Comments on: Happy music is when you start shakin something automatically

Question: Happy music is when you start shakin something automatically

orange swan — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 08:48:58 -0800

I'm soliciting your recommendations for happy music. What gives you that carpe diem, joie de vivre, dancing-around-the-living-room-and-singing-into-a-rolled-up-magazine feeling? Suggestions for whole albums preferred to individual songs, but as long as we're doing this thread go ahead and suggest singles too for posterity's sake.

I'll start us off by saying the B52s do some pretty happy-go-lucky stuff.

By: Civil_Disobedient

Civil_Disobedient — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 08:55:23 -0800

Kinda corny, but I always loved Paul Simon's Graceland.

By: skwm

skwm — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 08:56:03 -0800

I like to listen to old cowboy tunes from the 20's and 30's, like the Sons of the Pioneers.

By: kenaman

kenaman — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 08:58:16 -0800

Junior Senior's d-d-don't don't stop the beat album is a good buzz from start to finish.

Download the fantastic video for ther hit 'Move Your Feet' here. Pixelated fun. Infectious tune. Quicktime 5mb.

Don't be put off by the Cheers music at the download page.

By: saladin

saladin — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 09:06:45 -0800

Piebald's "If It Wasn't For Venetian Blinds..." Not happy all the time, but so catchy and anthemic that it's very hard not to pump your fists and sing along to every song.

By: LarryC

LarryC — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 09:08:55 -0800

For geek-a-riffic happiness, nothing beats They Might Be Giants. Try their Clock Radio.

By: COBRA!

COBRA! — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 09:09:03 -0800

This'll sound weird, but you should check out Roger Miller, the old-timey country guy best known for "King of the Road." The guy's songs are hilariousand surreal, and he can do some crazy things with his voice.

Highlights would include "You Can't Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd" (an entire song full of very true statements), "Lou's Got the Flu," "Chug-A-Lug," "My Uncle Used to Love Me But She Died," "Reincarnation," and "Jason Flemming."

By: GeekAnimator

GeekAnimator — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 09:11:37 -0800

Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill" works every time.

By: ..ooOOoo....ooOOoo..

..ooOOoo....ooOOoo.. — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 09:12:30 -0800

LarryC beat me to TMBG, but Flood is also a fine, fine album.

By: banjo_and_the_pork

banjo_and_the_pork — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 09:13:59 -0800

The compilation Pop American Style never fails to put a smile on my face.

By: bondcliff

bondcliff — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 09:15:52 -0800

Moxy Frouvous' Bargainville.

By: icontemplate

icontemplate — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 09:19:59 -0800

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. Makes you really wanna sing along.

By: robocop is bleeding

robocop is bleeding — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 09:23:22 -0800

Tangle Eye, Alan Lomax's Southern Journey: Tangle Eye, "Soldier" and "Holler"

Fatboy Slim, Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars, "Weapon of Choice" and "Mad Flava"

Dead Milkmen, Beezlebubba

Nina Simone, "Feelin Good"

Devo, Greatest Hits, "Whip It" and "Peek-a-Boo"

The Cars, Greatest Hits, "Good Times Roll" and "Just What I Needed"

Second/Third/Whatever'd TMBG and Graceland

By: Doohickie

Doohickie — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 09:27:52 -0800

If you like that Sons of the Pioneers stuff, look into the group called Asleep at the Wheel, especially the album Ride with Bob.

Concerto for a Rainy Day by Electric Light Orchestra, which is an album side of 4 songs on their album Out of the Blue. It starts out rainy, sure, but climaxes with the inanely happy Mr. Blue Sky (includes a link to listen to the song).

I'm Walkin' On Sunshine by Katrina & the Waves.

Right By Your Side by the Eurhythmics.

Beethoven's Ninth Symphony: Ode to Joy.

By: Ufez Jones

Ufez Jones — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 09:28:42 -0800

the Smoking Popes Born to Quit and Hepcat's Right on Time were the first two I thought of.

By: pomegranate

pomegranate — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 09:29:43 -0800

Any old Poi Dog Pondering CD, Like "Wishing Like a Mountain". Any good Zydeco or Louisiana swing band, but particularly the Red Stick Ramblers because I have junior-high giddy crushes on half the band.

By: pedantic

pedantic — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 09:29:46 -0800

Jem's Finally Woken
Nearly any record by the Push Kings; here are sample tracks Sunday on the West Side and European Dreams on insound).

