AIBU to want to find music I can enjoy with my 4 year old?

[Doesntlooklikeanythingtome]

After living in a haze for the last few years, I have finally found my feet and want to enjoy listening to music with my child but am a bit lost. I'm looking for recommendations that are child friendly but not kid's music, which can be pretty grating. Have recently purchased Divide Ed Sheeran, Human Rag n Bone and Greatest Day Take That. Something we can sing to, dance to or have in the background during playtime. Open to classical, pop, rock etc. Please share the albums that you and your kids enjoy together. Thanks

[HollowTalk]

We did The Beatles, The Beach Boys and Tamla Motown. They loved it.

[SaucyJane]

I was about 4 or 5 when my parents took me to see "Joseph" - I absolutely LOVED it and listened to the tape over and over. That's probably a bit old fashioned now , but what about something like "Matilda" or "the greatest showman" soundtrack?

[WisestIsShe]

When DS was little we listened to a us group named the Sugar Beats. It's covered of classic songs sung by a group with children in. Much better than I made it sound!

[Anniegetyourgun]

Great music is NEVER old fashioned.

[soloula]

We listen to a whole load of different music. DD1 (4yo) is loves songs with spelling - D.I.S.C.O. by Ottowan, S.O.S. by Abba. Her and DD2 (2.5yo) love the Beatles, especially Yellow submarine and Octopus' Garden. They love classical music too like Swan Lake and Nutcracker.

The trick is to find things that interest them and then find songs about those things (however tenuous - we listen to T Rex because, well, dinosaurs lol). Like Rolling Stones She's a Rainbow has loads of colours in it and then that's like a gateway song to try other rolling stones lol. Same with action songs (e.g. jump in the line Harry Belafonte).

I'm totally out of touch with the charts so I'm sure you'll have loads of suitable suggestions from others.

[grandplans]

OK Go videos are great to share with children:

This is great fun:

[Talith]

Stick the radio on and change it now and then until you hear something that gets you dancing. Radio 1 is good for brand new music that you might not have heard. Radio 2 is brilliant for everything from showtunes to tunes from pretty much every decade from the 40s to now. BBC Local Radio tends to have a real mix too. If you get a DAB radio you can pick pretty much any genre you like from rock to country. Radio all the way!

There Might Be Giants did a blinding album about science for kids which I can't recall the name of, but had increeeedibly catchy songs about science. I still sing them to my 10 year old. He runs away now :D

[grandplans]

OK Go in zero gravity:

[grandplans]

There Might Be Giants kids albums are Here Come the 123s and Here Come the ABCs.

They're brilliant :)

[grandplans]

While we're on decent kids' albums, the Rasta Mouse CD is genuinely great music. We listen to it in the car all the time :)

[Spaghettijumper]

My kids love The Greatest Showman soundtrack

[LaurieMarlow]

Anything by There Might Be Giants.

Bit of Robbie Williams goes down well with my 3.5 year old

[maddening]

Eric Herman is great for that age

[liminality]

Can't you just play them great music - ie anything at all, that you love> Why presume kids won't understand the glory of great musicians of all genres?

[BergamotMouse]

We love the okee dokee brothers here. It is kids music but has won Grammy awards. Catchy tunes, quite country/ bluesy but I enjoy listening to it alone

[Fruitcorner123]

We listen to anything. My kids like dance music, Michael buble, soundtracks from musicals, take that etc etc

The only things they dont like are sad, slow love songs.

[Nyancat]

My DC love kids bop. It's pop songs reworked to make them more suitable for younger kids.

[Jenijena]

Nick Cope... child centred music but excellent. Really looking forward to seeing him perform soon.

[FlaviaAlbia]

I put on 80's music videos on the TV and DS loves it. Billy Joel's uptown girl is his favourite at the minute

[Theknacktoflying]

Hello Children everywhere ... some of the music is bearable...

[T2517]

The kids I look after are OBSESSED with Joseph - we know every word and it’s a fairly big soundtrack so enough to not get bored of. Donny Osmond Canadian cast is my personal preference. They also love sia cheap thrills, the Beatles, anything that is very up beat and cheery

[implantsandaDyson]

We always have music on in the car and in the house. At first it was just local commercial radio, then we made iTunes lists from music we had and then Spotify lists from songs they liked from films etc. We had a bit of a Jackson 5 obsession for a while. Now they all have lists according to their moods, what they're up to. Bruno Mars was huge for a while, then Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Avicci , there was a real dancey stage at one time. My 10 year old like 70s disco, my 7 year old likes anything that a female vocalist sings and my 12 year old has reached the "you'll never understand my music" phase! They listened to a lot of stuff their Dad does but then proclaimed Radiohead to be old man music I silently agreed

[Doesntlooklikeanythingtome]

Thanks so much for ideas.

[Doesntlooklikeanythingtome]

We don't have a car so miss the whole driving and listening time. Which is a pretty great place to share music.

[Morphene]

disney film sound tracks? Usually reasonably good and singable...no swear words or graphic sex references.