How to deal with 'intrusive music'?

i feel so sorry for you, having that song stuck in your head.
I deal with the same thing a lot because the radio station at work just plays the same 20 songs so they get pounded into your brain. Best solution ive found is just listening to some music i actually like for a while and then at least ill have a good song on my mind.

Boy do I feel your pain! I almost always have a song playing in the background of my brain. It’s always annoying, but only becomes really terrible when I’m trying to fall asleep. The only thing that works for me then is to “sing” another song very loudly and insistently in my head. Over and over, with no pause. I choose one of two songs for this purpose: Red River Valley (my husband used to sing this to me as a sort of lullaby) or the ABC song. Since neither requires very much thought, and both are sort of soothing, that normally does the trick.

PS: I refused to click on your song link… I have enough trouble on my own, thankyouverymuch! :P

This happens to me all the time as well, i just sing the song out loud. That way it’s not irritating for me, but only the people i’m with.
actually i had __bad romance__, on my head all last week!

its stuck…..my god….its stuck in my head….why did i click on that…...bah!

@uberbatman – I know, right? I mean, I kinda like it, but it’s not exactly the song I want on eternal repeat for my inner soundtrack. I’ve been listening to my music during this time and did get a better song stuck in my head earlier this evening (still on repeat, but at least a better song), but then Bad Romance came back. Maybe I just need to listen to more. And, sorry. :(

@augustlan – I’ll try singing something to myself and see if it helps.

Gargh.. okay, no one is allowed to say the words B.R… it just popped back in after re-reading my post.. :P

i loath that song

Note: I now have “I’ve Got the Music in Me” stuck in my head… from the title of the article! Damn it.

Oy vey. Considering my current state, I am very sorry to both of you.

It’s ok… I still lurve you. ;)

This happens to me, usually with classical music, almost always Tchaikovsky or Shostakovich. Those Russians have a way of getting their music in my head.

The last time it happened to me, though, it was something by Delibes. Not only did I listen to this piece multiple times in a row, I also played it on the piano, so it was really stuck. I didn’t notice it until I had to go to sleep and then it just kept playing on loop. And it’s a good tune, but man, enough is enough.

The thing about Delibes is that he’s a composer of ballet, so there are all these little extremely catchy tunes that just keep repeating over and over and I even do my own personal variations on some of his music.

I don’t know the solution, usually I just forget about it and then I end up falling asleep. Sometimes if I really think about something else, it’ll go away. Not necessarily a song, but just anything else. Can’t say this happens to me very often, but I know it’s OCD-related and I do have some mild OCD.

Have you tried focusing on number patterns, like skip counting in your head, or listing prime numbers? Sometimes working a sodoku or logic puzzle can get me unstuck from repetitive thinking because of the amount of processed thinking numbers can take.

Sometimes I can clear them out by playing the song that is stuck there repeatedly.

Other times I use what I call “brain draino.” This is an example of brain draino that will get anything out of my head. Here is another of my favorite brain drainos.

The only way that works for me is to replace it with another song…. which, fingers crossed, wont get stuck in there for sooo long.

I was haunted by “our song” for over a week after my lady died. Playing really strident classical music (like Sibelius) may have been a factor in clearing out the “ear worm”. I still can’t listen to Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” without emotional reaction.

@Arisztid – That song worked for the rest of last evening, I had that in my head instead. Also, the video amused me quite a bit, thanks. :)

It’s back now, though, ugh..

I think I’m going to have to listen to other music and try to get some other song stuck in my head.

@MissAnthrope I am glad that you enjoyed. :) That video cracks me up every time I see it. I did kind of neglect to mention that those songs tend to get stuck in your head too, especially the first.

It is back though?

Try this song (it is mostly in English). That is industrial strength brain draino and, if Fanfare Ciocarlia’s video amused you, you shall enjoy this one . “Strange” is an understatement. Who says Gypsies cannot do punk?

Nothing has managed to stay stuck in my head after a few playings of that.