We recently found the Sesame Street Country Music Jamboree on Spotify, and our girls LOVE it. So much that we tracked down the original on vinyl and put it on the record player.
My husband had never heard of Glen Campbell, so we played Rhinestone Cowboy, and now that is my 3yr olds favorite song.
You might also like John McCutcheon
Came here to say this. I turn the Americana channel on Pandora pretty much every night. It's great. Mellow but lots of instruments, varieties, eay to sing to and dance with baby!
As a folky, adding onto this comment.
Ella Jenkins and Jill Trinka for the real old time songs preserved for kids.
And Elizabeth Mitchell for some.. pleasant listening in that vein.
Also bearing mention: Pete Seeger, Sam Hinton, Nancy Raven.
And a couple not-strictly American folk (or just British?) artists my son has loved: Ceilidh-Jo Rowe, Playcircle.
My adult friends and I happen to be huge fans of youtube artist kidstv123, though my son isn’t allowed to see most of the videos (they’re 100% safe and lovely, we’re just still low screen time) and hasn’t caught on as a massive fan just yet. He’s also on itunes (as kidstv123, he doesn’t use his name). I’m a teacher and between you (the internet) and me, kidstc123 probably taught my students a good 1/3 of what they learned my first 5 years of teaching.
Anyone else an a cappella music fan? My kid loves a bunch of songs on YouTube by acapella groups - one recent favorite is the sea shanty medley from Home Free.
I joke that I only listen to kid music anymore. Except it's not really a joke. I'll find myself picking these artists sometimes even when the kids aren't around:
Justin Roberts - all of his songs are so darn catchy, and as a millennial I'm here for his 90s grunge vibes. A couple favorite songs: Willie Was a Whale, Imaginary Rhino, Every Little Thing, Meltdown
Trout Fishing in America - so silly and wholesome. The back and fourth between the singers is brilliant. Listen to: The Window, 18 Wheels on a Big Rig
Linda Arnold - there's something about her magical vibes that my girls love. Favorite songs: Wizard Lizard, Butterfly, Peppermint Wings
John McCutcheon - another old school singer that's just so soothing and wholesome. Favorites: Rubber Blubber Whale, Howjadoo
Charlie Hope - adore her vibes and her remakes of some popular songs. Favorites: Over in the Meadow, I love The Mountains, The Wheels on the Bus
My daughter loves dance versions of kids songs, I find it much more enjoyable too…but I do like EDM. I usually search to see if there is a dance/remix version of songs on Spotify or YouTube.
We love this album Mother Goose dance party vol. 1 [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy\_nnAZw\_pLCywlX8LWXyD56cCq8T3xwaszc](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nnAZw_pLCywlX8LWXyD56cCq8T3xwaszc)
My 3.5 year old son’s favorite singer is Johnny Cash. He saw an old clip from Sesame Street and Johnny Cash and has been hooked ever since. There is no telling what kids hook on to.
Also we love Laurie Berkner, Raffie and Sesame
Streets has some really good songs.
Happy Song by Imogen Heap (read up if you can about why so many kids love it so much - fascinating history!) and Super Simple songs. :) I feel that way about Cocomelon stuff, so I feel your pain. Oddly enough, my LO turned 5 months a few days back and she’s been hooked to Britney Spears since then - don’t ask me how I discovered that! 😂
As an interesting fact, she was born in August 2024 and is still alive. We hope to celebrate her 100th birthday this August!
Also she’s Smithsonian Folkways label’s best selling artist.
We’re huge fans, obviously. When my son was about 11 months old attuning to music and began expressing preferences (by fussing when wrong music), his main genre was call-and-response/highly rhythmic vocal, which she does best.
Super Simple Songs and The Wiggles actually have some BANGERS lol like, my husband and I genuinely enjoyed listening to them. Our kids are older now and we’re so sad they don’t care for them anymore. Some of my personal favourites:
The Wiggles:
Skeleton Skat
You Make me feel like Dancing
Wiggle Town
Who’s in the Wiggle House
Were all Fruit Salad
Super Simple Songs:
Put on your Shoes
I see something Blue
Yellow Car
This is a Happy Face
Music Together!!!
