Earworms
Why do certain songs lodge themselves in our brain and refuse to budge? Tom Service unearths the musical secrets behind earworms with guest Jarvis Cocker.
Remember the last tune you had stuck in your head? It's probably back there now... sorry about that... Whether it's Ravel's Bolero or Lady Gaga's Bad Romance we've all had them. But why and how can certain songs or pieces lodge themselves in our musical memory and refuse to budge.
In a special edition live from the Reading Rooms of Wellcome Collection, Tom Service is joined by singer and broadcaster Jarvis Cocker to unearth the maddening musical secrets behind earworms as they pick some of their 'favourites', try to create an earworm out of the most unlikely music possible, and hear from music psychologist Kelly Jakubowski on the science behind it all.
Part of Why Music? The Key to Memory, a weekend of live events, concerts and discussions exploring the implications of music's unique capacity to be remembered, produced by Radio 3 in partnership with Wellcome Collection.
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Why Music? The Key to Memory
Wellcome Collection hosts a weekend of fascinating programmes on music and the mind.
Got an earworm?
If so, 6Music's Shaun Keaveny wants to know
Music Played
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Giuseppe Verdi
Rigoletto - Act 3; La Donna e mobile [Duke's song]
Performer: Munich Radio Orchestra. Performer: Marcello Viotti.- Decca.
- 421 318-2.
-
Dexys Midnight Runners
Come On Eileen
- Too-Rye-Ay.
- Mercury.
- 514839-2.
-
John Williams
Raiders of the Lost Ark March
Performer: The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.- Silva America.
- 1235.
-
ABBA
Mamma Mia
- ABBA Gold.
- Polydor.
- Polar517 007-2.
-
Edward Elgar
Pomp and circumstance marches (Op.39), no.1 in D major;
Orchestra: 麻豆社 Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Sir Andrew Davis.- Teldec.
- 903173278-2.
-
Kylie Minogue
Can't Get You Out Of My Head
- Fever.
- Parlophone.
- 7243 535804 2 1.
-
John Kander
New York, New York
Performer: Frank Sinatra.- Trilogy: Past Present Future.
- Universal.
- 0602527280905.
-
Piero Umiliani
Mahna Mahna
Performer: The Muppets.- The Muppet Show.
- Pye Records.
- NSPH19.
-
Rihanna
Umbrella (feat. JAY-Z)
- Good Girl Gone Bad.
- Def Jam.
- 1735109.
-
The Rembrandts
I'll Be There For You
- L.P..
- East West Records America.
- 7559-61752-2.
-
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Ah! Vous Dirais-Je Maman K265 (Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)
Performer: The Swingle Singers.- Swinging Mozart.
- Philips.
- SBL 7656.
-
The Knack
My Sharona
- Get The Knack.
- Capitol Records.
- CDP7918482.
-
Glenn Miller
In the Mood
Performer: Glenn Miller Big Band.- MUS.
- 10007-2.
-
Kool & the Gang
Let's Go Dancing
- Mercury.
- PHCA-2007.
-
Rond貌 Veneziano
La Serenissima
- La Serenissima.
- Baby.
- 590 027-2.
-
Franz Schubert
Piano Trio In E-Flat, Op. 100 (Second Movement)
- Original Barry Lyndon Soundtrack.
- Warner Bros. Records.
- K56189.
-
Jimmy Van Heusen
Love and Marriage
Performer: Frank Sinatra.- This Is Sinatra!.
- Capitol Records.
- 4 96989 2.
-
Karlheinz Stockhausen
Klavierstucke III
Performer: Aloys Kontarsky.- Sony.
- S2K 53346.
-
Ludwig van Beethoven
Fur Elise
Performer: Ronald Brautigam.- Etcetera.
- KTC 1018.
-
The Pointer Sisters
Pinball Number Count
- Cookie Monster & The Girls.
- Ninja Tune.
- ZEN 12143.
-
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Le Nozze di Figaro... (K.492), Act 1, no.9; Non piu andrai [aria]
Performer: Bryn Terfel. Performer: Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Performer: Charles Mackerras.- Le Nozze di Figaro.
- DG.
- 4775886.
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Podcast
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The Listening Service
An odyssey through the musical universe, presented by Tom Service