Let The Sun Shine

Sometimes, it is hard to get the sun to shine out of your ass. Life can be rough and it can be hard to find joy when you have deadlines looming over your head, bills to pay, friends who don’t call you back, diets that don’t work, and those deep coughs that won’t go away. Like I said, life can be rough.

When life hands me shit, I make lemonade (perhaps not the best explanation of my point). I turn to music that makes me happy. I listen to angry music when I am angry, sad music when I am sad, and happy music when I am happy, or need my spirits lifted. I have been making “happy” playlists since middle school for my own personal enjoyment. Playlists that had only uplifting songs on it. It is hard to believe that one song could actually boost your mood but it can. And a collection of them, you will so happy, you will want to frolic through fields of daisies alongside wild deer and antelope.

The best “happy” songs are simple, fast-paced, and usually have positive lyrics, reminding you of what is important in life and what is not so important. I have made a list of what I consider The 50 Happiest Songs. These songs remind me of what life is all about; not those deadlines and working overtime, but family, friends, ice cream sundaes, Disney movies, and eating a whole Kit-Kat bar without having to share.

This list is truly all Puppies and Rainbows.

1. “Shark In The Water” V V Brown

2. “Brighter than the Sun” Colbie Caillat
More uppity than her breakout single, “Bubbly.” As much as I want to hate Colbie, she does make me feel warm and fuzzy—can’t hate her for that.

3. “Beautiful Disaster” 311
This song is just so perfect. It has got the best blend of reggae and pop and relaxed pop. Best part of the song: “A butterfly in the wind without a care.” I need to get back to that mindset sometimes—we all do.

4. “Dancing Days” Led Zeppelin
Best line: “I got my flower/I got my power . . .” This one of Zeppelin’s more hippie-adjacent songs, similar vibe to “D’Yer Mak’er.” I remember I heard this song waiting for a date that I was not looking forward to and I heard the lyrics “I said it’s alright, you know it’s alright,” and I knew everything was going to be fine (because Robert Plant said so).

5. “A Praise Chorus” Jimmy Eat World

6. “History of a Boring Town” Less Than Jake
“Let’s take another drink and here’s to the past.”

7. “Just A Phase” Incubus
I never listen to Incubus’ Morning View except in the summer. Once it is warm out, that is the sign that it is Incubus season. This is one of the best songs on the album.

8. “Luck Be A Lady” Frank Sinatra

9. “Good Life” One Republic
They use this song in Disney World commercials for Christ’s sake! You cannot get much happier than that. N one can hate this song, I don’t care how Goth and heavy metal you are—this song is a delight (said with Ron Burgundy accent).

10. “1000 Yard Stare” DoubleDrive
No one I have ever mentioned DoubleDrive to, ever know who they are. They are under-rated and should definitely be given a chance. I hear them and I think of playing 3D Pacman in my parent’s house, waiting for dinner to be ready.

11. “When Love Takes Over” David Guetta featuring Kelly Roland

12. “When The World Ends” Dave Matthews Band
Basically this song is ensuring that when the world ends, we will be in bed, making love. Sounds good, Dave—just give me a call!

13. “Fortunate Son” Creedence Clearwater Revival

14. “One More Minute” Authority Zero

15. “Son Of Man” Phil Collins
Ok sure, this is from Disney’s Tarzan, but it doesn’t make it any less of a great song.

16. “Quarter to Three” Gary U.S. Bonds

17. “Stand Here With Me” Creed
Creed gets a lot of slack, or rather, Scott Stapp gets a lot of slack. This is a great song, never released as a single. It has strong and inspirational lyrics. Christian rock, yes, but this message could be understood by anyone who has had someone standing by them through rough times.

18. “Don’t Matter” Akon

19. “Move Along” The All-American Rejects

20. “Lovers Who Wander” Dion & The Belmonts
One of the best aspects of 50s and 60s rock and roll is the opening with minimal instrumentals and a few lyrics (often spoken), building up to the “real” opening to the song. This is one of those songs. Also found in “Do You Love Me” by the Contours.

21. “I Love Music” Andrew W.K.

22. “Like A Stone” Audioslave

23. “Nobody’s Fool” Avril Lavigne

24. “Mrs. Robinson” Simon and Garfunkel

25. “Whatever Happened” The Strokes

26. “Dirty Water” The Standells
Boston is my second home, close to where I grew up, so I have an important place in my heart for this song. “Oh, Boston you’re my home.”

27. “Sweet Disposition” The Temper Trap

28. “Midnight City” M83

29. “Love is Noise” The Verve

30. “Dare You To Move” Switchfoot

31. “Hey, Soul Sister” Train
I wanted to hate this song SO BAD when it came out. So badly did I want to make fun of them for saying “soul sister” in their chorus and for creating such a simple beat with sugary-sweet lyrics. But I cannot hate this song because it is brilliant. Damn you, Train, damn you.

32. “Where The Streets Have No Name” U2

33. “Love Train” Wolfmother
All aboard!

34. “Honestly” Zwan

35. “Hey, Man” Nelly Furtado

36. “That Was A Crazy Game of Poker” O.A.R.
Best Part of the song: “So I said Johnny whatcha doing tonight?/He looked at me with a face full of fright/And I said, how bout a revolution?/And he said right./I say of, you say a/I say revolution, and you say jah/I say of, you say a/I say revolution, and you say jah jah jah!” I feel like I should be dancing on a pier somewhere with this song drinking beer.

37. “Father and Daughter” Paul Simon
Freshman year of college, my parents sent me a care package and inside, my dad had included The Wild Thornberrys soundtrack which had this song on it. My dad, a huge Paul Simon fan, had heard this song and found what album it was on and felt it was important for me to have it lose by at all times. He references it every once in a while, when necessary. Any daughters out there will get this.

38. “Another Saturday Night” Sam Cooke

39. “One Day” Matisyahu

40. “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” The Rolling Stones
This song makes the “happy” list for many reasons. First off, lyrics include “but its alright now,” and I like being reassured by Mick Jagger that everything is alright. Second, this song is the closing song to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which is an excellent movie and book. And playing that song after the line, “Just another freak, in the freak kingdom,” one of the best film lines in history, gives me Goosebumps every time.

41. “All The Above” Maino featuring T-Pain
The only hip-hop song that made the “happy” list but rightfully so. This song is all about making it to the top, coming from nothing. “Tell me what do you see/ when you lookin’ at me/only mission to be/what I’m destined to be.” Best line, however, is: “When I think that I can’t, I envision Obama.”

42. “Summertime Blues” Eddie Cochran

43. “Say Hey (I Love You)" Michael Franti & Spearhead

44. “Love Today” MIKA
Kind of speaks for itself.

45. “Walk Away” Kelly Clarkson
Any girl who says she has never blasted this song in her car or belted out the lyrics into a hairbrush microphone like the music video is a FILTHY LIAR.

46. “Leaving Town” Dexter Freebish

47. “Everything Is Alright” Motion City Soundtrack
Someone downloaded this song for me in college and actually said, “I know this is your type of song.” The dancing and frolicking to the song that ensued afterwards was purely a coincidence.

48. “Feeling Good” Michael Buble

49. “We Break the Dawn” Michelle Williams

50. “Good” Better Than Ezra
Was in the preview for The Baby-sitter’s Club film in 1995. ‘Nough said.