logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2021
13m 24s

Why Music Sticks in Our Brains

NPR
About this episode
Why do some songs can stick with us for a long time, even when other memories start to fade? Science reporter (and former Short Wave intern) Rasha Aridi explains the neuroscience behind that surprising moment of, "Wow, how do I still remember that song?!"

Email the show at shortwave@npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Yesterday
When is your brain actually 'adult'?
Summer is winding down and school is back. And all of that has us thinking about this idea that something happens in the human brain when we turn 25. Suddenly, we can rent a car without fees. Make rational decisions. We may even regret some of our past… indiscretions. All because ... Show More
13m 54s
Sep 4
A new investigation shows heat is even deadlier than we thought
Hot weather isn’t just an inconvenience. It’s killing thousands more Americans than show up in official records. That’s the finding from a new NPR investigation, in partnership with Boston University. And the way they came up with that new, better estimate of the true toll of hea ... Show More
14m 45s
Sep 2
The science of emotional regulation — and how to do it better
Do you ever feel like your emotions control you instead of you controlling them? Maybe you lash out at someone after a long day at work or indulge to avoid a stressful situation. It’s called emotional dysregulation and don’t worry – we all experience it at some point. Luckily, th ... Show More
12m 29s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2025
Why Do Songs Get Stuck in Your Head?
Have you ever had a song continue to loop in your brain no matter how hard you tried to shake it? These “earworms” are more than just an annoyance—they’re a phenomenon scientists have studied for years. This episode dives into what makes certain melodies stick, why some tunes are ... Show More
19m 57s
Dec 2021
Music and Memory
We all know music can influence our moods, but can it actually boost our memory? How do musical memories emerge at the borders of identity, experience and culture? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore these questions and discuss the curious ways we r ... Show More
58m 28s
Oct 2021
Ep 28: Why songs get stuck in our heads
tail spinning
24m 59s
Jul 2022
Why is this song stuck in my head?
<p>You have probably experienced an ‘earworm’ - a catchy bit of music that plays round and round in your head and won’t go away – at least for a short while. But why did it pop up in the first place and how did it get stuck?</p><p>CrowdScience listener Ryota in Japan wants us to ... Show More
32m 33s
Apr 2022
The Power of Music
Have you ever gone through a breakup and listened to a sad song on repeat? Why do we have such strong emotional connections to music? Well, the answer lies in our brains. On this episode, CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks to Professor Assal Habibi, a pianis ... Show More
25m 30s
Oct 2021
From silence to cacophony, here's how your brain makes sense of the world
It can be hard enough to answer the question, "what kind of music do you like?" But how about "why do you like it?" That's one of the many questions about the human brain and sound that neuroscientist Nina Kraus set out to answer in her book Of Sound Mind. In this interview with ... Show More
8m 48s
Dec 2010
Can music rebuild my brain?
<p>It's been said that music has the power to soothe savage beasts, but what scientific impact does music have on humans? In this episode, Julie and Robert explore the influence of music on human brain cells -- and whether it can actually rebuild your brain.</p><p> </p> Learn mor ... Show More
31m 34s
Mar 2024
How music, memory and emotion are connected, with Elizabeth Margulis, PhD
The right song can make us feel chills, help pull us out of a bad mood, or take us back in time to the first time we heard it. Elizabeth Margulis, PhD, director of the Music Cognition Lab at Princeton University, talks about how music, memory, emotion and imagination intertwine; ... Show More
41m 12s
Jul 2021
Why do songs get stuck in our heads?
You know that feeling where you get a snippet of a song stuck in your head and it loops over and over? Those hard to shake songs are also known as earworms, and in this episode Molly has a particularly sticky one in her brain. We'll find out why some songs are catchier than other ... Show More
32m 40s
Mar 2014
A Musical Time Machine for the Brain
<p>A Musical Time Machine for the Brain: What is music doing to our perception of time? It seems to transport us to the past. It speeds things up and slows things down. And just how do others exploit these qualities to manipulate us? Find out in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your ... Show More
37m 24s