Music is an essential part of helping us relieve our moods. However, everyone has their own “auditory preferences,” and not every song resonates with everyone. Some songs can be annoying, but what’s worse is when they keep playing in your mind.
For Vietnamese netizens, it’s probably no surprise that there are periods when households blast songs like “Vợ người ta,” “Con bướm xuân,” “Duyên phận”… so much that you only need to hear a few notes to instantly recognize the tune. In fact, even without any music, you might find yourself humming “phận là con gái… chưa một lần yêu ai…” Songs that “stick in your head” have a specific term to describe them: “earworms.” In some cases, these “earworms” can be quite satisfying. However, in other situations, they can be an unpleasant experience.
Scientists also encounter this phenomenon. Some have spent time conducting independent studies, each providing various insights. However, generally, these studies share several common conclusions about “earworms.”
- They are often songs that are played frequently (top 10 songs).
- They typically feature repetitive notes or rhythmic patterns.
- They also have specific rhythms and tonal patterns unique to each song.
Kelly Jakubowski, a researcher at the Department of Music at Durham University (UK), states: “The general conclusion about these songs is that they are often simple enough to be repeated at any time, but they also need something distinctive that makes the brain want to ‘hear’ them over and over again.”
Professor Emery Schubert from the School of Arts and Media at the University of New South Wales – author of a study published in the Journal of Music & Science – notes that the phenomenon of “earworms” is most commonly observed in the choruses of songs. However, “repetition” is just one factor leading to “earworms.” Some initial conditions for this phenomenon occur in individuals who have just heard or been introduced to that particular song. According to the research findings, the “earworm” phenomenon is triggered in individuals who are in a relaxed or unfocused state.
The researchers suggest that the phenomenon of “earworms” is often perceived as pleasant, but it can also become an “obsession” if the song is “really bad.”
Common Symptoms
Scientists sometimes describe “earworms” as “involuntary musical imagery” (INMI). A study published in 2012 in the journal Psychology of Music found that 90% of Finnish internet users reported having a song “stuck” in their heads for at least a week. Those who are more passionate about music tend to experience “earworms” more frequently. In agreement with this study, an article published in the journal Cognition in 2006 detailed the experiences of a pianist and a composer, who almost continuously experience INMI. This 24/7 “earworm” condition is also known as “perpetual musical memory” (PMT).
Many people feel annoyed because they cannot get “peace and quiet.”
The pianist wrote: “I don’t find anything enjoyable about having PMT. On the contrary, it constantly distracts me, something I just wish I could turn off immediately.” The artist’s disdain for “earworms” even extends to the songs that move him the most, primarily because the most influential songs cause distractions in real life.
However, the disdain for “earworms” is often misunderstood by people regarding the nature of the phenomenon. We generally only feel annoyed when songs we dislike keep playing in our heads. Polls indicate that only 1/3 of “earworms” cause discomfort. Jakubowski commented on the survey results: “People often shift to unfair judgments because we tend to remember only negative experiences.”
The “Earworm” Music Landscape
But whether you like them or not, your brain tends to focus on songs that are frequently played or just recently popular. A study from 2013, also published in the journal Psychology of Music, found that the more similar songs are, the more likely they are to become “earworms.” Participants in the study reported that they didn’t have to think much about the melody for it to “stick” in their minds. Anyone humming along to a song in a store or café can attest to this.
At the 12th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition held in Thessaloniki (Greece), researchers noted that songs with longer notes and shorter intervals between high points are more likely to become “earworms.” This might be because longer notes combined with very limited shifts in high points make the music easier to sing and repeat.
However, Jakubowski’s study published in November 2016 in the journal Psychology of Music, Arts, and Creativity did not agree with this observation. Jakubowski does not believe that the length of notes and the distance between high points correlate with “earworms.” However, she agrees that the easier a song is to sing, the more likely it is to remain in one’s memory. Jakubowski’s research was based on surveys conducted from 2010 to 2013, comparing “earworms” with popular songs that are not considered “earworms.” This study found that Lady Gaga is one of the artists most likely to create “earworms,” with songs like “Bad Romance,” “Alejandro,” and “Poker Face” ranking among the top 10 “earworms” in the United States.
Songs that easily “stick” in the mind often have a similar structure.
Jakubowski and her colleagues concluded that songs that are likely to “stick” in the mind generally have a faster tempo than others. Furthermore, “earworms” often share common patterns of high points typical in Western music, specifically, intros that start with gradually rising notes and then immediately drop. Examples of this include songs like “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” or “Moves Like Jagger.” Jakubowski writes: “Earworms that utilize these musical techniques often have very simple melodic patterns.”
However, the most surprising finding is that in addition to sharing some common musical structures, “earworms” also come with some unusual melodies in their lyrics. For instance, there are often larger leaps between high points compared to other songs, commonly found in pop music, or the distances between high points are wider. Examples of such songs include “My Sharona” by The Knack or “Intergalactic” by the Beastie Boys, according to the study.
Why Does the Human Brain Keep Remembering Them?
The nature of “earworms” is such, but why does our brain get stuck on them? Of course, not everyone is equally obsessed with music; it varies from person to person. For example, artistic individuals like musicians tend to “appreciate” catchy songs more than average listeners. A study conducted in 2012 in Greece found that those with obsessive-compulsive symptoms are more likely to experience “earworms” than those with fewer obsessive-compulsive tendencies (referred to as subclinical because they do not yet meet the criteria for obsessive-compulsive disorder – OCD – but show signs of anxiety and avoidance behaviors).
Moreover, those who experience “earworms” often do so because they engage in repetitive tasks, such as jogging or doing household chores.
The temporal lobe is responsible for converting sounds into signals that the brain can “understand.”
The reason why our brains experience “earworms” has not been clearly explained. However, a 2005 article in the journal Nature noted that the auditory cortex – a part of the temporal lobe used for processing sound and converting it into neural signals – often gets activated unconsciously when the body hears a familiar song, but a segment of the music is interrupted. In other words, our brain has “intentionally” filled in the gaps so that the music can be “heard” in its entirety (even though it has actually been turned off). Studies have even demonstrated differences in the auditory cortex when it “intentionally” repeats the singer’s voice or the sounds of instruments performing in the song.
However, due to the nature of “earworms” being largely involuntary and without any external stimulation, the phenomenon of “earworms” is very difficult to eliminate, even when we consciously try to do so. A study on “earworms” published in 2010 by the Journal of Neuroscience indicated that when researchers asked participants about their “earworm” experiences, it appeared that the more they intentionally tried to eliminate the phenomenon, the more entrenched the songs became in their minds. The reason for this is that the more we repeat something, the more time our brain has to “remember” it. Notably, for songs that have many listeners and are frequently hummed, those who dislike them find it even harder to forget them…
The phenomenon of “earworms” is very difficult to eliminate.
Perhaps this is why many of us prefer to work in quiet environments. In one way or another, the repetition of songs by one person can easily lead another’s brain to experience “earworms”, significantly reducing their cognitive efficiency.
