The Effects of Music on Earworms

Scientists aren't entirely sure why we get songs in our head. But they suspect that something about the mental architecture of our brains allows musical patterns to emerge and play over and over. Studies, like this one published in the journal Psychology of Music, show that earworms typically occur in response to a few basic triggers. Recency, familiarity, and boredom. Composers and artists who write songs intentionally build repetition into their music to boost the odds of creating an earworm. Think Miley Cyrus's Flowers and Queen's Classic Bohemian Rhapsody.