Catchiest song of all time? A Spice Girls tune, say British scientists (+video)

CSM ^ | 11/3/2014 | Lisa Suhay

[SeekAndFind]

Scientists say if you wanna be the pop star with the catchiest song of all time, “what you want, what you really really want,” to have is a word "hook" that latches onto a listener’s mind super fast.

In the case of The Spice Girls’ hit "Wannabe," the study of 12,000 people found it takes just 2.29 seconds to recognize the song when it begins at the chorus "if you wanna be my lover…"

Anyone seeking something man-made and sold to the general public which operates at that kind of speed may have to leave the world of song and hit the race track in search of an Ariel Atom – which moves just a hair slower than a Spice Girl tune. The Atom is the fastest accelerating street legal road car on the planet thanks to its ability to go from zero to sixty miles per hour in just 2.3 seconds, according to 10 Most Today website.

Manchester's Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) published the results of a year-long study of what makes a song stick in your head – the Spice Girls’ “Wannabe” came in at No. 1.

Researchers used the ‘Hooked on Music’ test, which is online for continued use by the general public.

The MOSI site offers two versions of the test. It asks listeners to try to name a song randomly selected from over 1,000 best-selling tunes when it began playing from the hook – or to take a time trial to see how fast you can recognize the song from the hook.

[BenLurkin]

They missed the most important hook song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgQejd14wKs

[BeadCounter]

Are they kidding? Crocodile Rock is 100x as catchy, and Benny and the Jets has a single piano chord at the very beginning which is almost a hook in and of itself.

You are absolutely correct, Candle in the wind to me would be basically a ballad. Looks like this list is somewhat based on popularity.

[Baynative]

Ditto on the Aerosmith comment.

[KarlInOhio]

I’m very partial to the opening instrumental of The Pretenders’ “My City Was Gone”. When I hear it I get warm fuzzies and some hope for America.

Do you get disappointed when you hear it and then realize it is a music station so Rush won't be on in a few seconds?

[JPG]

Recognizing “A Hard Days Night” & “Satisfaction” are also super quick.

[BunnySlippers]

Never heard of it.

[Organic Panic]

I am guessing they ONLY included pop music. I doubt they included Henry Mancini, ACDC’s opening riffs, or TV shows.

[dead]

The opening guitar strum on The Beatles "A Hard Day's Night" and everybody over thirty knows exactly what song is on.

A Hard Day's Night

[Durus]

You should be zotted and then beaten for rickrolling fellow freepers! Or congratulated, I’m not sure which.

[buffaloguy]

“It’s A Small World”.

Sorry, I just had to do that.

[GeronL]

wow. not me

[Baynative]

That was an obviously skewed generational list. I'm a bit older, I guess, but I can offer much catchier hooks right of the top of my head:

In the mood
Bad to the Bone
Start me Up
Rocky Mountain High
Don't Stop (thinking about tomorrow)
Werewolves of London
Sweet Home Alabama
Walk on the Wild Side
Louie, Louie
Bad Moon Rising
Listen to the Music
FAME
Midnight Rider
Thrill is Gone

...just to name a few in less than a minute

[GeronL]

Three’s Company or Gilligan’s Island or the Andy Griffith Show theme songs might win.

[GeronL]

I found my thrill..... on blueberry hill

[roofgoat]

Robbin Crosby’s first acoustic chord strum of Ratt’s “Back for More”.

[BeadCounter]

Some of the songs are before my time but I have long listened to oldies radio, those aren’t on the list too much.

“Double Shot of my baby’s love” and I’ll stop there but a lot of those songs from back then have great hooks I’d say. Bruce Springsteen has even covered it. Great song.

[CrazyIvan]

Hey, like where’s Stairway to Heaven, man?

[dainbramaged]

“Everybody’s Talkin’” by Harry Nilsson sticks in my cranium.

[BeadCounter]

I agree with most of those, a lot of Classic Rock I’d say.

[blueunicorn6]

“Nibblin on bacon and chewin on cheese”