Top Five Children’s Earworms

Yesterday I found myself humming The Archers’ Theme tune ALL DAY, even when I woke coughing in the middle of the night. Not your standard earworm, I know, but it happens a lot. It’s not unusual for me to be humming showtunes or hymns when I wake, and most of the time I’m not aware of it. I recently saw an article listing some of the top Earworm offenders, which included:

Lady Gaga’s Poker Face

The Beatles rendition of  O-bla-di O-bla-da

Kylie Minogue’s classic I should be so lucky

Eiffel65 one hit wonder Blue

Merely writing down the title of the last one has taken me back to the mid-90’s and the implausible lyrics of Eiffel 65’s Euro-pop classic. I may have to play Mamma Mia at full volume just to stop myself seeing blue people everywhere I go, or I fear PD’s Nursery may call Social Services.

Up until recently, I didn’t know that ‘earworm’ was the word one used to describe a compulsively addictive tune you can’t, ahem, get out of your head. That I was informed of this by an Academic with a background in Welsh ancient history made me concerned that I wasn’t getting out enough, a thought that was reinforced when I realised I was humming the Tweenies theme tune whilst on a packed commuter train last week.

Anyone who is a parent will sympathise (I hope) with my predicament, since it is universally acknowledged that, however compulsive some of the Pop Classics may be, they are nothing compared with the awesome power of the Children’s Nursery Rhyme. Herewith five top challengers for the Earworm of the Year:

1. If You’re Happy and You Know It
2. One, Two, Three, Four, Five (Once I Caught a Fish Alive)
3. Three Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed
4. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
5. Row, Row, Row The Boat

But my all time, most hated hummed Children’s Song must go to…..

 

….Drumroll…..

 

The Wheels on the Bus.

 

I haven’t even started on Theme Tunes and Television programmes. What are your most requested nursery rhymes? Which have you switching to MTV just to get them out of your head?