The Seventh Petal by Anton Tokarev

The 2000s were the ultimate earworm era, and for me, no song is more upbeat and earworm-y than Седьмой лепесток (The Seventh Petal). Originally released by Hi-Fi in 2002, this tune keeps on going viral again and again after all these years; especially its more recent 2021 version by Anton Tokarev, which, in my book, hits the mark even better than the original. Still as catchy, the new version adds a shred of rawness into the mix, which makes it perfect for singing-one’s-heart-out sessions and listening to it on repeat. – Marina

Everything Will Be Fine by Mitya Fomin

For me, it’s also the 00s that are the treasure trove of never-to-be-forgotten songs. Among the many, I would stick to Все будет хорошо (Everything Will Be Fine) by Mitya Fomin.The most "earworm-like" part is definitely the chorus, just listen to the catchy "la la la," once or twice to never be able to get it out of your head. What I also appreciate about this song is its positive message that despite difficulties, everything will turn out okay. At university, it was our go-to track before important events, be it an exam or a thesis defense, and it worked like a charm, providing us a silly confidence boost. – Elizaveta

Island by Leonid Agutin

Another blast from the past on our list, this one was released back in 1995 but experienced its second wave of fame last year: a new remix of the song went viral as the soundtrack for accepting whatever life throws at you with a smile. Lyrics-wise, it can be quite useful to revise your summer holiday vocab: we have an island (остров), a sea (море), mountains (горы), and the seashore (побережье) – quite an enticing picture in the middle of freezing February. And if you are feeling adventurous, you may discover that all this is a metaphor for a love story; quite a twist for the seemingly simple upbeat bop! – Catherine