All-time best "feel good" songs
 

Thought it might be fun to compile a list of the songs that brighten your day just to hear them. Feel free to add on as you think of more.

"I can see clearly now" - Johnny Nash

"What a wonderful world" - Louis Armstrong (Satchmo)

"Somewhere Beyond the Sea" - Bobby Darin

I know I'll think of more... but immediately I think of:

"We Love Dancing" - Arling & Cameron

(YAAAYYY!!!)

"I am walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves

"I am a Barbi Girl" by Aqua

"Centerfield" by John Fogerty

Oh, I almost forgot....

"RockLobster" by the B-52's

"Bongo Bong" by Manu Chao

"Bucky Done Gun" - M.I.A.

"Let's Go" - The Cars

"Littlest Things" - Lily Allen

"Bust A Move" - Young MC

"U Can't Touch This" - MC Hammer

"Ice, Ice, Baby" - Vanilla Ice

"Goody Two Shoes" - Adam Ant

Punk Rock Girl - Dead Milkmen

"Come on Eileen" - Dexy's Midnight Runners
"Don't Worry, Be Happy" Bobby McFarrin

Nothing Compares to U - Sinead O'Connor

Oh wait...


Saturday in the Park - Chicago
South City Midnight Lady - Doobie Brothers

And I agree with many of the choices above.

Anything by The Village People.

The CanCan

my sweet lord - george harrison
gotta get myself into it - the rapture
right back to where we started from- maxine nightengale
I'd dont feel like dancing - scissor sisters
right here, right now - jesus jones

"Here Comes the Sun" - George Harrison

NO NO NO! WE LOVE POOKIE (YAAAYYYYY!)

"Love Goes On" The Go-Betweens
"Take Your Mama" - Scissor Sisters
"Station to Station" - Live Version - David Bowie
"I Will Survive" - Gloria Gaynor

The entire 3-disc set of Philip Glass' Satyagraha - especially Ac1, Scene 1 with Douglas Perry as Gandhi.....BLASTING, PLEASE.

"Where's Summer B" - Ben Folds
"So What" - Miles Davis
"Drive" - Incubus

And, when you want to feel a different kind of good:

"Fu<k You Line an Animal" - NIN
"Tear You Apart" - She Wants Revenge

The name of the song is actually "Closer"

And if you are gonna go in that direction, you might as well play just about anything from the Lords of Acid.

You know, I KNEW that was the name of the song and i couldn't come up with it.

I like that new PB&J song - talkin' 'bout the old folks - whatever that's called
Teddybears - Punk Rocker
The Time Warp is always fun
Talking Heads - "All I want is to breath" - I'm sure it has a real name like "cross-eyed and painless" or something
Brian Eno - Baby's on Fire

I'll think of more, I'm sure...

There's a lot of songs like that. I used to get requests for "Big Butts" or "I Like Big Butts" (the correct name of the song is "Rump Shaker" by Sir Mix A Lot), "The Bow Wow Song" (or other similar variations) or "Dog Catcher" for "Atomic Dog" by George Clinton.

I could go on, but why?

Bow Wow Wow - Candy

At Last - Etta James
Sabor a Mi - Edie Gormet y Los Panchos

I Want Candy

Yeah, that one's good too -

Cibo Matto - I know my chickens

"Carnavalia" - Tribalistas

Gogol Bordello - Start Wearing Purple

Gogol Bordello - Dogs Were Barking.

Brazilian Girls - Pussy
Abba - Dancing Queen
Shena Easton - My Baby Takes the Morning Train
Dead Kennedy's - California Uber Alles

GOD DAMN YOU!

heh

2 Pints of Lager and a packet of crisps please - the Damned

NOT The Damned but Splodgenessabounds.

oh

well then

Beethoven's 9th - 4th Movement, Ode to Joy

That song is "Born Under Punches," and is a favorite of mine too.
("Cross Eyed and Painless" is on the same album, and starts out "Lost my shape, trying to look casual...")

let's see...

"Peaches En Regalia" - Frank Zappa
"Smash It Up" - The Damned
"Hey Saint Peter" - Flash and the Pan
"If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out" - Cat Stevens
Those always give me a lift

In no particular order:

• Il Sogno di Volare - Saltimbanco (Cirque du Soleil)
  quite possibly the most beautiful song I've ever heard
• Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkle
  though I like Linda Eder's or David Campbell's version better
• Hand Me the Wind and the Dice - Aspects of Love
  a song that wonderfully illustrates joie de vivre
• Barcelona - Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballé
  a stirring anthem
• There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart) - Eurythmics
  a supreme exultation of happiness
• It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back) - Eurythmics
  reassures that whatever has happened before, it'll get better
• Here's Where I Stand - Camp
  this spunky girl takes life by the balls and demands her rightful place in the sun
• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
  I love driving while listening to this song!
• The Curly Shuffle - Jump in the Saddle Band
  How can you not be happy when doing the Curly Shuffle?
• Defying Gravity - Wicked
  I don't care what you say world, I'm doing things my way!
• Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah - Fleet Street Singers
  their take on this song kicks much ass
• Summer Nights - Grease
  best sing-along song ever?
• The Time Warp - Rocky Horror
  I can't hear this song and not do the dance
• Good Morning Baltimore - Hairspray
  a great way to start the day
• The Sunken Cathedral - Claude Debussy
  runner up for must beautiful (and evocative) piece of music
• Dancing Queen - ABBA
  who doesn't love a nice dancing queen?
• The Impossible Dream - Man of La Mancha
  a classic stirring anthem
• Every Sperm Is Sacred - The Meaning of Life
  a funny song on its own, but knowing I taught it to my little brother who then sang it at school, mortifying his elementary school teachers has cemented this song as a personal favorite
• Kalimando - Mystère
  a simple, beautiful song that evokes a verdant paradise
• There Once Was a Man - Pajama Game
  this could be in the list of most romantic songs, but its energy makes it so much fun to sing, I put it here too
• I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General - The Pirates of Penzance
  any patter song that can rhyme "strategy" with "sat a gee" is Teh Awesome
• Don't Whiz On the Electric Fence - You Eediot!
  come on, what's not to love about a song warning against electrocution via urination!?!
• Pumping Iron - Starlight Express
  high-energy crowd-pleaser
• I Like 'Em Big And Stupid - Julie Brown
  mmmmm, big and stupid......

California Dreaming

Takes the bitter right out of this east coaster.

Bolero - especially cool if you can lay back with your eyes closed and let the music paint images on your brain

Sing - The Carpenters

I'd like to teach the world to sing - Coca-Cola ad

Flippy beat me to "If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out."

Otherwise:

"Sweet Caroline," by Neil Diamond (Buh-DAH DAH DAH!)
"Harmour Love," by Stevie Wonder and performed by Syreeta
a dual cover of "Over the Rainbow" and "What a Wonderful World by Israel Kamakwaole (and dammit, commercials have GOT to stop overusing it.)
"Mahna Mahna" (do dooo, do-do-do!) by the Muppets

LSPE: hey, let me know if you'd ever like to hear more stuff by Isreal Kamakawiwo'ole, I'll burn you some :) Also great in the realm of Hawaiian music is Keali'i Reichel.

Second one I thought of, right after Turning Japanese by Sniff and the Tears.

I also love Learning to Fly, Pink Floyd.

(I realize what the theme is of the SatT's song, but you gotta admit it has a very 'up' beat).;)

Oh, and What You Need'- INXS.

For that matter, American Pie is very upbeat if you ignore the lyrics.

Play that funky music, white boy - Wild Cherry

I can't get next to you - The Temptations

Shout- Isley Brothers.

Louie Louie- The Kingsmen (Their version, anyway).

The Theme Song to the hit TV show Facts of Life


Everyone was thinking it...I was brave enough to say it;)

You'll never know dear ...
 

"You Are My Sunshine"

Walking on Sunshine ~ Katrina and the Waves
Sunchyme ~ Dario G
Holiday ~ Madonna
When I Think of You ~ Janet Jackson
I Should Be So Lucky ~ Kylie Minogue
Feelin' Good ~ Nina Simone
Raised on Robbery ~ Joni Mitchell
Stay ~ Dave Matthews Band
Top of the World ~ The Carpenters
If You Want to Sing Out Sing Out ~ Cat Stevens
It's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow ~ Disneyland
19-2000 ~ Gorillaz
Tristeza ~ Sergio Mendes
Ask ~ The Smiths
Swingtown ~ Steve Miller Band
:)

OMG I was thinking it...


The tiki room song really makes me happy...

Is that a different version than the Vapors?

Hot Dog - Led Zeppelin
- Nothing like hearing rick legends doing a country flavored song
Country Sweat - Oingo Boingo
- Laid back country flavored Boingo with the fierce vocals of Danny Elfman

"Another Girl, Another Planet" by The Only Ones

Whoops! Nope- you called it. I was too lazy to look it up.:blush:

That's what I love about this thread - no research necessary to post

Feel Good songs?


Hmm, can't think of any. (I'm listening to music right now, so thinking of other tunes is impossible).



But just reading this thread did the trick!

The Muytaytor - The Absolute Best of Times
The Polyphonic Spree - Light & Day/Reach For The Sun
Peter Gabriel - Solisbury Hill (live)
Water - Boingo

Cannonball ~ From the Movie Soundtrack by the same name; by Ray Stevens

Wake Me Up Before You Go Go - Wham UK
Radio Radio - Elvis Costello

I'm My Own Grandpa--Grandpa Jones version

Viva, viva, viva my radio ~ Lolly

:blush:

I like Ray Stevens version; but it's hard to beat Grandpa Jones.

Peace Train - Cat Stevens
or
Peace Train (remix)- Dolly Parton

or Pee Strain - Urine Harry Infection

Secret Agent Man - Johnny Rivers
Hombre Secreto - The Plugz

Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
Moondance - Van Morrison

It just seems like Tony! Toni! Toné!'s "Feels Good" should be on this list, but it doesn't make me feel good.

Who Killed Bambi? always puts a smile on my face.

walk like an egyptian - the bangles
if I can turn back time - cher
everybody wants to rule the world - tears for fears
horse with no name - america

Not exactly in the same vein, but it never fails to give me chills:

Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding - Elton John

No Matter What - Badfinger
Go All The Way - Raspberries
Let's Groove - Earth Wind and Fire
Up, Up and Away - 5th Dimension
The Happening - Miss Ross and the Supremes
Copacabana - Barry Manilow
Welcome Back - John Sebastion
Shout it Out Loud - KISS
Rosalita - Bruce
Hello Dolly - Louis Armstrong
White Punks on Dope - The Tubes
Starting Over - John Lennon
Cracklin' Rose - Neil Diamond
I Saw the Light - Todd Rundgren
Surrender - Cheap Trick
The Rainbow Connection - Kermit
Witch Doctor - David Seville

(help me.)

Ok I probably will be laughed off the swankiest site on the net, but here it goes.

Rain in The Summertime -The Alarm. The guy isn't a great lead singer, but the song is catchy. :p :D

Oh, I LOVE that song!

So we shall be laughed off together.

It's Electric - Metallica
Low Rider - War
I Wanna Be Like You - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Joe Cocker - Feelin' Alright

'Baby Got Back' gets me jumping....

*ducks* 'Vida Loca'

'Shall We Dance?'

The Soulchild Remix is much better! Observe!

Volare - Vitamin C
Walking on Sunshine - Katrina and the Waves
Rock around the Clock - Bill Haley and the Comets
Sexy and 17 - Stray Cats
Girlfriend - Avril Levine

So far so good. :blush:

Is that a cover of the classic Italian song (most famously covered by Dean Martin)?!?

that melody from Jeopardy when people are writing down their final answer....

Brass in Pocket ~ The Pretenders

omg, how could I forget (it just popped up on my iTunes)

"Im goin' to Disneyland"

Why yes it is - this version is on the Lizzie McGuire Movie soundtrack.

Wow... and I missed that?!?

Props for KISS and Harry Nilsson.

Now there's a band I haven't thought of in years!

Sweet Caroline at a party

And the remade version of Prisoner of Society always makes me giggle

Cause I'm a CAT
And I know everything and I MEOW BACK
Cause I'm not listening to ANYTHING YOU SAY!
And if you count to 3
MEOW
MEOW MEOW
blah blah blah

But not at a Swanky wedding ;)

The Rhythm of Life as sung by Sammy Davis, Jr. (from the Sweet Charity soundtrack)

Don't Worry Baby - The Beach Boys

Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk - Rufus Wainwright

Feelin' Good - Nina Simone

Gimme Some Love - Weezer

Honour Your Mother and Your Father - Desmond Dekker

Happiness is a Warm Gun - The Beatles

"Bounce Your Boobies" by Rusty Warren
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bounce_Your_Boobies

Just because:
Saturday In The Park - by CHICAGO!

And you weren't the only one who thought so

One of my all time favorite feel good songs is "Old Days" by Chicago

Nena's 99 luft Balloons !!!!

"everyone's a jet fighter, everyones a captain kirk!"

Bang a Gong- T Rex

Ballroom Blitz- Sweet

Saturday Night- Bay City Rollers

Bicycle Race- Queen


Yup- it's Seventies Flashback Night.

Some of my favorites from that era. YAY GLAM!

"Walking on Sunshine" (my niece sings it to me when I'm having a "sad day")

Me, too. Hated Disco, but loved Glam rock.

Ooh- it's not necessarily a 'feel good' song, but I love Billion Dollar Baby- Alice Cooper.

Permanent Vacation - Aerosmith
Livin' On A Prayer - Bon Jovi

Speaking of Alice Cooper, I liked him a lot more for this lyric (from School's Out):

Ok, these are the feel good songs that came on the iPod while I was walking earlier this evening:

Oops I Did it Again -Britney
Smile -Lily Allen
You Can Call Me Al -Paul Simon
Crazy -Gnarls Barkley
Everybody's Free (to Wear Sunscreen) -(For some reason my iPod doesn't tell me who sings this....it's from a commencement speech)
London Bridge -Fergie

The song is by Baz Lurhman. The text of it is often wrongly attributed to a Kurt Vonnegut commencement speech, when in fact it was from a column in a newspaper.

More details on the background of the speech from Snopes.

ETA: More info on the song from Wikipedia.

This is Stoat's (and My) #1 favourite feel-good song. :snap:

Hot on it's heels is:
"Make your own kind of music" by Mamma Cass
"Colour My World" by Peculiar Clark

I just heard another one:

Southern Cross - CSN

Ooh, good one, KB. Reminds me of another CSN&Y song- Our House.

Try changing "Our" to "Out." It puts a whole new twist on the song.

Marrakesh Express
and
Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
are two more.
:)

If I hear Suite: Judy Blue Eyes one more time, I'LL STAB SOMEBODY TO DEATH WITH A SPORK!!!

(there's a story behind that, but now I have to go get that song out of my head, tyvm)

:D

Chestnut brown canary, ruby throated sparrow,
sing a song, don't be long, thrill me to the marrow.
Voices of the angels, ring around the moonlight,
asking me, said, she so free, how can you catch the sparrow?

You have a mean streak, GC.


You also beat me to it.:D

:evil:

Some call it mean, I call it rascally... zapppopish even...
:D

The new Verb: Zapppoppin'.

I dunno... sounds too much like "zit poppin"

Hehehe. I KNEW if we lived together long enough I'd rub off on ya!

:evil:

Funny, but my daughter said pretty much this same thing to me but it was Ricky Martin and a big knife {she was chopping veggies at the time}.....

:eek:

She loves me, I know she loves me....she was kidding...I know she was kidding....

