Earworms: Why Songs Get Stuck in Our Heads
Have a question, or want to leave a comment? Send a voicemail, and you might hear your name on the next episode! Ever had a song get stuck in your head and refuse to leave? One little piece of music, playing on repeat, whether you invited it or not? In this episode of Loading... Please Wait., we're talking about earworms—why our brains latch onto certain songs, what science can tell us about those musical loops, and how something so personal connects to the music and culture we share. Along the way, we'll explore memory, repetition, and the strange relationship between what we hear and what our brains decide to keep playing. Because apparently, even when the music stops, our brains don't always get the message. Questions or suggestions? [email protected] | IG @loadpwait Theme music: (Additional dial-up and record-scratch sounds mixed into the theme by Jess.) "Too Cool" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Earworms & Music Jakubowski et al. (2017) — What Makes a Song an Earworm? Beaman et al. (2015) — Chewing Gum and Earworms Scullin et al. (2021) — Bedtime Music and Sleep Involuntary Musical Imagery — Research Review Goldsmiths University — Earworm Research Scale Inner Speech & Thinking Hurlburt et al. (2013) — Inner Speaking Hurlburt & Heavey (2001) — Describing Inner Experience Unsymbolized Thinking — Research
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