Busy With a Deadline Today, So Keep Yourself Busy With This Question

Posted on May 8, 2013    Posted by      241 Comments

Which is:

What is your favorite relentlessly popular song?

By which I mean: The song that everyone knows (or did know, at the time), that took over the world in its day, which may or may not be good, depending on your definition of these things, but which you still listen to all the way through every time you hear it.

Here’s an example from the 80s:

Another, more recent example:

Yeah, you got it now.

So: Share in the comments.

 

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241 Comments on “Busy With a Deadline Today, So Keep Yourself Busy With This Question”

  2. [Deleted because it’s not on point to the thread. Folks, if you don’t want to play along, don’t play along — don’t post about how you’re not playing along, however. That’s silly – JS]

  3. It would have to be something by The Beautiful South..maybe ‘Everybody’s Talkin’ or ‘A Little Time’. I heard a theory once that they were either everybody’s second favourite or second worst band. I don’t think it’s true but there is mediocrity and fabulousness to all of their songs and these are definite ear-worms for me.

  4. I would say the a-ha one you posted and “Hey, Soul Sister” by Train. Talk about overload…

  9. Call Me Maybe.

    When we first started doing Crossfit, that had just gotten big, and would come up at least once per workout, sometimes 2-3 times, so it has lots of positive connotations. I can’t hear it without thinking Crossfit and smiling. That, and it’s a fun, upbeat song. :)

  10. “Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats. Every time I hear it I have to listen all the way through.

  11. While I have an unashamed love of all things ABBA, I’d have to say that “We Built This City” by Starship” is the worst super-popular-at-one-time song that I like.

  12. “Smooth” – Rob Thomas/Santana. I heard it everywhere for months, and I still love it.

  15. Probably anything 80s Prince. Also 60s Motown.

    And aw hell, “Hotel California”. You simply can’t listen to that song without going all the way to the end, singing along and doing air guitar with the solo.

  16. “Wild, Wild West” by The Escape Club. Choice lyrical phrases include “headin’ for the 90s” and “gimme gimme wild west, gimme gimme safe sex.”

    The song namechecks Reagan. It’s so bad, but I don’t care. I love her eyes and her wild, wild hair. OH GOD I’M DOING IT TOO PLEASE HELP ME

  17. I’ve been listening to Ryan Bingham Bread and Water over and over again lately. I’m not sure if the song took over the world, but it should have because it’s that good. Here’s the video on youtube for anyone who is interested. http://youtu.be/eoFwQnHFeYM

  18. Tears for Fears: Everybody Wants to Rule the World. Always listen all the way through. Also, Don Henley: Boys of Summer.

  20. Little Lion Man is the modern example for me.

    In the ‘not-from-this-millennium’ category, Billie Jean.

  21. My Sharona, by The Knack.
    This comment thread is going to be EARWORM HELL. Damn you, Scalzi!

  23. Be My Baby: the Ronettes. I wasn’t around for its heyday, but a recent comic used it as a plot point and I keep finding it to be the thing I’m whistling.

  24. Call Me Maybe, Carly Rae Jepsen

    Like A Virgin, Madonna

    Hungry Like the Wolf, Duran Duran

    Starships, Nicki Minaj

    This thread is earworm HELL, I concur.

  26. This is one of those, “Well, well, that’s just like, your opinion, man” things, soooo….”Happy Together” or “Hello Goodbye” are as close to a perfect pop songs as you could get.

  27. Thrift Shop, by Macklemore. Also, We Are Young by Fun. And I’d like to second Crazy by Gnarls Barkley.

  29. This decade: Bad Romance. The 80’s (my people!): Karma Chameleon (sorry!), Culture Club. Stand and Deliver, Adam Ant. Love Shack by the B-52s. And Walk of Life by Dire Straits.

  30. Rock Lobster. That’s about the newest song I know that still gets stuck in my head.

  32. Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble’s “Pride and Joy”.

    Not only does it have one of the best guitar players of all time, but it’s about my wife. :)

  33. The Bad Touch by the Bloodhound Gang. So lame, so nasty, yet so catchy. Flag Pole Sitta – Harvey Danger is another one of those one’s that you can’t help but hum out every now and again; Yellow Submarine…. The Lion Sleeps tonight….

    Wimoweh, Wimoweh, Wimoweh, Wimoweh…..

  34. for pure earworm enjoyment, Hey Jude by the Beatles has always been a favorite of mine. (dating myself, but I remember that when our local radio station named it the best song of the year my sister disagreed, saying it was too simple. To which I replied, yeah and it just keeps playing in your head.

  35. Hey Jude, by the Beatles.

    It’s the first pop song I ever remember hearing as a child, and it has always stuck with me.

  36. Favorite must-listen? Had to call; here’s some older ones that might be overlooked:

    “City of New Orleans” – Arlo Guthrie
    “Stand By Me” – Ben E. King (a bit of a cheat, as it’s our wedding song)
    “Montego Bay” – Bobby Bloom or the Amazulu cover
    “She Bop” – Cyndi Lauper
    “Iko Iko” – The Dixie Cups
    “Beat Goes On (Switch Into Glide” – The Kings
    “Swan Lake” – Madness
    “There She Goes” – The La’s or Sixpence None the Richer
    “We Almost Got It Together” – Tanita Tikaram

    But if forced, I’d go with:
    “Gorilla You’re A Desperado” – Warren Zevon

  37. From the 90s: “It wasn’t me” by Shaggy. (which is pretty terrible but amuses me.)
    “Laid” by James.

    From this century: “Golddigger” by Kanye West.

  38. Oh joy, an earworm thread.

    “Owner of a Lonely Heart” Yes
    Not sure if it counts as relentlessly popular, but Wikipedia says it hit number 1 for a couple of weeks, and I still love the song and it’s freaky video.

    Large chunks of the hits from late ’83 to probably about ’95 probably also qualify. Less so by the ’90s, since I was pretty much only watching Headbangers Ball by that point.

  39. the most pernicious instance of what you describe is Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey – not only will I listen all the way through but I will SING all the way through. No matter where I am.

    I am also a completionist about Toxic by Britney Spears, Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic by The Police, and Bang Bang by K’Naan.

  40. “When U Were Mine” by Prince. For new songs “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk is quickly becoming inescapable.

  42. Hmm – most of my popular music listening takes place at the gym, so I tend towards either club music or contemporary Bollywood songs (which is suspect few people here would recognize). Off the top of my iPod, I’d say:

    “Blow”, Ke$ha
    “Born This Way”, Lady Gaga
    “Evacuate the Dancefloor”, Cascada
    “Blitzkrieg Bop”, The Ramones
    “Poison Arrow”, ABC

  43. So, so many options. In the Air Tonight (though really, that only needs to be listened to up to the massive drum riff) or Against All Odds, both by Phil Collins. Another that I’ll actually sit in the car and wait for the end is She Blinded Me with Science.