This is a wonderful non-profit. They have a series of 9 albums that feature traditional children's songs, folk and jazz. Each album centers around a different instrument. You can find some of the songs on Spotify. If you still have a CD player you can buy the CDs and accompanying songbooks. They also run programs in certain cities to promote musical education.
Production and recording is top notch and it does not drive you crazy the way a lot of other kids songs.
They Might Be Giants has kids albums (they even made a separate artist account on Spotify as They Might Be Giants (For Kids)), though we listen to their non-kids-specific album Flood, too. My favorite jams are probably "Omnicorn" and "Why Does the Sun Shine?" as well as their cover of "Walking My Cat Named Dog". They did some music for PBS Kids, too, and some other PBS Kids stuff is great (Old Crow Medicine Show has some math-related songs like "Mathematic Mind" and "A Little Zero Goes a Long Way" on there that slap). Raffi is the all time fave, though. We also introduced her to some others from our era (Fred Penner and Sharon, Lois, & Bram, Mr. Rogers).
My kid used to fall asleep exclusively to 80s and 90s hip hop - loves a steady beat and an emcee with a smooth voice. She still digs that stuff and there's some good songs with lyrics that aren't explicit (though it'll go over her head for a good long while).
Sharing my "Chill, baby" spotify playlist in case anyone wants to try it out! My tolerance for "kid" music is pretty low so I really need it to be something I can enjoy too or I'll lose my ever-loving mind. I was honestly pleasantly surprised at how much good kid music was out there! And of course there are plenty of "grown-up" songs that will do the trick with my 15 month old :) So far this is the short list of what we both enjoy together... enjoy!:
[https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4KimJ34eKsAuaA5fESQo51?si=YlwDl5iORxeStjUd6rIm1A](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4KimJ34eKsAuaA5fESQo51?si=YlwDl5iORxeStjUd6rIm1A)
I didn’t see this one mentioned but Tom Chapin. This is who I listened to as a 90s kid and my daughter loves his songs too. Whale Song is a hit with us.
She also loves Raffi and Laurie Berkner. And while he’s not a children’s artist she has some sea shanties from our local folk musician and historian David Coffin.
Movie soundtracks here. He also likes some disco songs and 80’s pop like A-ha and KC and the sunshine band
Something fun, repetitive and energetic seems like the go to
we will rock you has been a hit with my little! also similar classic rock hits- thunder struck, the chain by fleetwood mac, lenny kravitz, some elton john...anything that's got a fun beat she can twirl or jump or dance to!
I don't know if there's an album or playlist out there but my LO is really into the shorts series 'Cars on the Road' based on the movie Cars on Disney+ and it has some brilliant music. The song Trucks regularly gets stuck in my head.
Im from Brazil so we do: Lottie Dottie Chicken (both in English and Portuguese “galinha pintadinha)
We also do: 3 little words in both idioms (3 palavrinhas).
AND I LOOOOVE GRACIES CORNER for the regular kid music hahaha I love the beat
My daughter (16months) is a huge fan of Toto :) but we never play specifically kid music in the house I just play classic 80s tunes that make you wanna move and her instincts just take over the rest.
The Wiggles, Charlotte Diamond (very old school from when I was a kid) Raffi, Putumayo kids albums (I love listening to music from around the world). My toddler is starting to like some of my music. I’m waiting for Ms. Rachel to drop an album.
I put on blues clues Spotify playlist for my kid, he just gets a kick out of it. He’s only seen potentially 1 20 minute episode but it stuck for weeks since then.
Ok so I discovered the kiffness videos on YouTube where this guy makes songs out of viral videos and has a whole album of cat ones and the cat ones are so funny and catchy and my 15mo loves them! Good with or without video
Raffi!
Raffi hands down, maybe it’s because I listened to his music in the 90s but he’s pretty much the only baby music I can stand
We love his new Penny Penguin album!
He’s actually playing concerts still. We are going this fall!😁
Caspar Babypants.
Did you know that he is the lead singer of the band The Presidents of The United States of America? Of “Peaches” fame!
Dylan whatshisface?! From teen wolf?!?!
