The 10 Christmas Songs Easiest to Get Stuck in Your Head, According to Research

There are many Christmas songs that you just can’t get out of your head. The moment you see the name of the song, or the moment you hear that first note, you end up singing it over and over again.

It turns out that there’s a scientific reason for it, and that’s something SeatPick looked into with a recent study. By mid-December, a good 20% of people are fed up with hearing the same holiday songs. That’s probably not surprising when some radio stations and stores end up playing the same ones over and over again.

So, what are the biggest culprits when it comes to getting stuck in your head? Here are the top 10, with the scientific reasoning behind them.

The Top 10 List

SeatPick found the top 10 Christmas songs that are always stuck in your head. The top one probably won’t surprise you, and I apologize for getting it back in your head right now. It’s stuck in my head just from writing this post.

Why These Songs Get Stuck in Your Head

It turns out that science is to blame. It all comes down to repetitive lyrics, harmonic dullness, and shrillness. Of course, the fact that many of the same holiday songs are played over and over again doesn’t help!

As you can see, “Feliz Navidad” is at the top of the list, and I dare you not to get it stuck in your head right now. When it comes to the scientific reason behind it, it’s due to the lyrics that are constantly being repeated. The title of the song itself is mentioned 21 times throughout the three minutes, and then the line “I wanna wish you a merry Christmas” is repeated a staggering 18 times.

The second on the list is “Underneath the Tree” by Kelly Clarkson, and while it’s certainly by a great performer, it’s just overplayed. However, getting this one stuck in your head probably isn’t as problematic, as the science behind it is that it’s a feel-good tune, so we don’t mind when the song is uplifting.

“Merry Christmas Everyone” by Shakin’ Stevens comes in at No. 3, and that’s due to the nostalgic feeling when listening to this one. As soon as you hear the bells, you know which song is about to play on the radio, but it’s not all good things that put this so high on the list. The song itself is considered shrill, and that gets it deep in the brain.

Personally, I don’t mind singing “Run Rudolph Run” or “Hallelujah” constantly in my head, but that’s because I enjoy them. “Run Rudolph Run” also has a catchy tune that makes me feel good while listening to it, so of course, scientifically, it ends up being an earworm. But there are some songs that I don’t need to keep humming!

It Also Comes Down to Personality

There is a personality element to songs getting stuck in the head, as SeatPick found. Those who have obsessive-compulsive or anxious personalities are more likely to find some Christmas songs get stuck in their heads more than others.

This could be a good thing, though. People with anxious personalities will want something that calms them, and there can be tunes that offer that benefit. Just look at the calmness of “Hallelujah,” and the meaning behind the song. It can help people de-stress at this time of year.

How to Get Christmas Earworms Out of Your Head

So, what do you need to do if you want to stop singing “Feliz Navidad” for the millionth time? There are a few options that researchers have found.

The first is to play more music! If you put on a different song, your mind will take over listening to the lyrics and the tune. As SeatPick points out, there is even “The Earworm Eraser” to help you get that song out of your head.

Distraction is the best way to do it. After all, this helps not just to get rid of one song from your head but also doesn’t put another one in there instead. Your brain needs something else to work on, so opt for word searches, puzzles, or something else to keep the brain occupied. This doesn’t quite work when you’re trying to sleep, so you’ll need to find something that helps activate your brain enough to get rid of the earworm without waking you back up.

As mentioned in the SeatPick study, Durham University found that chewing gum, of all things, can help to get rid of those songs. It’s due to the rhythmic motion of chewing, which interrupts the brain from being able to play a song. Hey, it’s worth a try, right?

Getting Christmas songs stuck in your head can be annoying, but they don’t have to stay there!

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