JJ, I'd like to find the solution to this problem, too. I don't know if it's OCD related or not, but it's certainly very distracting, and worse. My degree was in music, and I will have earworms that I can't chase away. Sometimes I try moving to a different tune - sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't - or if I'm having a 2 measure endless loop, instead of fighting it I think of a song that fits it. Knitting would be more relaxing without the "voices" in my head, voices being musical.

As not-fun as it is, by this time of my life I've just had to accept that it's probably not going away. It sounds as though it's more of a problem for you, one that's affecting your daily life, and I'm hoping that others will contribute to the dilemma.

Oh, for sweet silence!

Jim

doublej777, I had absolutely no clue what earworm was before this. You mentioned that it was an old thread but you still hoped for something. I have it or them, I don't know the correct verbiage. Started rather suddenly, about two years ago. Also a weird vibration issue started in my feet about the same time. I have no idea if this is related. The vibrations are so strong that I feel it through the couch, then I have to get up and make sure something is not going wrong. My earworm is similar to, if I go to sleep listening to music with words, that is what I will hear for several hours after I get up. So, no singing music. I swear the music is real and I am hearing it from outside. I asked my husband if he could hear it for the first six months or so, same with the vibrations. He was very kind and always responded with, no he hears and feels nothing. I seem to have a group of songs and voices I hear most often. I have determined that the songs are not related to anything I have recently heard. The voices are always male. This is probably because I live with just my husband. But it's not his voice, it's more like the news on TV. I have extremely loud, buzzing tinnitus that randomly makes this super high pitched frequency. I don't know how I can hear. The noise is so loud but most times I can hear through it, if that makes any sense. I seen so many drs. about it, with no true diagnosis or treatment at all. The last Dr. I saw, said kindly, honestly, that there is no cure, period. She suggested using music instrumental in earbuds, since I have hyperinsomnia my sleep is awful. I chose the app, Aura, $60+-/yr. Loads of variety in music, songs, meditation, hypnosis, sleep stories etc. It has helped me a lot.
For me, I don't want another medication. I have been on every anti depressant and lots of anti anxiety meds over many years. Finally I found a psychiatrist that told me very clearly: medication is not the answer for me. After I had a nasty response to a new migraine medication, that dr. said, everyone needs an antidepressant with this migraine medication, so I took it, in less than 48 hours I was in serious suicidal trouble. I have had suicidal thoughts before, but never did I actually feel so bad so fast. I spoke with my psychiatrist and he said NO. He talked with my husband and we strategized a plan to bring me down off the migraine medication without adding antidepressant. The reason I brought this up is because medication is often prescribed for things that can not ever be helped by medication and then they blame us , the medication and say that it is not a perfect science, it is trial and error. Well, I definitely got all the errors!!!
I know that using the app and earbuds is not an easy option for daytime use; you need to form thoughts and talk with people. I have noticed that some of the music and voices have become very diminished during the day. I think that calming everything down at night has helped me better able to ignore at least some of the symptoms during the day. I think Aura might offer a free trial. Best wishes for calming down the noise. Shelley