Shopping Cart

Description	Qty	Price
The Harvard Medical School 6-Week Plan for Healthy Eating (Print - Free U.S. Shipping!)		$20.00
Improving Memory: Understanding Age-Related Memory Loss (PDF - Lowest Price!)		$18.00
Harvard Health Letter (Print & Online Access (PDF)!)		$16.00
Subtotal		$54.00

Update Cart

Checkout

Please note: If you have a promotional code you'll be prompted to enter it prior to confirming your order.

Customer Sign In

Returning Customer

If you have an account, please sign in.

New Customers

If you subscribe to any of our print newsletters and have never activated your online account, please activate your account below for online access. By activating your account, you will create a login and password. You only need to activate your account once.

Activate My Account

Harvard Mental Health Letter

In Brief: The Quirky Brain: Why songs get "stuck" in people's heads

Published: May, 2010

Most people have experienced this phenomenon at one point or another: a mental replaying of a catchy tune, seemingly for no reason. The tunes that get stuck in people's heads are often advertising jingles, television theme songs, pop songs, and children's songs.

In scientific literature and in the lay press, the phenomenon goes by many names: sticky music, stuck songs, involuntary musical imagery, cognitive itch, mental concert, and ohrwurm (translated literally as "earworm").

To continue reading this article, you must login.

Subscribe to Harvard Health Online for immediate access to health news and information from Harvard Medical School.

Research health conditions
Check your symptoms
Prepare for a doctor's visit or test
Find the best treatments and procedures for you
Explore options for better nutrition and exercise

Learn more about the many benefits and features of joining Harvard Health Online »

Related Articles
Related Topics

5 ways to use less salt

7 ways to reduce stress and keep blood pressure down

3 diet changes to help lower cholesterol levels

Exercise can boost your memory and thinking skills

Depression and illness: Chicken or egg?

7 ways to reduce stress and keep blood pressure down

Where to turn for pain relief - acetaminophen or NSAIDs?

6 signs that it may be time to have a joint replaced

4 ways exercise helps arthritis

6 ways you can prepare to “age well”

Keeping bones strong

Building simple habits for healthy weight loss

Can diet help fight prostate cancer?

Most melanomas start as new spots

Factors that increase your risk for a secondary cancer

Healthy eating for blood sugar control

How to get more fiber in your diet

Common causes of constipation

5 natural ways to overcome erectile dysfunction

4 tips for coping with an enlarged prostate

Can diet help fight prostate cancer?

Keeping bones strong

Don't fall for these skin myths

What's your t-score? Bone density scans for osteoporosis

In Brief: The Quirky Brain: Why songs get "stuck" in people's heads

Subscribe to Harvard Health Online for immediate access to health news and information from Harvard Medical School.

Related Articles

Related Topics