happy music

[aria]

So a lot is going on all at once right now -- my sweetheart has major surgery tomorrow! I just started a new job! and ... probably some other things, but the confluence of these two events, and particularly everything about the former one, is enough to be going on with -- and I could really do with a pick-me-up.

Specifically: music! Rec me happy songs? Songs that cheer you up, make you walk with purpose when you listen to them, make you smile? I really want to make a playlist to listen to on loop to get through things, but off the top of my head I only have two songs. (For the curious: Surface of the Sun by the Hugh Dillon Redemption Choir; Starships by Nikki Minaj. The first one is and has been a comfort to me for at least three years, and the second is just full of joy and SPACESHIPS.) So yes! I would love all your musical recommendations -- just title and artist is fine, I can track them down myself via YouTube/iTunes/&c.

Comments

[ellen_fremedon]

I am always cheered up by the Polka and Fugue (really) from Jaromir Weinberger's opera Schwanda the Bagpiper.

[aria]

Hee! I will definitely check that out. :)

[boxofdelights]

Harmour Love, by Syreeta Wright

[aria]

Ah, excellent! Thanks. :)

[scribe]

This is hard! Many of my happy songs are happy more because of associations than actual content, I think.

I inherited A1's Celebrate Our Love from fizzyblogic as a cheer up song. Also a great fan of Great Big Sea's version of When I'm Up I Can't Get Down. I also do a lot of soundtrack listening from sources that make me happy, like the Westminster Bridge track from S1 DW, and a frightening amount of Bollywood.

Best wishes for the surgery. *hugs*

[aria]

Oh, I definitely have that problem too! But even everyone's various subjectively happy songs are quite useful.

Thanks! <3

[graycardinal]

For cheering-up songs, my brain more often than not goes on a classic-musical kick:

"No Time At All" from Pippin
"Look to the Rainbow" from Finian's Rainbow
"Chim Chim Cheree" from Mary Poppins

That said, see also "Wicked Girls" by Seanan McGuire (I am also particularly fond of "Dorothy" and "Evil Laugh", but it's very hard to go wrong with anything of hers). And for joy and SPACESHIPS, I would be remiss not to point you at Tom Smith and "Rocket Ride".

And for walking with purpose? At the risk of earworming you (because that song has just that effect on me), I can't not mention "Put One Foot In Front of the Other" from the classic Christmas special Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.

[tenlittlebullets]

I... um... would I go to hell if I...

Oh, screw it, shame is overrated.

LET'S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS
TO DEFEAT
THE HUNS

[tenlittlebullets]

Oh also, I don't know how much value random German pop-punk will be to anyone else, but once upon a time I had the Böhse Onkelz' Dopamin and played it until the CD wore out because it is full of songs that make me go "Yeah, fuck you world, I feel like a million bucks." IIRC Die Firma, Narben, Macht für den der sie nicht will, Mutier mit mir, Keine Amnestie für MTV, and Ich weiss wo du wohnst are all excellent for this purpose, even if the last one is about outrageous stalker fans.

[aria]

Nah, random German pop-punk totally has value! I will see if I can YouTube these things. And yessss MULAN SONGS ALWAYS. <3

[filia_belialis]

And I will be listening to these until I DO feel better. Or drive everyone mad. Thanks for that!

[gehayi]

I think it's impossible NOT to sing along with that one. (And Jen Yu approves, even if she doesn't look like it.)

[aria]

Ooh, these are all excellent. Thank you!

[eccentric_hat]

I don't know if it's to your taste, but for happy-music purposes I used to listen a lot to the Gabe Dixon Band's "All Will Be Well" on loop; more recently, Carbon Leaf's "Lake of Silver Bells."

[aria]

Oooh, these are both really good ideas. Thanks!

[univacgrl]

I'm mildly embarrassed to admit this, but when I'm in need of a musical pick me up, I frequently turn to disco.

Old School:
Maxine Nightingale "Right Back Where We Started From"
(The graphic on this one makes me laugh.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckCwBAhz4oc

New(ish) School:
Daft Punk "Crescendolls" (Ok, I really just put on a Daft Punk playlist on youtube and go to town, but this one is one of the happier songs.)

Good wishes for your sweetie's surgery. You'll get through it ok, too.

[aria]

Don't feel embarrassed about disco! Disco is an excellent life choice. :) And thank you!

[univacgrl]

"Disco is an excellent life choice" is now my new motto. (:

[labellementeuse]

I hope everything goes well this week!

Currently in heavy uplifting-music rotation:

Simon & Garfunkel - Red Rubber Ball
Bic Runga - Hello Hello
Benny Goodman - Sing Sing Sing (With A Swing)
7 Worlds Collide - Reptile
Regina Spektor - Folding Chair
The entire Hairspray soundtrack, but especially Welcome to the Sixties, You Can't Stop the Beat, and Come So Far (but seriously this entire soundtrack if it's at all your thing)
OK Go - This Too Shall Pass
Kishi Bashi - Bright Whites
Nina Simone - Love Me or Leave Me, Gimme Some, Feeling Good
Kitty, Daisy & Lewis - I'm Coming Home
The String Contingent's self-titled album, but this isn't on YT - if you might like modern Celtic-inspired folk with lyric double bass, guitar and violin I'll upload it for you
Robyn - U Should Know Better
Ella Fitzgerald - Something's Gotta Give
Ladi6 - Bang Bang
the due South theme (probably just through positive association)

Let me know if any of these strike your fancy and you need 'em.

