You’ve been there, you know the pain. For social, weight, or practical issues, the iPod stays home, not in the backpack. And despite one last listen of a really cool tune before you lock your vehicle and head into the backcountry, it happens: The worst song in the world gets stuck in your head. Over and over and over….

In German, they’re called ohrwurms, in English earworms, and short of a self-lobotomy or drunken stupor, there’s no real cure. Scientists don’t even know what causes them, though some have proposed that certain songs have “resonant frequencies” that make them more likely to stick. The University of Cincinnati’s Dr. James Kellaris, a.k.a. Dr. Earworm, has suggested the Theory of Cognitive Itch–some songs act as histamines do on the skin and the only way to scratch them is by playing them repeatedly in your head.

Regardless of how or why, here’s my list (feel free to post your own)…but be careful…you might want to put on some good music first. Just reading these titles shows how contagious these tunes really are.

10. “We Built This City,” by Starship
9. “Achy Breaky Heart,” by Billy Ray Cyrus
8. “Tom’s Diner‚” by Suzanne Vega
7. “Whoomp! There It Is,” by Tag Team
6. “Who Let the Dogs Out,” by Baha Men
5. “Copacabana,” by Barry Manilow
4. “Ants Go Marching,” by artist unknown
3. “Tie a Yellow Ribbon,” by Tony Orlando
2. “My Sharona,” by The Knack
1. “My Humps,” by Black Eyed Peas

Tagged as: hiking, lists, music