Thursday, January 29, 2015

Catchy Music

A while back I realized that when I hear the kids singing, the songs fall into one of two categories.  Either kids songs, like Itsy Bitsy Spider, or more modern music from the FP Gal, like 'Shake it Off'.  That didn't sit well with me.  One of my parenting duties is to pass on my musical tastes to my children.  To aid in this, I decided to consciously put some earworms from the 80's into their path.
To do this, I asked my friends on Facebook for suggestions.  They gave me 30+ comments worth of suggestions and I spent some time (and money) on iTunes and made a disc for the car.  This post is to update what has worked and what hasn't.

1. We Got the Beat, Go-Go's - This one worked.  The kids sing along and sometimes talk about it when it isn't playing.
2. Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Cyndi Lauper - Maybe the biggest hit of the bunch.  I've caught Felix singing it outside of the car.
3. Break My Stride, Matthew Wilder - A miss, at least so far.  Maybe it just takes time.
4. Mr Roboto, Styx - A big hit.  The other day, Felix was singing it all the way into daycare.  The FP Gal said that it's stuck in her head too.
5. Make a Circuit with Me, Polecats - One of the lesser known songs on the list.  I like it quite a bit and this gave me the excuse to buy it.  Video:
6. The American, Simple Minds - A better known group, but a lesser known song.  This one is kinda working.  I'll give it time.
7. Too Shy, Kajagoogoo - I was certain this one would go over well but so far nothing.
8. Should I Stay or Should I Go, The Clash - Another great song and this gave me an excuse to buy it.  The kids love it.
9. Walk of Life, Dire Straits - I was very ready to put this in the miss column but yesterday Felix told me that he loves the organ part at the beginning. 
10. People are People, Depeche Mode - Very catchy and it's caught with them.
11. Your Song, Elton John - A total miss.  Oh well, it give me something to sing.
12. My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone), Chillwack - Another lesser known, I think.  Well, it's been an earworm for me for more than 30 years.  Maybe it'll catch with them too.  Video:
13. Borderline, Madonna - Nothing.  Maybe I should have gone with a different Madonna but I didn't want to use either 'Like a Virgin' or 'Material Girl'.
14. She Blinded Me With Science, Thomas Dolby - Or as they call it, 'the science song'.  Another hit.
15. The Way It Is, Bruce Hornsby - They like the piano.  (Relia loves it.)  I count this as a win.
16. Cars, Gary Numan - They haven't show much interest here.  Maybe because it's not really the lyric that's catchy, but the music.  Oh well. 
17. It's My Life, Talk Talk - Nothing here either but I certainly don't mind hearing it more often.
18. It's the End of the World As We Know It, R.E.M - They sing along with this one, at least the chorus. 
19. Take Me Home, Phil Collins - The kids may not like it but I do.  Maybe I should have gone with Abacab.

Anyway, thanks, Facebook friends!  I'm sure I'll need to make a new disc in a month or two so keep the ideas in mind!

2 comments:

DD4 said...

Oddly, I don't recognize even one of these tunes. Clearly I'm from another generation!

How about some Broadway tunes? "Phantom of the Opera," "Cinderella," "Lion King"?

Heidi said...

99 red balloons!