THE MOST ANNOYING SONGS OF 2025, ACCORDING TO SCIENCE
Matt Case - December 22nd, 2025
We’ve long said taste is subjective — beauty in the ear of the beholder and all that. Researchers at SeatPick decided to challenge that idea with math.
The data team analyzed the year’s most popular tracks, pulling from Apple Music and official charts, then ran them through what they call an “annoyingness index” — a scoring system designed to measure how quickly a song gets under your skin.
Each track was graded on four factors: repetition (how often hooks and lyrics loop), brightness and shrillness (those high frequencies that make your brain itch), harmonic dullness (songs that go nowhere musically), and lyrical filler — the heavy reliance on “yeah,” “uh,” or “la” in place of actual words.
Using those elements, SeatPick calculated the likelihood a listener would find a song irritating. The results may sting for some fan bases.
At the top of the list: Sabrina Carpenter, who claimed both spots in a tie for No. 1. According to the data, Sugar Talking and Tears were flagged for “ultra-repetitive hooks and harmonic sameness.”
The Most Annoying Songs of 2025, according to SeatPick data:
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Sugar Talking and Tears — Sabrina Carpenter (tie)
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The Dead Dance — Lady Gaga
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Who — Jimin
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Beautiful People — David Guetta & Sia
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Make Believe — Luke Dean & Omar+
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Just Keep Watching — Tate McRae
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Dreamin — Dom Dolla & Daya
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Azizam — Ed Sheeran
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The Days - NOTION Remix — Chrystal / NOTION
SeatPick says the rankings aren’t about quality — just irritation potential. In other words, a song can be wildly popular, wildly catchy… and still make people reach for the skip button.
Oh and in #CASE you missed it... NOT ONE COUNTRY ARTIST made the list. What does that say?
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