What is an earworm?

An earworm is a catchy piece of music or a song that persistently repeats in a person's mind, often involuntarily. These tunes can be snippets of songs, jingles, or melodies that get stuck in one's head, sometimes leading to frustration. Earworms are usually triggered by certain stimuli, such as hearing the song or related associations, and can linger for hours or even days. They are a common phenomenon and can affect anyone, regardless of musical taste.