“I’m Gonna Make you Love Me” by the Jayhawks, from their Smile album.
I vote for any songs on the Weezer albums. (Pinkerton etc.) I don’t know how “poppy” weezer is, but they certainly have good songs. A lot of Beatle songs are really good too.
Damn! I knew that Mr. Blue Sky was going to beat me to the punch on this one. It’s one of my favourite “happy” songs.
A few other “oldies” come to mind:
Four Seasons, “Oh, What a Night (December '63).”
Martha and the Muffins, “Echo Beach.”
Joni Mitchell, “Big Yellow Taxi.” (on preview, i see that Nightwatch Trailer got in early with this one)
Carly Simon, “You’re So Vain.” (i think it’s really funny)
The Monkees, “Daydream Believer.”
The Hollies, “Bus Stop.”
Sweet, “Ballroom Blitz.”
Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In).”
I think my love for the last song my be largely due to its association with The Dude in “The Big Leibowski.”
Van Morrison’s, Brown Eyed Girl always makes puts me in a good mood.
Moving this to Cafe Society.
I thought of more…
“Tenderness” by General Public
The Monkees have lots of cheerful pop songs…“Last Train to Clarksville”, “Pleasant Valley Sunday” to name a few.
Simon and Garfunkel’s “59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)”
Santana and Rob Thomas, “Smooth”. When I hear it, I’ll turn up the radio and sing along. Even in traffic.
Someone’s gotta say it.
Hey ya, OutKast.
If you can keep from grooving, hell, if you can even stay in your chair, then you shouldn’t be listening to music anyway.
I was going to say “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me”, but surprisingly someone else beat me to it.
So I’ll add “Smile” from the album of the same name from The Jayhawks.
I’m kind of surprised at all the people who say that “Big Yellow Taxi” gives them a lift. “Big Yellow Taxi” is not a happy song at all.
I’ll second the nomination for “Hey Ya.” And I’ll say that the Pointer Sisters’ “Neutron Dance” is pretty hard to feel lousy to. So is “She’s a brick…house.” Lots of stuff by Stevie Wonder works pretty well, too. If you don’t find yourself groovin’ to Songs in the Key of Life, you should check your pulse.
It’s a little more obscure than most of these, but “It’s a Sunday” by The Incredible Moses Leroy always gets me singing.
"The Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats is great, but you should listen to all of their stuff. Very upbeat, even their slower tunes. “On Tuesday” is a good example.
"Oh, Pretty Woman", by one of the greatest voices in pop/rock music history - Roy Orbison. For someone renowned for his sad, sad songs, the ending to “Pretty Woman” is very uplifting.
Looking at my very limited music collection…
"All I Wanna Do", “A Change”, and “Soak Up The Sun” by Sheryl Crow
"Ready To Go" by Republica
"Long Way To Go" by Alice Cooper
"We’re Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister
"The Touch" by Stan Bush (from Transformers: The Movie)
Okay, I’m not going to bother breaking out my old cassette collection.
Anyhoo…
Yes, this is a happy, get-out-there kinda song, but if you subject other people to it, they have the right to beat you with a sock… 
If someone’s going to mention Come on Eileen, let me suggest the cover version by Save Ferris. It’s like the original, but with more horns. Actually, just about everything from It Means Everything is pick-me-uppy. I think it was Reel Big Fish that did a cover of Hungry Like The Wolf, either way, it’s got a funky, swing-kinda groove on the verses and a peppy ska groove on the chorus. Continuing on the 80s theme, I suggest Panama AND Jump by Van Halen, just to get you up and going.
Anything by the Polyphonic Spree
Don’t Stop by the Rolling Stones
Sunset Strip Bitch by Eve 6
Play it Loud by MxPx
Steal My Sunshine by Len
Gimme Some Lovin’ by The Spencer Davis Group
Move Your Feet by Junior Senior
GMRyujin, I’ve been wondering who did that Hungy Like the Wolf cover. I love that version!
Me too! I have been such a 60’s-pop jag lately, I’m starting to rummage through those bargain bin oldies compilations at the CD store, lol.
As for the OP, I would nominate just about anything by my new favorite “old” band, Lovin’ Spoonful. “Daydream,” “Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind,” “Rain on the Roof,” “Do You Believe in Magic”. . . you just want to skip down the street and start kissin puppies when you hear these fuckers.
I realize that may not be a selling point for some
-Skipping, Puppy Kissin Bastard
I have what I term driving songs. The type of song that when it comes on the radio or on the CD, you just want to roll down the windows and speed up to about 90-100 MPH.
Two I can think of from this category are:
Radar Love by Golden Earring.
and
Green-Eyed Lady by Sugarloaf.
The latter has one of the most awesome Hammond B-3 organ solos in the middle - even better if you listen to the 6 minute album version and stay away from the radio edit version.
Thanks so much, these are all good.
Some I don’t know, I ain’t exactly hip, but rest assured, if you recommended it I’ll be listening to it.
Oh yeah, and don’t stop, keep them coming, by all means…
Peace
EXCELLENT happy song.
The song that instantly cheers me up no matter what?
“Rock You Like a Hurricane” by the Scorpions. When I first heard the song, I thought they were saying, “Here I am, raunchy like a hurricane.” I still sing it like that sometimes.
Others that fill me with glee:
“500 Miles,” The Proclaimers
“Concrete and Clay,” er, can’t remember the band, er… Unit Four plus Two. If anyone loves 60’s pop and doesn’t know this one, try it.
“Ragdoll,” Aerosmith
“What’s Up,” Four Non Blondes (already mentioned on this thread)
“Moondance,” Van Morrison
“Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead,” Crash Test Dummies. Not really a cheerful song, but sung in a cheerful way.
“L-O-V-E,” Nat “King” Cole
“Blue Skies,” sung by almost anyone
Someone mentioned “China Grove.” We had to play that in marching band every freaking day. Hate is too mild a word for my feelings about that song!