Have you ever found yourself humming a tune without realizing it? Why is it that certain songs seem to catch on with your brain and won’t leave? What’s behind the secret sauce that hit songwriters use to create those musical moments that you just can’t seem to shake from your head? These are all questions that have crossed the minds of every music lover at least once. Maybe you heard a new pop hook this morning that’s still stuck in your head at dinner. Or perhaps a classic rock anthem from years ago still has you tapping your foot and singing along every time. We’ve all experienced this at least once, and I, a music writer with two decades of experience in the industry, know that there’s something almost magical about a hook. Of course, there’s no magic to a hook at all. What I mean is that there’s a combination of clever songwriting and a few quirks of your own mind. In this article, we’re going to explore what goes into a hook being so memorable. We’re looking at what goes into a hook on a musical level, but we’re also looking at what goes into a hook on a psychological level. By the end, you’re sure to understand why you’re still humming that one part of a song, and perhaps you might learn to appreciate that earworm a little more.
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What Exactly Is a “Hook” in Music?
As far as a song is concerned, the hook is the catchy phrase or melody that catches your ear and lingers in your mind. It could be a catchy melody or rhythm or any such thing that is intended to “hook” the listener. According to a music manual, the hook is “the catchy phrase, riff, or line that grabs your attention and stays in your head long after the track has ended.” Unlike the rest of the song or the verses, hooks are normally short and repeated phrases that are easily recognizable. They could be vocal (sung melody or chant), or instrumental (guitar riff or synthesizer melody), or even lyrical (repeated catchy phrase in the chorus).
Hooks are everywhere. For instance, that famous guitar hook in Deep Purple’s “Smoke on Water” is a melodic hook – it’s just a couple of bold notes that every rock music lover recognizes. On the other hand, that catchy chorus in Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” (“Here’s my number, so call me maybe”) is a lyrical hook – it’s just an incredibly catchy phrase that we could all sing along to in chorus. Hooks also aren’t exclusive to any particular music style or genre. For instance, that piano hook in Dr. Dre’s “Still D.R.E.” or that catchy synth hook in Calvin Harris’ “Summer” are both hooks in their own right just as much as that famous “na-na-na” part in The Beatles’ “Hey Jude”. Whatever it is that it is, it’s always the hook that gets remembered and hummed when the music is over.
But why are hooks such a big deal? When it comes to popular music, hooks often make or break a song. A song’s musical signature, its hook is what defines the song and makes it unique. A good song hook is what will make the difference between a song being remembered and one being replayed. Usually, it’s no coincidence that the song’s message and its title will be included in the song’s hook – it’s meant to be remembered. Song writers and producers know that in this day and age, they only have seconds to catch the attention of their listeners. If the song’s hook is good, you’ll be hooked right from the start. And if it’s really good, you’ll find yourself hitting the repeat button on your music station just to hear the catchy tune once again.
The Musical Ingredients of a Catchy Hook
But what makes a hook catchy from a music theory standpoint? Although there is no one-size-fits-all approach to creating a catchy hook, many catchy hooks have a few musical characteristics in common. Here are a few of the most important:
So what makes a hook catchy from a music theory perspective? While there’s no single formula, many ear-catching hooks share a few common musical traits. Songwriters often combine these elements to craft a hook that burrows into your memory:
- Simplicity and Repetition: The most effective hook is always simple, something that is easily singable or memorable. Remember the songs from when you were a kid? The melodies are always simple and repetitive. A pop hook is the same thing. Short and simple phrases give the listener something to grab a hold of right away. Repetition is the key. Your brain is trained through repetition in a hook in a song. Notice how many times the “Umbrella-ella-ella” is in the hook from the big hit by Rihanna. It is meant to imprint itself in your brain.
- A Catchy Rhythm or Groove: A good hook is not just about the notes; rhythm is a huge factor too. Many hooks have a catchy rhythm and a foot-stomping beat, which makes them impossible to resist. For instance, Queen’s “We Will Rock You” is basically a rhythmic hook, and the stomp-stomp-clap beat is the hook, which is so simple that anyone can perform it. Many hooks are right in the pocket of the rhythm, which means they are in time with the beat in a catchy manner. Whether it is the funky bass line of Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” or the catchy beat of Outkast’s “Hey Ya!,” a good rhythmic component can make a hook stick in one’s memory not just in one’s mind but in one’s body too, which is achieved through rhythm and beat.
