HOF Inductee No. 11: "We Will Rock You," Queen

Science(TM) has selected this next inductee into the Earworm Hall of Fame. "Scientists" at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, at their School of Philosophical, Anthropological, and Film Studied, developed a mathematical formula to determine what makes an earworm the earwormiest. The study was published in that noted science-y-ific journal, New Music Express.

According to the article, "an earworm needs five key components: surprise, predictability, rhythmic repetition, melodic potency and receptiveness (how the listener feels about the song)." Thus, researchers reduced this to a precise mathematical formula: "Receptiveness + (predictability-surprise) + (melodic potency) + (rhythmic repetition x1.5) = earworm." Plug all of this into the formula and, according to research team, the Number 1 earworm of all time is this:  Queen:  "We Will Rock You."

Who are we to argue with Science(TM)? We are not science-deniers here.

Regarding the formula for building the perfect earworm, "We Will Rock You" has "rhythmic repetition" in spades. But the song is much more than that. As far as the "predictability" metric, it depends on what this means. Once the song starts, the course is very predictable, up to the Brian May guitar solo at the end, There is not a whole lot of sonic variation within its 2:01 run time, But, as far as the song itself, this song sounds like no other pop song of the recorded music era. The melody, such as it is, is carried by foot stomps and hand claps, not by instrumentation (until the aforementioned guitar solo at the very end).

The song was designed to be anthemic. It was and it still is. It is also infectious and irresistible. It is an all-time earworm. Maybe not the all-time #1 earworm. The science is never settled. But a major earworm nonetheless.

Despite the catchy infectiousness of the song, the song is essentially un-cover-able. Need proof? Hair metal band Warrant -- pioneers of the genre "bubblegum metal" -- a band that posed as a metal band but was just a purveyor of sappy power ballads -- tried to do a cover of this song for some forgotten forgettable movie. The wispy results were predictably awful. Worse than awful. Anemic. An anemic anthem. Warrant should've stuck to eating its cherry pie.