Tunes suitable for kids

kellyallday

Hi all... so I bought my niece an iPod nano for her birthday. She's 10, so I'll have to load the music on there for her. Outside of my gospel tracks, I was looking through my secular selection and truly there are slim pickins...everything is about love (which is cool for me, but shouldn't be on her mind yet), sex (absolutely not), breakups... you get the idea. What are some songs that have lyrics you wouldn't mind your kid knowing EVERY ONE of? Some may not think it's a big deal, but music is powerful.

A little help from y'all would be appreciated... would you please reply with at least the song title and artist... and if you have time to include the youtube link, I'd be SO grateful. Thanks.

Aperture_Science

Most of the Beatles stuff is safe and child friendly but you need to pick and chose for each album: The white album for example has "Octupus' Garden" and "Ob-La-De2 but unsuitable would be "Happiness is a warm gun". My kids both loved Bob Marley (his lyrics are clean and the melodies are very simple) "Three little birds" is a great simple child friendly song.

peuglow

Metallica

Get her started off on the right foot!


lol, in all seriousness, ask her what she's into. She'll be appreciative that there is music on there that SHE likes.

tistal

My daughter is 9 and she loves the Kidz Bop stuff. One Direction, The Wanted, Selena Gomez, and a slew of country stuff too. Just find out what she likes!

Aperture_Science

Metallica

Get her started off on the right foot!


lol, in all seriousness, ask her what she's into. She'll be appreciative that there is music on there that SHE likes.

fair point. OPs daughter is 10, I was speaking as a father of two girls aged 8 and 5, they used to listen to what i provided for them but now the eldest is developing her own tastes.

vqnerdballs

I was going to say the Beatles as well, especially some of their more esoteric ones. "Shiny Happy People" by REM is a good song, too, as is "The End of the World as We Know It." And some classic Michael Jackson couldn't hurt, like some tracks from Thriller and Bad.

CatholicUK

My son is 5 and loves his music. One Direction are a good band for children, you could get the "Up All Night" album, it's clean and it's safe. Also the group JLS, they've released a few albums but my son has their first album which is self-entitled JLS. Both these bands are hugely popular with children her age. I know it's a little old school, but Abba are clean, my lad will listen to a few of their songs but others he won't.
Hope this helps! xxx

Im_NotPerfect

We bought my 6 year old son a cheap MP3 player 4 (he LOVES music) and loaded a lot of stuff from the 60s and 70s on there. He was obsessed with American Pie for the longest time! My husband and I even have a playlist on both of our iPods with his name on it!

Here's a short list of what he and his 3 year old sister listen to and LOVE....

American Pie - Don McClean
Kodachrome - Paul Simon
Magic - Pilot
The Night Chicago Died - Paper Lace
Margaritaville - Jimmy Buffet
Fins - Jimmy Buffet
Cheeseburger in Paradise - Jimmy Buffet
I think I Love You - The Partridge Family
The Show Must Go On - Three Dog Night
Saturday Night - Bay City Rollers
Dream Weaver - Gary Wright
Back To School Again - Grease 2 Soundtrack
Cool Rider - Grease 2 Soundtrack

ValerieMartini2Olives

I'm actually compiling what I call my "baby friendly" music list for when my baby is born. I've made a playlist of non-offensive enjoyable indie rock. My list includes: Death Cab For Cutie, Florence and the Machine, The Decemberists, Brand New, Placebo and others. I listen to my list regularly and if I hear a song that includes profanity, too loud/too fast, screaming, or risque topics, I remove them. I have deleted about 50 songs off my list that I deemed non-baby friendly. But so far what I've listening to is very relaxing and soothing.

leomom72

80s..my 8 and 9 year olds LOVE 80s music

76tech

Try some classical music. It might be instantly hated, or it might serve to start the child off with broader musical horizons.

Perhaps some Ludwig Van.

kellyallday

Metallica

Get her started off on the right foot!


lol, in all seriousness, ask her what she's into. She'll be appreciative that there is music on there that SHE likes.

I actually did ask her... her recommendation was "Hips Don't Lie" By Shakira ... Uhhh no. SMH

WendyTerry420

Metallica

Get her started off on the right foot!


lol, in all seriousness, ask her what she's into. She'll be appreciative that there is music on there that SHE likes.

Why so serious? I started my son off on Metallica from the time he was still in the womb. He's a huge fan to this day! :happy:

Jen_ht

Y'know what I totally agree with 35andRunning:

Paul Simon is a great choice! I think I'd go for some good Beatles, Peter Gabriel, Queen, some of the Who songs are pretty catchy,...

I was brought up on Yes, Ni Kershaw, Camel, Deep Purple, Queen, King Crimson, Mike Oldfield, Def Leppard, Phil Collins...


Oh saying that, Phil Collins has done a load of Disney films so that might be a good option (Off the top of my head Brother Bear was one)

I think a mix of old/classic and new is good - expand her mind while she's young! I definitely appreciate that my dad did that for me when I was young.

