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Music playing "in your head"

Do you ever get this "earworm" sensation?


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Ivo

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Does anyone else get this?

Referred to as an "earworm", it is a sensation in which part of your mental awareness and/or thoughts is taken up by music repeating itself ad nauseum, often typified by being inaccurate (especially skipping ahead). They are difficult to get rid of and in some cases can last for days.

At present I am switching constantly between the ending of an unknown song by one of two rather annoying groups from about ten years ago (either Steps or S Club, not sure which; either way, shudder), and the character select screen for the Nintendo64 game Diddy Kong Racing.

It does cause quite an annoyance it times. There is a certain song that I hate by a bunch of idiots called Aqua about a certain piece of plastic that I hate more than I hate Arriva (which is saying something), and yet it is probably about my fifth most frequent piece! <(

Anyway, anyone got any comments? I've added a poll as well.
 
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MidnightFlyer

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Happens to me quite a lot - at the moment I've got the intro to Easy Livin' by Uriah Heep stuck in my head...
 

Hydro

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Yes, I get it often. Usually the catchy hook of a song repeating itself over and over again. I find myself tapping the rhythm, humming it or whistling inadvertently. Sometimes its not annoying, if it's a good song, but more often than not it's a annoying pop song. The worst part is that only a tiny part of the song, or even something that resembles it, can set an earworm off.
 

SteveP29

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I was playing golf one day with 3 friends and somebody said something that reminded me of Your Song by Elton John. From then on, every single time I play golf, at some point, I will have that song in my head.

When I revealed this guilty secret to a playing partner during on of our regular fourballs (its not an accepted tune for rocker/ metaller/ punk to be admitting to), he admitted to us that he has The Land Of Make Believe by Bucks Fizz playing in his head for his entire round.
 

EM2

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At this moment, it is 'Live To Tell' by Madonna.
If I get 'infected' by a truly awful earworm, I tend to hum/whistle my emergency back-up song ('Pure' by The Lightning Seeds) until that takes root.
 

Minilad

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Happened to me last night. It is usually the last song playing in the car when I park up. Givin' the dog a bone by AC/DC was the song last night. Even blasted out a bit of a Karaoke version on the ECS back from Nottingham !!
 

Kernowfem

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That flipping "Base cannon" thing that was over played on radio 1 following chris moyles marathon show for comic relief....It took months to get it out of my bonce, only for it to come back on last week.....now it won't leave me alone!!!!
 

43021HST

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Had Video killed the radio star stuck in my head for two months. I should hate that sort of song but I dont, anyone know the cure?
 

Ivo

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One thing I didn't say is that a lot of the time I only need to see a song title and the whole thing starts! Aargh! As with the following blasted example... go away!!!!! <(

Had [stupid song] stuck in my head for two months. I should hate that sort of song but I dont, anyone know the cure?

Don't even go there. That song is 2nd on my Hate List overall, and probably as big a problem as the other one I mentioned. As for a cure, it might have to be disowning all audio-video equipment you own... (jk)

---------------

Even though I'm not exactly "into" music I do have a large array of pieces to cure annoying earworm instances, and also for things such as coursework. In the latter case I used to play the Sound Test on Lylat Wars (also on the N64), especially theme #13, but my save file got wiped a few weeks ago :cry:

---------------

Relating to deltic1989 below [to spare one post]: Don't say that!!!!!!!!!! <(

Now you all know how to annoy me...

---------------

SOLUTION to annoying situation:

Start playing classic (and even paid for!) Thunderbirds themes through my laptop. Much better :smile:
 
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deltic1989

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I get that sometimes, usually something good but on the odd occasion it can be really annoying. My earworm is currently Tears don't fall by Bullet for my Valentine. I've never had anything as bad as Barbie Girl though.
--------Edit------------

Thank you Klambert your avatar has now wedged the theme song from Balamory in my head, my kids are going to love that.
 

AlterEgo

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Currently being "afflicted" by Brian Wilson's masterpiece Surf's Up.

There are worse earworms to have!
 

43021HST

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One thing I didn't say is that a lot of the time I only need to see a song title and the whole thing starts! Aargh! As with the following blasted example... go away!!!!! <(



Don't even go there. That song is 2nd on my Hate List overall, and probably as big a problem as the other one I mentioned. As for a cure, it might have to be disowning all audio-video equipment you own... (jk)

---------------

Even though I'm not exactly "into" music I do have a large array of pieces to cure annoying earworm instances, and also for things such as coursework. In the latter case I used to play the Sound Test on Lylat Wars (also on the N64), especially theme #13, but my save file got wiped a few weeks ago :cry:

---------------

Relating to deltic1989 below [to spare one post]: Don't say that!!!!!!!!!! <(

Now you all know how to annoy me...

---------------

SOLUTION to annoying situation:

Start playing classic (and even paid for!) Thunderbirds themes through my laptop. Much better :smile:

To quote The Buggles

Video Killed the radio star, in my mind and in my car
I guess youtube killed the video star now.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Thank you Klambert your avatar has now wedged the theme song from Balamory in my head, my kids are going to love that.

All part of service, my avatar seems to have attracted more attention when compared to the previous one.

Funky town regularly gets stuck in my head.
 
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Bedpan

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Cheers Ivo, for picking this as a thread subject (NOT!) I've started reading this thread and when I got half way through a tune which has intermittantly been in my head for the last 20 years or so started up, and now I can't get rid of it. I haven't a clue what it's called but if I hummed it everybody would recognise it. Its a sort of march but it could be an operatic piece or suchlike, It usually comes into my thread when I am trying to do something in a limited time, such as stepping ou it whilst walking to the station in time to catch a train.
 

Harlesden

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Having been bought the damn thing by my mother at the age of 8 - to broaden my musical appreciation - The Sorcerer's Apprentice (Paul Dukas) pops into my head at odd times, 48 years later.
Nice video of it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqbCclAGUO8&feature=related (some forum members might appreciate the young ladies featured in the video)
The first pop record I was bought was either "I Remember You" (Frank Ifield) or "Telstar" (The Tornadoes) neither of which have stuck in my head.
 

Peter Mugridge

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Half the time in my case it's not music but the noises of doing the WCML in a Mk3 rake...:roll:

( Not that I'm complaining! )

When it is music it's usually something like a TV or film theme, like the Vision On music even!
 

DaveNewcastle

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Currently "Anything Goes" by Cole Porter
That tune quite often pops into my head too, as does his "Night and Day", Kurt Weill's "Mack the Knife" and quite a few others from before I was born.
How did they get in there?
Oh, and songs from the film "South Pacific" which I've never seen (not even on TV).
 

NSEFAN

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I have Shostakovich 5 and 7 stuck in my head, having played them last year and during the summer. :D
 
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