If you’ve ever had a song stuck in your head, also known as an earworm, you know how truly annoying it can be. A study conducted by James K. Kellaris at the University of Cincinnati worked with over 1000 participants to analyze why songs get stuck in our heads. He found that 99% of the study participants occasionally had problems with earworms. Of these people, 73.7% were more likely to have a song with lyrics stuck in their head. 18.6% received advertisements or jingles, and 7.7% received instrumental music earworms.
The question remains on how to get a song out of your head, and although there is no proven method, there are numerous suggestions to try. In all seriousness, some people, especially the elderly who may have reduced mental function, can get stuck in a song so badly for such a long time that they benefit from medications like Prozac. For most suffering with an earworm, there are many other ways to get it out of your head without drugs.
Even if we might be overwhelmed by ABBA, John Mellencamp, “It’s a Small World,” or other simple but repetitive songs in our head, we can mentally lower these tunes. Very consciously, lower the song to a whispered volume in your head. If it becomes louder again, keep lowering it.
Another trick to get a song out of your head is to go to a place where you can sing or listen to the entire song at full volume. Often we only have a part of the song stuck in our head. Singing the entire song frees the brain from repetition and works better than just listening. It doesn’t matter if you’re a good singer or a really bad one. If you don’t have the lyrics, you can get the lyrics of any song from many sources on the Internet.
If you really don’t want to sing, you could try physical or mental exercise to get a song out of your head. Try jogging around the block, push-ups or pull-ups, or a few minutes of dancing to the rhythm of your inner song. Alternatively, a mental puzzle might distract you. Play a gripping game of sudoku, do a crossword, try to solve a Rubik’s cube, or try to solve a logic puzzle.
Many claim to have “antidote” songs to get a song out of their head. If you seem tormented by a particularly annoying song, choose another simple song with repetitive lyrics or instrumental simplicity to think about. The only downside of the antidote song is that it might become your next earworm. Some suggest having an antidote to the antidote to prevent another song from getting stuck.
If you often have songs stuck in your head, consider some different musical choices. First, keep the radio off. Repetitive jingles or playlists can become your next earworms. Second, choose to listen to complexly structured music. If you listen to a band like Rush or a jazz band like Pat Metheny, you’ll have trouble keeping up with the times in key, as they change quickly. Modern composers like Phillip Glass, Bela Bartok, or others can help prevent earworms from getting stuck.
Alternatively, listen to non-Western music. For example, Indonesian gamelan music is so different from Western music that it can often confuse the brain and prevent it from sticking to a particular song. Also choose songs without lyrics, as they are less likely to get stuck. Avoid simple instrumental tracks like Pachelbel’s Canon or movie themes like The Pink Panther or Mission Impossible. Even the 1812 Overture or the William Tell Overture should be avoided.
If despite these tricks, you can’t get a song out of your head, a certain degree of acceptance on the matter might help the song disappear sooner. Try to ignore the song, as one might ignore background music at work or in an elevator. Sooner or later, your brain will engage in something else, which will eliminate the annoying earworm.
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