By: TimeFactor

TimeFactor — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 09:33:58 -0800

I don't know what you kids are listening to these days but for this old fogey happy is: early Sly & the Family Stone.

By: squidlarkin

squidlarkin — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 09:35:00 -0800

Danielson Famile. They're an incredibly strange christian band involving high-school band instrumentation and falsetto singing. There are really only two possible responses to it: "What the hell is this shit?", or "What the hell is this shit and why do I like it so much?"

Also, a completely different kind of happy, but Goldfrapp's "Utopia" simultaneously gives me chills and a warm fuzzy feeling every time I listen to it.

By: TimeFactor

TimeFactor — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 09:37:40 -0800

Also Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys. A happy, swingin', good time, Texas style.

By: Quartermass

Quartermass — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 09:46:00 -0800

The single piece of music that brightens my day more than anything is ELO's "Mr Blue Sky."

The second single piece of music that brightens my day more than anything is Stevie Wonder's "Sir. Duke." How can you hear those horns and not feel good about life?

For happy albums, I have very few good sources, as I tend to prefer music that makes me feel miserable. When I am happy, sometimes I will play my Ramones Anthology, Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes from Guided By Voices make me happy. Very Emergency from the Promise Ring puts me in good spirits (as, you know, "Happiness is all the Rage"). Sunflower (from the Beach Boys) and its vanilla soul make me happy ("You got so much SOUL you blow my mind!"). Weezer's debut is happy music for me.

Oh, and though I found it via a good review on Pitchfork, the new album from Annie (Anniemal - best title ever), is so so so so good, and fun, and happy, and everything Gwen's solo debut should have been.

By: jefeweiss

jefeweiss — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 09:49:21 -0800

There are a lot of Talking Heads songs that make me happy.

And Richard Cheese does lounge versions of angry songs that also put me in a good mood.

By: sophie

sophie — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 09:52:03 -0800

Dvorak's New World Symphony
The Beatles' Martha My Dear from the White Album
General Public's Tenderness
And I'll second Sly and the Family Stone, especially the stuff they did at Woodstock!

By: widdershins

widdershins — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 09:52:15 -0800

ABBA's greatest hits!

By: too many notes

too many notes — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 09:52:43 -0800

songs:
the jackson 5 - i want you back
the beach boys - i get around
bill haley - rock around the clock
outkast - happy valentines day
phasmid - her friend the blue star(silver sleigh song remix by snospray)
ilkae - setzer remix
sam sham & the pharaohs - wooly bully

i don't find many albums that are happy all the way through very enjoyable. usually a really good album has happy moments, but i wouldn't call the whole thing happy. good albums like these:

of montreal - satanic panic in the attic
the beach boys - pet sounds
the new pornographers - mass romantic

on preview: for me the stevie wonder tracks are uptight (everythings alright) and superstition

By: thirdparty

thirdparty — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 09:58:14 -0800

Not that there aren't some slow spots in each, but these are some of random favorite "upper" albums/tracks:

Saint Etienne - Too Young to Die (tracks: "Nothing Can Stop Us," "Hug My Soul")

The Pogues - If I Should Fall From Grace With God (title track, "Bottle of Smoke")

The Clash - London Calling (gotta listen the whole way through, peaks at "I'm Not Down")

Pharoah Sanders, "Karma" ("The Creator Has A Master Plan")

Cypress Hill, "Cypress Hill" (tracks 1-4 in a row)

By: enrevanche

enrevanche — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 10:02:05 -0800

Early bebop.

Dizzy Gillespie's "Groovin' High" (personal favorite track: the delirious, silly "Oop Bop Sh'bam". )

Charlie Parker's "Now's The Time."

By: fingers_of_fire

fingers_of_fire — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 10:03:04 -0800

"Graceland" is a remarkably sad album to me... no accounting for taste, I guess.

For happy, there's "Stupidly Happy," "Rocket from a Bottle", "We're All Light", and many others from XTC.

"Waiting for Columbus" by Little Feat is tough to listen to without smiling...

(just off the top of my head...)

By: wallaby

wallaby — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 10:04:56 -0800

honestly, nothing gets me dancing around like hooked on classics. very pathetic, i know, but there's something addictive to those pseudo-remixes.

some non-embarrasing albums:
barenaked ladies- gordon
the i am sam soundtrack
the moulin rouge soundrack
anything broadway
and ditto for moxy fruvous' bargainville.

