Can't get that tune out of your head? You could have a bad case of the earworms

It's mostly the songs from the popular music genres that make the cut. Photo: Shutterstock/ IndiaPicture

Has you ever wondered why that song plays over and over again in your head, in a loop? Well, you are not alone--it happens to almost everyone. And it has nothing to do with its catchy tune or lyrics. What you are experiencing is involuntary musical imagery--or earworms. Yes, that's a thing. And scientists have proof.

According to a study published in the journal Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts, songs that are usually faster and have a fairly generic and easy-to-remember melody, get stuck in the head. Tha1t's because they have some unique intervals such as leaps or repetitions that set them apart from any other average pop song.

In fact, you can actually predict the songs that will do this to you. "In addition to a common melodic shape, the other crucial ingredient in the earworm formula is an unusual interval structure in the song such as some unexpected leaps or more repeated notes than you would expect to hear in any other song", says the study.

If you are looking forward to create some music of your own, this research will help you come up with a tune that everyone will remember for days and months. A survey, which was conducted to distinguish songs that contain the 'earworm' qualities, listed a few from the year 2010 to 2013. And you will probably be amused at the ones that made to the list. Bad Romance by Lady Gaga, Can't Get You Out Of My Head by Kylie Minogue, and Don't Stop Believing by Journey have grabbed the first three spots.

It's mostly the songs from the popular music genres, such as pop, rock, rap, rhythm, and blues that make the cut.

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