SOP #22. Cant Get You Out Of My Head

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Artist: Bob Tozier
School: North Allegheny

Notes:

As much as we might have crazy love for pop music, pop music also loves to drive us crazy. Earworms that grab you and won’t let go; cookie-cutter compositions that bedevil in their unoriginality; strange new sounds that vex, rankle, confound. How does pop music possess the unique ability to get under our skin? We pull apart some of the stickiest songs to try and find out.

Songs Discussed:

The Fine Young Cannibals – She Drives Me Crazy
The Backstreet Boys – I Want It That Way
Katy Perry – California Girls
Kesha – Tik Tok
Mozart – Piano Concerto No.20 in D minor, K.466
Grady Smith – Why Country Music Was Awful in 2013
Grady Smith – Country Stars Who Don’t Like Their Own Records
Fletcher Hederson – The Stampede
Skrillex – Bangarang
Elvis Presley – Jailhouse Rock
Kylie Minogue – Can’t Get You Out Of My Head

Comments

Jack Lopuszynski from: North Allegheny - posted: March 4, 2019
For some reason, I feel like the music of AJR gets commonly stuck in my head. After listening to this podcast, I went back and listened to one of their songs called "Pretender"... and it fits all the qualifications of a catchy song, especially the specific style of singing.

Chelsea Chao from: North Allegheny - posted: March 6, 2019
Certain pop songs in the music industry have the ability to implant these "earworms" in us by having certain components in them. According to a study conducted by the Museum of Science and Industry, Spice Girls' "Wannabe" is the catchiest song. On average, users took just 2.29 seconds to recognize the song. Lou Bega's "Mambo No. 5" was the second most recognizable song (2.48 seconds). Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" was third at 2.62 seconds. What do all of these songs have in common? They all have an intro that starts off with an ABAB rhyme pattern.

Luke Wood from: North Allegheny - posted: March 26, 2019
One Direction songs get stuck in my head alot. While people often view their music as cheesy pop songs, I think their songs are specifically crafted to make people like them. It's almost as if the writers for One Direction turned songwriting into a science.

Aman Khalid from: North Allegheny - posted: March 26, 2019
Speaking of terrible country music, that awful rap/country song Mr. Tozier keeps playing in class is firmly burned into my brain, though its sinful use of country cliches like the flirty Southern drawl and the pandering of a millionaire pop artist to a lower socioeconomic rural class (hence the "Cowboy hat from Gucci" lyric) does a great job of mocking today's country, even if unintentionally.

Brett McCutcheon from: North Allegheny - posted: March 27, 2019
Many of these songs have super catchy lines. A lot of western songs using 3rds and 6ths jumps can make it stuck in our heads. Or just modulations do it for me.

Jake Mellinger from: North Allegheny - posted: March 28, 2019
I feel like most pop songs today are less of a form of art and more of an equation to formulate a hit. This equation is for easy listening and catchy tunes that people can't seem to get out of their head. However, the boringness of some of these songs makes them frustrating when they get stuck in your head.

Reid Suddaby from: North Allegheny - posted: March 28, 2019
I find many songs which get stuck in my head. One song which resembles earworm for me is Dark Horse by Katy Perry. The song has a shrill, yet catchy sound to it which just stays in my head. Another jingle is the state farm jingle, due it's repetitive melody. Regardless, these songs manage to do what they are intended for, being catchy.

melina bowser from: North Allegheny - posted: March 29, 2019
There are many artists-- specifically ones that are frequently played on the radio-- that use the ear worm technique as a way to get their songs well known and to the top of the charts. At least for me, Meghan Trainor songs get stuck in my head SO often because of their catchy melodies, easy to remember lyrics, and pop-y, summertime sound. Most catchy songs are happy, "light" songs that don't require much thinking or analyzing, and that's a huge part of their M.O.

Emma Hackworth from: North Allegheny - posted: April 1, 2019
A lot of musical songs can frequently get stuck in my head. Especially after I am in a musicsl and rehearsing the music everyday, it is automatically always in my head. Also, songs like "Call me Maybe" or other catchy songs with repeating lyrics tend to be easily remembered.

Vicky Lee from: North Allegheny - posted: April 2, 2019
Songs that have repetitive chord progressions or catchy phrases gets stuck in my head. It's easy to remember and so it's easy for me to play it over and over again in my head, even when I'm trying not to.

Ainsley Ferron from: North Allegheny - posted: April 3, 2019
Every time my friend plays "Bye Bye Bye" by NSYNC in her car, I have it stuck in my head for ages! It's such a classic, highly-produced pop song, and it's incredibly catchy. I just find myself in the halls and in the background my mind keeps singing "no it ain't no lie, baby, bye bye bye" over and over! Still a fun song though...