Songs can become stuck in our heads due to repeated exposure, associations with memories, or emotional connections with the song. This phenomenon is known as an “earworm” because it can feel like the song is “stuck” in our head, repeating itself over and over without any apparent cause. It's thought that earworms are caused by a combination of factors such as stress, fatigue, and boredom, which can lead to a state of hyper-focus that allows the song to get “stuck” in our minds, even if there is no discernable reason for the song to be recalled.
Stargloww t1_iycdvgk wrote
Reply to eli5: Why do songs get stuck in your head even if you haven’t listened to them recently? by SargeMaximus
Songs can become stuck in our heads due to repeated exposure, associations with memories, or emotional connections with the song. This phenomenon is known as an “earworm” because it can feel like the song is “stuck” in our head, repeating itself over and over without any apparent cause. It's thought that earworms are caused by a combination of factors such as stress, fatigue, and boredom, which can lead to a state of hyper-focus that allows the song to get “stuck” in our minds, even if there is no discernable reason for the song to be recalled.