Had a song pop into your head and play during the exam? Or a lecture? Or in a supermarket And the tune decides not to leave you alone? But why?
Why did Taylor swift’s “shake it off” decide to trouble you when u were trying soo hard to recall information for your exam? Well, the answer is a lot more to do with yourself than with science. It’s your brain and feelings that attached that song to a memory of yours or that It loved or hated it so much so that it decided never to forget it. Also, the image that your brain makes on thinking of that song is of utmost closest to the answer that science tries to give.
Fun Fact: You are not alone! Over 90% of people around the world experience an Earworm at least once a week! (yikes the frequency) And No- The “neo” tech age isn’t to blame for it cause according to record even personalities like Mark Twain, Shakespeare, and queen Elizabeth are said to have been haunted by these worms. One can experience them during mundane tasks that are done autopilot like the morning routine of a brushing flossing or during high strain workouts to pump you up when your brain feels too burdened.
Why are all songs not earworms? Back to basics, we go – Our brain loves SIMPLICITY and repetition like no other. Baby shark for example though so very simple and not much of a pop song rose on the music charts till where no other rhyme went simply because it hit that sweet earworm spot.
“Oops I needa learn for an exam but the earworm won’t leave” what do you do? The one thing that can sound contradictory but works 95% of the time is to give your brain what it wants to play the whole song once! Or a better fail-proof solution – Chew on some gum! Gum works simply because they are of the brain responsible for the playing your earworm also has the job to co-ordinate chewing so for sure it decides to abandon the job of cassette player to start to help you grind the juices of the gum.
Some of the most famous earworms are –
Baha men – Who let the dogs out
Meghan Trainor – All about that bass
Queen – we will rock you
Taylor Swift – Shake it off
Pinkfong – Baby shark
Psy – Gangnam style.