I can't get it out of my head . . .

Lately, as I have been listening to and discussing Lady Gaga's work with some of my friends, I have noticed a theme recur: her music is said to be "catchy." And I agree. I find her single, "Poker Face," to be an especially catchy song. I remember it, and to use the cliche phrase, it get's stuck in my head: I find I unconsciously remember it.

Of course not all music is catchy or gets stuck in one's head. I've never had anyone tell me that Penderecki's "Threnody" is a catchy piece, nor do I find my thoughts drifting to its musical content seemingly on their own, even though I know the piece fairly well. I have to concentrate to play the sounds in my head. I don't think it is just me either. There are certain qualities that would, in my belief, logically make a song more likely to be "catchy."

Repetition - This makes sense on a lot of levels. If you hear something once, your chances or remembering it aren't that good. But hear it over and over again, and the odds are a lot better. Additionally, repetition creates logical patterns that our brains can easily replicate and extend. Perhaps this has something to do with why songs get "stuck" in our heads.

Most contemporary popular music is strophic and thus inherently has some built in repetition. However, looking at "Poker Face," there is in fact much more repetition. The percussive beat is a constant repeated pattern, devoid of even the customary fills. The vocals are presented over a background of short, repeated melodic phrases produced by electronic instruments. There is some variation here, but not enough to stop is from all seeming like a single repeating unit.

Steady Well Defined Beat - The idea of a steady pulse seems to be hardwired into us. Heartbeats, for one, are a steady pulse and have been very consciously cited as an influence on music throughout written history. Secondly, ministry of silly walks aside, people walk evenly at and a steady pace naturally. So, music with a regular pulse feels natural. A piece with alternative measures of 5/8 and 7/4 with constant eighth notes feels unnatural, just like taking different sized uneven steps while walking. As for definition, the stereotypical pounding bass associated with nightclubs isn't necessary per say, but it is impossible to perceive a beat as natural if you can't tell where it is or if it moves around.

Simplicity - I'm not saying full on minimalism, but if the content is very complicated in its various aspects, it becomes too difficult to remember easily, or even at all. "Poker Face" fits this well in my opinion. There are no bizarre rhythms, no jarring changes of tonality. The various melodies and melodic fragments move primarily by steps and common chord intervals such as thirds, fourths, and fifths. Due to the way western music has developed, these intervals are the easiest for us to hear in our minds, as well as sing.

Familiarity - While there are trends, there is also much disparity in what different people find catchy. A lot of this has to do with what we have become accustomed to. I tend to find this overrides the other factors. Personally, I can perceive Frank Ticheli's "Vesuvius" as catchy despite the fact that it consists largely of an irregular 2+3+2+2 rhythmic pattern. I've played in wind bands for so long and dealt with 5/8, 7/8, 11/8 and other sorts of uneven meters involves 3s and 2s that it no longer seems so irregular.

Another example is a story told about an indian musician(I have heard Ravi Shankar but I am not sure) who was brought to a western orchestra concert. When he was asked what his favorite part was, he answered the beginning of the concert, when the instruments were tuning. Having spent all his life in a musical environment where microtonal music was the norm, this was what resonated with him. In line with this, "Poker Face" has a lot in common with the other music someone listening to pop stations would hear.

These are just a few ideas from me. Additions or contentions? Throw something in the comments section.