- Memorable Intervals or Notes: “Hook” melodies also frequently involve a catchy melody jump or note pattern that distinguishes them from other hooks. For example, it might involve an unexpected high note, an alternation between two different pitches, or a different pattern of tones altogether. Music psychologists also discovered that the average melody in an earworm has a simple melody with a few unique intervals: “some unique intervals… that set them apart from the average pop song.” In other words, a good hook has a familiar melody with a slight twist on it. A famous example of a hook with a melody jump would be the initial singing of the hook in The Beatles’ song “She Loves You,” in which the singing starts with an interval jump (a major sixth) from a low note up high, and it was a catchy hook from the start because it was so different from other pop hooks of the day. A more modern example would be the use of a melody pattern called the “Millennial Whoop,” a catchy pattern in pop hooks in recent years in which a simple alternation between two different pitches (the fifth and third in a key) was sung in a catchy pattern of ‘wa-oh-wa-oh.’
- Contrast and Placement: A hook tends to be the thing in the song that stands out from the rest of the music, making it something we notice. One way a hook stands out is if it changes something from the rest of the music. For example, it might be a change in the way the voice sounds (like going up an octave in the chorus), a change in the texture (like reducing the other instruments in the song and leaving the hook alone), or a rhythm change. For example, the verses in a song might be low and mellow-sounding, but then the hook in the chorus comes in loud and high. Another thing that is important in a hook is where the hook appears in the song. Often in today’s hits, the hook or the chorus appears right at the start of the song. Sometimes the hook is the intro. (This is why you see the hook in the first 30 seconds of a song today. As a producer explained in the streaming age: “Songs start right in on the chorus… if you don’t grab a listener right away you might lose them.”)
- Emotional Connection: Finally, the emotional component is an enormous part of the equation. You can be sure that an emotional hook is going to stick in your head better than a clever one. Maybe it’ll be the happy, anthemic build of a melody that puts a smile on your face, or maybe it’ll be the sad hook that pulls heartstrings; but if it speaks to you on an emotional level, chances are you’ll be humming the tune long after the song is over. Just consider the happy, nostalgic chorus of “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver or the “I will always love you” hook from the iconic Whitney Houston hit – these are hooks that stick not just in your head but in your heart as well. Sometimes the hook is the part of the song that provides the emotional reward. And hooks that are interactive – where the whole crowd is singing “Sweet Caroline (bum, bum, bum)!” together – are an emotional reward in itself.
To recap, the key ingredients in a hook are a good balance of simplicity and repetition, a musical or rhythmic component, a touch of the unexpected, and an emotional component. Artful writers of songs are masters at balancing all these ingredients in order to craft the perfect musical hook that you simply can’t get out of your head.
Why Your Brain Loves Hooks: The Psychology of “Earworms”
A hook wouldn’t be “catchy” if our brains didn’t fall for it. When a song (or a snippet of a song) gets stuck in your head and repeats itself over and over, there actually is a psychological term for this: an “earworm.” (It’s called Ohrwurm in German, but don’t sweat—it’s not a real bug! It’s more like a figure of speech to describe how a song gets stuck inside your head. Like a worm!) If you’ve ever had a hook or a chorus stuck in your head on repeat, then you know what an earworm is. And here’s a surprise: most people get earworms! In fact, studies show that between 98-99% of all people get earworms from time to time.
Earworms are described as these “sticky tunes that people can’t get out of their heads,” and they play in a loop in their mind. In reality, it’s just a piece of the song, and it’s almost always the hook or chorus of the song, and it plays in a loop in their mind. In fact, it has been shown in studies that an earworm episode almost always involves a piece about 15-30 seconds in length (or the length of a song’s hook/chorus) playing in a person’s mind. It’s a significant fact: it’s almost always the hookiest part of the song that our mind selects. What’s the reason behind hooks becoming earworms?