By: carabiner

carabiner — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 10:06:13 -0800

Great Big Sea's Road Rage CD. Awesome live music.

By: Doohickie

Doohickie — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 10:36:56 -0800

The single piece of music that brightens my day more than anything is ELO's "Mr Blue Sky."

And I thought I was uniqe.... I bought the album when it came out (I was in middle school), and played it until it didn't play no more. I still have it, but it's a lot of snap-crackle-pop.

By: Doohickie

Doohickie — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 10:37:57 -0800

some non-embarrasing albums:
...anything broadway

We must hang with different kinds of crowds...

By: leecifer

leecifer — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 10:39:37 -0800

For me, for the last couple years, it's been Ted Leo.

By: BuddhaInABucket

BuddhaInABucket — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 10:40:26 -0800

Nobody's yet mentioned Frank Sinatra. My friends and I have gone on many a drive around the back streets listening to Ol' Blue Eyes when there was nothing else to do.

By: still

still — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 10:47:18 -0800

Queen Greatest Hits. Second that Sinatra suggestion too. Surprised nobody's mentioned those two above.

By: pomegranate

pomegranate — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 11:35:15 -0800

So Orange Swan are you making us all a CD for Christmas?

By: safetyfork

safetyfork — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 11:51:55 -0800

All of these albums pick me up. Not all the lyrical themes are happy, but in general the music is.*

Le Tigre: Le Tigre
New Order: Substance
The Buzzcocks: Singles Going Steady
Hey Mercedes: Everynight Fireworks
McLusky: McLusky Do Dallas
Elvis Costello: This Year's Model
Joe Jackson: Look Sharp!
Murder City Devils: Empty Bottles, Broken Hearts
Heavenly: Operation Heavenly
7 Seconds: Walk Together, Rock Together
Beastie Boys: Paul's Boutique
Cheap Trick: Cheap Trick
Citizen Fish: Wider than a Postcard
Dag Nasty: Four on the Floor
Guided By Voices: Alien Lanes
Komeda: What makes it Go?
Liars: They Threw Us All In A Trench And Stuck A Monument On Top
Pavement: Slanted & Enchanted
The Specials: The Specials

* with some exceptions, particularly with the "last song" phenomenon: where the album is a rocker except for the last song where the band shows it can emote with a downbeat.

By: orange swan

orange swan — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 11:52:19 -0800

Right pomegranate... and I'm going to fly down your respective chimneys Christmas night and leave it under the tree:-)

Don't worry about being cheesy, people. I'm so hard to suit and hypercritical in a number of areas (books, art, clothes, movies, men) that I decided years ago that music was going to be the one area where I was just going to wallow.

By: Otis

Otis — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 11:52:44 -0800

Niceness (mp3) (via)

By: frallyth

frallyth — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 11:54:13 -0800

Check out Channel Light Vessel's "Everything Everywhere" if you can find it. New Age Perky, scary as it may sound.

By: Quartermass

Quartermass — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 11:55:18 -0800

the beach boys - pet sounds

Oh god - that is one of my favorite albums of.all.time., but it depresses the hell out of me. I don't know - I find the album so sad. "Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)," "God Only Knows," and "Caroline No?" would go on my "sad songs" list. The only really happy song on that album is "Sloop John B," and that song was tacked on by the record company, and even then - "this is the worst trip / I've ever been on".

By: hootch

hootch — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 11:57:32 -0800

I'll third Mr. Blue Sky by ELO and also recommend Dressy Bessy, Polyphonic Spree, and Apples in Stereo.

By: waldo

waldo — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 11:59:29 -0800

Amen on Jem's Finally Woken, with the addendum of portions of Dave Matthews Band's Crash, notably "Two Step," "So Much to Say," and "Lie in Our Graves."

By: orange swan

orange swan — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 12:09:46 -0800

This is a totally subjective topic - someone mentioned the Barenaked Ladies' Gordon album, for instance. I have that album and love it, but "What a Good Boy", "Wrap Your Arms Around Me", and "Blame It On Me" were a integral part of a rocky relationship and subsequent break up play list for me once upon a time.

By: pwb503

pwb503 — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 12:10:26 -0800

Nothing gets my ass jumping like Candido - The Thousand Finger Man. Trust me, put this on and you got an instant party.

