Called an earworm by some, it's that short segment of a tune (usually with words) that you can't get out of your head. Both men and women are equally prone to them but according to research, women are bothered by them more!
People who spend a lot of time with music and those with some degree of obsessive compulsive disorder are more prone but anyone can get them.
What to do about them?
Research out of Durham University suggests the following:
1) listen to the entire song;
2) listen to an entirely different song (Durham being in the UK, they suggested "God Save the Queen" as the competing tune to listen to!);
3) do something that forces you to concentrate as they seem to occur more frequently when you are bored or have little to do.
Interestingly enough the term earworm comes as a literal translation of a German term. Perhaps it derives from the fact that ground-up worm was once used as a therapy for ear conditions, no one knows for sure. But the one thing I can guarantee is that with the holiday season fast approaching, we all are at increased risk!