# How do songs get stuck in one's head?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-songs-get-stuck-in-ones-head/331985>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 20, 2005, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-songs-get-stuck-in-ones-head/331985 "2005-11-20T21:54:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![gitfiddle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/898d66/32.png) [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-songs-get-stuck-in-ones-head/331985/1 "2005-11-20T21:54:08Z")

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I’m just curious, as far as brain regions and mechanisms go, why do songs get stuck in your head? What scientifically makes a song catchy? I mean, my girlfriend and I have had the new information number here in France stuck in our heads for days…“ceeeeeent dix-huit, deux cent dix-huit!”…why do things get stuck in your head and you can’t stop singing them over and over again?

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**Author:** ![cuchelain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@cuchelain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuchelain)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-songs-get-stuck-in-ones-head/331985/2 "2005-11-20T23:12:09Z")

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you can get Sean Bennett’s thesis on this very subject here:

[http://www.seanbennett.net/music/essays.html](http://www.seanbennett.net/music/essays.html)