By: ShawnString

ShawnString — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 12:10:55 -0800

my all time favorite album, filled with 3 min pop songy goodness is, The Lemonheads "Its A Shame About Ray" ...oh so good....always makes me run around singing along.

By: ShawnString

ShawnString — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 12:14:40 -0800

oh and let add...juliana hatfield (who does some background vox on this) has the most beautiful voice on the planet. just listen to "buddy"
it breaks my heart EVERY time!

By: gramcracker

gramcracker — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 12:16:02 -0800

4th for Mr. Blue Sky.
Todd Rundgren's Bang on the Drum.
Groove Is In The Heart, Dee-Lite.
The Good Life. Weezer.
New Sensation, INXS.
Sir Duke, Stevie Wonder.
Wild Night, John Cougar Mellencamp.
A bunch of songs on the latest Blue Man Group album.
I Want To Break Free, Queen.
Under Pressure, Bowie and Queen.
Sunday Morning, No Doubt.

By: pomegranate

pomegranate — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 12:18:44 -0800

Larry C that They Might Be Giants Clock Radio thingie is the COOLIEST! Quirky weird TMBG flavored online radio makes work very, very happy. Excellent.

By: kenko

kenko — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 12:22:27 -0800

Django Reinhardt & Stephane Grappelli, Parisian Swing.

By: finallymarki

finallymarki — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 12:28:47 -0800

Sublime, Prince, Manu Chao (Bongo Bong), Shakira (Estoy Aqui) When in Rome (The Promise), Cake and Franz Ferdinand have some great sing-along music.
oh, and Michael Jackson – nothing can prevent me from singing along to Billie Jean, or dancing to Smooth Criminal. Not even criminal charges.

By: scody

scody — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 12:31:44 -0800

The first couple of Style Council albums, Cafe Bleu and Our Favourite Shop, have some incredibly chirpy, swinging tunes that never fail to get me dancing around the living room. Their singles collection, The Singular Adventures, often does the trick as well. So does the ABC "best of" collection, as well as any of the first several Madness records. Also, They Might Be Giants' first record makes me grin like an idiot. And, um, dare I admit it... but the Bay City Rollers' greatest hits is really, really fun.

By: coelecanth

coelecanth — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 12:39:18 -0800

For joie de vivre, I strongly recommend that you try Les Sans Culottes. Absolutely the greatest fake French rock band in the history of the world. One of their singers kept a Slate diary for a week a while back.

C'est impossible de les écouter sans sourit.

By: scody

scody — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 12:42:06 -0800

D'oh! I can't believe I forgot the Stone Roses self-titled debut -- a record that frequently makes me feel as if I am soaring across the sky and could take on the whole world with one hand tied behind my back. (I am the resurrection, I tell you! And I am the light!)

By: rfordh

rfordh — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 12:47:37 -0800

My iPod isn't working right now, so in my car I only have London Calling by The Clash on cassette. When Those opening stabs of the title track start, I get happier. When the first notes of Spanish bombs hit, I get happier. Everything in between is good, good, good, but I love those two songs.

By: aspo

aspo — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 13:00:41 -0800

Electric Six - Fire. It can't help but make me happy and bouncy and stupid.

By: davehat

davehat — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 13:12:49 -0800

Manu Chao - King of the Bongo

Sing-a-long-a-goodness!

The album's great too, especially if you like making the lyrics up as you go along. I think you'd need to be quadralingual to get the lyrics of every tune.

By: The White Hat

The White Hat — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 13:38:22 -0800

Shooglenifty, an upbeat kind of celtic live techno jazz fusion. Really great stuff, and an amazing live show. I recommend the albums Solar Shears and The Arms Dealer's Daughter. Albums can be ordered off their site.

By: euphorb

euphorb — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 13:40:12 -0800

Beethoven's symphony No. 3, Eroica, but, oddly enough not his 9th symphony, Ode to Joy. Practically any of moe.'s live sets. And the song Blackberry Brandy by the Ominous Seapods never fails.

By: kirkaracha

kirkaracha — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 13:48:49 -0800

Beat Farmers, "Happy Boy"

KC and the Sunshine Band, "Give It Up"

Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Baby give it up
Give it up
Baby, give it up

The opening chords of The Connells' "Slackjawed" and "Stone Cold Yesterday" (two great album-opening songs) always make me happy, even though the the lyrics aren't happy. (Similarly, The Housemartins' "Happy Hour" is very happy, but only if, like with most Housemartins/Beautiful South songs, you don't listen to the lyrics.)

