What are the songs my children need to know?

[onemorerose]

Inspired by listening to ‘fly me to the moon’ on Alexa due to an remark by my little one.

Please tell me the classic songs that my children need to hear, know and hopefully love?

How old are they? I might suggest:
Billie Holiday - Strange Fruit
Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come
as they are really important songs but it depends if the DC are old enough to get it IFKWIM.

Do they support a sports team at all? Many have adopted classic songs as anthems, which could be worth a listen. Has a singer/band they like done a cover version? If so, play them the original.

Shamelessly joining in to say my DC are 8&10 and I'd like to know too! I wasn't allowed to listen to music growing up and was punished if I did. As a result I rarely listen to anything and have no musical knowledge. I really should change that but I've no idea where to start!

I sometimes play a stupid game with the kids where I choose a song, then see what is offered beneath on YouTube and go on a sort of musical meander. I might tell them a bit about the band or what I was doing when I listened to it or why it's a famous song.

I don't feel I have to play them anything specific, although I have some classics I listen to there are others I never have so they don't hear those.

Tbh I would just stick the radio on and see what pops up!

Starman by David Bowie

Hip to be Square by Huey Lewis and the News

Stand by REM

Cha cha song (the slide to the left one)

Yellow submarine

I am the Walrus

Superman

Fish by Mr Scruff

That one by Lemon Jelly about ducks

Shake your tail feather

The one from Beetlejuice - jump in the line

Shake it Off Taylor Swift

Anything from the Trolls soundtrack like the Justin Timberlake one

Happy by Pharrel Williams

500 miles

There is a top 1001 albums list that is pretty amazing as far as contemporary music education goes. But it's just as easy to mix things up by heading to Spotify and choosing a big playlist in a particular genre and hitting shuffle. Just go through the decades, or pick important genres to let them try. It's good for car trips!

Salt n Pepa - Push It

And Bohemian Rhapsody.
You need to sing it Wayne’s World style as a family.

My daughter is called Lola so copacabana by Barry manilow is a regular on our playlist. Thankfully neither dc have actually figured out what it's about they just think it's a catchy song 😆. Any name related songs are good!

Also our family song is castle in the hill by Ed Sheeran. We visit my old childhood area frequently as still have some family and a close friend there and it is as described in the song - complete with castles on hills. We always blast and sing on the journey.

The words to the National Anthem of whichever country they live in.

My kids love

Chaka Khan - I feel for you
The Temptations - My girl
REM - Man on The Moon

I don't think they need to know them of course but I love playing all different types of music around them and they pick out favourites which we play over, and over haha!

Oh and a lot of George Michael and Madonna of course!

@Doordine Fish fish fish fish fish! I totally forgot that one, I had it on a Mixmag mongo hotline CD when I was at uni

@BadgerFoxGoose Where Do You Go To reminds me of getting home from bar work on a Friday night, and seeing my folks and their neighbours all round my house having a merry singalong. They'd all be sloshed and so pleased to see me, it was lovely.

I say whatever you love, play it. Last night I remembered 7 Seconds by Youssou N'Dour and Neneh Cherry, so stuck it on, DS liked it. We get a lot of fun game soundtracks stuck in our heads - some faves are the goose game, minecraft, Just Shapes And Beats (one of those songs has Set You Free by N-Trance sampled in it), soundshapes. DH made lots of CDs for me when we were long-distance so I play lots of songs from those. When Keith Flint died we had a lot of Prodigy blasting in the car. System of a Down. Maniac by Michael Sembello was a solid fave of his for ages. Honestly, anything that's in your head.

Traditional hymns because schools don't bother with them anymore.

Stevie Wonder - Sir Duke
Jump around - House of Pain
Pixies - Debaser

The songs played on Gold FM.

@BefuddledPerson

I sometimes play a stupid game with the kids where I choose a song, then see what is offered beneath on YouTube and go on a sort of musical meander. I might tell them a bit about the band or what I was doing when I listened to it or why it's a famous song.

I don't feel I have to play them anything specific, although I have some classics I listen to there are others I never have so they don't hear those.

Tbh I would just stick the radio on and see what pops up!

We are similar here. At the weekend with ds7 we take turns choosing a song on YouTube. He will choose his usual faves (some old coldplay songs) but I go off whatever way YouTube pulls me with suggested videos so we end up listening to a wide range of songs.

Last week he learned about the Beatles in school and they listened to a few songs. He loved Let it be, but when listening to it on YouTube the suggested videos gave us some great Beatles suggestions that followed. V funny when a while later I walked into the kitchen singing 'here comes the sun' and ds7 sang the next bit unprompted.

They learnt about Queen this week but he is not a fan as he thinks they're too loud. I'll still follow that trend this weekend though and play 'I want to break free' etc with less rock and more pop in them.