  44. The following MUST be turned WAY UP when they show up on my iPod:

    “Beds are Burning” by Midnight Oil.
    “Vodka” by Korpiklaani (which I’ve probably mispelled)
    “Charm” by Wild Colonials
    and the Shostakovich 5th Symphony. Yeah, I have an eclectic musical range, and NO ONE does gut-wrenching emo like the Russians!

  45. All time? I gotta go with “Workin for the Weekend” by Loverboy. That song makes my soul smile.

    Last decade, probably “Turn Me On” by Kevin Lyttle

    Most recently is “Call me Maybe.” I’ll leave the car on til it’s finished.

  47. “Heaven Is A Place On Earth” by Belinda Carlisle. The first time I heard it was when first arrived at a clubhouse which was to become my home-from-home for the next three years, and it started right on cue as I walked in through the door. Good times!

    “Black Velvet” by Alannah Myles would be a close second. Why yes, I did grow up in the eighties ;-)

    On the subject of “Take On Me”, there’s a currently popular track which uses the riff from it, and which my ten year old daughter loves. So I played her the original, and she hated it. Kids of today! No, I have no idea what the current track is called or who it’s by.

  51. “Bridal Chorus” from Lohengrin by Wagner. Still in use 163 years later.
    In Canada, “March of the Priests” from Mozart’s Magic Flute (the composer of our national anthem lifted the tune wholesale). Played at the start of every sporting event.

    What are you looking at me like that for? Those were pop songs back in the day!

  52. Walk like an Egyptian. (note: am Egyptian, grew up in Egypt). Thank you ever so much for all the earworms that are buzzing in my head, bumping into each other. I guess I have to go to the grocery store now to listen to the 80s music and relive my childhood.

  55. Come On Eileen by Dexy’s Midnight Runners.
    I also jam out to Save Ferris’ cover of it too.

  56. This century: “Bad Romance” and “Raise Your Glass”. I use both as stay awake songs.
    Last centrury: “Bohemian Rhapsody”, in part because I had the pleasure of seeing Queen perform this at the Boston Garden in the late 70s.

  57. @NotSMOF – Shostakovich? Really? Tchaikovsky eats Shostakovich for breakfast and picks his teeth with Stravinski! I’ll put Tchaikovski’s Caprice Italien against any music anywhere. There is only one way to settle this: caviar and champagne at dawn!

    You are dead on with the classical emo note; the Russian composers were emo before emo was cool.

    Other earmworms – “Hang On Sloopy” by the McCoys, “Green Tamborine” by the Lemon Pipers, “Orinoco Flow” by Enya, “Walk the Dinosaur” by Was (Not Was), and “Future’s So Bright” by Timbuck3, along with most of Bruno Mars’ stuff.

  59. Lady Marmalade “Voulez-vous couchez avec moi ce soir?”
    Inspired me to learn French, because I’d heard the words were “naughty”.
    Still love to dance to it, though am no longer 13.

  60. A lot of mine have been named already, but:

    Girlfriend – Avril Lavinge (She’s SO MEAN but I love it)
    Call Me Maybe – Carly Rae Jespen (YouTube has her performing it live on one show or another, and she’s got wonderful energy and a great smile. Also, in that video, her drummer is singing along. You can’t hear him, but the camera caught him and it’s awesome)
    Gangam Style – PSY (Also, it goes with everything, like the Ghostbusters theme)

  62. Another One Bites the Dust by Queen. I’m a bass player, so…. Still, blew my mind when the bride to be wanted it tobe played by my band at her wedding reception…. Another fav is Blue Oyster Cult’s Godzilla. Back when I was working housekeeping at a hotel, and had one of those days when the guests were particularly obnoxious, I would go home at the end of the day and play the bass line to that song while imagining the Big G stomping on the cars that belonged to the biggest jerks I had to deal with that day. Sure helped relieve the stress levels!

  63. I totally second “The Way” by Fastball. It’s on every roadtrip mix I’ve ever made.

    Another is “You Spin Me Round” by Dead or Alive. The music video is hilarious.

  66. Walking on Sunshine – Katrina and the Waves always puts a smile on my face.

    And, I would concur with Werewolves of London and Rock Lobster for sure!

  67. I will still sing along to “Livin’ On A Prayer” every time it comes up on the radio, with no shame. I love that song. Embarrassing as it may be to admit, Bon Jovi was my introduction to the entire concept of writing music about people with hard lives, rather than Yay Teenage Love or Yay Jesus; almost all the other music I heard fell into one of those two categories.

    Oh, and that Ironic song by Alanis Morisette. Yes. Even though I was an English major. Language changes! It’s a valid use of the secondary and more colloquial use of “irony”! And I love the way her voice works in that song.

  68. I’m shocked to not see “The Final Countdown” on this list. That’s not my song, just shocked.

    My must listen to is “Holding Out For A Hero”, heck anything Bonnie Tyler

  69. Pseftika-Paola and yes it is all greek
    Born to go- Hawkwind
    Guns of brixton-clash

  70. Another one here for Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jespen. At least, that’s my most recent one because I’m a total sucker for these types of songs, and found myself nodding along to several others people above have mentioned. I used to be embarrassed about it, but now I embrace it because having fun is better than catering to haters. :P Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go play Call Me Maybe and dance like nobody’s watching!

  71. Probably that song by Outkast. I don’t remember what it’s called. Actually, I don’t even remember how it goes but I do remember being completely caught up in it whenever I heard it. And I’m pretty sure I remember Tina Fey and Amy Poehler doing the dance on SNL.

    I agree with Neal_with_an_a on “Walking on Sunshine”. That’s a perfect upbeat pop song. I’ll be happy to have that running through my head the rest of the day.

    Not on topic, but when my wife and I lived in Norway for a year one of the guys in a-ha lived in the apartment next to us. We rode up in the elevator together a couple times but we never talked to each other.

  73. OMG I love this whole thread. I have a lot of favorites, so I’ll just say “Born to run” by Bruce Springsteen because I am from New Jersey and everyone in this state has the lyrics to this song inscribed upon our SOULS.

  75. 99 Luftballoons by Nena. Saw someone posted the English version up thread, but IMO the original German is much better. Why yes, I was studying German in High School in the 80s when this was popular!

  76. “Ballroom Blitz” by Sweet.

    “Don’t Fear the Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult.

    “Photograph” by Def Leppard.

