What rock song has the catchiest chorus? Let’s ask science!
When it comes to rock, we love two things: repetition (but not too much) and a good hook in the chorus. Find the right balance and you’ll have a hit, possible a song for the ages.
As simple as that sounds, it’s extremely hard to get the balance right. Those songwriters who do–even if it’s just one time–will end up with a track that everyone will be able to identify in two or three seconds. And things often come down to this truth: The hookier the chorus, the more memorable the song.
But what makes a chorus catchy? That’s so hard to pin down, although you know immediately when an artist gets it right. Maybe we need to put some scientists on the case.
The Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester recently conducted a study designed to help researchers understand what makes a song catchy and what makes one song catchier than another. They used a video game-type setup which included a challenge in which participants had to name the song as quickly as possible after being the beginning of a chorus.
Here’s the executive summary:
- The catchiest song of all time seems to be “Wannabe” by The Spice Girls
- Lou Bega’s “Mambo No.5,” “Just Dance” from Lady Gaga, and Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” were also rated as monsters.
- When it came to rock, nothing beat this song. And it’s Canadian.
Read more at FarOut Magazine.
