The psychology of the sea shanty: Why work songs are such earworms

<p>2021 has got off to a strange start, with a surprising trend sweeping the internet: sea shanties. This ancient genre of music has exploded in popularity in recent weeks, thanks to people on social media singing them, sharing them and adding their own twists.</p><p>In fact, they’ve become so popular that Bristol-based shanty band The Longest Johns have entered the top 40 in the UK singles chart.</p><p>Naturally, we here at <em>BBC Science Focus</em> wanted to know what it was about sea shanties that makes them so catchy. So this week, we spoke to Professor Catherine Loveday of the University of Westminster. She’s a neuropsychologist who specialises in music.</p><ul><li><strong>Read more about the </strong><a href="https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/the-science-of-why-sea-shanties-are-so-catchy/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>science of sea shanties</strong></a></li></ul><p>Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts.</p><ul><li><strong>Subscribe</strong>&nbsp;to the&nbsp;<em>Science Focus Podcast</em>&nbsp;on these services:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.acast.com/science-focus-podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Acast</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/science-focus-podcast/id1296673906?mt=2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">iTunes</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/immediate-media-2/science-focus-podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Stitcher</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://rss.acast.com/science-focus-podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">RSS</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1296673906/science-focus-podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Overcast</a></li><li><a href="https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/prof-catherine-loveday-on-the-psychology-of-sea-shanties/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read the full transcription of this episode</a>&nbsp;[this will open in a new window]</li></ul><p><strong>Listen to more episo