Shirley Ellis — “The Clapping Song”
Not merely content to be as catchy as a schoolyard chant, this R&B classic actually steals a schoolyard chant for the chorus and various verses. Genius. Evil genius. (RG)
Lou Bega – “Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit…)” (BFN)
Emiliana Torrini – “Jungle Drum”
A bubbly rhythm and a chorus consisting of eight words and a bunch of nonsense drum sounds – which after a single listen you will be doomed to repeat to yourself, impulsively, forever. (RG)
Outkast – “Hey Ya” (BFN)
Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers — “Ice Cream Man”
True to its title, this thing is as tinkly, repetitive and unshakeable as the music burbling out of an ice cream truck. Legend has it that when Richman debuted this childlike tune — before a crowd of people who’d come to hear his early garage-punk classics — he insisted on singing the chorus over and over and over until the audience stopped being angry and just accepted it. You must do the same. (RG)
Bachman Turner Overdrive – “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” (BFN)
Third Eye Blind – “Semi-Charmed Life” (BFN)
Culture Club – “Karma Chameleon”
This is what you call an “obliterator” song — It destroys any other earworm that might be lodged in your head, and then nestles in your brain for a nice long stay of its own. I think the key is that *every part* of the tune is infectious on it’s own: The verse is hooky, the harmonica line is hooky, and my God the chorus, that fiendishly chanty chorus. Deploy only in case of emergencies. (RG)
Eurythmics – “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” (BFN)
Bonus: Wham! – “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”
While compiling this list, YouTube decided to automatically play this song. Associate Digital Producer Kristina Lopez is stuck with it in her brain for the weekend.
