Why do Songs get “Stuck in our Heads”? Towards a Theory for Explaining Earworms

Abstract

This paper offers a critical reflection on the paucity of theories for the phenomenon of “earworms,” also known as involuntary musical imagery (INMI), and poses some as-yet unanswered questions relating to the unique nature of the phenomenon, the optimal conditions for earworm induction, as well the underlying mechanisms that may drive the behavior. While numerous earworm studies have focused on analyzing the symptoms of the phenomenon, few studies have attempted to focus on investigating the underlying cause. In addition, common explanations are typically tied to proximal rather than distal causes (e.g., recent exposure). In particular, the question of “why music” (as opposed to other time-based auditory stimuli such as language/poetry), or, perhaps “what about music” is raised, and some conjectures and starting places for future studies are offered. Possible theoretical avenues and testable hypotheses are suggested, based on synthesizing informal observations and existing empirical research across multiple disciplines.