The Daily Epic Earworm For December 26, 2025

Everyone gets songs stuck in their heads that just won’t go away. They sneak into your subconscious. They are epic earworms that you find yourself humming uncontrollably, singing in the shower, or tapping the beat to with your foot or ballpoint pen when you should be working. Sometimes they even keep you awake at night. Whether they are current hits, one-hit wonders, movie soundtrack gems, holiday favorites, or songs from your youth, their catchy vocals, riffs, hooks, and choruses seem to linger for days.

Here, those songs find a home, no matter the genre. Here, those epic earworms are revisited, explained, and celebrated. Here, you may find the song that haunts you tomorrow. Here is today’s unescapable song of the day…and the story behind it.

Today’s Epic Earworm: Britney Spears — “…Baby One More Time”

Britney Spears exploded onto the pop music scene in 1998 with the title track from her first album, “…Baby One More Time.” The song topped the charts in 22 countries, including the United States, where it has been certified quintuple-platinum. It also earned Spears awards and award nominations all over the globe.

Thanks, But No Thanks

While the epic earworm was a megahit for Spears, it was not initially intended for her. After Max Martin wrote the song, initially titled “Hit Me Baby One More Time,” it was sent to the Backstreet Boys and TLC, but they both rejected it. The label then offered it to the English group Five, but they turned it down as well. Eventually, Martin showed it to Spears’ management. She loved the song the minute she heard it. Executives at Jive Records, Spears‘ label, liked the song as well, but were worried that the title encouraged domestic violence, so they shortened the title to just”…Baby One More Time.” Spears was just 16 years old when the song debuted.