Clean, upbeat, non-love songs

January 16, 2008 9:18 AM

I'm looking for clean, upbeat songs that are NOT about love. I just need one business-appropriate one to edit a "Candids" video of business people at a sales meeting to. The client is super picky and wants pop music with exactly the right lyrics and a "high-energy" tempo. They liked the lyrics to "Oh Yeah" by Macy Gray but didn't think it was upbeat enough. Any ideas?
posted by nicholm to media & arts (30 comments total)

- Beautiful Day by U2
- Walking on Sunshine
was also going to suggest something classic by the Jackson 5, but those are all about love....
posted by PercussivePaul at 9:25 AM on January 16

"Can We Make It?" from the Bring it Back album by the criminally underrated McAlmont And Butler. There's a sample on the linked Amazon page. Ridiculously upbeat and not about love.
posted by merocet at 9:34 AM on January 16

Shiny Happy People by REM
posted by essexjan at 9:40 AM on January 16

Suddenly I See by KT Tunstall
posted by notbuddha at 9:42 AM on January 16

"Steal my Sunshine" by LEN
"Mr. Jones" - Counting Crows
posted by Ostara at 9:44 AM on January 16

Ha Ha by Mates of State
posted by burnmp3s at 9:48 AM on January 16

Celebration by Kool and the Gang
posted by parmanparman at 9:55 AM on January 16

"Stand" by REM
posted by hermitosis at 10:06 AM on January 16

Is country ok? Try I'm Gonna Buy Me a Mercury, it's pretty upbeat.
posted by Melismata at 10:06 AM on January 16

Winners, by 7 Seconds of Love!
posted by ldenneau at 10:13 AM on January 16

"Unwritten," Natasha Bedingfield
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 10:15 AM on January 16

How about electropop? It'll sound contemporary for longer.

Shiny Toy Guns: Le Disko
Ratatat: Seventeen Years
The Killers: Smile Like You Mean It
Daft Punk: Harder Better Faster Stronger

other ideas:

David Bowie: Heroes
The Polyphonic Spree: practically every song is upbeat.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 10:23 AM on January 16

Seconding Suddenly I See by KT Tunstall
posted by dcbarker at 10:36 AM on January 16

Get in the Swing by Sparks
Live is Life by Opus
Beautiful World by Devo
posted by Oriole Adams at 10:45 AM on January 16

Toots of Toots and the Maytals writes now exclusively in major keys so that his songs all sound upbeat.

Aside from that, I'd first look to Basement Jaxx—they're poppy, fairly timeless, and don't have much in the way of lyrical themes.

ps—the recommendation of Beautiful World by Devo is an odd one if you've ever actually listened to the song, and not just heard the Target commercial.
posted by klangklangston at 10:50 AM on January 16

Moby "Bodyrock", Fatboy Slim "Praise you", Junior Senior "Move your feet", Justice "D.A.N.C.E.", Bebel Gilberto "Tanto Tempo (Peter Kruger remix)", Groove Armada "If everybody looked the same", Basement Jaxx "Do your thing", Black Eyed Peas & Sergio Mendes "Mas que nada".
posted by iviken at 10:56 AM on January 16

A lot of Sloan's more recent stuff is upbeat & not necessarily about love: try "C'mon C'mon (We're Gonna Get it Started)", "Money City Maniacs", "If It Feels Good Do It", "Live On", "Who Taught You to Live Like That?", or "Set In Motion".
posted by Johnny Assay at 11:18 AM on January 16

Prototypes "Who's gonna sing?". It's catchy and upbeat with an early 80s New Wave sound. Apple used this song in the iPod Shuffle ads. And you could tell your clients that the song is about delegating work...

I play the bass - tu joues des congas
I play the piano - who's gonna sing ?
I play the synth - un peu de sitar
I play the rhodes - who's gonna sing ?
I play the bass - de l'harmonica
I play the piano - who's gonna sing ?
I play the synth - aussi du saxo
I play the rhodes - who's gonna sing ?


Bent Fabric "Jukebox" is also very catchy, with a jazzy piano theme. The song was used in the ads for iTunes/Motorola ROKR, Cingular and Coca-Cola.

I'm like a jukebox baby
And I know you'll be followin' me
You're gonna raise your hands and go crazy
Yeah I know you'll be followin' me

Just keep your ear to the ground
Keep your ear to the ground
Just keep your ear to the ground
Keep your ear to the ground

posted by iviken at 11:22 AM on January 16

"The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World
something from Scissor Sisters?
posted by clh at 11:30 AM on January 16

Every single song from Talking Heads 77. (They named the next album after that one More Songs About Buildings And Food. For good reason.) I would especially try "Don't Worry About The Government," which, despite having a title that might cause some to worry, is probably the most upbeat and most clean song I've ever heard.
posted by koeselitz at 11:40 AM on January 16

Okay, maybe not "Psycho Killer."
posted by koeselitz at 11:41 AM on January 16

Push Up by the Freestylers. Although they do "love it when ya feel like gettin nasty" if I remember correctly.
Ahrgh! There is a black hole eating my music. And pirates as well it seems...
Anyway,
Jump n Shout by Basement Jaxx
Less catchy but just as good Galvanise by the Chemical Brothers
Spose I'd better find links huh? And done. Now I'm off to figure out what's happened to my my music!! eek!
posted by mu~ha~ha~ha~har at 11:45 AM on January 16

Some sample lyrics:

I see the clouds that move across the sky
I see the wind that moves the clouds away
It moves the clouds over by the building
I pick the building that I want to live in

I smell the pine trees and the peaches in the woods
I see the pinecones that fall by the highway
That's the highway that goes to the building
I pick the building that I want to live in

It's over there, it's over there

CHORUS: My building has every convenience
It's gonna make life easy for me
It's gonna be easy to get things done
I will relax alone with my loved ones

BRIDGE: Loved ones, loved ones visit the building,
take the highway, park and come up and see me
I'll be working, working but if you come visit
I'll put down what I'm doing, my friends are important

Don't you worry 'bout me
I wouldn't worry about me

I see the states, across this big nation
I see the laws made in Washington, D.C.
I think of the ones I consider my favorites
I think of the people that are working for me

Some civil servants are just like my loved ones
They work so hard and they try to be strong
I'm a lucky guy to live in my building
They all need buildings to help them along...
posted by koeselitz at 11:46 AM on January 16

Accidentally Kelly Street by Frente

Mayor of Simpleton by XTC

Don't Stop Me Now by Queen

No Worries by Simon Webbe

Oh My Gosh by Basement Jaxx
posted by triggerfinger at 12:20 PM on January 16

Boo Radleys, "Wake Up Boo"
posted by kirkaracha at 12:28 PM on January 16

Time for Livin' by The Association.
posted by srah at 1:52 PM on January 16

Seconding "The Middle", by Jimmy Eat World. The regular version, mind, not the acoustic version.

And also, I had always been under the impression that "Suddenly I See" was a bit of an implicit love song, albeit slightly unconventional given the singer and subject matter.
posted by Phire at 2:12 PM on January 16

Everyday People.
posted by nebulawindphone at 2:32 PM on January 16

It does mention love right at the end, but round here 2007's official upbeat, corporate-presentation-friendly song was Shine by Take That.

(I always thought Wake Up Boo was about leaving your girlfriend for the last time and so maybe slightly less upbeat)
posted by calico at 2:45 PM on January 16

Affirmation by Savage Garden.
posted by divabat at 2:49 AM on January 17