One key element is exposure and memory. The more you’re exposed to a song, the more opportunities you have for it to get stuck in there. Songs that are big hits and get lots of airplay on the radio or have catchy hooks in them are bound to get stuck in our heads just because they get so much repetition. But it’s not necessarily about getting a lot of repetition, because there are songs that seem to get stuck in our heads a lot more easily than others, even with similar amounts of airplay. Scientists have tried to determine what the common denominators are for songs that are earworms, and in the first big study on earworms, researchers for the study on earworms conducted by music psychology professionals found out that earworm songs have a common formula: they’re usually uptempo (faster and more upbeat), have relatively simple and catchy melodies, and have one thing about them that’s a little different, such as an unusual musical interval or repetition, which gives them a unique twist and makes them stick out in our minds. In other words, an earworm song is a “simple-but-different” formula: they’re catchy and easy to remember, and they have a unique twist to make them stand out so they’re not just one of a thousand other songs in our brains, so they’re interesting and different, and our brains are drawn to them because they’re a little bit interesting and a little bit catchy, and they’re not too difficult to remember because they’re so simple and repetitive, so they’re a little bit catchy, a little bit interesting, and a little bit unique, which is a great formula for an earworm, because they’re catchy and interesting and unique, and they’re not too difficult to remember because they’re so repetitive and catchy, so they’re a little bit catchy, a little bit interesting, and a little bit unique, which is a great formula for an earworm because they’re catchy and interesting and unique, and they’re not too difficult to remember because they’re so repetitive and catchy, so they’re a little bit catchy, a little bit interesting, and a little bit unique, which is a great formula for an earworm because they’re catchy and interesting and unique, and they’re not too difficult to remember because they’re so repetitive and catchy, so they’re a little bit catchy, a little bit interesting, and a little bit unique, which is a great formula for an earworm because they’re catchy and interesting and unique, and they
Another reason why hooks remain in our minds has to do with the way our brains process music. Think about it, when you hear a catchy hook, your brain is working overtime to commit those sounds to its audio memory. But here’s the interesting part: if you hear a part of a song that you know and then the music cuts out, your brain will keep singing along. Scientists from Dartmouth College proved this by discovering that our brains’ audio cortex, or the part of our brains that recognizes audio, will actually “complete” the music if a song is paused. In other words, if they played a song that everyone in the study recognized, like “Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones or “Yellow Submarine” by The Beatles, and then cut out a couple seconds of the music, our brains would instantly sing along. This is what happened in the study, and it proved that our brains are always working to “complete the tune.” So, if a hook has been put into our minds, our brains will be able to play it on repeat by themselves. The hook has essentially trained our brains. Our brains will be able to play it whenever it wants, whether it’s in the shower, on the way to work, or at 3 AM, when it randomly strikes us. This has happened to everyone, trust me.
On a psychological level, earworms can also be caused by association. For example, it could be that something in our surroundings or in our thoughts sparks the memory of a particular song, and that hook kicks in in our minds. This could be as obvious as recognizing a few notes when it comes on the radio or as nuanced as recognizing a word or phrase that relates to a particular lyric in our minds. For example, recognizing a telephone could get us singing Adele’s “Hello” in our minds or recognizing that we are happy and carefree could get us singing Pharrell’s hook “Because I’m happy…” in “Happy”.
But why are we stuck in this loop of hook repetition? One explanation compares earworms to “a cognitive itch,” as if “the music leaves us with a kind of itch in our minds, and we are trying to scratch it by replaying it.” “Catchy songs are repetitive and incomplete,” said James Kellaris, a musician and musicologist, who suggested that “earworms are a result of an interaction of properties of the songs and properties of your own brain” – some people are more likely to get earworms than others, “especially if you are a little bit anxious or if it was in a certain kind of mood.” In short, “the hook’s function is to get your attention – and then it holds your brain’s attention and kind of commandeers your mental jukebox.”
But there is also an emotional aspect to why we retain certain hooks. A positive, happy hook can stick because it makes us happy – your mind is happy to replay that little rush. Conversely, an angsty hook can stick because it speaks to something in you. Interestingly, research has shown that earworms tend to happen when we are doing nothing or engaging in habitual activities (such as taking a shower, driving, or waking up in the morning). It is in these times that our brains are left to “wander” and that catchy hook is able to fill that space. And when it also has an emotional or memorable aspect to it, it is likely to take over in our brains.
The point is, our brains are literally hardwired to remember catchy tunes. A good hook and our memory systems are meant for each other, no question. It’s easy for our brains to understand (simple and repetitive), it contains enough variation to be interesting (a twist our brains recognize), and it often involves movement and/or emotion (engaging our brains on multiple levels, from auditory recognition to motor rhythms and/or emotional components). No surprise that once a hook gets its hook in, it’ll be stuck in our heads for hours. This is why you can’t seem to shake that one tune from your head—the song is meant to be remembered, and our brains, being what brains are, keep it remembered.
