Earworm

The infamous “song stuck in your head” syndrome (why does it always have to be a banal tune, or a pop song you hate?), technically known as “involuntary memory retrieval.” Ninety-eight percent of the population is subject to this annoying phenomenon, though earworms last longer in women and annoy them more. Musicians and those with OCD are more likely to be attacked by earworms. The duration of an earworm is restricted to auditory short-term memory limits, which range from 15–30 seconds in most people.