why songs get stuck in our heads – and how this helps us remember
Getting a song stuck in your head is a universal experience. Known as “stuck song syndrome” or “earworm” (translated from the German Ohrwurm), it affects about 98% of people, according to research by University of Cincinnati psychologist James Kellaris. Neuroscientist Daniel Levitin of McGill University suggests this phenomenon has evolutionary roots. Before writing emerged around 5,000 years ago, humans relied on oral traditions to pass down information. Rhythm and melody, with their natural cues and patterns, made it easier to memorise stories, rituals, and knowledge essential for survival.
A 2012 study by Vicky Williamson at Goldsmiths, University of London, found that earworms usually last between 15 and 30 seconds, looping repeatedly and intrusively. Williamson also found that 74% of earworms are songs with lyrics, 15% are advertising jingles, and only 11% are purely instrumental. Interestingly, music with repetitive yet unexpected rhythmic variations is most likely to lodge itself in your brain. For instance, Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance and Carly Rae Jepsen’s Call Me Maybe are famous examples cited by participants in earworm studies.
Triggers vary: a recent listen, frequent repetition, or a stressful or emotional experience linked to the song can spark an earworm. This is why advertisers use catchy jingles to embed brand names into memory, such as McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It” or Intel’s four-note chime. Research at Dartmouth College showed that even when music stops playing, the auditory cortex remains active, continuing the song internally.
Communities have long used this to their advantage. In India, traditional Vedic chants with precise melodies preserved sacred texts verbatim across millennia before writing. In modern times, health campaigns use earworm-based jingles to promote handwashing or vaccination awareness, ensuring recall when it matters most.
Thus, while earworms might feel annoying, their evolutionary and practical benefits remain profound: they help us remember, share, and act on information essential to our lives.
