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Sorry not sorry.
With all the music festivals and artists coming to Montreal this summer, it’s easy to see how a great song can linger long after a show ends.
Now the most annoying songs of 2026 have been revealed, and they are guaranteed to get stuck in your head.
Read more: The best festivals and events in Montreal for 2026
The experts at SeatPick, the ticket search engine for live events, have analysed this year’s biggest chart hits using official rankings, then evaluated repetition, shrillness, harmonic dullness and filler lyrics to estimate how likely each song is to get stuck in listeners’ heads.
What are the most annoying songs of 2026?
According to SeatPick, Zara Larsson and PinkPantheress’ Midnight Sun (Remix) is predicted to be the most irritating song of the year, scoring 88% on the annoyance scale.
Sonny Fodera’s recent release ranks second, with an 85.6% likelihood of getting stuck in listeners’ heads.
Bebe Rexha’s latest single comes in third place among the year’s most annoying tracks.
Sabrina Carpenter, Katseye and Charli XCX also feature in the top 15.
What are the top 5 most annoying songs?
These are the top 5 most annoying songs according to SeatPick:
1. Midnight Sun – Zara Larsson & PinkPantheress
Topping the list as 2026’s most annoying song, Midnight Sun stands out for its extreme repetition and bright, high-frequency sound. Its hook-driven structure loops relentlessly, earning the highest repetition score of all tracks analysed. Catchy by design, but hard to escape.
2. My Loving – Sonny Fodera & Chrystal
A close second, My Loving traps listeners in a repetitive rhythmic loop from the start. High brightness and harmonic dullness leave little variation beyond the central hook, while Chrystal’s cyclical vocal delivery pushes its irritation score even higher.
3. New Religion – Bebe Rexha & Faithless
Built for the dancefloor, New Religion pairs high brightness with strong harmonic dullness. Bebe Rexha’s powerful vocals and Faithless’ driving production make it an attention-grabbing track that’s difficult to ignore.
4. Imposter – Louis Tomlinson
Louis Tomlinson’s highest entry in the ranking features notably high harmonic dullness, with stripped-back production that puts the focus squarely on the vocal hook, offering little sonic variation.
5. Mr. Know It All – Teddy Swims
Despite its soulful style, the track ranks highly due to its intense, consistently loud production. Its sustained energy makes it persistently attention-grabbing—proof that annoyance isn’t always about shrillness, but repetition and insistence.
What is the methodology?
SeatPick analysed 2025 chart hits to identify 2026’s most “annoying” songs using an earworm index based on repetition, brightness, harmonic dullness and lyrical filler density. Tracks were algorithmically assessed for hooks, spectral intensity and filler-heavy lyrics, then scored (weighted across four metrics) and converted into a 0–100% earworm likelihood using a logistic model. Results are based on audio analysis only, not listener surveys, and are accurate as of 19 May 2026.
For more information about SeatPick, click here.
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