- [Narrator] Ahh, the everlasting earworm.
Those songs, jingles, or memorable melodies
that sick so deeply in your brain
that you can't get them out.
But why are some songs so sticky,
and what kinds of tunes
are most likely to worm their way into our ears?
Let's find out on today's episode of--
- [Announcer] Colossal Questions.
- [Narrator] Scientists have concocted a slightly more,
uh, scientific name for earworms.
They call it involuntary musical imagery.
And according to studies,
more than 90% of people experience it at least once a week.
There's lots of common traits of songs
that are particularly good at sticking.
Usually, it's a song you've heard a ton of times.
This one is pretty obvious,
since the more times you hear something,
the more it's going to stick in your head.
Earworms also tend to have a simple, understandable melody
that is memorable after just one or two listens.
They're also usually faster, poppy, and upbeat.
Okay, so that's what makes for a song that will stick,
but one question still remains.
Why do the songs get stuck in the first place?
Well, some experts believe earworms
might have more to do with memory than anything else.
You see, studies have shown that
associating words with music
is a great way to store information
and recall it later.
For example,
it's hard to remember all the facts for your history quiz,
yet fairly simple to remember lyrics
to a song you've only heard on the radio.
Other experts believe that earworms developed alongside
the fairly modern ability
to record and relisten to a piece of music.
Now that we listen to songs over and over and over
and over and over and over again,
earworms are just an unintentional byproduct.
While both of these theories make some sense,
neither has been proven,
and the actual cause of earworms remains a mystery.
Luckily for us, there is one thing we can answer for sure.
How to get rid of a song that's stuck in your head.
Try concentrating on a game or task.
It will distract you from the never-ending melody,
and help your brain move on from the catchy tune.
Chewing gum is another choice.
When a song is in our head,
we keep the rhythm of the song internally.
But if you distract your mouth with something else,
like chewing gum,
it will get you offbeat from the song stuck in your head
and help you forget it.
And your last option is simple.
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
Just listen to the whole song
and see if that satisfies that part of your brain
that really wanted to hear it.