Dr. Phil Beaman, of the University of Reading, who led the study, said: "The earworm phenomenon stretches back at least to the 19th century -- Edgar Allan Poe and Mark Twain both referenced the experience in well-known works.

"The majority of us experience them for only short periods – perhaps just a few minutes – but others can experience them for two or three days, which can be extremely frustrating and debilitating.

"We wanted to explore whether a simple act like chewing gum could help."

Dr. Beaman subjected 98 volunteers to "Play Hard" by David Guetta and "Payphone" by Maroon 5.

At the end of the song, each of the subjects was told to try and AVOID thinking about the tune – but had to report whenever they involuntarily "heard" the song in their heads.

Those who were chewing gum reported less incidents than those who were instructed to tap their fingers, and the subjects told to sit still throughout the three minute test.

Previous studies have found a correlation between jaw movements, short-term memory and imagined sounds.

A recent poll found more than 90 per cent of the population experience an earworm at least once a week.