18th April 2013

Ten Songs that are Happiness Makers

It’s the song you always turn up. Roll down the windows. Make it loud. Pull your hair out of your pony and shake it back and forth. I love a song that makes me act like a fool. Or just makes me feel like I could spontaneously burst into any of the aforementioned activities while singing along like a karaoke superstar belting out the last tune before bar close.

Last week’s post about movies that are happiness makers struck a chord with more than 3 of you. So here’s my top 10 songs that make me feel like a giddy teenager:

10. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts: I Love Rock and Roll

Joan Jett is the fracking coolest. And since so many songs on this list are going to be in the Rock and Roll category, this seems like a fitting way to start.

9. The Who: Baba O’Riley

Pretty much anything by The Who is a happiness maker for me, but this song in particular gets me all dancy. I think it’s that repetitive synth.

8. Adele: Rumor Has It

Revenge feels good. It’s even better on Adele.

7. Neil Diamond: Sweet Caroline

True story: My dad loves, loves, loves Neil. When I was in high school, I bought my Dad one of those kitchen boom boxes and Neil’s greatest hits CD. Every single night before my Dad went to bed, he’d put Neil on so it would be streaming throughout the house. After two years of this, the CD got understandably scratched and eventually it would just skip throughout the night in a nonsensical mess of Neil catching here and there. This went on for about a year until I tossed Neil because I couldn’t take it anymore. Dad got a Christian Celebrations album after that. I learned my lesson. You don’t throw Neil out.

6. Lady Gaga: Telephone

I know this song has some very mixed messages, which could easily be interpreted as not so happy, but I just love Gaga and Bey together. It’s so pop radio of me and I don’t even give a damn.

5. James Brown: Get Up

There’s nothing about this song that sucks. It’s all awesome. Three minutes of “dance in your pants like a bad broad” awesome.

4. Beach Boys: Good Vibrations

TJ is literally rolling his eyes over and over again right now. I can feel it from here. But I just love the Beach Boys. They’re a ridiculously peppy bunch and I can always use a little more pep in my life. They get bonus points from me, because the Beach Boys were the first band I ever saw live in concert.

3. Mavis Staples: You Are Not Alone