  77. Walking on Sunshine really does nail it. As do so many others on this thread. The one I still can’t get out of my head though is “Bring the Noise!” By Public Enemy…

    Mumbles to self, “Back is the incredible, rhyme animal, dope criminal D!!! Public enemy number…” Oh sorry, was I doing that outloud? Sorry, it was the wax that the Terminator X…sorry sorry….

  78. I still listen to some of Pink’s early 2000s hits. Get the Party Started is a great song.

  79. Modern English’s “I Melt with You”.
    And. fortunately, the earworms seem to have eaten each other .

  81. I came over here to say “Call Me Maybe,” but that’s been done several times. So, instead, I’ll point out that no one’s said “Sweet Caroline” yet.

    Also of note: back when many of these songs were popular, a list like this would be fodder for a compilation album (K-Tel, anybody?) Now it’s just impetus to go make my own playlist…

    The times, they are a-changin (which, now that I think about it, also belongs on this list…)

  83. Thank you all greatly for building me a new playlist. -)

    My Modern Examples
    Dance in the Graveyards by Delta Rae
    Raise Your Glass by P!nk
    The Christians and the Pagans by Dar Williams

    My Classic Examples
    Sympathy for the Devil by The Rolling Stones
    For Once in my Life by Stevie Wonder
    Bone Against Steel by .38 Special

  84. ‘In The End’ by Linkin Park, ‘Bad Touch’ by Bloodhound Gang and ‘Toxic’ by Britney Spears.

  85. For me it has Dead Man’s Party

    I can’t sit still when it is on and have been known to replay it two or three times in a row in quick succession while dancing around the room. Although I do prefer the 6 minute version.

  86. From 1970s: “Rasputin” by Boney M
    From 1980s: “Poison” by Alice Cooper
    From 1990s: “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails
    From 2000s — enter the memes: “They’re Taking The Hobbits To Isengard” by Erwin Beekveld
    From 2010s — memes continue: “Gangnam Style” by PSY

    *sigh* All this sloshing in my skull…

  87. I’m surprised that “Every Breath You Take” by The Police hasn’t made the list yet. That song was EVERYWHERE in the summer of 1983, and it hit during the sweet spot when my musical tastes were just coming together.

  88. I have been known to sit in parking lots to wait for these songs to finish:
    “Africa” by Toto
    “Sweet Child o’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses

  89. Somebody has already mentioned Bolywood here so I’ll just say that some of the ’80s Bollywood songs were perfectly horrible AND should have their own circles in earworm hell.

    But yes, coming back to something more people are likely to recognise:
    Bachelor Boy – Cliff Richard
    Tom Dooley – The Kingston Trio version
    November Rain – Guns N’ Roses

  90. Actually, I’ll toss “Semi-Charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind in the mix too.

  95. Golden Earring – Radar Love
    David Bowie – Space Oddity
    Genesis – Land of Confusion

  96. Many of mine have already been listed, but I have to add
    Come Dancing by the Kinks
    Life in a Northern Town by Dream Academy
    Turn the Page by Bob Seger
    Jukebox Hero by Foreigner
    No One is to Blame by Howard Jones
    to the list of must listen to the end of songs. Almost forgot, 1985 by Bowling for Soup, which explains everything about my other choices.

  97. At first I was feeling really, really old, but since other people put down “Hey Jude,” I can relax a little.
    Here are two that immediately sprung to mind and I don’t know why, “Hurdy Gurdy Man” by Donovan and “My City Was Gone,” by the Pretenders.

  98. You are an evil, evil, man, for starting the Earworm From Hell Thread.

    “Wish You Were Here”, by Pink Floyd.

    “Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner” by Zevon is a great halloween song, totally undanceable to, and kills earworms dead.

  100. Black Eyed Peas, “I Gotta Feelin'” — heard it over and over that summer and still always turned it up. And Amy Winehouse, “Rehab.” Not to mention Beyonce’s “Single Ladies.” But my still-gotta-blast it 1980s earworm is “Jump” by Van Halen. It’s the only song of theirs I actually like!

  102. Harry Chapin’s “Better Place to Be” … don’t know if it was ever a mainstream big hit, like his better known ones, but his fans loved it and he even admitted at a number of concerts that it was probably his personal favorite.

    And just about anything from the movie version of “Godspell”, in particular “Day by Day”.

  103. It’s harder if I restrict myself to songs that I love but that I don’t think are objectively good*. So with that in mind, and coming up with things nobody has mentioned yet, I’m gonna go with “Santa Monica” by Everclear, “Punk Rock Girl” by Dead Milkmen, and “All the Pretty Girls” by fun.

    * for example, I consider the several-times-mentioned “Come On Eileen” to be a great song, in addition to its catchy/poppy/singalong qualities. Other examples of this: “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles, “I am the Resurrection” by The Stone Roses, “In My Time of Dying” by Led Zeppelin.

  107. Child of the 80s here, so I remember when MTV actually played like, you know, music! I loved the astronaut planting the MTV flag :) So keeping with the theme, “Video Killed the Radio Star” by the Buggles is still a catchy tune but probably a terrible song.

    Others that are genuine guilty pleasures that I would have never admitted to my high school dude bros at the time:

    “Pop Muzak” by M

    And of course:
    SSSS
    AAAA
    FFFF
    EEEE
    TTTT
    YYYY
    Safety Dance!

  108. Sukiyaki by Kyu Sakamoto it was popular when I was a child. It is in Japanese and I always thought if I tried hard enough, I would understand the words.

  110. The Hallelujah Chorus (Handel)
    ‘Shang-a-Lang’ – Bay City Rollers
    ‘Sad, Sweet Dreamer’ – Sweet Sensation
    My Coo Ca Choo – Alvin Stardust
    Teo Torriatte – Queen

    (Not saying I liked all these – except Handel and Queen – but they didn’t half stick!)

  111. Another insane day at work, which is why I’m late to the party. Wait, no more mai tai’s? Bummer!

    My song pick: Black Magic Woman – Santana. At least, way back when it was a constant audible presence on Guam in the 70s.

  113. Zombie – The Cranberries
    Legs – ZZTop
    Escape (The Pina Colada Song) – Rupert Holmes

  114. Roll To Me by Del Amitri. You couldn’t turn on a radio in the UK in the summer of ’95 without hearing it. That takes me right back to the fortnight I spent on the Isle of Wight that year. 15 is a great age :-D I should also note that Justin Currie is still one of only a tiny, tiny number of artists who’ll get me to go actually go out at night for gig.

