Top 10 Overly Repetitive Songs You Can't Escape

#10: "Mr. Brightside" (2003)

The Killers

If youre wondering why you were able to learn the words to this song so quickly when it conquered the airwaves back in 2004, it probably has something to do with the fact that verse one and two are exactly the same. Were not bashing Mr. Brightside. Au contraire! Its a fantastic song that rightly deserves its spot on Rolling Stones list of the 100 Best Songs of the 2000s. However, theres no denying that its a little repetitive, with the same verse and chorus churned out several times over.

#9: "Work" (2016)

Rihanna feat. Drake

Easily one of the most pervasive radio songs of the past few years, Rihannas Work dominated the charts for weeks back in 2016. Part of the reason for its success was its catchy, easy to remember chorus; which is basically just another way of saying it was super repetitive. The word work is said 79 times in the song, with a whopping 72 of them occurring during the hook. This is hardly Rihannas first offence, having been behind a slew of other highly repetitive tracks over the years. Umbrella anyone? We arent really surprised though, seeing as her nickname is Ri-Ri.

#8: "Versace" (2013)

Migos

There are three certainties in life: death, taxes and Migos unwavering love of all things Versace. The Georgia-based hip-hop trio made their feelings for the iconic Italian fashion line perfectly clear on this 2013 track, which saw the word Versace repeated literally more times than we can count. Ironically enough this is not the only highly repetitive hip-hop song named after a fashion designer to have been released in the last few years, with Lil Pump following in Migos footsteps with the release of Gucci Gang in 2017.

#7: "Tubthumping" (1997)

Chumbawamba

Every year one-hit wonders come and go, and while they often fade into obscurity their song lives on foreveror at the very least it pops up on one of our lists! Such is the case for the British band Chumbawamba, known primarily for their 1997 hit Tubthumping. The track was an international success, topping music charts across the globe. The song rode the wave of its own incredibly catchy chorus, which repeated I get knocked down, but I get up again / You are never gonna keep me down over and over. Despite its repetitive nature the song still holds up two decades later!

#6: "Barbra Streisand" (2011)

Duck Sauce

When the lyrics of your song consist mainly of Barbra Streisand and Woo, theres a high probability that said song will be a teensy bit repetitive. Not that Duck Sauce is complaining. Despite its recurring themes of Barbra Streisand and the sound a woman makes at a bachelorette party, the track is actuallypretty good. But dont just take our word for it. Nominated for Best Dance Recording at the 2012 Grammys, Barbra Streisand was called deliriously catchy, endlessly danceable and ultimately so uplifting that it could even cheer you up after watching the denouement of The Way We Were. And if youve seen the film, you know thats some pretty high praise.

#5: Can't Get You Outta My Head (2001)

Kylie Minogue

As the title not so subtly implies, this song is very likely to wrap itself around your brain and never let go thanks to its highly repetitive first verseand secondand chorus. Okay, the whole thing is pretty repetitive. But if history has taught us anything its that songs with a ubiquitous chorus are more likely to hit home in a variety of places. Which is exactly what this 2001 Kylie Minogue hit did. The song topped music charts in countries as diverse as Australia, Belgium, Italy and Romania and wound up being one the best selling singles of its year.

#4: "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)" (2015)

Silentó

Is being repetitive a prerequisite for songs with the word whip in the title? Willow Smith kicked off the trend with her 2010 song Whip My Hair and five years later Silentó brought it back with his viral hit Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae). The song has way more than a billion views on YouTube, a startlingly impressive feat seeing as how its basically just the songs title repeated over and over again. Silentó says watch me 73 times, whip 18 times and nae nae 12 times. He also says, do the stanky leg 8 times and duff 17 times. Knowing that the singer later killed a man puts a damper on our enjoyment of the song - but doesnt keep it from being an earworm.

#3: "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" (1998)

Eiffel 65

If you lived through 1999 then you know exactly where you were when you heard this song for the first time. Blue (Da Ba Dee) was less of a song and more of a phenomenon, invading radio stations across the globe and subjecting people to its wacky, often unintelligible lyrics. The chorus is straight repetitive gibberish, with the words da ba dee said over and over. Tack on the fact that the second and third verses are exactly the same and you have a song that is highly likely to blow up on radio and highly unlikely to win any major awards. Just sayin

#2: "Surfin Bird" (1963)

The Trashmen

If you still dont know what the word is after listening to this track then you might want to have your ears checked. After all, American rockers The Trashmen made it abundantly clear in 1963 that bird is the word. It was kind of hard to miss seeing as how they said it roughly a billion times in their song Surfin Bird. The song was actually quite successful in its day, peaking at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. Since then its been riffed on numerous times, perhaps most notably in the 2008 Family Guy episode I Dream of Jesus.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

"Got My Mind Set On You" (1987), George Harrison

Harrisons Cover of the 1962 Original Is A Catchy Classic

What Is Love? (1993), Haddaway

These Looping Lyrics Have Us Head-Banging Like The Roxbury Guys

Macarena (1993), Los Del Rio

Its Prose Is As Straightforward As Its Accompanying Dance

Watermelon Sugar (2020), Harry Styles

A Sexy Summer Bop Thats Mega Easy To Memorize

Tequila (1958), The Champs

Arguably The Greatest Karaoke Song Of All Time

#1: "Around the World" (1997)

Daft Punk

When this song was released in 1997 it took listeners on a spellbinding tour of the English language, using words and phrases the average Joe had simply never heard before. Kidding! It just repeated the title of the song 144 times. And in case youre having a hard time picturing what that would look like here is a screen shot of the lyrics. Pretty impressive, huh? You cant exactly fault Daft Punk for their aversion to verbiage, as their goal has never been to make people see how linguistically gifted they are, but simply to make them want to get up and dance.

Did we miss any repetitive hits? Let us know in the comments. Did we miss any repetitive hits? Let us know in the comments.