Jen_ht

Also - probably not for the 10 year old but for anyone on here with really young kids - there's a hilarious bunch of people who have released albums called 'ROCK a bye baby' which are all lullaby covers of classic albums by bands like radiohead, nirvana, pink floyd :bigsmile:

Hellbent_Heidi

What about Motown? A lot of that music is upbeat and pretty "safe"

MuscleJunkieK8

Check out Lecrae and Trip Lee! They are off the hook, and totally clean

SoDamnHungry

I have all of the Disney soundtracks on my iPod!

MonkRocker

Friends I went to high school with are in a pretty successful kid's band called Rocknoceros.

All kid-friendly - and more importantly - unlike Raffi or the Wiggles or whatever abomination is passed off as kid's music these days, will not make YOU want to gouge your ears out after hearing it.

They have managed to successfully tread the line between "what kids like" and "music parents can listen to."

So....check them out!

http://www.rocknoceros.com/

pawheeler1

Check out Lecrae and Trip Lee! They are off the hook, and totally clean

This

superpapa16

My son (4) listens to alot of the Disney soundtracks. I recently got him listening to Muppets The Green Album. There are a couple of tracks on there he absolutely loves. Barenaked Ladies release a "kid's album" a few years ago, Snack Time, that isn't too bad. Other than that he listens to what I listen to.

T34418l3angel

I have all of the Disney soundtracks on my iPod!

^ this! I have a 5 & 6 year old girls, they have all the music from the Disney stars (China something, Salena Gomez, Ali and aj, and a bunch others that i don't know. They also have songs from movies (Pocahontas, mulan, Cinderella, etc.). I also let them have a few clean versions of songs they like from people like Justin bieber, Katy Perry, one direction, etc.

WarriorReady

What about Britt Nicole (my daughter loves her song Headphones)? She is a Christian Artist but has some secular appeal. She has other songs that are really good as well.

Here's a link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lrg6Q7j7KjA

Also, Francesca Battistelli has some good songs (again not secular but most wouldn't realize it) :happy:

Kelly Clarkston - Stronger
Pink - Perfect (radio editted version)
Sweet Home Alabama - Lynryd Skynrd

Good luck!

jiddu17

I agree whole-heartedly with Beatles stuff (don't forget about Yellow Submarine!!)
And I am in favor of the KidzBop stuff as well. But have to be careful. My son loves Fergies Big Girls Don't Cry (the KidzBop version) - but he is only 3 and I'm not too keen on him repeating that.

As for current music:
My son listens to Fitz and the Tantrums (but they have two songs I have to turn down the volume at one part), some Adele, Florence + The Machine, some Foster the People and lots of Classic Rock and Motown. My sister, who is 11, listens to a good mix - Taylor Swift, Clean versions of Black Eyed Peas songs, singers from Disney/Nick shows. If you check out the last few NOW! Cd's. you might get some additional ideas.

rachelhohenbrink

My daughter loves music and I don't want here listening to bad lyrics so I let her listen to kids bop because it's regular (secular) music cleaned up . Good luck!

jzsor12

I liked Mika when I was 11 or 12 lol

Aperture_Science

people mentioning Paul Simon

"Diamonds on the Soles of her shoes" and "Call me Al" from Graceland are great songs for kids.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-I_T3XvzPaM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULjCSK0oOlI

mitch16

Disney has a Sirius/XM station--what does its playlist look like? My son is 12, and for the most part he listens to what his father and I do (Alt Nation/XMU--The Shins, Deathcab for Cutie, Band of Horses), but every now and then I get into the car to find that he's changed the station to Disney. I honestly find a lot of their music inane and overly commercial... But it's usually 'clean'.

ritasice21

My 11 year old likes katie perry firework, bridget mendler, lemonade mouth, ant farm soundtrack, and I let her listen to most Taylor Swift songs. Also austin moon is on her ipod and "call me maybe",

joybedford

My daughter is 8 and loves One Direction, JLS and the wanted. She also loves Rhianna, Rita Ora and Pink here you have to be careful. My son also 8 is really into any chart stuff but mainly Flo Rider. I basically alow them to listen to anything they hear it at school anyway and I am very open with my kids and tell them when unaceptable words are said. They generally stick to the rules of course they try it on but I make them know it is anaceptable. My kids also love Take That of course they get that from me most of there stuff is Ok and they have been on the go forever so lots of material to choose from. Why not get a compilation album of chart stuff usually they have the edited safe versions on there. I am in the UK we have Now 82 for our kids it has Flo Rider, Connor Maynard, Justin Bieber, Rita Ora, Rhianna etc on there and they love it.

_Sara_A_

Beautiful ~ Christina Aguilera
Good Mother ~ Jann Arden
Life is Sweet ~ Jann Arden
Who I am ~ Jessica Andrews
You Are ~ Wynonna Judd
I hope you Dance ~ Leeann Womack