[aria]

Oh, you are a star. I would deeply love the String Contingent! That sounds kind of perfect. The rest of it I'll check out, and let you know if I can't get my hands on any of it and want to!

The due South theme is always appropriate pick-me-up music. :)

Thanks so much! <3

[labellementeuse]

Here it is: http://www.mediafire.com/file/83b5svcybz5095e/The_String_Contingent.7z Sorry, it's a 7z rather than a zip because I wasn't thinking it through, but if you can't get it open 7zip is freeware and excellent (a big improvement on the winrar/HJ split combo I used to use). Best track on the album and most uplifting is Ikadoo Blues.

[mergatrude]

Sneaking in to pinch this because it it Relevant to My Interests, tyk.

[starlady]

You know, I thought I had a playlist that was exactly this. Well, anyway…

U2, "Beautiful Day"
Fun., "We Are Young"
Patrick Stump, "Spotlight"
MGMT, "Kids"
Animal Collective, "Summertime Clothes"
Glee cast, "Don't Stop Believin'"
Janelle Monae, "Tightrope"
basically all of MCR's Danger Days
Cobra Starship, "Bring It"

[aria]

YES TIGHTROPE WHY WAS THAT NOT ALREADY ON MY LIST. ALSO BRING IT. YES. Clearly you have musical tastes very much in line with what I'm looking for right now, so I'll track down the rest of these forthwith. Thanks! :D

[endofthewest]

ABBA always cheers me up with its dorkiness, especially "Dancing Queen."

Sending lots of hugs and well-wishes to A. ♥

[aria]

Yessss I think it is almost certainly ABBA time.

I will pass this on! Thanks. <3

[luzula]

Oh, hmm.

The Lost Patrol Band: "It's Alright" is happy and bouncy.
Brandi Carlile's "Caroline" is also happy and bouncy (and it's totally about Bob and Caroline!)
Devon Sproule's "Plea for a good night's rest" is not happy exactly, but it's comforting?
First Aid Kit's "Emmylou" also makes me happy.
Frida Hyvönen's "Birds" is also a happy, bouncy song.

ETA: Also, hoping the surgery goes well!

[aria]

Oooh, these sound good. Thank you! <3

[happydork]

<3 Thinking of you and yours.

Walk of Shame - P!nk
Move Along - The All-American Rejects
It's Alright - Dar Williams
Can't Stop Feeling - Franz Ferdinand (partly, I have to admit, for the most delightful music video ever)
I Want To Be Straight - Ian Drury and the Blockheads
Not a Virgin - Poe
Comedy Tragedy History - Akala

[aria]

<333 And these all sound excellent! Thanks. :)

[icepixie]

*hugs*

My picks:

"Happiness" - The Weepies
"He Came to Meet Me" - Hem
"Fishing in the Morning" - Dar Williams
"Ordinary Day" - Great Big Sea
"Swing Low, Sail High" - The Wailin' Jennys
"My Baby Loves a Bunch of Authors" and "King of Spain" (mostly because of the funny) - Moxy Fruvous
"Rags to Riches" and "The Maid and the Loch (You and I and the Sky)" - Karine Polwart (the last one is rare and will probably be found at her website; I may have had to join the mailing list to get it, but it was free!)
"In the Mood" - Glen Miller (big band music in general works well, I find)
"I Got Rhythm" and "Get Happy" - The Puppini Sisters do my favorite versions
"Singin' in the Rain"

[aria]

Ooh, these look great! Thanks so much. :)

[feverbeats]

*HUGS* Good luck to them and you! :(

I think we have too much iTunes library overlap for me to recommend most of the things I immediately thought of. Do you listen to La Roux? If not, LA ROUX.

[aria]

*LEANS* Will do my best to keep you updated! Jessie & I will take to the twitters when we have news.

LA ROUX YES EXCELLENT. And tbh iTunes overlap should not be an impediment to you making recommendations -- you may just be better at immediately thinking of good songs than I am! So any additional ideas quite welcome.

[feverbeats]

Good, good. <3333333333333333333

Will always recommend Marina & the Diamonds for aggressive defiance of all life things. Also, My Chem (most of Danger Days or fast songs from The Black Parade, depending on your mood).

[sophia_sol]

First: *HUGS*

Second: I can provide you with some happy music! pellucere puts together these really awesome cheerful mixtapes: CHEER THE FUCK UP, KEEP ON KEEPING ON, and FEEL BETTER GO-GETTER. I listen to these on endless repeat when I need cheering up.

[aria]

AHHH SOPHIA YOU ARE THE BEST. These look great! Thanks so much. <3

[anekdot]

I AM SUPER BELATED AT THIS and also might have a weird definition of "happy songs," but. Here's music that gets slotted under "upbeat" in my mind.

Colors - April Smith and the Great Picture Show <--- this one is the most "obnoxiously belt in the shower," for me personally

West Coast Friendship - Owl City

Okay Dolores - Dragonette

I hope everything works out okay...

Utterly random stuff I put on a cd to play to my kids in the car

[mergatrude]

"Music for a Found Harmonium" and "Telephone and Rubber Band" both by the Penguin Cafe Orchestra

Slice of Heaven, by Dave Dobbin

Magic Dance, from the Labyrinth soundtrack by the original Mr Tightpants.

Horchata, by Vampire Weekend

Blond and Blue, by the Headstones (plus lots more)

Our Lips Are Sealed, by The Go-Gos

Muppets From Space soundtrack, specifically It's Your Thing

Hammer and Nail, by the Indigo Girls

What I like about you, by The Romantics

Furry Happy Monsters, by REM and Sesame Street