A Little Respect has been stuck in my head for a few days. Now it’s in yours. I think it’s a combination of the soaring, driving, distinctive lyrics and the simple, accessible synth work.
Usually if I get a song stuck in my head, I’ll let myself listen to it repeatedly. Streaming services have been great for this, since I can just bookmark the song and come back to it at any time.
I also like reading about the song, if possible. The Wikipedia article about A Little Respect is really good, and it links to some more focused reviews.
I also usually look for a few cover versions, since these give some variety in my replaying and help me think about what makes the original song interesting. Unfortunately there aren’t a lot of covers for ALR, except this soggy one from Wheatus. But the Nashville live acoustic version is good, and there are a bunch of remixes. I made a playlist of the available versions I could find.
I used to get mad when a song was stuck in my head. Now, I try and trust my subconscious mind to know what it wants, and try to help it process through the need.