If you wanna be my lover, you gotta be the catchiest song ever. And that’s exactly what “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls was declared over the weekend in a new study.
The UK girl-group’s 1996 smash hit was deemed the “catchiest pop song” of the past 60 years, taking listeners an average time of 2.3 seconds to recognize the track.
It bested more than 220 other notable songs, according to research by the University of Amsterdam in association with Manchester’s Museum of Science & Industry. “Wannabe” sold seven million copies worldwide and ushered in a new era of “Girl Power.”
From the NME: “The survey was conducted via an interactive online game called Hooked On Music, which asked more than 12,000 participants to record how recognisable selected songs were. On average, it took people 2.3 seconds to recognise the Spice Girls track, compared to 5 seconds for other tracks.”
The second most recognizable track? Lou Bega’s “Mambo No. 5,” recognized at 2.48 seconds. “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor came in at third, according to the NME, with Lady Gaga, Abba, Michael Jackson, and Whitney Houston helping comprise the Top 10.
Recall the magic of “Wannabe” below. Maybe now we can get a proper reunion.
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