What’s the formula for making an earworm?

Available for over a year

Ever wondered what makes a catchy song, catchy? Ashley Burgoyne from the University of Amsterdam analysed musical segments from grabby songs to see what they have in common - and found some key musical features. His research suggests that melody is the single most important factor in why a song might be catchy and stick in our minds over the long term. Using examples from the world of pop music, Ashley explains how various melodic features - such as repetition - form part of a recipe to create an earworm.