(Fun fact: In recognition of the ubiquity of earworms, scientists have even produced lists of “top 10 earworm songs.” Leading off one such list was “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” by Kylie Minogue – apt title for something that many could not get out of their heads! Also making the list were irresistibly catchy tunes such as “YMCA” by Village People and the “Mission Impossible” theme song. If you hummed along to any of these titles, well… case in point.)
Examples of Unforgettable Hooks and Why They Work
The best example of the power of the hook is in the songs themselves. We’ll examine some of the most famous hooks in various genres and decades, and see what makes each of them so memorable:
- “Hey Jude” – The Beatles (1968): This classic rock ballad is capped off with perhaps the most iconic hook refrain of all time: the “Na-na-na, na-na-na-na” coda of “Hey Jude.” It is ridiculously easy (only a few notes repeated with an “na” nonsense syllable) and goes on for minutes, building as it progresses. McCartney wrote a true sing-along hook – by the end of the song, you are compelled to join in. The hook is effective not just because it is repetition of a happy, catchy melody that everyone can sing (no words required, no complicated melody change), but also because it is a communal feeling – even to this day, entire arenas will sing along to the “na-na-nas” in unison. All these elements come together to make this hook timeless and unforgettable.
- “We Will Rock You” – Queen (1977):Now, let’s discuss a hook to latch on to: the whole song is pretty much a hook itself! The rock anthem of Queen is made up of a simple stomp-stomp-clap beat and the shouted title refrain. The hook is pure genius in its simplicity: anyone, kids to adults, can stomp their feet and clap to the beat of the hook. Brian May, Queen’s guitarist, was inspired for the hook after a performance of one of their songs, in which the crowd was singing a traditional song, and he wanted to write a song for which the crowd, too, could perform alongside them. The verses are almost a rhythmic build-up to a chant, but it is in the chorus, where they shout “We will, we will rock you!” on the downbeats, with the thumping beat, that they strike gold. The reason for its popularity is because of its interactive nature (you feel the urge to stomp and clap to the beat) and because of its simplicity and repetitive nature. What is interesting about Queen is that they use a clever device in one of their songs: the hook, which is the catchy part of the song, is a rhythmic chant, which pretty much hits on every downbeat, making it a really stable and easy one to follow. They made sure to keep the song short and sweet, consisting pretty much of the hook and a guitar solo, so they would not overstay their welcome in the musical limelight. The end result is a hook so catchy that to this day, you can still hear its reverberations in sports stadiums and schoolyards everywhere!
- “Wannabe” – Spice Girls (1996): This ’90s pop anthem is one of the most catchy songs of all time – and it turns out there’s science behind why it sticks in your head. “Wannabe” was discovered to be the most recognizable song of the past few decades in a study on catchiness – on average, it took listeners a mere 2.3 seconds to identify the song. The hook here is the catchy “If you wanna be my lover….” refrain. So why is it so catchy? First of all, it is incredibly peppy and rhythmic – the tune jumps from note to note in a quick, repetitive motion that mirrors the motion of a cheer or a playground rhyme. The lyrics are catchy and repetitive (“zig-a-zig ah” may not mean anything to anyone, but it sure is fun to sing along to). And the song gets right to the good stuff – the catchy refrain comes early and often. And it all comes to an infectious dance beat – thus linking it in your mind to a positive and fun emotion. With all of these factors – a quick tempo, a simple yet catchy tune, a fun and simple lyric that repeats itself, a catchy beat – the song hits all the right marks according to the science of earworms. No wonder it is the most catchy pop song of all time – the Spice Girls sure did know how to spice up a catchy hook that the world couldn’t get enough of.
- “Bad Romance” – Lady Gaga (2009): One of the things that pop music in the 2000s offered was some truly infectious hooks, and Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” is a great example from the late 2000s. One thing that is interesting is that “Bad Romance” actually contains a couple of different hooks. But the one that you will always recall is the opening “Rah rah ah-ah-ah, ro mah ro-mah-mah” chant. Gaga opens the song with this odd, almost gibberish hook – and you are immediately struck by how infectious it is. Gaga repeats these repetitive syllables (“rah” and “mah”) with a powerful and thumping beat. But the reason it is so infectious is that it is repetitive and catchy. And it is particularly interesting in that it is not in English. Instead, it kind of has a catchy gibberish hook (like “Na na na” or “La la la” songs). But by starting the song off with this infectious chant, Lady Gaga made sure that if you had heard the slightest thing from the song, you’d have the hook stuck in your head. Later in the song, the actual chorus (“I want your love, and I want your revenge…”) is also extremely infectious with a soaring melody and a powerful dance beat. Lady Gaga’s hook is infectious in a variety of ways. Not only is it a powerful dance beat and repetitive vocals, but it is a little bit strange (who opens a chorus with “Rah rah ah-ah-ah”?). But it is exactly this strange aspect of the hook that makes it stick in your head.