By: kenko

kenko — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 14:22:54 -0800

Flat Earth Society's Isms made me very happy.

By: swordfishtrombones

swordfishtrombones — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 14:39:57 -0800

Supergrass! They just released a brilliant compilation cd. [cue piano] "We are young, we run green/Keep our teeth nice and clean/See our friends, see the sights/Feel alright"

By: ifjuly

ifjuly — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 14:40:25 -0800

."St. Paul's Cathedral" - Trembling Blue Stars
."Stem" - Hayden
."Jumpstart" - Hang Ups
.Regina Spektor
.All Over The Land - Syrup USA
.The GoGos!
.that cover, "You Can Have It All" - Yo La Tengo
.i don't know exactly why, but a lot of Pavement exudes a goofy joy both in lyrics and music.

By: majick

majick — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 14:40:26 -0800

The Husker Du "Eight Miles High" 7-inch makes me extremely happy.

By: ifjuly

ifjuly — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 14:41:27 -0800

oh yeah, and Poole, a very underrated 90s power pop band (which is saying a lot, as almost all power pop was underrated). and Tommy Keene.

By: drpynchon

drpynchon — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 14:46:48 -0800

It ain't called SMiLE for nothing.

Oh also... the song with my favorite title of all time: Beulah's "If We Can Land on the Moon, Surely I Can Win Your Heart."

By: flod

flod — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 14:51:58 -0800

Instrumental, horn-driven Sesame Street-type music: Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass - "Greatest Hits"

Improbably bouncy and gleeful electronic music: Mouse On Mars - "Niun Niggung"

Just plain happy music: Harry Nilsson's "The Point" and "Nilsson Schmilsson"

And I'll second Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, particularly "Are A Drag."

By: glyphlet

glyphlet — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 15:05:26 -0800

Esquivel is always fun to listen to!

By: ludwig_van

ludwig_van — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 15:06:49 -0800

Some good suggestions here.

Hearty agreement for weezer's blue album (but gramcracker: The Good Life, a happy song?), and SMiLE. Oh, glorious SMiLE.

I'll add My Bloody Valentine's Loveless. The sound of the record is just so warm and pleasing, it always makes me feel good. Also:

The Shins - Oh Inverted World
Sondre Lerche - Two Way Monologue
The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin

By: jellybuzz

jellybuzz — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 15:42:05 -0800

What a thoughtful and eclectic line-up so far. To it I'd add, At Worst...the Best of Boy George and the Culture Club Band -- the whole CD, especially tracks like Karma Chameleon and I'll Tumble 4 Ya (but note: for your purposes, skip over selections like "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" or "The Crying Game.")

I also hate myself for digging the rude, sexist, homophobic stylings of Mr. Eminem (The Eminem Show, Slim Shady, and other albums). But I have to admit, when i'm a little down, the boy's rhyming skill and beats make me smile and stomp energetically around my apartment, despite myself.

Did no one mention Elvis Presley?

By: Len

Len — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 15:49:27 -0800

69 comments and I can't believe that no-one's mentioned the Pixies. Doolittle and Trompe Le Monde always leave me with a gigantic grin on my face; and I just listened to Copper Blue by Sugar for the first time in about five years, which has pretty much the same effect.

By: rainbaby

rainbaby — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 15:57:48 -0800

Fat Boy Slim, Half Way Between The Gutter and the Stars.

By: ludwig_van

ludwig_van — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 16:12:58 -0800

69 comments and I can't believe that no-one's mentioned the Pixies.

Good call.

By: Restlessavenger

Restlessavenger — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 16:27:58 -0800

Nobody has yet mentioned the gloriousness that is The Polyphonic Spree either.
Also
Sumday by Grandaddy
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots by The Flaming Lips
The Scissor Sisters
Sun Q by IQU is really great as well.
Madvillany by Madvillan makes me smile too.
(also I second the votes for the Pixies, The Shins and Smile.)
Oh yeah and The Postal Service too.

By: Len

Len — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 16:31:54 -0800

Oh, and after reading the jazz thread up there ^^^ I have to add Charles Mingus's Haitian Fight Song (It's on The Clown, all of which is amazing.) And then there's the Pentangle's cover of the same. And Angie, by Bert Jansch.

