Approximately 90% of people get them once a week. Like today, I had Pocketful of Sunshine by Natasha Bedingfield in my head. Hopefully, this recap of NPR's John Donvan's interview with psychologist Vicky Williamson will help clear up the topic of earworms.
First, it's not clear what really causes these sudden bursts of melody, but scientists have some pretty good ideas, including stress, memory triggers, and your emotional state. Sometimes, the song we hear in our head is a perfect replica of the original.
Many songs you hear, such as children's songs, are songs you have heard hundreds of thousands, and as a result you hear them constantly. It seems like repetition is the key. The more you hear it, the more you seem stuck with it.
But, fortunately, you can beat earworms. Listening to a different song, going for a run, or doing a crossword puzzle may help. It is quoted in the article that, "Some people think the British national anthem sung slowly is good for getting rid of earworms".
Another website I can across said that earworms may be the brain trying to close a gap in rhythm, scale, or lyrics. Some songs are more catchy than others, too. There are songs that are important to us for a while, we are overexposed to them.
Hopefully, scientists will eventually come up with a cure.
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