There is a science behind what makes a song catchy. Although the audience may not be familiar with that science, they feel its effects. Musicologists have taken the time to compile lists of the catchiest songs ever, using experiments and surveys to back up their findings. Though there are conflicting ideas out there, the three songs below routinely end up on those lists.
“We Are the Champions” – Queen
What better way to measure a song’s catchiness than to observe listeners singing along—or rather, not singing along. Scientists at Goldsmiths University took a group of music fans and tallied what songs they remembered the words to and which they struggled to recall. Their findings put Queen‘s “We Are the Champions” at the top of the heap.
“We Are the Champions” is one of the most pervasive songs ever. The unifying yet straightforward message in this Queen song has kept it at the forefront of rock for decades. This song has been played at countless sporting events and other mass gatherings. At each, the audience, unprompted, can sing along to the chorus. They usually can’t help it. It’s just too catchy to stay silent. This is a real-life counterpart of what the university’s experiment proved.
“Y.M.C.A” (Village People)
The Goldsmiths University experiment found that Village People‘s “Y.M.C.A” was nearly equally catchy as “We Are the Champions.” This doesn’t come as a shock. The verses of this song are relatively simple. As is the chorus. It wouldn’t take much mental effort to remember this song; however, there is more at work here than just simplicity.
The musicologists found that songs with male singers and pitch changes in their hooks were more catchy than their counterparts without either of these elements. “Y.M.C.A” fits that bill.
“Wannabe” (Spice Girls)
While the Goldsmiths experiment found that male vocalists were the key to ultimate catchiness, the Museum of Science in England found that a girl group reigned supreme.
Their experiment found that the Spice Girls‘ “Wannabe” was the catchiest song of all time. This experiment relied on a memorability game. Those involved with the experiment would listen to a song and click the corresponding title. It took them less than three seconds to pick “Wannabe”, producing a clear winner.
(Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns)