What 10 albums would you buy for a toddlers first introduction to music?

SoloMumJustMuddlingThrough · 2025-11-17T16:00:49+00:00

My 20 month old is obsessed with the cd player, for Christmas I would like to buy her a bunch of second hand CDs. At the moment she has a few audio books and some french nursery rhymes which we have on repeat. She knows how to change the cd, and skip to her favourite. I would like to give her exposure to a range of music, jazz, rock, pop, classical. So I guess the question is what 10 CDs/albums would you start with? I love music but honestly cannot narrow it down (I don't have room int he flat for a huge cd collection, we are already being overrun with books!)

Brainstorm23 · 20/11/2025 21:21

My daughter absolutely loves Flight of the Conchords. Totally inappropriate for a 5 (now 7) year old. She hasn't worked out what Business Time is about quite yet and I'm an expert at skipping over the swearing in Robots.

SchrodingersKoala · 18/11/2025 20:43

Can't you just play whatever you fancy, I love my parent's music because it was the soundtrack to my childhood fleetwood mac, dire straights, beach boys, queen, kate bush, the eagles, gypsy kings etc etc etc... takes me right back. Get an Alexa/sonos speaker, music subscription and listen to whatever you fancy.

Freebus · 18/11/2025 19:40

The music from the Jungle Book (Disney original)
The music from Grease
Abba

realsavagelike · 18/11/2025 19:37

Utterly inappropriate, but my eldest used to often request Rocky Horror Picture Show, and I was happy to oblige! On a more appropriate note, the Peanuts. Christmas album is wonderful.

Sgtmajormummy · 18/11/2025 19:10

All the imprinting of well known classical music in the car came to SOME good.

DS did piano to Conservatoire level and there was theory, too. One of his Aural exams was: “Describe the thematic development in this piece of music after three listenings”.
All ears open, here we go….
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik!
He could sing it all the way through in his head as many times as he wanted and got an excellent result.

busybusybusy2015 · 18/11/2025 10:25

I wouldn't normally repeat myself but, as I posted earlier, first music is about singing. Just google 'singing effect on brain children'. Children with song get a boost in all sorts of areas, particularly speech and language development. Sing along to your chosen music (even if you have to pretend you like doing it - you really don't have to be any good at it!). It's like 'dance like no-one's watching' - singing is active, listening is passive.

BarnacleBeasley · 18/11/2025 09:28

realsavagelike · 17/11/2025 22:53

Oh yes, my love of Simon and Garfunkel is courtesy of driving with my parents

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Oh god, not Simon and Garfunkel though - I thought my DS (aged 4) would enjoy them, so I put Sound of Silence on in the car and I hadn't noticed how much death and suicide there is in there. He sometimes really listens to lyrics and I was dreading the questions ('Mama, why did he put a bullet through his head?') but luckily I got away with it. Not doing it again though.

Snorlaxo · 18/11/2025 05:13

If you want a classical suggestion then a compilation of John Williams songs. He composed songs for movies like Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Pirates of the Caribbean and my kids still have his songs on their Spotify playlists.

Yesterday I was at work and Phil Collins came on the radio. I was transported back to being a child and PC being on while my mum cooked dinner. Whatever you pick could get your DD’s brain firing.

Terrytheweasel · 18/11/2025 00:07

I would start with classical as it’s the best for brain development
I’d have to slip a bit of Stevie wonder in there too

Sgtmajormummy · 18/11/2025 00:00

I enjoyed having a captive audience during the school run years and just put on the CDs I already owned. Lots of compilations, Beatles, Elvis, Elton John, easy classical music and greatest hits. Mine loved
Sea shanties
Christmas carols
Doo-wop like the Platters “Only youuuuuu!”
Cab Calloway
The Beach Boys
The Gypsy Kings
Jerry Lee Lewis
Soul Classics
Stevie Wonder
Queen

Worralorra · 18/11/2025 00:00

Google “kids music cd's” - gives you a great set of ideas!

Jugendstiel · 17/11/2025 23:41

SoloMumJustMuddlingThrough · 17/11/2025 22:44

Okay so my shortlist is something as follows:
Beatles 1
Fleetwood Mac greatest hits
Carnival of the animals/Peter and the wolf
Hello children everywhere
That's jazz
Women of soul
Every great motown song, the first 25 years (compilation album)
Heaven and hell (meatloaf & bonnie Tyler)
Killers - hot fuss
Jackson 5 gold
The most relaxing classical music in the world ever
Best of Bowie
Kaleo - a/b (that one is more for me tbh)

I must have around 100 albums on vinyl - pink Floyd, U2, led Zeppelin, pulp, rolling stones, dire straits, t rex, pixies etc. It seems silly to replicate the music I already have (so please don't judge my list too harshly 😅)

All for £30. I guess that's about the price of 2 tonies

I love that list! That's a great start.

