An estimated 98% of us experience earworms. Despite the annoying times that we can’t get a chorus or a hook of an overplayed pop song out of our heads, getting a really good earworm stuck can be one of the best things ever.

We here at Nerdist are dead-set on bringing you those types of songs, if only for the weekend. We’ll be scouring the internet for the best earworms we can shove into your meaty brains!

Sentimentality Alert! Two of my oldest and dearest friends are getting married today so I’ve got love on the brain as I write this. If this publishes when it’s supposed to [Editor’s Note: of course it will, Blake], I’ll likely have enough gin on my brain to barely form words, so allow me to get some coherent ones out of the way now.

That’s the happy couple being a happy couple next to a happy me at least about 8 years ago? I’m assuming? I’m old now and can’t remember much. What I CAN remember is that everyone I know knew that these two were meant for each other from the start and it’s about damn time they’re tying the knot today. While I’ll get to the music in a second I have to say two things. 1. Paul & Katie. I love you both so much and wish you endless happiness and a life full of love and laughter. And 2. I am so very sorry for the double Hurley brand hat and shirt (beaded necklace too? Sheesh). It was the mid 2000s, I have no excuse. Just shame.

Also, Katie, if you’re upset I wrote about you guys, I wholeheartedly blame Paul. He gave me the OK. I know it’ll be alright though because you guys have a…

Groovy Kind Of Love – Phil Collins

Now I know this isn’t exactly earwormy, but it sure has been stuck in my head this week. It’s actually the first song Paul and Katie will dance to as a married couple, so I kind of felt it needed to be shared. What might take away from this song, which is rather beautiful, is the scenes from the fairly forgettable 1988 film Buster. The 80s did this with a lot of videos in order to promote movies and I can’t seem to think of one that ever really worked well.

Another reason I felt the need to share this is that Paul, whom I’ve been friends with since pretty much the first day of high school, and I found a common bond in loving all sorts of music. Especially a particular soft spot for ska and punk music. If you should ever be annoyed with me sharing ska songs in my articles, it’s partially Paul’s fault. I’m not just blaming him for no reason. Hard as it may be to believe, Paul actually loves ska more than than I do. So much so, in fact, that the Collins version will transition into the ska version of “Groovy Kind of Love” by My Superhero. Not kidding. This wedding is going to have some of the best music ever. Tweet at me right now (@theblakerodgers) and I’ll update you on the current playlist. Note: probably best you don’t do that. I’ll likely be in hour… seven of drinking by now and bad choices are bound to be made. Hey! Speaking of making bad choices…

Isn’t She Lovely – Stevie Wonder 

Before you get angry, I’m not saying this is a bad song. It’s a phenomenal song that really has no place – in the romantic sense- at weddings whatsoever and somehow it sneaks its way into them all the damn time. Not to say that Stevie Wonder’s 1976 hit “Isn’t She Lovely” doesn’t belong at all. It just has two and ONLY two acceptable places at weddings: a slideshow of the bride growing up and the father of the bride dance. That’s it. Reason being is that the song isn’t romantic at all since the titular “she” in it is Stevie’s daughter, Aisha, for whom the song was written when she was born. Don’t believe it? The lyrics paint quite a literal picture of what the song is about: “Isn’t she lovely/ Isn’t she wonderful/ Isn’t she precious/ Less than one minute old/ I never thought through love we’d be/ Making one as lovely as she/ But isn’t she lovely made from love.” Choosing this for a wedding song is as misguided as choosing something like Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” as it’s a song about a breakup. Think about it. You’ve heard these songs at weddings at the entirely wrong moments, haven’t you?

But enough negative snark! I’m at a wedding with almost everyone I grew up with right this minute! Last week I was at Comic-Con, this week I’m writing an article in which I get to congratulate lovely friends and in two days I get to hang with my nephew! What’s now becoming somewhat of a motto, life is so damned weird and awesome sometimes and there’s a lot to be thankful for. Part of that reverence is due to being raised by two awesome parents who taught me to take a breath and appreciate just how great life can be. So I would be remiss if I didn’t cap this week’s earworms off with their wedding song…

That’s All – Sam Cooke 

My parents were married almost 47 years ago on a cold December night in Connecticut and danced their first dance to this wonderful song. Sure, it’s not the catchiest of tracks but it’s surely a classic. Written in 1952 and covered by dozens of artists like Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, and even Tony Danza. Tony Danza? Err… wait, let me fact check that. Yup. Tony Danza performed it and it’s a testament to good song writing that his version isn’t too bad. I’m not a religious person, I often scoff at people who believe in fate, but I like to think that all those years ago, my parents danced to these humble and earnest lyrics promising no more than the love and support of each other as they started their lives together.

Whatever trials and tribulations a 46+ year marriage presents are conquerable because of the love they had/have for one another. It’s nice to think that in some small way, even if the lyrics are forgotten over the years, this song and what it stands for serves as a point of support in their marriage that ultimately resulted in you reading these words here today.

Paul & Katie, Mom & Dad, you’re all great and I love you a whole bunch.

Shit. I got all sappy again. Sorry. [Editor’s Note: Easily the sappiest article we’ve ever done, I think. Congrats to you as well as your friends.]

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What was your wedding song? What song WILL be your wedding song? Also, to hell with the end of the article questions, I’ve got homework for you this week. Go find out your parents’/siblings’/friends’/grandparents’ song. Play it for them, watch them listen if you can and then ask them about the music of their wedding day. You won’t regret it.

_{Featured Image: DeviantArt: Ironpaw}