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Science says Spice Girls own the UK's catchiest song ever

In addition to being married to one of the most popular (albeit retired) footballers in recent years, Victoria Beckham also lays claim to the catchiest song ever in the UK. Posh and her bandmates in the Spice Girls have the most recognizable tune with "Wannabe," according to a study from Manchester's Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI). Using an interactive game, researchers gathered details on what cements songs in the mind of the listener long-term, tallying stats from over 12,000 folks. The game played clips of tracks randomly selected from the best-selling tunes spanning the 1940s to today. Based on the amount of time it took to identify the song, researchers compiled the list of the 20 catchiest of all time, with the aforementioned selection taking an average of 2.29 to recognize. Number 2? Why that's Lou Bega's "Mambo No. 5," and the most recent song is Lady Gaga's "Just Dance," coming in fourth. Don't worry, we've posted the full list on the other side of the break.

  1. Spice Girls: Wannabe

  2. Lou Bega: Mambo No 5

  3. Survivor: Eye of the Tiger

  4. Lady Gaga: Just Dance

  5. ABBA: SOS

  6. Roy Orbison: Pretty Woman

  7. Michael Jackson: Beat It

  8. Whitney Houston: I Will Always Love You

  9. The Human League: Don't You Want Me

  10. Aerosmith: I Don't Want to Miss a Thing

  11. Lady Gaga: Poker Face

  12. Hanson: MMMbop

  13. Elvis Presley: It's Now Or Never

  14. Bachman-Turner Overdrive: You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet

  15. Michael Jackson: Billie Jean

  16. Culture Club: Karma Chameleon

  17. Britney Spears: Baby One More Time

  18. Elvis Presley: Devil in Disguise

  19. Boney M: Rivers of Babylon

  20. Elton John: Candle in the Wind

[Photo credit: AP Photo/Charlie Riedel]