10 Grown-Up Bands That Kids Will Love
Musical Suggestions That Will Create Hamony For The Whole Family
Apr 9, 2009
One complaint that non-parents often have about visiting friends with young children is the music. Children's music — be it Barney, The Wiggles, or even those hipster Rockabye Baby CDs featuring kiddie versions of grown-up bands — can be annoying. Many new parents pledge that they won’t introduce children's music into the home once baby arrives, but they still want some family-friendly tunes that are appropriate for the younger set.
While little kids can really listen to just about anything — it’s not like they can decipher the words in most rock music — but even from a very early age, they will show preferences. Here are some suggestions for parents who want to help their kids develop a healthy appreciation of music and get them dancing at the same time.
1. The Beatles
This one is almost a given — there’s a reason why the Fab Four are so beloved. The melodies are simple and irresistible to kids. And the lyrics to many of the songs may have well been written for children. Think “Here Comes The Sun,” “Hello Goodbye,” or “Yellow Submarine.”
2. The Beach Boys
Another obvious choice, The Beach Boys’ more popular surf hits like “Barbara Ann” or “Fun Fun Fun” will have the kids bouncing around. Give the kids a bit more of a challenge with the critically heralded Pet Sounds album to offer some depth to their musical taste.
3. Motown
This isn’t actually a band, but a record label that built a signature sound. Up-tempo numbers like The Supremes’ “Stop! In The Name Of Love” and Martha and The Vandellas’ “Heat Wave” are classic family favorites.
4. Harry Nilsson’s The Point
OK, this is a bit of a cheat, since it is technically a children’s album, but the songs are sophisticated enough that they could be for adults. If it weren’t for the fact that they tell the story of a boy named Oblio who is exiled from his homeland because he doesn’t have a pointy head, that is.
5. Girl Groups
Pick up any decent compilation of ‘60s girl groups (The Ronettes, The Crystals, and The Shangri-Las) — little ones love the sound of the female voices harmonizing. The motorcycle sounds in “Leader Of The Pack” are just an added bonus.
6. Feist
Again, the gentle female voice is a draw for smaller kids. Even if they don’t recognize the Canadian singer from her episode of Sesame Street, kids will fall for her counting in “1234.”
7. T.Rex
T.Rex are especially compelling to kids who have a chance to see singer Marc Bolan strut it out on video — particularly little girls with a penchant for glitter and boas. The lyrics in most T-Rex songs may be a little racy, but they don’t really make much sense, so the innuendo will go right over the kids’ heads.
8. The Flaming Lips
The swirling, psychedelic sounds and lyrics about things like girls fighting robots (“Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots) are a perfect fit for kids.
9. The Ramones
As with T.Rex, the lyrics aren’t that appropriate for children, but they’ll be so busy boppin’ ‘til they drop that they won’t have time to ask “Mommy, what’s shock treatment?”
10. Elton John
Stay away from his sappier ballads, but get the kids cranked up with songs like “Crocodile Rock.”
Naturally, there are hundreds of other bands that will capture any individual child's fancy, and each kid will have his or her own taste. The trick is to try out lots of different genres and artists and let the child develop their own relationship and appreciation of music.
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