# Adult music that is appropriate for kids **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 2, 2013, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-music-that-is-appropriate-for-kids/662458 "2013-07-02T16:43:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2013, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-music-that-is-appropriate-for-kids/662458/21 "2013-07-03T11:52:18Z")
You need to be careful with the Ramones. There could be problems if your kid walks into preschool singing “Now I wanna sniff some glue.” There’s always Barbara Allen and Three Ravens and maybe Gallows Pole. Mature themes and easy to sing to. ---
**Author:** ![drbhoneydew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d78d45/32.png) [@drbhoneydew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drbhoneydew)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2013, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-music-that-is-appropriate-for-kids/662458/22 "2013-07-03T13:05:29Z")
Flanders & Swann. [Animal songs](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqgPyqyh4X4) with [clever lyrics](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjnOj9O16_I) or in [Greek](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nRlAPtoM0g), the great big raspberry that is [Pee Po Belly Bum Drawers](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSrXqOI9988) or [singing along to Mozart](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc_BFM_wJMU) ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2013, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-music-that-is-appropriate-for-kids/662458/23 "2013-07-03T13:47:13Z")
> [@KRC](#): > > You need to be careful with the Ramones. There could be problems if your kid walks into preschool singing “Now I wanna sniff some glue.” > > There’s always Barbara Allen and Three Ravens and maybe Gallows Pole. Mature themes and easy to sing to. I can live with that 😉 My oldest is now a straight A 15-year-old who came home the other day and said “dad, these kids don’t even know who Keith Richards _is_” shaking his head, and then walked over to the piano to play a bit of Take Five… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2013, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-music-that-is-appropriate-for-kids/662458/24 "2013-07-03T14:06:08Z")
Check out the album Controversy by Prince. Okay, not really. Perhaps some Herb Albert, Gypsy Kings, Enya, the Bar Kays, Stevie Wonder, Alan Jackson, the Cars, etc… I grew up listening to a mix of Rock, Folk, Latin, Movie Themes, etc… As a six year old, I loved Hatari! Give them a good mix of styles, energy, even languages. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2013, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-music-that-is-appropriate-for-kids/662458/25 "2013-07-03T14:06:31Z")
Bruno Mars is a good listen for adults and children, i’d second Jack Johnson as well. Of course, there’s the The Beatles. My kids are hooked on Colin Hay right now but they’re tastes vary from A to Z. I usually censor the individual songs but they know most of the big hits. KISS is one favorite, my kids will sing Rock & Roll All Nite continuously. They also love The Final Countdown and Rock You Like a Hurricane. Alot of the classic 50’s and 60’s oldies are great for kids! At my house, as soon as my wife leaves the house, the music goes on loud, the couch becomes a stage and the living room a dance floor and we ROCK AND ROLL. We mash potatoes with The Commodores, scream along with Little Richard, twist with Chubby , duck walk with Chuck Berry, Take a Bath with Bobby Darin, Shake with Jerry, Walk like a Man with Frankie, the list goes on and on. The hardwood floors are awesome for a sock hop! The kids love it but as soon as my wife pulls into the driveway again, the music goes down the couch goes back together and when she asks if we’ve just been sitting there doing nothing the whole time the kids just giggle their heads off. ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_Hartwick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@Dave\_Hartwick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_Hartwick)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-music-that-is-appropriate-for-kids/662458/26 "2013-07-04T01:00:18Z")
Early Beatles is almost cliche as music for kids. To echo LawMonkey, I’ve seen kids respond well to The Magic Flute. Doesn’t hurt to have some compilations laying around, like 16 Big Band Hits or Ska Gold or whatever. Stuff like that is cheap and if the kids don’t like it you’re not out much. ---
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-music-that-is-appropriate-for-kids/662458/27 "2013-07-04T01:32:47Z")
I remember listening to Switched on Bach as a kid and really liking it. (kinda dates me, lol) It’s a great introduction to classical music. In the same vein, the soundtrack to A Clockwork Orange got a fair amount of play in our house, too. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-music-that-is-appropriate-for-kids/662458/28 "2013-07-04T01:41:45Z")
When my daughter was really young I’d put her to bed to Pink Floyd’s Animals after I got sick of the lullabyes. The lyrics are pretty dark so I don’t play it anymore for her. At least not in that situation where she’s going to have no other stimulation and can sit there and just listen to it. She really doesn’t listen to music that much and never at night, but if she does, I’ll still throw on Dark Side Of The Moon. It’s (more or less) pretty mellow, and I like the idea that she’s listening to ‘good’ music. What’s the goal here? Are you looking for music to sing along/play with them with or just to have on in the background that isn’t going to drive _you_ nuts? If it’s more for you, just find the classic rock station and you should be fine. If you’re actively involving them in this, I’d go with some of the other suggestions. Beatles, ELO, Beach Boys/Jan and Dean, Monkees etc Those are all fun, good, easy to listen to but also really easy to pick up on the lyrics and sing along with as well. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-music-that-is-appropriate-for-kids/662458/29 "2013-07-04T01:46:47Z")
