... you hear it at least 3 times per hour on various stations. (today coming home, in about 10 minutes of time, i heard "the reason" by hoobastank on 3 different stations, at 3 different times)
you can figure out the words to a song before the album comes out

Hmmm...I do my best to avoid the "overplayed" problem...not big on listening to the radio because that seems to happen far too often.

One flag for me is that I'm changing stations when a song comes on so that I don't have to skip the track of the song (assuming I own the cd).

And then, following up with that, it's obviously been overplayed when I end up skipping the track on the cd.

Hmm...that seemed a bit redundant, and so did the hmmm. Oh well.

I once heard Hoobastank's "The Reason" on two different radio stations, but they were both playing in a perfect round. The first verse started on one radio station right when the second verse started on another radio station. It was more amusing than it should've been. I was paying more attention to switching between the two stations than the road.

... you know a song inside-out and it gets stuck in your head (regardless if you like it or hate it) - meanwhile you never listen to the radio and never watch the video channels.

If it's a song you like (initially)... it's that moment when the song comes on somewhere and it illicits no reaction from you. Instead of thinking, "Oh great, I like this song! Turn it up!", you just shrug or don't even notice it's playing.

In essence, it's the moment you become desensitized to the song.

..... billboard runs "feature" articles about the crappy band who wrote it.

...it's used in a movie commercial.

No seriously, with the turnaround time of getting the rights, and finding out what's popular and with whom, and if that audience matches with the movie's audience etc.; by the time a movie commercial airs the song in it (assuming it's a recent popular song) has probably been overplayed.

When it reaches #1 on VH1's video countdown. I've never seen a station more behind on current music.

it's been overplayed when your at a club and you here the club mix of the song.. i even heard coldplay once at a club.. i think the song was clocks.. not long before you here the reason super extended club mix

...President Reagen can sing it word for word.

...it turns up on the soundtrack for the latest "Shrek" movie.

It causes you constipation and erectile dysfunction whenever you hear it.

God I hate hoobastank..

They aren't bad once you get past the radio singles (all of which are terrible). But for some reason, I hate The Reason. I like Creed, but I despite With Arms Wide Open.