- “Call Me Maybe” – Carly Rae Jepsen (2011): Very few people got through 2012 without this earworm stuck in their heads. “Call Me Maybe” was a global sensation, in large part because of the ridiculously catchy hook in its chorus. The hook is essentially the “Here’s my number, so call me maybe” part. It’s all set to a happy, bouncy melody that repeats the same few notes in a way that is perfectly conducive to a hook. But what makes it a hook? Well, for one thing, the melody itself is extremely simple—it’s basically an upward then downward lilting motion, a musical smile. For another thing, the rhythm and phrasing are extremely snappy. Each lyrical phrase is “Here’s my number—so call me maybe,” and each of these is contained in a perfectly rhythmic package that perfectly matches the happy beat. The hook is also given a boost by the fact that the music cuts out right before the hook itself comes in, and then the listener is left with the “Hey, I just met you” line right in their ear. And then you’re stuck. The lyrics are also helpful in that they are the kind of thing that you can relate to in a flirtatious way. “Here’s my number—so call me maybe” is the kind of thing that you can see stuck in people’s heads as a lyric. And the thing is that Jepsen repeats the hook a lot. So by the time the song is done, you’ve heard the “call me maybe” hook often enough that you’re automatically singing the thing in the background. And the fact that the rest of the song is a happy, peppy thing is helpful too. Our brains are wired to replay the good stuff. And “Call Me Maybe” hits all the right spots. It’s repetitive. It’s simple. It’s happy. And it was novel enough in its hook that it stuck in people’s heads. Years after the fact, many of us are still stuck with the “call me maybe” hook stuck in our heads.
Examples:
Each of these examples is from a different decade and a different genre, but I think you may notice a pattern: each of these songs has a hook that is, at its most basic level, simple and repetitive. Whether it’s a rhythm that gets stuck in your head or a syllable pattern or a melodic pattern, each of these hooks does one thing: they hijack your attention and implant themselves in your brain. And what’s important to note is that each of these songs had a deliberate attempt to center on a hook. That’s what makes them so effective.
Crafting the Unforgettable Hook: Songwriters’ Secrets
A good hook may sometimes appear like lightning in a bottle – an inspiration – but often there’s a lot of work that goes into the best hooks. Professionals in the music industry that produce hit songs are well conversant with the science and art of hooks. Below are a few insider secrets that they employ (which you have seen above in the examples):
- “Hook Early, Hook Often”: Today’s hit producers understand that listeners’ attention spans can be short. The trick is to get your hook in front of the listener as quickly as possible – sometimes right away, with the opening line of your song being the hook or a hint of the hook itself. For example, Lady Gaga opening “Bad Romance” with a hook in the form of a “Rah rah…” chant, or Bruno Mars opening “Uptown Funk” with the hook in the form of the song’s groove hook, before the opening lyrics. The goal is to hook you right away. In today’s world of streaming, if you don’t get a hook in the opening seconds, you might hit the ‘next’ button on your music service. Music producer Bobby Owsinski explains, “Today’s songs start right in with the hook or chorus. ‘If you don’t hook a listener right away, you might lose them.’” Thus, hit songs do not waste any time in hooking you. They will also hook you repeatedly – sometimes with a hook or a hook in the form of a chorus repeated 3 or 4 times in a 3-minute song. The hook gets imprinted in your memory (but not, hopefully, in a grating way) and, when the song is finished, you will already be eager for a repeat dose of that hook.