    Knights of Cydonia by Muse is another one I always have to finish. I don’t even like that sort of music usually. Hell, I can’t even define it. It’s kinda dancy and electronic but they have guitars and… trumpets? Whatever. It’s a good compromise when I’m in the car with my brother – I can’t be *totally* lame if I own a Muse album, right?

  116. Dave Brubeck’s “For Iola.” But if anyone tells me it isn’t good, we shall have words.

  120. Sooo many… but here are just a FEW of the “popular” ones I’ll sit in the car, in the driveway, listening to should they come on too close to my destination (and haven’t been mentioned above, to the best I could tell from skimming):

    “Baba O’Riley” – The Who (or Blue Man Group — their live cover with Tracy Bonham on vocals & violin is outstanding)
    “In Your Eyes” – Peter Gabriel
    “Witness” – Sarah McLachlan (the song AFTER “Angel” on the album. And better.)
    “Nothing Better to Do” – LeeAnn Rhimes (a delightfully swampy romp)

    There are quite a few more, but they’re either “classics” that everyone regards as such (much of early Yes, for example), or not particularly popular (“Teardrop” by Massive Attack, which was on heavy rotation with me well before it got used as the theme for “House”; “The Ubitquitous Mr. Lovegrove” by Dead Can Dance, “A Talk with George” by Jonathan Coulton, to name a few).

  121. “Friday” by Rebecca Black — don’t necessarily like it, but It. Won’t. Go. Away!!!
    “Hurt” covered by Sad Kermit — look it up on You Tube. Johnny Cash did the definitive version IMHO.

  123. I can’t believe just how many songs people have posted that I completely agree with. I turned 18 in ’89 but got into all Queen in about ’87 then fell into a big metal hole. The songs I have to add to the list are:
    Metallica – One, it still gives me chills every time I listen after all these years
    Soul To Squeeze – Red Hot Chili Peppers. Just a beautiful song and my favourite band, a band I’ve loved for all my adulthood.
    Ministry – Jesus Built My Hotrod. Just because.
    Fish – A Gentleman’s Excuse Me. Fond memories of an old friend.

  124. Nights in White Satin – Moody Blues
    Whiter Shade of Pale – Procol Harum
    Donovan – Atlantis, Mellow Yellow, and Sunshine Superman
    Led Zeppelin – everything they ever recorded. Yeah. And I’d STILL leave home for Robert Plant…even at our advanced ages!
    Still love me some Def Leppard – Pour Some Sugar on Me & Love Bites; Duran Duran – Girls on Film & Hungry Like the Wolf
    Golden Earring – Twilight Zone and Radar Love

  125. Once Bitten, Twice Shy – Ian Hunter
    Saturday Night – Bay City Rollers
    Roadrunner – The Modern Lovers

  126. “Lovefool” by the Cardigans. Maybe the reason why I like it is because this is what they were overplaying when they stopped playing “Macarena”.

  127. Many already listed (Tubthumping, Rock Lobster, etc.), as well as some where I threatened to hurt myself the next time I heard them (The Final Countdown, anything Whitesnake), but for all time listen all the way through / sing along, there’s:
    Play that funky music – Wild Cherry
    Last Cigarette – Dramarama
    Paradise by the Dashboard Light – Meatloaf
    Year of the Cat – Al Stewart
    Hi-de-ho – Blood, Sweat and Tears
    Hitsville UK – Clash

    And at least some of these are *positive* earworms! :)

  128. Someone mentioned the Ghostbusters theme, and now it’s my own personal earworm. “What did you do, Ray?!?” I’m pretty surprised no one has mentioned any of the big movie soundtracks like Star Wars or Batman, or the plethora of TV theme songs. Who can’t identify things like Knight Rider or Hill Street Blues within about 5 seconds of the intro riff?

  129. Van Morrison’s Blue Eyed Girl. Also, Hendrix’s cover of All Along the Watchtower.

  130. “Roundabout” on the Fragile album by YES; first seven minute song played on the AM radio stations in a world of 2 to 3 minutes topy forty rock songs. And YES is still touring here 44 years later! Still playing Roundabout, usually as the first encore song.

  131. @MadLibrarian
    “Lovefool” was part of the soundtrack to Baz Luhrman’s “Romeo & Juliet”. The failure to mention this was my own. It was a pretty big movie. It was the fifth highest grossing teen romance movie that doesn’t have vampires in it.

  132. What Is Love – Haddaway
    Mr. Vain – Culture Beat
    No Limits – 2 Unlimited
    It’s My Life – Dr. Alban
    Be My Lover – La Bouche

    … from that you can probably guess where and when I spent my youth. I’m not ashamed :)

  133. “Killing Me Softly with His Song” sung by Roberta Flack. Just about anything she sang actually.

  134. * Pulls up chair, sits down *

    “You Get What You Give,” New Radicals.
    “Our House,” Madness.
    “Sledgehammer,” Peter Gabriel.
    “Where The Streets Have No Name”, U2.
    “Summer Breeze”, Seals and Crofts. (It is a good song and it is pretty. Deal with it.)
    “Rehab,” Amy Winehouse.
    “Somebody That I Used To Know,” Gotye. (You just wait, y’all are just sick of it because it’s recent but you’ll come back to it because it is also a good song, deal with it.)
    “Moondance,” Van Morrison.
    “That’s All” or “Turn It On Again,” Genesis.

    At one time I would also have included “Come On Eileen”, but I broke my foot dancing to that a year ago and so it now has Unpleasant Associations.

  135. Okay, it’s not a “song,” but…George Gershwin’s “An American in Paris,” closely followed by his “Rhapsody in Blue.” Next week, they may flip-flop. Not many songs really get to me emotionally; these two do. And I’ll listen to them any time.

  136. I’ll second Hey Ya. That some was everywhere in 2003/04 and it never got old. Two songs I didn’t like at the time but have come around on are I Want It That Way and Bye Bye Bye, though I can never remember which is N’sync and which is The Backstreet Boys.

  137. Don’t Stop Believing – Journey

    From Detroit and a Michigan/Red Wings fan…(cut me slack)

  139. arrrghhhhh!!! How could I forget — two more: Come on Feel the Noise (the original one) by Slade (and no, I’m not going to spell it phonetically or however they did it!) and Rock and Roll, Hootchie Koo by Rick Derringer (with all the drama of Winter not wanting to play it attached :) )

  140. Total Eclipse of the Heart, Bonnie Taylor + a bunch of possessed choirboys.

    OK, maybe the video is better than the song.

  141. I am not sure which bothers me more: that I own many of these songs or that I need to own many of these songs that I currently don’t own.

