Science Says These Are the Most Annoying Songs of the Year

Music taste is subjective—but some songs manage to get under almost everyone’s skin, and science may explain why. Researchers at SeatPick.com analyzed popular songs released this year to determine which tracks rank highest on the “annoying” scale.

Their analysis focused on four key factors: overly repetitive hooks and lyrics, excessive high frequencies, harmonic dullness, and the heavy use of lyrical filler such as “yeah,” “um,” and “la.”

Based on these criteria, several major artists landed on the list. Here are the Hits 95 artists whose songs were deemed the most annoying:

1. “Tears” — Sabrina Carpenter

2. “The Dead Dance” — Lady Gaga

3. “Just Keep Watching” — Tate McRae

4. “Azizam” — Ed Sheeran

You can check out the full breakdown and methodology here:

https://www.mentalfloss.com/entertainment/music/data-determines-most-annoying-songs-2025