20 years is a long time to go without knowing the name of a song that's stuck in your head. Five minutes is more than enough time for the internet to find it for you.
This happened to Reddit user Bobthebrewer. He had trouble finding the name and artist of a song that was on a mixtape belonging to his late father, so after he uploaded the song to YouTube, he asked the subreddit thread TipOfMyTongue for some help.
And help the thread did, getting him the answer he was looking for within 5 minutes.
This is one example of how the internet can be used to solve one of man's most troubling and long-held problems, getting the name of that song that's just on the tip of your tongue.
Here's a few ways you can get the info you need:
If it worked for Bobthebrewer, it should work for you too. Post what you know about the song you're looking for on this subreddit, and the good side of Reddit will help you out. This subreddit also helps with other things you're looking for, not just songs, so post if you're looking for movie names, TV shows, or actors.
2: Shazam
It's infuriating when a radio DJ is playing a great tune, but doesn't give you details on it when they start to speak after it. That's why Shazam lives safely on my phone. Simply open the app and let it listen to what's playing, and within seconds it can give you the name and artists as well as a link to purchasing it on iTunes if available there.
3: Midomi
A smart little website that will let you sing or hum the song, and give you a list of the best matches it thinks it found. It might not work too well if you can hold a tune, but that wouldn't be the website's fault. Sorry.
4: Google the lyrics
This is probably the easiest way to get to a song. Simply search for at least one line of the lyrics that you know and Google should throw you up the answer. In fact, Google now will post the lyrics right on the page rather than having you go through multiple links.
5: WatZatSong
WatZatSong is a mix of Midomi and Reddit. You upload a cut of the song you're looking for, whether you record it yourself or have the digital file, and WatZatSong will post it to its community of users who'll try their best to identify it.