Favorite Things Puff the Magic Dragon House at Pooh Corner One Tin Soldier Ben E.T. Extraterrestrial song by Michael Jackson ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-music-that-is-appropriate-for-kids/662458/30 "2013-07-04T03:09:57Z")
You can’t go wrong with Al Yankovic. His music is fun and clean. Canadian singer [LIGHTS](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU9-TRVbhkE) is pretty safe, too. And I always encourage people to introduce their kids to Rush. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-music-that-is-appropriate-for-kids/662458/31 "2013-07-04T04:21:25Z")
My five year old loves counting the skeletons in Ballad of the Skeletons by Allen Ginsberg. She also loves Flowers On The Wall by the Statler Brothers, Grace Kelly by Mika, Under The Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Fear by Lily Allen (bad language warning on that one, but it passes over her head at this age), Gangnam Style by Psy, Somebody New by Little Birdy, Underground by Ben Folds Five, and she really, really loves Where’s Me Jumper by the Sultans of Ping FC. In the car, she has no choice but to listen to what we listen to 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-music-that-is-appropriate-for-kids/662458/32 "2013-07-04T04:32:51Z")
Flogging Molly is probably also a good choice. Celtic music is very accessible, and there’s not much troubling to little kids that is going on. Plus, when they start understanding the lyrics, you can talk about why the Irish felt as they did… ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-music-that-is-appropriate-for-kids/662458/33 "2013-07-04T17:51:08Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > Herb Albert When we were kids, one of our favorite albums to listen to was my parents’ copy of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass’s _[Going Places](http://www.amazon.com/Going-Places-Herb-Alpert/dp/B0009I7O4S/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1372960245&sr=1-1&keywords=herb+alpert+going+places)_. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-music-that-is-appropriate-for-kids/662458/34 "2013-07-04T18:18:15Z")
My niece adored classical music, especially when I ‘conducted’. Try Peter and the Wolf, or The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. ---
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-music-that-is-appropriate-for-kids/662458/35 "2013-07-05T11:52:07Z")
I think it was someone on this board that once mentioned AC/DC as a good primer if you want to introduce kids to hard rock. Pretty basic uptempo 4/4 and not too complicated, except for the lead guitar. The [Iron Man 2 Soundtrack](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Man_2_(soundtrack)) is really the best AC/DC compilation ever. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-music-that-is-appropriate-for-kids/662458/36 "2013-07-05T12:58:31Z")
> [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](#): > > I think it was someone on this board that once mentioned AC/DC as a good primer if you want to introduce kids to hard rock. Pretty basic uptempo 4/4 and not too complicated, except for the lead guitar. The [Iron Man 2 Soundtrack](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Man_2_(soundtrack)) is really the best AC/DC compilation ever. And they have nice, wholesome songs about [fancy dress parties](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W-fIn2QZgg) and [card games](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djuNYdheD7k). 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-music-that-is-appropriate-for-kids/662458/37 "2013-07-08T14:25:16Z")
> [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](#): > > I think it was someone on this board that once mentioned AC/DC as a good primer if you want to introduce kids to hard rock. Pretty basic uptempo 4/4 and not too complicated, except for the lead guitar. The [Iron Man 2 Soundtrack](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Man_2_(soundtrack)) is really the best AC/DC compilation ever. > [@LawMonkey](#): > > And they have nice, wholesome songs about [fancy dress parties](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W-fIn2QZgg) and [card games](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djuNYdheD7k). 😉 Don’t forget about [feeding your pets](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Rsz6adwyKU) and [paying the mailman](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltug1Hu3BiM) for your on-line purchases! ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-music-that-is-appropriate-for-kids/662458/38 "2013-07-08T16:49:46Z")
> [@LawMonkey](#): > > Flogging Molly is probably also a good choice. Celtic music is very accessible, and there’s not much troubling to little kids that is going on. Plus, when they start understanding the lyrics, you can talk about why the Irish felt as they did… Speaking of Irish, [here are 33 Irish Rovers songs for less than ten bucks](http://www.amazon.com/The-Irish-Rovers-Gems/dp/B0059GYU74/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1373301864&sr=8-7&keywords=irish+rovers). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-music-that-is-appropriate-for-kids/662458.md?page=1)