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

[SoloMumJustMuddlingThrough]

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!)

We love that Hello Children Everywhere compilation CD!

Oh, that’s fab.
”No Susan. We never bite our friends.”

Doh a deer 🤣🤣🤣 Love it.

I worked in a children's shop in the 90s that played Hello Children Everywhere on repeat (amongst many other CDs) so, by rights, I should have been very bored of it but still love some of the songs even now!

Was going to suggest these. They were my bedtime tapes when I was small!

When she’s a bit older a Tonies or Yoto box is brilliant.

Thank you everyone for suggestions, some great artists I haven't listened to for ages! I have loads on vinyl, but I wanted to get some CDs that she could use herself. This has given me a good starting point. I'm making my shortlist now

Raising them right - Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell for the win!

Assuming you don’t have objections an Amazon Alexa is fab. I introduced my kids to lots of kitchen disco stuff via it and now my three year old will demand ‘ALEXTHA. Play Waterloo by ABBA’ 😂

Also for some reason my kids love the random stuff I’ve heard at festivals over the years and played to them - my eldest at 2 used to demand Flamingo by Kero Kero Bonito over the Alexa regularly!

@Ddakji Oh yes! I forgot Mary Poppins! The Sound of Music too. Dd also like Buddy Holly.

@menopausalmare

you beat me to it! We must be of similar vintage.

Also, my DS loved The Nutcracker with the story being told and illustrated with musical interludes

My 18mo enjoys Rammstein/ Slayer/ Iron Maiden/ Sabaton on her trips to nursery and back. Occasionally mix it up with a bit of Mr Tumbles.

This is gold, thanks

Ballet stories.

Have you looked at the Now! That's what I call music! compilations? Just had a quick look on their website and there's some good stuff on there

I also listened to Bernard Cribbins singing My Brother and Right Said Fred, Ernie and his fastest milk cart in the west plus Kenneth Williams and the flight of the bumblebee. Not sure the younger generation would get it.

"Now that's what I call music 48"

Sorry to pick on you, but I’m going to.

All men. I mean a couple of women tucked in there but really, total sausage fest.

For a female child I would try very hard to lean very heavily towards women, at least bands with women in them. Fleetwood Mac, Florence and the Machine, Blondie, P!nk, Taylor Swift, Mama Cass, Aretha, Beyoncé.

See it, be it. Not to say you can’t throw in Queen, and I did and would. But girls need to hear and see women.

What a lovely thread. My DS6's current favourite song is Shout by Tears for Fears, which was also my brother's favourite as a toddler, and I absolutely love that connection.

We do tidying up music where we take turns requesting songs or sometimes the kids ask for "x music" or "a song about y". DS wanted sad music tonight so he got "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now".

Both of mine have enjoyed Taylor Swift and Chapelle Roan, which I'm enjoying while they can't understand the latter's lyrics.

Yoto make your own cards are great for this. We have compilations from Christmas and Halloween through pop punk and classic rock, but then also individual bands. My son's favourite for the last year is the prodigy. I need to make a new set actually, realised we're missing Muse and Florence!

We loved Down at the Zoo by Too Many Cooke’s.

It was by Mick Cooke from Belle and Sebastian

The Wiggles! Also my ds liked The Beatles (especially Yellow Submarine) and Queen!

We had the dvd and I fell asleep every time I heard it.

Of all Beatles albums, you choose that one? I’m boggled, truly boggled!

100%, Abbey Road as your first Beatles album!