# Hardest recognizable song to hum? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 26, 2003, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-recognizable-song-to-hum/197795 "2003-08-26T18:07:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-recognizable-song-to-hum/197795/1 "2003-08-26T18:07:14Z")
For these purposes, “human beat box” sounds are equivalent to humming. So, what’s the hardest song to hum/beatbox to someone and have them know it, but yet, one would recognize it in a heartbeat on the radio? My candidate is “Love Spreads” by Stone Roses. It’s in a “Grunge Key”, which is difficult to hum in, the notes are really close together, and furthermore, after the opening riff is repeated twice, it’s replaced by a variation that sounds quite similar. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-recognizable-song-to-hum/197795/2 "2003-08-26T18:11:15Z")
This is ancient, but “Stardust” has to be one of the more difficult songs not only to hum, but to sing. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-recognizable-song-to-hum/197795/3 "2003-08-26T18:14:03Z")
Giant Steps is no pushover, either. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-recognizable-song-to-hum/197795/4 "2003-08-26T18:15:34Z")
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” (Or the variation I prefer, “Smells Like Nirvana” 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-recognizable-song-to-hum/197795/5 "2003-08-26T18:17:41Z")
How 'bout some unhummable TV themse, like the themes from “ER” or “Seinfeld.” ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-recognizable-song-to-hum/197795/6 "2003-08-26T19:13:15Z")
Forgot about TV themes. A lot of them ARE hard to hum. Especially the Decade of TV Themes, the 70’s (and early 80s), what with the preponderance of wah-wah guitars and all. (Okay, so I can hum _Shaft_ but that’s about it.) ---
**Author:** ![troub](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troub/32/14802_2.png) [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-recognizable-song-to-hum/197795/7 "2003-08-26T19:19:09Z")
“Walk This Way” – Aerosmith ?? ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-recognizable-song-to-hum/197795/8 "2003-08-26T19:49:40Z")
“Flight of the Bumblebee”, though one seldom hears this on the radio. ---
**Author:** ![japatlgt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@japatlgt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/japatlgt)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-recognizable-song-to-hum/197795/9 "2003-08-26T20:21:31Z")
My Sharona ---
**Author:** ![Nanook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nanook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanook)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-recognizable-song-to-hum/197795/10 "2003-08-27T00:34:53Z")
The bridge of Sophisticated Lady. Try to stay on pitch without accompaniment. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-recognizable-song-to-hum/197795/11 "2003-08-27T00:50:52Z")
Rock Me Amadeus. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-recognizable-song-to-hum/197795/12 "2003-08-27T00:54:46Z")
The Star-Spangled Banner. ---
**Author:** ![Husker\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Husker\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Husker_Dude)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-recognizable-song-to-hum/197795/13 "2003-08-27T01:01:24Z")
Ever atempt to hum Marquee Moon by Television? It’s impossible. ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-recognizable-song-to-hum/197795/14 "2003-08-27T01:25:10Z")
Friday on My Mind. Some really crazy modal-type guitar parts and apparent key changes. I never fail to be impressed with that song’s structure. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-recognizable-song-to-hum/197795/15 "2003-08-27T03:32:24Z")
This has already been mentioned, but “The Star-Spangled Banner” is often considered quite hard to sing because it has a wide range from its lowest note to its highest note. The same problem would exist with humming it. A popular song with a complicated structure is “Good Vibrations” by the Beach Boys. I dare anyone to memorize it and then hum it. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-recognizable-song-to-hum/197795/16 "2003-08-27T04:33:13Z")
Give “Up Up and Away (in my Beautiful, my Beautiful Balloon)” a try, why don’t you? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-recognizable-song-to-hum/197795/17 "2003-08-27T04:54:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nanook \* > \*\*The bridge of Sophisticated Lady. Try to stay on pitch without accompaniment. \*\* So very true. But a snap compared to Lush Life. ---
**Author:** ![leenmi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f1d935/32.png) [@leenmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leenmi)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-recognizable-song-to-hum/197795/18 "2003-08-27T05:25:20Z")
Loser by Beck. ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-recognizable-song-to-hum/197795/19 "2003-08-27T05:45:34Z")
**Earl Snake-Hips** beat me to it. Me and a few friends tried to vocally reproduce the _ER_ theme but always end up looking and sounding like complete morons. (we do these sorta things on friday nights) ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-recognizable-song-to-hum/197795/20 "2003-08-27T05:50:59Z")
I don’t know about hardest, but a serious effort at “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It” by REM should pretty much leave a person light headed from lack of oxygen. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardest-recognizable-song-to-hum/197795.md?page=2)