  142. I can’t believe that no one has mentioned the ubiquitous Adele. Rolling in the Deep literally caused me to dance every time I heard it and I heard it A LOT. Many of the songs in this diabolical thread are fighting for dominance in my brain now, but I think Come on Eileen is winning the war. In that same 80s vein, I give you all You Spin Me Round (Like a Record).

  143. Lots of my favorites mentioned above. A few more:
    Tainted Love – Gloria Jones (I like the Soft Cell cover)
    Ring of Fire – Johnny Cash
    Girls just wanna have fun – Cyndi Lauper

    And not popular, but I’ll always sit and listen till they end:
    King Kong Tonight – Rhoderick Land (…it’s on YouTube.)
    Code Monkey – Jonathan Coulton

  145. I don’t listen to current music, so if someone doesn’t clue me in, I probably haven’t heard it. That said, as Anthea said, “Call me Maybe” was introduced to me a couple weeks ago and I listened to it over and over and over and over until my cats fled the room in protest…

  146. “Ar Hyd y Nos” – a traditional Welsh folk song, often recycled for various situations (movies, shows, etc.).
    I bought a CD in Wales that has a performance by an a-capella men’s chorus – exquisite.

  149. Every Breath You Take by The Police.
    Don’t know if anyone ‘s mentioned this song. It was on the charts for months during the mid -eighties. I love it but not for the nostalgia factor but be pause I think its a nearly perfect,seemingly simple and thoroughly creepy love song.

  150. @John Winkelman, I had my first car crash to “White Weddding.”

    Here are a couple of semi-obscure ones. I’m not sure if their obscurity makes this post off-topic, but I am occasionally ashamed of loving them:
    “Wine, Women and Song” – Whitesnake
    “Ca Plane Pour Moi” – Plastic Bertrand
    “Wild Side of Life” – Status Quo

  151. A-well-a, everybody’s heard about the bird… Bird, bird, bird… b-bird’s the word

  152. I’m old enough that I’m really dating myself here:

    Beatles – “She Loves You” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand”
    Kinks – “Summer in the City”
    Anything by the Beach Boys
    The Left Banke — “Walk Away Renee”
    Don McLean – “American Pie”
    Pure Prairie League – “Amie”

    And then there was the bunch of one-hit wonders who for no known reason became popular. Want to hear the least musically intelligent song in history? Try Question Mark and the Mysterians’ “96 Tears.” You’ll cry to think that it got a LOT of airplay. Fortunately, to contrast that, we had the Zombies, possibly the most under-appreciated musically talented group of its time.

  158. Not that these get much airtime any more, mind
    Love Potion #9 — The Searchers
    Inna Gadda Da Vida (17 minute version) — Iron Butterfly

  159. “Walk of Life” by Dire Straits and “Your Wildest Dreams” by the Moody Blues. There was a period of a few months in the spring of 1986 where every other song on the radio was seemingly one of those two tunes.

  160. Several of my favorites already named

    American Pie, Don MacLean
    City of New Orleans, Arlo Guthrie
    Total Eclipse of the Heart, whoever that was
    Time after Time by Cyndi Lauper

    I don’t see mentioned any Jim Croce – Time in a Bottle or Operator
    Peaceful, Easy Feeling – the Eagles
    Desperado – I’d go for Linda Ronstadt, but the Eagles would do
    Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town, Emmylou Harris
    Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight, Emmylou Harris
    Both Sides Now, Judy Collins
    So Far Away, Carole King

    How about some John Denver? Rocky Mountain High, anybody? Take Me Home, Country Roads?

  161. Just about everything everyone else has listed here, with the addition of:
    Rockit by Herbie Hancock
    1999 by Prince
    American Girl by Tom Petty
    Anything by Meat Loaf
    Word Up by Cameo
    Don’t Dream It’s Over by Crowded House
    Red Red Wine by UB40 (yes, I like that version better)

  162. Purposefully only including songs I was around to hear played on the radio a million times. And the list is in no particular order, and not all-inclusive. I’m sure I could think of more and better ones, but these are just what I think of off the top of my head.

    “Since U Been Gone,” Kelly Clarkson
    “Like A Prayer,” Madonna
    “Hey Jealousy,” Gin Blossoms
    “Mysterious Ways,” U2
    “Gold Digger,” Kanye West
    “Stronger,” Kanye West
    “Your Love Is My Drug,” Ke$ha

  164. Most songs by Billy Joel, but especially “Piano Man”, “The Entertainer”, and “The Longest Time”.
    Anything from Bon Jovi’s “Slippery When Wet” album.
    Margaritaville
    Achy Breaky Heart (yes, I like Billy Ray Cyrus, please don’t hold it against me)
    It’s the End of the World by R.E.M.

    BTW, I’d never heard the song (nor heard of the artist) you linked to in the second video there.

  166. I always listen through to “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” by the Charlie Daniels Band, to see if the radio station is going to do the “son of a b**ch” version or the “son of a gun” version.

    Earworms, yes. Worse yet is a feedback loop between earworms and book re-reads — one of my “mind candy” books is a Nora Roberts that uses the lyrics to Love Shack in a pivotal scene. Hear ths song, think about re-reading the book, read the book, need to go hear the song….

  167. Cinnamon Girl
    Seether
    Gone Away
    The Acid Queen
    Burning for You
    Magic Bus (but only the Live at Leeds version (actually, most of the songs on Live at Leeds are in this category for me (once I had a dream of Henry Rollins singing Substitute)))
    Sweet Jane
    Nantucket Sleighride
    Gloria
    Wild Thing (Troggs, although the Ton Loc song is amusing (say what?))
    Hush
    Sledgehammer
    Sail

  168. Somebody already said Bohemian Rhapsody and that ‘rickrolling’ song (never gonna give you up). I also liked Stay – Shakespeare’s sister, and Eternal Flame – bangles (I think?) from when I was younger. More recently there’s two Kings of Leon songs Use somebody and Sex on Fire, and Mr Brightside by the Killers. Also might be a Uk only one ( I heard that it didn’t go over too well in the US) Angels by Robbie Williams.

  169. 500 Miles by the Proclaimers
    The Hamsterdance Song by Hampton the Hamster.
    Rick Astley: Never Gonna Give You Up
    Sinéad O’Connor – Nothing Compares 2U

  171. Wow, most of mine have been named already! A special extra mention must be made of Since U Been Gone, though, since I couldn’t stand it back in my high school days when it was all the rage, but now I get this big doofy grin on my face whenever I hear it, because, y’know, nostalgia.

