Interested in discovering the biggest earworms of 2026 so far, the experts at SeatPick analysed the year’s most popular songs according to official top charts, then measured repetition, shrillness, harmonic dullness, and filler lyrics to calculate the percentage chance that listeners would find the song stuck in their head.

Key findings:

• Zara Larsson and PinkPantheress’ Midnight Sun Remix is predicted to be the year’s most inescapable earworm, with an 88% chance of lodging itself in listeners’ heads
• Sonny Fodera’s recent track ranks as the second biggest earworm with an 85% probability
• Bebe Rexha’s latest single is the third biggest earworm of the year
• Sabrina Carpenter, Katseye and Charli XCX also make appearances in the top 15

	Song Title	Artist	Spotify Streams	TikTok Posts	Earworm probability (%)
1	Midnight Sun (Girls Trip)	Zara Larsson, PinkPantheress	6,041,761	30,500	88.4%
2	My Loving	Sonny Fodera & Chrystal	5,219,590	415	85.6%
3	New Religion	Bebe Rexha & Faithless	44,090,234	11,600	84.3%
4	Imposter	Louis Tomlinson	10,905,475	4,823	80.2%
5	Mr. Know It All	Teddy Swims	31,924,961	5,784	74.7%
6	Sleepless in a Hotel Room	Luke Combs	92,036,716	51,000	74.1%
7	Bring Your Love	Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter	16,950,544	4,820	69.1%
8	Swim	BTS	463,481,758	2,000,000	67.6%
9	Lights Burn Dimmer	Fred again.. & Jamie T	18,173,540	2,758	66.8%
10	Internet Girl	KATSEYE	123,726,531	179,000	66%
11	Dying for You	Charli xcx	43,946,497	30,300	62.8%
12	What’s Done Is Done	Jorja Smith	619,638	34	62%
13	drop-dead	Olivia Rodrigo	157,961,386	18,000	61.2%
14	FIX UR FACE	mgk feat. Fred Durst	7,227,877	3,945	58.7%
15	Dracula (JENNIE Remix)	Tame Impala, JENNIE	264,145,994	1,100,100	56.1%

1. Midnight Sun – Zara Larsson & PinkPantheress (88.4%)

Topping the rankings as 2026’s biggest earworm, Midnight Sun earns its place through a combination of repetition and a bright, high-frequency energy that lodges itself firmly in the listener’s brain. Its repetition score is the highest of any track analysed, reflecting the song’s hook-driven structure, where melodic phrases cycle back with regularity. 

The tempo sits squarely in the sweet spot for catchiness; the result is a track that is almost impossible to shake.

2. My Loving – Sonny Fodera & Chrystal (85.6%)

Sonny Fodera’s production places My Loving firmly in second, driven by a tempo that locks listeners into a repetitive rhythmic loop from the opening line. 

The track scores highly on both brightness and harmonic dullness, giving the ear very little variation to latch onto beyond the central hook. Chrystal’s vocal delivery is circular, returning to the same phrase with only minor variation, which pushes the repetition index to the second highest in the dataset.

3. New Religion – Bebe Rexha & Faithless (84.3%)

Faithless built their reputation on tracks designed to loop endlessly on a dancefloor, and New Religion suggests that instinct remains firmly intact.

The track pairs the highest brightness score among the top 15 with harmonic dullness. Bebe Rexha’s vocal power, combined with Faithless’s propulsive production, makes New Religion a song to be played over and over again.

4. Imposter – Louis Tomlinson (80.2%)

Imposter marks Louis Tomlinson’s highest entry in the earworm rankings, and the acoustic data offers a clear explanation. The track keeps the listener’s attention locked in without overwhelming the ear. 

Its harmonic dullness score is notably high among the top-ranking scores, suggesting a held-back production which places greater emphasis on the vocal hook, making its melodies more memorable. 

5. Mr. Know It All – Teddy Swims (74.7%)

Teddy Swims’s soulful vocal style might seem an unlikely fit for an earworm ranking, but the data suggests it’s one of the most likely to be stuck in your head. 

With one of the higher RMS energy readings in the top five – reflecting a consistently loud, full-bodied production – Mr. Know It All commands attention in a way that more restrained tracks do not. 

Its brightness score is notably the lowest of the top five, meaning the track leans into warmth rather than shrillness, yet the repetition index remains high enough to overcome that. It is a reminder that earworms are not always the most irritating songs in the room; they can be the most insistent.