I’ve resisted posting in this thread all this time now… but more than one person has asked why I didn’t post.
The simple self serving reasons….
My list could go on for eons.
Having left high school as the choir diva I have a ton of songs that mean a lot to me. Going into college as a music major made everything even more so. Then I was informed that I cared more about music than the people I was close to… and repeatedly that my music choices are not the best and that typically a song I love makes other people cringe.
So… I pretty much keep music to myself now out of fear of ridicule.

Fine… for those of you that asked… I made a list. This is off the top of my head.. more thought could produce stranger results.

Jump Shout Boogie – Barry Manilow
Barker Bird – Disneyland (EET is fun… eet is …….)
Gimmie! Gimmie! Gimmie! – Erasure (covering ABBA) (because as a child I wanted to be in ABBA)
Superstar – Jesus Christ Superstar
Day O’ – Muppets w/ H Belefonte (Because Fozzie is so cool)
Enchanted Tiki Room – Disneyland
Fly – Hillary Duff
Could It Be Magic – Barry Manilow (One of the most romantic songs I know)
When you Taught me how to Dance – Katie Melua (a new one to me.. but I love it)
An American in Paris – Bernstein (with a good clarinet, magic)
Material Girl – Madonna (child of the 80’s what can I say)
V.S.M. (Very Strange Medley) – Barry Manilow LIVE (because the KFC commercial live is dang funny)
The Water Buffalo Song – Superchick
Stop and Smell the Roses – Mac Davis (One I remember my Dad playing)
Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show – Neil Diamond


*I should say that almost any and all Disneyland music, and atmosphere soundtrack gets me all warm and fuzzy. I am totally in envy of Zapp's collection whenever I see him.

I, too, must confess that Magic Kingdom tunes are my all-time favorite. It's my musical xanax. When I'm stressed & all wound up behind the wheel (which is almost always) I turn on my Disney CD and I immediately calm down.

This is the Disney CD that does the trick! :)

http://www.amazon.com/Walt-Disney-Ta...515831&sr=1-22

It's called Walt Disney Takes You Through Disneyland & it's just the best! I bought it on a whim when I noticed the very cute Shag-like retro drawing of Disneyland on the back cover!

The music is way nostalgic- it's classic 50's Disneyland. I love the opening Main Street sequence! Walt's soothing voice narrates to the sound of the train whistling as it opens, then the sound of a horse clopping along with ragtime piano tunes (I used to work on Main Street so it really has a fond place in my heart).

The Adventureland one is the swankiest of the set! The opening track, Orchids in The Jungle, sounds like it should be the theme to a very hip Tiki party circa 1955. It's just exotic sexy & fabulous!

Frontierland plays the Ballad of Davey Crockett throughout the set and always makes me think of Nature's Wonderland.

Tomorrowland is the most dated of the bunch. It's almost frantic & disturbing in pace with lots of urgent "Ground Control to X-1!!" narrations. It's still very enjoyable, though!

Fantasyland always makes me smile with medleys from Snow White, Peter Pan & Alice in Wonderland. Of course, it also includes When You Wish Upon a Star.

This CD is just wonderful! Listening to Walt narrate is my most favorite part! :snap: :snap:

Alice's Restaurant - Arlo Guthrie: Thanksgiving is just not complete without it!
Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In - The Fifth Dimension (from Hair)

I enjoy that one too, but once every few years is usually sufficient.

Peter, Bjorn & John - "young folks"

great song.. even cuter video

check it out

http://youtube.com/watch?v=51V1VMkuyx0

Yeah, we usually play that during the kitchen cleanup/half the guests are passed out in front of the tv phase of the day.

I Feel Fine by the Beatles

I heard that while coming home from work today, and I instantly started pining for Rose... I hate when she works late, I miss her already.

The whistling part gives me total earworm, but I love that song!! It's too groovy. And the video reminds me a lot of animated Brady Bunch.

There's a current Mrs. Butterworth commercial with a little tune that sounds really similar. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CQsgHgQQSU The first time I saw it I was like, "What the?!"

Jessica - Allman Brothers

Warmth of the Sun - the Beach Boys