    Ones that no one’s mentioned yet:
    I’m Yours, by Jason Mraz
    Fireflies, by Owl City
    All the Small Things, by Blink-182
    Billie Jean, by Michael Jackson

    And, um, Wannabe, by the Spice Girls *hides in shame*

  172. Oh, I just thought of some more British ones, the verve -Bitter sweet Symphony, Manic Street Preachers – A Design For Life, Blur – Parklife, Pulp – Common People and Year 2000, Human League – Don’t you Want Me, Snow Patrol – Chasing Cars, James – Sit Down, Paloma Faith, – New York. Duffy – Mercy. I think I could keep going all night but it’s 1am and I need to go to sleep. No, wait, Savage Garden – Truly madly Deeply, and Natalie Imbruglia – Torn, both aussies. Just one final US one, The Calling – Wherever you will go. Done.

  173. Feel so Close – Calvin Harris
    The Fighter – Gym class heroes
    Rock the Casbah – The Clash
    Luckenbach, Texas – Waylon Jennings
    Margaritaville – Jimmy Buffet

  174. Oh, there are so many. But if I had to pick the first three that came into my head, they’d have to be “Closing Time,” “Head Over Heels” (the Tears For Fears song), and “Open Up Your Eyes.” (The Tonic song gets bonus points for having a gratuitous cameo by Mick Fleetwood in its video, and I think we can all agree that our daily lives would be that much better if they had gratuitous Mick Fleetwood cameos.)

  175. “Walkin’ in Memphis,” by whoever is singing it this week. I have to listen to it all the way through when it comes on, even though I don’t actually deem it to be all that great. It makes me happy. I have to listen to “500 Miles” by the Proclaimers and “Always” by Erasure, but that’s different, because those are AWESOME.

  177. @NotSMOF, I love you for mentioning Korpiklaani. If you have never watched their video for Wooden Pints, I dare you to view the entire thing without breaking down laughing until you cry. (They do an absolutely awesome live show, too. First place I ever saw people linking arms and dancing around like fools in a mosh pit.) The day Finnish folk metal hits “relentlessly popular” status will be a pleasant day indeed, though.

  178. A couple hundred songs mentioned and no one brings up “One Week” by Barenaked Ladies.

    “Stacey’s Mom” by Fountains of Wayne.
    Hootie and the Blowfish, anything really.
    “The Middle” by Jimmy Eat World.
    “The Impression that I Get” by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.

    So there are a few more ear-worms for everybody.

  182. Wierd. Trying to find that ‘diamond ring mocking bird buy you’ lullaby got me to
    Beth Orton, ‘stolen car’ (No!) and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFZc4ax4tJs
    which is awesome, but not a pop song.
    So, the one that I almost remember has lyrics about how somebody is gunna buy
    more stuff if the birdie don’t sing.
    Female voice on what I recall isn’t in the first twenty that youtube suggests.
    Oh! Mr. S. was talking about songs, not a song sung by a singer!
    ‘K. This song: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hush,_Little_Baby

  183. 29 million views for Mahna Mahna from the muppets.

    Then Cake did a cover, and somehow, someone mixed in a video of Star Wars clips. The only way to enjoy Ewoks. (well, other than with a side of fava beans and a nice chianti)

  186. Has to be “You Spin Me ‘Round” by Dead or Alive. I recently attended a ‘reunion’ at a club that my crowd frequented in the 80’s. We’re all old(er) and grey(er), but that song had the dancefloor pumpin’. Pete Burns’ plastic surgery disasters notwithstanding.

  187. My favorite durable songs/tracks of the moment:
    “Back on the Chain Gang,” the Pretenders
    “Apples Peaches Pumpkin Pie,” Jay & the Techniques
    “I Got the News,” Steely Dan

  189. Is this a “subtle” way of populating an earworm database?

    “I gotta Feeling” The Black Eyed Peas
    “Come on Eileen” Dexy’s Midnight Runnners
    “Save a Prayer” Duran Duran
    “What I am” Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
    “Only Happy When It Rains” Garbage
    “Hallelujah” Jeff Buckley
    “Justified & Ancient” KLF ft Tammy Wynette
    “Unfinished Sympathy” Massive Attack
    “Kids” MGMT
    “Under Pressure” Queen / David Bowie
    “This Must Be The Place” Talking Heads
    “That’s Not My Name” The Ting Tings
    “All I Want” Toad the Wet Sprocket

  190. “The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of”, by Carly Simon. (Plus god-knows-how-many others already named…but that one will stop me in my tracks every time.)

  191. Smashmouth’s “All Star” is one that I tend to listen through every time I hear it. Much 90s/early 2000s nostalgia there. In more recent ones, “Gangnam Style” is still pretty awesome.

  192. “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head” Kylie Minogue (even the title suggests an earworm)
    “Manic Monday” The Bangles
    “How Many” Luba (I watched the Canadian music video shows. Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have been exposed to her.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyQrok6ON0I
    “Thunderball” Tom Jones
    “One Night In Bangkok” Murray Head

  193. “WaterBear” by Mal Webb. Dude has an unfortunately wide vocal range so anyone who sings along ends up out of range at some point. Song is also funny and very hard not to sing along with. I wish I was a waterbear!

    “Justified & Ancient” KLF ft Tammy Wynette, white room remix especially. I have the single, with five versions back to back :)

    Clash: “Lost in the Supermarket” is one of the not-really-a-hit that I can’t not sing along with when I hear it as muzak.

    “Good enough” by Sarah Mclachlan (it’s not something I ever expected to hear in the supermarket but the other day, there it was)

    Yothu Yindi – World Turning

    Toto – Africa (especially the a cappella cover by Perpetuum Jazzile)

  194. Here’s a few more…

    Yeah Yeah Yeah’s — “Zero”
    AC/DC — “Back in Black” — basically the whole album
    REM — anything, take your pick….
    Ministry — “Halloween”
    The Plimsouls — “Million Miles Away”
    Translator — “Everywhere that I’m Not”
    Clash — “I Fought the Law,” ”
    Wall of Voodoo “Mexican Radio”
    Green Day — “American Idiot” and the entire “Dookie” album
    Union Station “The Lucky One”
    Most anything off the “Oh Brother Where Art Thou” soundtrack
    The Decemberists — “Calamity Song”
    Filter — “Take a Picture”
    The Arcade Fire — “Suburbs”
    The Civil Wars — “Barton Hollow”

    Guess my stint in 1980’s college radio shows…..I could go on and on. Love “Call Me Maybe,” much to the chagrin of my children…

  195. John, your appreciation for Journey has brought a lurker to comment. Seriously, I’ve had Steve Perry’s Oh Sherrie chorus worming away in my brain for a week now, and I was never particularly crazy about it the first time around. Make it stop!

    On the other hand, strike up some Madness with Our House and see how bouncy we can get.