- Building on Familiarity: An effective hook will often incorporate elements of both familiarity and surprise. Songwriters will often incorporate known musical structures as a basis since “the listener’s ear can grasp them quickly.” The “Millennial Whoop” we touched on earlier is a great example of this – it’s something your ear recognizes as familiar (even if you haven’t consciously realized it, your brain recognizes that “wa-oh” pattern in songs and likes it). Similarly, known chord structures (as in I-V-vi-IV, which is used in hundreds of songs) or rhythmic structures (as in four-on-the-floor dance beats) provide something to ground us in familiarity. On top of that, songwriters will incorporate something different – perhaps an interesting lyric or catchy melody on top of known chords. This is again utilizing the mere exposure effect – we like things that are slightly different but still known to us – but also gives us something to sing along to. This is also where producers come in – they may decide to incorporate something different in instrumental sound for the hook – as in A-ha’s “Take On Me” and its catchy synth hook or in “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster The People and its hook of whistling. A hook can incorporate its own signature sound.
- Emotion and Relatability: Effective songwriters are also masters of hooks that can be emotional or lyrical in a way that appeals to the masses. They select words that are easy to remember and that communicate an emotion. “All you need is love” (The Beatles) is a hook that is easy to remember and communicates an emotion that people can get behind – all in a neat little sound bite. “I will survive” (Gloria Gaynor) became an anthem because those words, coupled with a catchy melody, gave people power. “We’ll be singing not just the melody, but the message or emotion as well.” Songwriters know that if they can pair a catchy melody with a universal message or emotion, they have hit the jackpot. “We’ll be singing not just the melody, but the message or emotion as well.”
- Iteration and Refinement: Here’s something that might surprise you: Many hooks in hit songs aren’t fully developed in an epiphanic moment. Songwriters and producers will work and rework the hook until they get it just right. They might experiment with different melodies or rhythms or word choices until the hook is as tight as it can be. You might see this in the recording studio when producers ask things like “Can we make that hook more punchy or more catchy?” Sometimes this means cutting out extra words; other times it means changing the key to hit a more exciting spot. Many pop songs are written as collaborations, and this is often just a good way to get more heads together to work on making the hook perfect (after all, hook-catchiness is serious business!). For instance, the prolific hit-maker (yes, that is not an exaggeration) Swedish songwriter Max Martin is known to work tirelessly to make the hook of the chorus perfect – even if this means re-writing the hook multiple times.
- Learning from the Greats: Finally, songwriters also study what has been successful. There are trends in the music industry, and there are certain hook approaches that fall in and out of popularity from time to time, but the fundamentals are the same. Songwriters will dissect the hits from previous decades – the Motown hits from the 60s, the disco hooks from the 70s, the big hair-metal hooks from the 80s, the boy-band and girl power hooks from the 90s, and so on. By recognizing the elements of those hooks (was it the melody, the rhythm, the repetition, the emotion?), they apply those same elements to their own work. Now, this is not to say that the music is formulaic – more that each generation of songwriters puts its own spin on the same formula. They recognize the elements that make the hook “sing” with the listener, and they try to recapture the same magic with a different ingredient. Sometimes, if you listen closely to the hooks from today, you can hear the echoes of yesterday’s hits – not the melody itself, but the attitude or the feeling of the hook.
In the End, It’s Both Art and Science
After considering the musical and psychological aspects of catchy hooks, it is apparent that the best hooks are where art meets science. Songwriters rely on their creativity and experience (the art) to write a catchy hook in the form of a melodic line or a catchy phrase. They then use some scientific knowledge (the science) of what makes a hook catchy – for example, reducing the phrase to a simple one and using the right tempo – to make the hook even more catchy. On the other side of the coin, the human brain reacts in a scientific manner.
Consider the hooks that have been playing in the soundtrack to your own life: those songs you sang with friends at school, or that summer anthem that followed you everywhere, or that hook that still sends chills down your spine to this day. All of them hooked you for a reason. Now you understand that hooking you might be a clever musical jump, a danceable beat, a lyric you relate to, or just plain old repetition working its magic. And you understand that your own mind, far from being irritated with all these pesky songs stuck in your head, is actually wired to repeat them (to a degree!). This is a tradition that goes all the way back to when we first sang songs around the campfire.
So the next time you find yourself humming that song for the umpteenth time, you can smile and appreciate the skill that went into that hook – and the interesting neuroscience behind the musical déjà vu. Catchy hooks may have seemed to have taken over your mind, but the truth is that they simply found the switch to something very human – the joy of a little bit of a tune that we can all share. And let’s be honest – isn’t it amazing that a few notes and a few words are all it takes to give us all that joy? That is the power of a catchy hook.