Read on to discover the science behind the often annoying and intrusive musical phenomenon of earworms…
If you’ve seen the 2015 Pixar film Inside Out, you’ll be familiar with the ‘TripleDent Gum’ song. This annoying musical earworm keeps appearing in main character Riley’s head at the most inappropriate moments.
It’s a running gag that brilliantly explains earworms... These are catchy or memorable pieces of music – or sometimes a phrase or line of dialogue – that occupy our brains, long after the thought that sparked the memory, and which we find all too difficult to banish.
What are earworms?
The phenomenon of Involuntary Musical Imagery (INMI), or earworms, is also known as 'sticky music' or 'stuck song syndrome'. This is considered to be a common type of ‘involuntary cognition’.
Involuntary cognition occurs when cues in everyday life evoke memories without conscious effort.
According to the British Journal of Psychology, earworms are usually 15 to 30 seconds long. And they are most common in those who have an interest in music.
When was the term earworm invented?
The word earworm is derived from the term öhrwurm, which the Germans invented to describe the phenomenon of a song stuck in the brain. The first time the word appeared in English was in Desmond Bagley's 1978 novel Flyaway.
What causes earworms?
A study conducted by Goldsmiths University of London found that earworms can be caused by direct exposure to the piece of music. But they can also be triggered by the mere memory of a song.
If we see a word that reminds us of the song, hear just a few notes from the song, or even experience an emotion associated with the song – be it positive or negative – this can be enough to bring the music flooding back into our brains.
Are earworms connected to psychological conditions?
In some studies, earworms have also been associated with anxiety and stress. A ‘stuck song’ can be a substitute or companion to stuck or obsessive thoughts. It’s for this reason that chronic versions of the earworm may also have a connection with OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and depression.
But Earworms can also be associated with physical conditions, like migraines.
Are earworms a common phenomenon?
According to research, nine out of ten of us have experienced earworms that have lasted longer than an hour, and although women and men are equally susceptible, earworms tend to last longer for women than for men.
Research also suggests that songs with lyrics account for around 75 per cent of earworms, whereas instrumental music causes less than 10 per cent.
For an unlucky few, earworms have been known to last for a year of more!
What type of music is most likely to become an earworm?
Television and radio commercials are often composed to be particularly catchy – an effort on the part of advertisers to grab our attention and ideally encourage us to buy their brand of soda or breakfast cereal. These, therefore, make ready earworms.
Music for television shows is also often designed with simplicity and catchiness in mind. Hear just a line of that tune and we’re immediately immersed in the world of our favourite soap or cartoon.
Pop songs like Kylie Minogue’s 'Can’t Get You Out Of My Head' and Lady Gaga’s 'Bad Romance' are also memorablely repetitive. Such pop music makes especially strong earworms.
Grieg's 'In the Hall of the Mountain King' from his Peer Gynt Suite is a common classical earworm
Where are earworms processed in the brain?
The part of the brain that processes sound and music is the auditory cortex. And it’s also here that musical memories are stored.
Researchers from Dartmouth College found that this same part of the brain is activated whether we’re listening to music, or simply imagining the song.
How do I get rid or an earworm?
Engaging our brains in difficult tasks – such as anagrams, puzzles or reading – can be an effective way of banishing earworms, according to researchers at the Western Washington University.
Music often has repetitive rhythms or melodies, which our brain replays on a loop. So mentally ‘playing’ the music through to its conclusion can also banish earworms. It has also been found that deliberately thinking of another song can get rid of the original earworm.
Research published by the University of Reading has even found that chewing gum can banish an earworm… This makes Pixar’s ‘TripleDent Gum’ earworm a rather fitting choice!