  196. Gary Jules and Michael Andrews cover of Tears for Fears song Mad World.

  197. Miguel Rios’ “Himno de la alegria” released in the USA as “A Song of Joy”. It was everywhere my sophomore year in college.

  199. Pink Floyd’s “Money” – 7/4 time baby!
    Crowded House “Don’t Dream It’s Over” – first time I heard this I thought it was a remake of a ’60s song.
    and of course – Bohemian Rhapsody

  200. Pink Floyd – Brain Damage/Eclipse
    Twisted Sister – We’re Not Gonna Take It
    Supertramp – Goodbye Stranger
    Queen – A Kind of Magic, Flash Gordon Theme (Flash! Aaaaah, aaaaaah!)
    Eurythmics – Missionary Man
    ZZ Top – Sharp Dressed Man
    Elton John – Rocketman

  201. Gonna show my age here but WTF.

    All Down the Line – The Rolling Stones
    Rehab – Amy Winehouse
    Sprawl II (Mountains beyond Mountains) – Arcade Fire
    Only the Strong Survive – REO Speedwagon
    2112 Overture – Rush
    So What – Miles Davis
    Tomorrow’s Dream – Black Sabbath
    Fall on Me – R.E.M.
    Road to Nowhere – Talking Heads
    Kashmir – Led Zeppelin

    OK, people always say Stairway is the biggest Zep song. Uh-uh. The true fans, the die-hards will tell you Kashmir is the essence, the source of all grandeur and mystery in the universe. That album came out just as I was graduating from high school but they were already playing it on the current tour and there were rumors, rumors of this song that left you crushed and breathless. By the time I hit college, it was taking on anthem proportions. You’d still hear Stairway at the frat houses and dorms but never at the nose-bleed, ear-shattering volume that students would crank Kashmir. When I finally saw the gods live on the ’77 tour, there was an actual split second after the song ended where the audience had to collect its collective breath when the last note sounded. You can’t shake a song like that.

  202. Wow, this has been a trip through earworm heaven (or is that hell?) Many of mine have been mentioned, but here are a couple more:

    Closing Time—Semisonic
    Voices Carry—Til Tuesday
    Tom Sawyer—Rush
    Chasing Cars—Snow Patrol
    Meeting Across the River—Bruce Springsteen (It’s practically the only song on Born to Run that’s not a hit, but it’s still the one I won’t turn off until it’s done).

  203. Oddly enough, it’s the killer instrumental breaks that hook me, e.g. Walk of Life by Dire Straits, or I Don’t Like Mondays by the Boomtown Rats. Oh, and Kim Karnes’ Betty Davis Eyes.

  205. I’m surprised no one’s mentioned these few… (and yes, I’m dating myself…)
    Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Suzy Q
    James Taylor’s Fire & Rain
    Jackson 5’a ABC
    Eric Clapton’s Layla
    Boston’s More Than A Feelin’
    Foreigner’s Fool for the City
    Dire Straits’ Sultans of Swing
    Fine Young Cannibals’ She Drives Me Crazy
    Jimmy Buffet’s Cheeseburger In Paradise
    I’ll stop now. The earworm’s are devouring my brain.

  206. A couple more that I’ve remembered:

    I’m A Believer, by The Monkees (or the Smashmouth cover, I won’t be picky)
    Tiny Dancer, Elton John (this one drove me crazy as a kid because it was ALWAYS playing on my mom’s preferred radio station in the car, but then I grew up and became an actual Elton John fan, so now I love it.)

    And to the people who mentioned 500 Miles, Fire & Rain, Smashmouth’s All Star, and Perpetuum Jazzile’s Africa cover: YES.

    And then there is Somebody That I Used to Know, which I fell in love with after hearing Pentatonix’s a cappella cover. If you haven’t heard it, seriously, go listen to it. It’ll change your life.

    And then there is Somebody That I Used to Know, which is a decent song, but what really made me love it was Pentatonix’s a cappella cover. Seriously, go listen to it. It’ll change your life.

  207. My kids, 9 and 6, love “Take On Me” and the video. We all felt pretty down when I dug up the sequel and it turns out that the couple from “Take On Me” have to break up forever or he’ll die.

    My completionist songlist definitely includes “Take On Me.” Also “Hope Eyrie,” each part of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, , “That Ain’t Workin’,” “Dawson’s Christian,” “I’ll See Your Six,” “500 Miles,” and “Solsbury Hill.”

  208. Film soundtrack: A Star Is Born (the Streisand version). I’ve had ‘Crippled Crow’ in my head for a week now after tripping over it on my iPod…

  211. Since both Ghostbusters and Gangnam Style *were mentioned above*, I should say.

  212. Fleetwood Mac – Don’t Stop
    Boston – Foreplay/Longtime
    Twisted Sister – We’re Not Gonna Take It
    Def Leppard – Armageddon It
    Ramones – I Wanna Be Sedated
    Living Colour – Cult of Personality
    ZZ Top – My Head’s in Mississippi
    Dire Straits – Sultans of Swing
    Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble – Superstition
    Ke$ha – Tik Tok

  213. Snow Bird by Anne Murray – this was 1970, I was 11 and had just started listening to the radio. Ever since it has been a guilty pleasure.

  214. This is a hard one, since I almost always have something playing in my head… A lot of mine have been already mentioned, so I won’t repeat deliberately. One that hasn’t been mentioned is “Lean on Me” – I have no idea who did the first recording, but that’s the one I hear in my head usually.

  215. Yes, this thread is earworm hell. That’s OK though. I second all of the ’80s songs. Here are some I haven’t seen yet. I crank these when they come on the radio and usually sing along. And yes, I’m easy. :-)

    From last century:
    Copacabana by Barry Manilow
    Anything from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack
    Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
    Don’t You Forget About Me by Simple Minds
    Vogue by Madonna
    She Drives Me Crazy by The Fine Young Cannibals
    Jimmy Olsen’s Blues by The Spin Doctors
    Two Princes by The Spin Doctors
    Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong by The Spin Doctors

    From this century:
    Some Nights by Fun.
    Too Close by Alex Clare
    I’ve Got a Feelin’ by The Black Eyed Peas
    All Star by Smashmouth
    Tonight Tonight by Hot Chelle Rae (because you just have to love a song that can work in a verse about Zach Zach Galifianakis into the lyrics)

  216. Of all time: Possibly “You Can Calle Me Al”
    Of the present moment: “Thriftshop” I really love that songs, kind of despite myself.

