Earworm - Definition

Earworm may also refer to the Helicoverpa zea (corn earworm).

Earworm, a literal translation of the German Ohrwurm, is a term for a song stuck in one's head, particularly an annoying one. Use of the English translation was introduced by James Kellaris, an associate professor of marketing at the University of Cincinnati. His studies appeared to demonstrate that different people have varying susceptibilities to earworms, but that almost everybody has been afflicted at some time or another.

Here are some recent examples of earworms:

• The Lion Sleeps Tonight — Solomon Linda
• We Will Rock You — Queen
• Take A Chance On Me — ABBA
• Who Let The Dogs Out — Baha Men
• Whoomp! (There It Is) — Tag Team or the similarly named Whoot (There It Is) by DC Tag Team
• YMCA — The Village People
• Macarena — Los Del Rio
• Feliz Navidad — Jose Feliciano
• Barbie Girl — Aqua
• Dragostea din tei — O-Zone

as well as several songs for children:

• It's a Small World (After All) — Sherman Brothers
• This is the Song That Never Ends — Shari Lewis & Lamb Chop

and various advertising jingles for food items.

A specially-composed earworm ("Tenser, said the tensor...") plays a central role in the science-fiction novel The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester.

See also

• Meme
• Badger Badger Badger for an example
• Bananaphone for another
• List of self-referential songs

External links

• Maim That Tune (http://prettypictures.com/cgi-bin/maim/maim.pl) — a website that offers alternative tunes which, albeit annoying, are likely to drive any other tune from the victim's head.