Can you have a song stuck in your head for years?

An earworm, sometimes referred to as a brainworm, sticky music, stuck song syndrome, or, most commonly after earworms, Involuntary Musical Imagery (INMI), is a catchy and/or memorable piece of music or saying that continuously occupies a person’s mind even after it is no longer being played or spoken about.

How long can earworm last?

Defined by researchers as a looped segment of music usually about 20 seconds long that suddenly plays in our heads without any conscious effort, an earworm can last for hours, days, or even, in extreme cases, months.

What is one of the biggest triggers for earworms?

Why Earworms Get Stuck In Our Heads Earworms can be caused or triggered by the most recent song you listened to, a song or tune listened to repeatedly, a song listened to during a period of stress, or a song that connects to past events or memories.

Can you stop an earworm in its tracks?

If you’ve had enough of your earworm and need to stop it in its tracks, you would be well warned not to try to block the song out, but rather to passively accept it. A determined effort to block the song out may result in the very opposite of what you want.

What are earworms and how dangerous are they?

Earworms can attack almost anyone at almost any time. No, it’s not an invasion of jungle insects. It’s worse. Earworms are those songs, jingles, and tunes that get stuck inside your head. You’re almost certain to know the feeling, according to marketing professor James J. Kellaris, PhD, of the University of Cincinnati.

Why do I get earworms when I hear a song?

Memories can trigger an earworm, even if you haven’t heard it recently, if you are with a person or in a place that you associate with a certain song. “It’s memory association,” Jakubowski said. According to the researchers, two-thirds of earworm episodes are considered to be either neutral or positive by the people experiencing them.

What happens when a song gets stuck in your head?

Stuck song syndrome: When a song remains in your brain’s phonological loop for an extended duration, you’re left with an earworm. Whether you perceive the earworm as pleasant or unpleasant is likely contingent upon whether you enjoy the song that’s stuck in your head.