  219. I now have so many almost-earworms they are canceling each other out and none stays long enough to be annoying.

    Second “the Lion Sleeps Tonight”, I cannot turn that off if it comes on the radio and I absolutely must sing along, and it’s not ok to interrupt me.
    Livin’ La Vida Loca – Ricky Martin
    I’m Too Sexy
    Friends in Low Places – Garth Brooks

  220. Night Moves and Rock n Roll Never Forgets – Bob Seeger
    Dancing in the Street – Martha & the Vandellas
    Ain’t no Mountain High Enough -both the Gaye and Terrell version and Diana Ross version
    In fact anything practically anything from early Detroit-based Motown

    (Why yes, I am a certain age and did grow up in Michigan.)

  221. “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen. “Roundabout” (album version) by Yes. “You Were On My Mind” by We Five. “Alone Again Or” by Love. George Thorogood’s live version of “Who Do You Love?” The Bangles’ a-capella version of “Walk Like An Egyptian.” “Magic Bus” and “I Can See For Miles” by The Who. “Don’t Let Us Get Sick” and “Even A Dog Can Shake Hands” by Warren Zevon. “Good Vibrations” by the Beach Boys. Joe Bonamassa’s “The Battle for Hadrian’s Wall.” The last movement of Beethoften’s 9th Symphony. “Sympathy For The Devil” by the Rolling Stones. “Black Horse and Cherry Tree” by KT Tunstall. “Your Hip-Hop Thighs” by Ike Reilly. “Let The Big Horse Run” by John Stewart. “Fortunate Son” by Creedence. “Pink Cadillac” by both Springsteen and Aretha Franklin. And probably a half-dozen or more each by Jimmy Buffet, Leo Kottke, ZZ Top (“Velcro Fly.” How could I have forgotten “Velcro Fly?”), Supertramp, Santana, Pete Townshend, Paul Simon, More than a dozen by Richard Thompson.

    Hell, I’ve got a iTunes playlist named “Speeding Ticket.” A good half of what’s on there falls into this category. Thanks to this post, it’s now playing.

  222. Mustang Sally – Mack Rice did it first but it’s been covered by everyone under the sun.
    Make Some Noise – The Beastie Boys

  223. Hold my Hand by Hootie and the Blowfish
    Even Darius Rucker said at the concert that he sung it at that it was the most overplayed song of 1995.
    Dave

  224. I think of the Seinfeld when some of the characters hear that certain song and stop what they are doing and just stare off. Candidate # 1 Interstate Love Song by Stone Temple Pilots, # 2 The Power of Love by Huey Lewis and the News # 3 Wrapped around your Finger by the Police.
    From the spirit of the show, Seven Bridges Road by the Eagles.

  225. A couple more to add to the pile: Supermassive Black Hole by Muse and Maps by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs

    @ Paul: Every time I hear Come Sail Away, I think of the Cartman version. Does that make me a bad person?

  226. A few that have been mentioned, plus every guitar student’s fave, House Of The Rising Sun. The Animals by choice, but there are a lot of good versions.

  228. Wow.
    A trip down memory lane on the between what I said above (which mostly weren’t
    pop songs) and here and here’s what I was at.
    Tanita Tikeram Ancient Heart Track 07.
    Fuck, track 07.
    Ok, this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJdgSRzv8wE
    Not a pop song.
    –
    But still, If that diamond ring doesn’t sing I’ll buy you a mocking bird.

  229. I’m normally out of the loop, so I never know why these things happen. But Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah seems to be everywhere now.

  230. Dating myself, but
    “Peg,” Steely Dan;
    “Maggie May,” Rod Stewart;
    “Sweet Home Alabama,” Lynard Skynard;
    “Margaritaville,” Jimmy Buffett;
    “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Queen;
    “Janie’s Got a Gun,” Aerosmith.
    More recently,
    “Time is Love,” Josh Turner;
    “Something More,” Sugarland;
    “Smile,” Uncle Kracker;
    anything by Joe Satriani

  231. Having commented above, I realize now that the song running through my head almost constantly for the past few weeks has been “I am a fine musician” from Captain Kangaroo – talk about REALLY dating yourself…

  235. >Has to be “You Spin Me Round” by Dead or Alive
    Like record, baby, yeah, yeah, oh yeah.
    Could of sworn that was by Blue Oyster (Don’t eat blue oysters) Cult (also
    don’t eat green oysters).
    Oh, not OK. Now I want to cut some Bob Seger songs rid of the guitar solo
    so’s they’ll be an adequate listen.

    >Kyle J? Joan Jett and … Best is ‘Crimson and Clover.’ YMMV
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdhonK8NMm8 Huh, sounds like mono
    audio.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9muzyOd4Lh8 Is one that I bought a
    second time because of a problem with a compact cassette tape player
    mangling tapes and wow have my tastes have changed-Great for a slow
    dance long ago. Needs an edit for being worth a listen now.

  237. Oboy, so many I could name…I’ll just try for three:
    “Money for Nothin'”, Dire Straits
    “The Immigrants’ Song”, Led Zep
    “I Feel the Earth Move Under My Feet”, Carole King

  238. “Achy-Breaky Heart” – Billy Ray Cyrus
    “Skater Boy” – Avril Lavigne (I have such a love/hate relationship with this song.)

  239. I’ll go waaaaaaaay off the beaten path with some earworms of my own:

    “Protectors of the Earth” by Two Steps From Hell
    “I Am The Doctor” by Murray Gold (The live version from “Doctor Who at the Proms”)
    “The Streets Of Whiterun” by Jeremy Soule from the Skyrim soundtrack
    “Down With The Sickness” covered by Richard Cheese and Lounge Against The Machine
    “Enough” by Gravity Kills
    “Vigil” by Jack Wall and Sam Hulick from the Mass Effect soundtrack (almost anything from that series, really)
    “Convoy” by Kevin Reipl from the Unreal Tournament 2004 soundtrack
    “Call Me Maybe” the death metal version by Andy Rehfeldt
    “The Enterprise” by Jerry Goldsmith from the Star Trek The Motion Picture soundtrack (yes, the movie was underwhelming but the score was fucking epic)
    “Keep Hope Alive” by The Crystal Method
    The “Engineering” and “MedSci” portions of the System Shock 2 soundtrack by Eric Brosius – incredibly haunting and spooky
    “Kharak Orbit” by Paul Ruskay from the Homeworld soundtrack
    “Foreplay/Long Time” by Boston

  240. No joke, I read this blog post while standing in line at Disney waiting to get on the mother of all earworms…

    It’s a Small World.

  241. ‘Layla’, by Derek and the Dominos (Clapton) stops me in my tracks and I’m back on a wild Halloween night and I listen to the whole tune.

    2nd choice: ‘Refugee’, by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, again transports me, to my crazy off-shore fishing days (as does, Zevon’s ‘Werewolves of London’/

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