Why do songs get stuck in your head?

The Straight Dope ^ | October 16, 2009 | Cecil Adams

[Buffalo Head]

Are you certain that its not Conway Twitties version?

[proxy_user]

There is nothing unusual about having instrumental music playing in your head if you listen to classical a lot. Sometimes I can mentally go through a whole movement of a symphony or concerto without being able to place it. Usually it’s Mendelssohn, Dvorak, Schubert, or Mahler.

[Fester Chugabrew]

“We are Family,” by Sister Sludge?
“What is Hip,” by Flower of Power?

[armymarinemom]

I know that Mambo number 5 used to play every morning on my transit to work. I opened my morning Cardiac cases with the tune stuck in my head over and over. Worse yet, if I hummed the tune Anesthesia, Perfusion, and my scrub nurse would also have the tune stuck in their head. We cursed the song every morning until the local DJ made a format change on our request.

[RegulatorCountry]

The only problem is... *nothing* gets the theme song to “Flipper” out of your head.

If you ever see a rerun of that old Patty Duke Show coming on, run, don't walk, to hit the mute button.

I-den-ti-cal COUSINS... they're two of a KIND!

A local digital station has been showing reruns of this, this ... thing, and it comes on at 6:00 AM. Made the mistake of turning the tv on while I was getting ready for work, and have been hounded by that grating nonsense ever since.

[trustandobey]

Rush Hudson Limbaugh mmm!

[Slings and Arrows]

Not unless extradited.

[Vendome]

Mohhhhna Lisa, men have named you....

[stumptalker]

Try Green Acres, or Gilligan’s Isle.

[niteowl77]

While watching the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" many years ago, I caught a snippet of classical music in the "Sea of Monsters" portion, and I could not get it out of my head. Subsequently I would hear the same piece here and there, and always wondered what in the heck it was (my knowledge of classical music is abysmal, even though I often enjoy listening to it). I was a lowbrow with a symphony orchestra earworm.

(It was - and is - Bach's "Air on a G String," a title which I initially thought was hilarious. Once a lowbrow...)

[netmilsmom]

Mmmmm. mmmmm. mmmmm.

[netmilsmom]

>>Its a sound track.<<

that’s the way I think of it!!!!

[Slings and Arrows]

I would post the lyrics, but that wouldn’t be fair to your patients.

[newfreep]

Mamas & Papas "Dancing Bear" (for the last week or so). It features Jill Gibson who had replaced Michelle on some of the tracks of their 2nd album after Michelle was (briefly) fired from group.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xKyQyY220U

[niteowl77]

When I was little, Nat King Cole’s “Mona Lisa” was - seemingly - being played constantly on one of the radio stations my aunt listened to while she was in the kitchen. The first time I heard Brian Setzer’s version of the song, I was aghast, but now I like ‘em both. Potential alternating earworms.

[BOBWADE]

I fell asleep once listening to Pink Floyd-The Wall and had it on repeat. Woke up with Comfortably Numb stuck in my head for a couple days.

[raybbr]

I have a seven and a four year old. They are Indiana Jones fans. All day, every day, for the last month (since they got their Didjes (look it up)) I have had the theme song from Indiana Jones in my head. They hum it. Sing it. Yell it. It's on the Didj (look it up). Even right now, in the other room, the theme song from Indiana Jones is on.

[niteowl77]

Some of Pink Floyd's stuff is first-class earworm material, but for me it is usually not the vocals.

(It is often Gilmour's guitar work.)

An audio equipment outfit in Des Moines used to use bits of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" for its radio ads, and I could NOT shake that for the longest time.

[paltz]

Thank God that empty suit Obama didn’t have a campaign song.

mmm mmm mmm ...... Barack Hussein Obama