A blend of AI analysis, museum research and veteran DJs reveals why certain songs stick in listeners' heads. ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot highlight hooks, simple melodies and tempo as key factors. A 2014 museum study ranks "Wannabe" and "Mambo No. 5" among the quickest‑recognised tracks. New Jersey DJ Mark Pomeroy and Atlanta DJ Sloan Lee stress emotional connection, beats‑per‑minute and social‑media trends. Together, these perspectives show that catchiness is a mix of musical structure, cultural moments and audience energy. Read more →

A recent look at what makes a song stick in listeners’ heads pulls together a museum’s recognition study, the song lists of AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot, and the on‑the‑ground insights of New Jersey DJ Mark Pomeroy and Atlanta DJ Sloan Lee. The museum survey ranked pop hits by how quickly people identified them, while AI models produced overlapping but varied top‑ten lists. DJs, seasoned in live events, stress emotional connection, beats per minute and TikTok trends as key drivers of catchiness. Together, these perspectives map a shifting but recognizable set of earworms that span decades and genres. Read more →

A recent look at what makes a song stick in listeners’ heads pulls together a museum’s recognition study, the song lists of AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot, and the on‑the‑ground insights of New Jersey DJ Mark Pomeroy and Atlanta DJ Sloan Lee. The museum survey ranked pop hits by how quickly people identified them, while AI models produced overlapping but varied top‑ten lists. DJs, seasoned in live events, stress emotional connection, beats per minute and TikTok trends as key drivers of catchiness. Together, these perspectives map a shifting but recognizable set of earworms that span decades and genres. Read more →

A recent look at what makes a song stick in listeners’ heads pulls together a museum’s recognition study, the song lists of AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot, and the on‑the‑ground insights of New Jersey DJ Mark Pomeroy and Atlanta DJ Sloan Lee. The museum survey ranked pop hits by how quickly people identified them, while AI models produced overlapping but varied top‑ten lists. DJs, seasoned in live events, stress emotional connection, beats per minute and TikTok trends as key drivers of catchiness. Together, these perspectives map a shifting but recognizable set of earworms that span decades and genres. Read more →

A recent look at what makes a song stick in listeners’ heads pulls together a museum’s recognition study, the song lists of AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot, and the on‑the‑ground insights of New Jersey DJ Mark Pomeroy and Atlanta DJ Sloan Lee. The museum survey ranked pop hits by how quickly people identified them, while AI models produced overlapping but varied top‑ten lists. DJs, seasoned in live events, stress emotional connection, beats per minute and TikTok trends as key drivers of catchiness. Together, these perspectives map a shifting but recognizable set of earworms that span decades and genres. Read more →

A recent look at what makes a song stick in listeners’ heads pulls together a museum’s recognition study, the song lists of AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot, and the on‑the‑ground insights of New Jersey DJ Mark Pomeroy and Atlanta DJ Sloan Lee. The museum survey ranked pop hits by how quickly people identified them, while AI models produced overlapping but varied top‑ten lists. DJs, seasoned in live events, stress emotional connection, beats per minute and TikTok trends as key drivers of catchiness. Together, these perspectives map a shifting but recognizable set of earworms that span decades and genres. Read more →

Multiple sources, including AI chatbots and veteran DJs, discuss the qualities that define a catchy song. AI‑generated lists from ChatGPT, Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot highlight tracks like "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls, "Uptown Funk," and "Shape of You." DJs Mark Pomeroy and Sloan Lee share their on‑the‑floor experience, noting the importance of beats per minute, emotional connection, and social‑media trends such as TikTok. Across both AI and human perspectives, the consensus points to simple hooks, strong rhythms, and cultural relevance as key ingredients of ear‑worms that keep audiences moving. Read more →