By: tristeza

tristeza — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 16:41:53 -0800

"Don't you Worry 'Bout a Thing" by Stevie Wonder makes me happier than any song EVAR

By: joaquim

joaquim — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 16:55:24 -0800

I was in Central Market the other day; the PA had Roy Orbison singing "Pretty Woman". I realized I was doing that lipsync/half-singing thing and looked around to see who was watching me being a dork. Everyone around me was tapping on their carts, singing along, bobbing their heads and probably not realizing it. That song must be in our DNA by now.

Other candidates: La Bamba by Richie Valens, Rock and Roll is King or Hold on Tight by ELO, Stop the Rock by Apollo 440.

By: marsha56

marsha56 — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 16:56:05 -0800

I second Sinatra. Although many rate his downbeat Wee Small Hours of the Morning, as his best, my favorite is the very uptempo (but embararassingly named) Songs for Swinging Lovers. Often a walking workout with strong women on the Walkman will really get me pumped, Aretha, Janis, or Etta James.

By: weston

weston — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 17:47:10 -0800

A German A'cappella band calld Die Prinzen. Their website is down right now, but some of their pop is so catchy that it doesn't matter I speak almost no German. Millionar, Mann Im Mond, and especially Ich Kanne Nicht Rappen are sure pick-me-ups.

Lots of Bluegrass works for me, too, especially the instrumental stuff. The vocals, when present, tend to be about love, death, and transportation, which can be unhappy topics.

Dixieland jazz is also great.

By: weretable and the undead chairs

weretable and the undead chairs — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 19:03:42 -0800

Edie Brickell - Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars makes me happy

but then, that's me.

By: Secret Life of Gravy

Secret Life of Gravy — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 19:44:19 -0800

All the great rockin' oldies like:
"Bad Moon Rising"
"Soul Man"
"Louie Louie"
"Help Me Rhonda"
"Brick House"
"(Make Me Want To) Shout"
"Bad, Bad LeRoy Brown"
"Wild Thing"
"Brown-Eyed Girl"
"Twisting the Night Away" or pretty much anything by Sam Cook

And I'll go way out there and say Cajun music makes me dance. I have a number of CDs but my favorite is: Alligator Stomp vol 2. It is crazy mad music that few people can resist.

By: Apoch

Apoch — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 20:16:31 -0800

The Incredible Moses Leroy. The Electric Pocket Radio album is fantastic with plenty of fun music, especially "It's A Sunday" which makes everything right in the world. Really.

By: Lynsey

Lynsey — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 20:22:07 -0800

Liquid Child

By: Dr. Zira

Dr. Zira — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 21:01:39 -0800

Rodeohead!

By: sophie

sophie — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 22:54:11 -0800

I forgot - George Michael: Faith, Freedom and Father Figure!

By: Tufa

Tufa — Fri, 03 Dec 2004 00:32:39 -0800

"Like Humans Do", David Byrne

By: Ironwolf

Ironwolf — Fri, 03 Dec 2004 03:58:46 -0800

I'll also second ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky," but I also go ecstatic every time I hear their song "I'm Alive," which is from the Xanadu movie soundtrack (mediocre movie, yes, but great song.)

By: softlord

softlord — Fri, 03 Dec 2004 07:12:27 -0800

x+1th recommendation for Polyphonic Spree... They're like if the "i'd like to buy the world a coke" people got together and put out an album (well...a couple of albums now)

Also:

Singles
------
The Cure "Friday I'm In Love" + "Why Can't I Be You"
Prince "Let's Go Crazy"
most Wham!
Madness "Our House" (okay okay, I used to DJ 80s music, go easy on me)

Albums
-----
Anberlin "Blueprints for the Black Market"
early Madonna
I hear the new Gwen Stefani record is happy happy...

many, many more...

By: lockedroomguy

lockedroomguy — Fri, 14 Oct 2005 13:39:12 -0800

For a pure joy-inducer - although maybe without the dancing - you can't beat

The 59th Street Bridge Song by Simon & Garfunkel

And for happy, pub-boozy, sing-along music, again without the dancing, I suggest

Lean on Me by Red Box (not a remake of the classic, different song altogether)

Although it's been overplayed to death in North America at least, Come on Eileen by Dexy's Midnight Runners definitely qualifies.

In the more-recent category it would be hard to leave out

Tubthumping by Chumbawamba