Jugendstiel · 17/11/2025 23:40

Just play music you love - and also try some new stuff.

Mine loved music DH and I listened to David Bowie, Paul Simon, Flaming Lips, Americana, Reggae, Rai, Abba, 70s disco as well as stuff that was in the charts when they were small like Take That, Busted. And classical too - especially calming piano music like Debussy, Chopin, Beethoven sonatas.

PruthePrune · 17/11/2025 23:26

Rammstein

busybusybusy2015 · 17/11/2025 23:23

Ddakji · 17/11/2025 19:48

Doh a deer 🤣🤣🤣 Love it.

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Didn't notice that "doh" would make people laugh 😁 - am in work mode so automatically used music teacher's "tonic sol-fa" notation. Technical thing, it really does make it 'doh"!!

CurlewKate · 17/11/2025 23:12

Revolver. Graceland. Some Bach cantatas. The Best of ABBA. Peter and the Wolf.

Original poster

SoloMumJustMuddlingThrough · 17/11/2025 23:11

@PinkNeonSign it was the best thing I bought DD. She uses it for hours every day, and CDs are so cheap now!

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Muffsies · 17/11/2025 23:06

What about some electro pop? Gary Newman, ulta vox or human league? Sparks are still pretty cool.

Glam and hair metal can also be fun.

margegunderson · 17/11/2025 23:00

Look out for the junior choice compilations which had lots of mad kid friendly songs on? Maybe a classical collection with things like moonlight sonata on? Or - could you make your own mix and burn to cd?

PinkNeonSign · 17/11/2025 22:59

I love the idea of getting my son a CD player then letting him loose in the charity shop with a couple of quid to pick a classic album on a Saturday morning. You might have just given me an idea for this year’s favourite Xmas gift.

I wish I’d kept my CDs now.

realsavagelike · 17/11/2025 22:54

Makingpeace · 17/11/2025 22:36

Mine loves Gipsy Kings and requests their song Bomboléo every day 😂 also Rodrigo y Gabriella!

I have a classical collection CD set which goes down well. And an African one too.

Also favoured are Abba, Sister Sledge and Nina Simone. Anything on Gold Radio 👌I grew up listening to Cat Stevens. My kids aren't so keen on that. They do love a bit of Aretha Franklin RESPECT.

Then we have a kids selection of tunes such as Peter and the Wolf, Carnival of the Animals. ..and the CDs that come with Barefoot books like Walking Through The Jungle and Portside Pirates.

I teach preschool - Barefoot Books are GOLD!

realsavagelike · 17/11/2025 22:53

Fgfgfg · 17/11/2025 22:27

Blondie
Polystyrene & X Ray Specs
Carole King
Fats Domino
Chemical Brothers
Sonic Youth
Nirvana
Simon and Garfunkel

Oh yes, my love of Simon and Garfunkel is courtesy of driving with my parents

ICouldHaveCheckedFirst · 17/11/2025 22:44

Surely you need to add The Best Christmas Album in the World... Ever! 2 CDs, songs from the 50s to the 90s, different genres.

Original poster

SoloMumJustMuddlingThrough · 17/11/2025 22:44

Okay so my shortlist is something as follows:
Beatles 1
Fleetwood Mac greatest hits
Carnival of the animals/Peter and the wolf
Hello children everywhere
That's jazz
Women of soul
Every great motown song, the first 25 years (compilation album)
Heaven and hell (meatloaf & bonnie Tyler)
Killers - hot fuss
Jackson 5 gold
The most relaxing classical music in the world ever
Best of Bowie
Kaleo - a/b (that one is more for me tbh)

I must have around 100 albums on vinyl - pink Floyd, U2, led Zeppelin, pulp, rolling stones, dire straits, t rex, pixies etc. It seems silly to replicate the music I already have (so please don't judge my list too harshly 😅)

All for £30. I guess that's about the price of 2 tonies

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Makingpeace · 17/11/2025 22:38

thecomedyofterrors · 17/11/2025 21:53

My son (5) has a Yoto player and some of his top ten are:
Billy Joel
Elton John
Les Mis
matilda musical
Calamity Jane
Awesome Cutlery
Hamilton
Six
My Fair Lady

We love Yoto Radio! It's kind of a mash up of Gold Radio meets nursery rhymes 😂👌