Ear worms can be pleasurable, bringing forth emotion of a sentimental or nostalgic kind. Memories of people, places and times from our past coming flooding back.
Many people have experienced what scientists call “ear worms”, a phrase that is taken from the German Ohrwurm, meaning “stuck song syndrome”. Daniel Levitin claims in his book This Is Your Brain On Music that musicians have these attacks more frequently than non-musicians, and that those with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are especially prone. A song plays over and over in your head, for hours at a time. The phenomenon has acquired a technical term: involuntary musical imagery.
Levitin claims that simple songs and commercial jingles are often the culprits. Some people find ear worms so annoying they resort to strange tactics to get the endless repetition to stop. They’ll chew gum or sing “God Save The King” to themselves, or play other music loudly. Sometimes nothing works.
The noted writer Oliver Sacks devoted an entire chapter of his book Musicophilia to the ear worm, with a different tack, claiming “we are on much richer, much more mysterious territory when we consider tunes or musical fragments we have perhaps not heard or thought of in decades, that suddenly play in the mind for no reason.”
Ear worms can be pleasurable, bringing forth emotion of a sentimental or nostalgic kind. Memories of people, places and times from our past coming flooding back. The songs could have been recorded by one-hit wonders or established artists. They can be obscure numbers that barely made the charts or wildly popular – what matters is the impact of that song at a particular time in your life: making you feel happy, sad, deeply in love or miserably alone. Music is a powerful catalyst that has an amazing capacity to enrich our lives.
And- there’s no accounting for taste. Here are ten ear worms (listed by year of release) from this listener that are most welcome in my mind and heart whenever they occur.
Trying To Get To You ~ Elvis Presley ~release date 1956
From Presley’s first album, this song is a roller-coaster of longing. It was a remake of an earlier 1954 song by an obscure group called The Eagles, who were based in Philadelphia. Elvis pulls out all the vocal stops. He loved the song so much that he performed it at almost every concert throughout his career. His ultimate performance of this tune is available on YouTube, from his 1968 comeback special. It is sensational.
Bobby’s Girl ~ Marcie Blaine ~ release date 1962
A number one record from the 18 year-old Marcie Blaine, who for a short flaming period of time was the best-selling female artist in America. Her talking intro, the male background voices singing “you’re not a kid anymore”, and the longing for belonging that pervaded this song made this an irresistible ear worm. She never had another hit, and she didn’t need to. If this song gets into your brain it never leaves.
When You Walk In The Room ~ The Searchers ~ release date 1964
The Searchers were the second-best group ever to come out of Liverpool, with terrific musicality. The 12-string guitar, the solid drumming, and the wonderful harmonies turned this Jackie DeShannon number into a powerhouse. “I close my eyes for a second and pretend it’s me you want, meanwhile I try to act so nonchalant”. There are no better lyrics to describe loving someone who doesn’t know you exist.
Suspicion ~ Terry Stafford ~release date 1964
This was a remake of an Elvis tune from 1963, and Terry had a voice that echoed Elvis, but his version was far from a copy. The arrangement featured an unusual French keyboard called the Ondioline; this was the hook. Terry sings his heart out, and audiences responded, with sales that edged out even The Beatles. Try this version. I think you’ll agree it touches the heart in a way that Elvis didn’t quite manage. Terry was a one-hit wonder, but what a wonder!
Flowers On The Wall ~ The Statler Brothers ~ release date 1965
Backed by three members of Johnny Cash’s band, this ditty by the Statlers rose to number two on the pop and country charts, and made them stars. “Playing solitaire till dawn with a deck of fifty-one, smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo, now don’t tell me I’ve nothing to do”. Written by Lew DeWitt, one of the founding members and lead tenor, this song is a classic of mordant humour. The Statlers combined gospel harmonies with comedy. Brilliant stuff!
You’re So Vain ~ Carly Simon ~ release date 1972
One half of the singing Simon Sisters and the daughter from the publishing house Simon & Schuster, Carly Simon was one heck of a writer and singer. Who knows the true subject of this mysterious lyric? – was it about Warren Beatty? or Mick Jagger? (who ironically sang back-up vocals on the cut). She’ll never tell. “You’re so vain, you probably think this song is about you”. The ultimate put-down, the perfect assessment of a pure narcissist. Must have been Beatty… no, must have been Jagger. We’ve all known someone just like the guy in this song.
Break It To Them Gently ~ Burton Cummings ~ release date 1978
The most talented pop composer ever to come out of Canada, Burton Cummings scored a major hit with this song, apparently written in 25 minutes after he had watched a crime show on TV. The subject: “I got in too deep with strangers.” The story of a man who can never go home, but loves his family dearly, is a tear-jerker. For decades it was the most played song on Canadian radio. Burton Cummings is highly underrated; he’s one of the top five pop singers of all time and a superb pianist.
Islands in the Stream ~ Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton ~ release date 1983
Voted on several occasions the best vocal duet in country music of all time, this song was written by Barry Gibb of the BeeGees. Full of hooks from the opening moment, lavish with emotion and tenderness, there is simply not another song like this one. Written as a Motown-type number for Diana Ross, Kenny and Dolly transformed it by taking alternate lead vocals, then harmonizing on the chorus. This is an ear worm supreme.
California Blue ~ Roy Orbison ~ release date 1989
Written by Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty for Roy’s comeback album Mystery Girl, California Blue was released as a single several months after Roy’s death in 1988. It featured Tom Petty and Mike Campbell on guitars and back-up vocals, along with Lynne. It wasn’t a big-seller, in fact it’s not even a typical emotional track from Roy. It’s a song of pure joy, an optimistic look at the future, a complete and satisfying update of “Blue Bayou”. Proof positive that less can be more.
Toes ~ Zac Brown Band ~ release date 2009
Yes, we do listen to music from this century. . . The debut album from the Zac Brown Band is essential listening, with four or five great singles. The unforgettable track is “Toes”, a song cherished by bar-lovers, beach-lovers, and good-timers everywhere. It’s got a lazy Jimmy Buffett “Margaritaville” feel and a toe-tapping country beat that just, in fact, can’t be beat. This song is going to last for decades.
In closing, we hope you’ve enjoyed this roundup of our favorite ear worms. We’d love to hear about yours, so feel free to respond in our comments section below.
