Classic songs to introduce to young kids?

[sparebooks]

DS is 7 and I've noticed he's getting more interested in music ie. if a song he likes comes on the radio he'll go quiet and tell me it's his 'new favourite'.

We've got a couple of long car journeys coming up and I wanted to put together a playlist of defining Uk/US songs I'd (selfishly!) like him to know!

Along the lines of:
Hotel California
Stairway to Heaven
Some Queen, Guns n Roses.. and some more recent too I guess

Oh also Tennessee whisky!

When I was around seven I absolutely loved Dire Straits Money for Nothing, Poison by Alice Cooper and The House of the Rising Sun, by The Animals.

Oh, and the Road to Hell 😂

Oh I used to always play a song or two at bedtime to DS (got out of the habit now at nearly 7 but maybe time to restart) Queen - Too Much Love Will Kill You was a particular favourite of his, he would ask for it many times. I did a mix of older classic songs and 90s and 00s stuff. Loved playing songs I love to him.

My six year old loves Greenday, although there is some swearing in some of the songs.

There was an old lady who swallowed a fly.

The Laughing Policeman. (not because of the old lady above)

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

Queen - We will rock you, Bohemian Rhapsody
Elton John - Tiny Dancer, Rocket Man
Dire Straits - Money for nothing
Eurythmics - Sweet dreams are made of this
Aretha Franklin - Respect
Tina Turner - River Deep Mountain High
Amy Winehouse - Valerie (Mark Ronson version)
David Bowie - Space Oddity
Marvin Gaye - Heard it through the grapevine
George Michael - Careless Whisper
Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty
Marc Bolan - Ride a white Swan
The Jam - A town called malice

Ours loved all things Squeeze and the Style Council.

Dead Ringer for Love 💃

U2 The Joshua Tree is a great road trip album. I'd also say anything by Bruce Springsteen, Meatloaf, ABBA

Make Your Own Kind Of Music - Mama Cass

Do What You Want To - Thin Lizzy

Champagne Supernova - Oasis

You Don't Own Me - Lesley Gore

True Colours - Cindi Lauper

I was thinking of Whatever by Oasis, rather than Champagne Supernova. Champagne Supernova mentions getting high.

Too many too list. Pretty much every famous/memorable song (that isnt blatantly about sex/drugs) since the 60s would fit the bill.

Livin’ On A Prayer - Bon Jovi
Dancing In The Dark - Springsteen
Jolene - Dolly Parton
Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves - Cher
Since You’ve Been Gone - Rainbow
Losing My Religion - REM
I Predict A Riot - Kaiser Chiefs
Papa Don’t Preach - Madonna
Sailing - Rod Stewart
Dont You Want Me - Human League
It’s Raining Men
I’m Not In Love - 10cc
Uptown Girl - Billy Joel
I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston
Every Step You Take - Police
Come On Eileen - Dexy’s
Satisfaction - Stones
Nights In White Satin - Procul Harem
Morning Has Broken - Cat Stevens
Come Up and See Me - Steve Harley

I had plenty of compilation and Greatest Hits CDs when the kids were small. Having a captive audience is something I miss now in the age of endless playlists. Favourites were
Elton John
Queen
The Beatles (at 4yo, silence, then “all you need is love, RA ta tadada!”)
Elvis
James Taylor
Earth Wind and Fire (Do you remember…)
Stevie Wonder
Glenn Miller
the Gypsy Kings
then assorted soul, doo-wop groups, 70s, 80s American rock like Foreigner, Christmas carols and sea shanties!
Anything really.
And Classic FM.

I Am The One And Only - Chesney Hawkes

Crazy, Crazy Nights - Kiss

I Won't Back Down - Tom Petty

I Love My Life - Robbie Williams (Not really a classic, but a good message)

The Only Way is Up - Yazz

My elder Gdcs (8 and 9) adore a lot of Queen, and - among very many others - songs from South Pacific* and Oliver! Oh, and Nellie the Elephant - original 50s version as sung by Mandy Miller, found on YouTube!

*Gdd1 particularly loves ‘I’m going to wash that man right out of my hair!’ 😂

I wish - Stevie Wonder

Love a bit of Chester

Bob Dylan's not been mentioned yet. And what about Elvis and Springsteen?

On a long car journey DH and I play a game. He has his Spotify account and going through the alphabet I choose a random song beginning with A, he then chooses one where the band/singer starts with A and it's the first song by that band on Spotify. Then we swap for B etc. We try and come up with really really random tunes. It gets quite difficult.