" (excerpt)

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Slinky was invented and developed by naval engineer Richard James in the early 1940s has since been the basis for toys such as the Slinky Dog and Suzie, the Slinky Worm. Slinky has seen uses other than as a toy in the playroom: it has appeared in the classroom as a teaching tool, in wartime as a radio antenna, and in physics experiments with NASA. Homer Fesperman and Charles Weagley wrote the Slinky commercial jingle in 1962.

TV Commercial: "Slinky" (excerpt)