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Ear candy made its debut (in print, at least) as the title of a 1977 album by pop singer Helen Reddy. The album has long since faded from the charts, but the term endures and it is now used widely enough to have gained entry into abridged dictionaries. Although "ear candy" is sometimes used critically to describe tunes that are considered "gooey," "sweet," or "saccharine," the people who make the music and their fans find it tasty. As one 90s band member sagely put it, does it really matter if ear candy "isn't about the secret of life"?
Examples of ear candy in a Sentence
New Atlas, 25 Apr. 2025
Though unusual, a music gear company releasing some ear candy is certainly not unheard of.
—Paul Ridden, New Atlas, 10 Feb. 2025
The foundational guitar riff is true ear candy, one that will stay in your brain for weeks with just a single listen.
—Wayne Parry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2024
The Roxy Music co-founder’s gift for ear candy and unusual creative prompts in the studio helped Coldplay create their most musically rich album.
—Al Shipley, SPIN, 6 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ear candy
Cite this Entry
“Ear candy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ear%20candy. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
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