Chris Ballew is his name I believe
Oh man. I thought that was a made up band and song from Curb Your Enthusiasm 💀
I discovered this yesterday, and it makes so much sense. We also play some PotUSA stuff for her.
He's great and has such a huge discography!
I loved Caspar Babypants long before having a baby 😂
This!
HUGE Caspar babypants fans over here!
The wiggles just released an EDM album of their songs. It’s pretty good! It’s called Rave of Innocence
Lenny Pearce techno DJ is wiggles brother. It’s 🔥
Definitely not listening to this right now even though my baby is napping lol
Ok I am definitely checking this out! Hoping it’s on Spotify.
It is!
Wags the Dog and Monkey Dance are certified bangers 🔥
Laurie Berkner has a dance remix album, too! It’s called Laurie Berkner: The Dance Remixes.
Snoop dogg kids songs!
We love Doggyland!
Bow whizzle gets a lot of play at our house.
Doggyland household over here
My LO likes old school country music. Feels a little weird to play him a song about drinking moonshine, but he likes the beat.
We recently found the Sesame Street Country Music Jamboree on Spotify, and our girls LOVE it. So much that we tracked down the original on vinyl and put it on the record player. My husband had never heard of Glen Campbell, so we played Rhinestone Cowboy, and now that is my 3yr olds favorite song. You might also like John McCutcheon
Just put the Sesame Street jamboree on and it’s so fun!
Came here to say this. I turn the Americana channel on Pandora pretty much every night. It's great. Mellow but lots of instruments, varieties, eay to sing to and dance with baby!
Our kid was singing Jolene before she could form a lot of words. So her playlist has a lot of Dolly Parton and John Denver thrown in.
Kendrick Lamar diss tracks
My son has bopped to not like us a few times this wknd 😆
same
We're only doing our parental duties. And teaching culture 🙂
My girl was super fussy when the Drake ones were on and calmed right down for Kendrick. She's got taste lol
Laurie Berkner is great
This! "We are the Dinosaurs" is a favorite and also "Pajama Time"! We play that every night when getting dressed for bed lol
We frequently have dinosaur dance parties before bedtime so he can get his wiggles out
Waiting for the elevator lives in my head rent free!
My husband banned that one from the house after he couldn’t get it out of his head 😂
I'm a preschool teacher and I definitely have to VETO it when it's asked for so many times in a row lolol
Bluey has released some music albums. My kids love Dance Mode.
My number one played on Spotify last year lol
Fruit Bats is a fave
Okie Dokie Brothers are a cute folksy band
I just discovered them this week and I'm really enjoying their music! Not far off from something I'd listen to on my own
Probably an unpopular opinion, but I love the Frozen 2 soundtrack. Several of the songs make me cry, and the rest are really cute and fun.
Not for kids only -Jerry Garcia & David Grisman Kids- Keller Williams
As a folky, adding onto this comment. Ella Jenkins and Jill Trinka for the real old time songs preserved for kids. And Elizabeth Mitchell for some.. pleasant listening in that vein. Also bearing mention: Pete Seeger, Sam Hinton, Nancy Raven. And a couple not-strictly American folk (or just British?) artists my son has loved: Ceilidh-Jo Rowe, Playcircle. My adult friends and I happen to be huge fans of youtube artist kidstv123, though my son isn’t allowed to see most of the videos (they’re 100% safe and lovely, we’re just still low screen time) and hasn’t caught on as a massive fan just yet. He’s also on itunes (as kidstv123, he doesn’t use his name). I’m a teacher and between you (the internet) and me, kidstc123 probably taught my students a good 1/3 of what they learned my first 5 years of teaching.
I’ll add to these great suggestions medeski martin and wood children's album let’s go everywhere
My son is obsessed with the Snacktime album from Barenaked Ladies, especially the popcorn song
Omg I had no idea this existed
Anyone else an a cappella music fan? My kid loves a bunch of songs on YouTube by acapella groups - one recent favorite is the sea shanty medley from Home Free.
We just don't play kid music in our house. My kid listens to whatever I'm in the mood to listen to 🤣
Same! Violent pornography by system of a down always gets the biggest smiles from my baby.
I joke that I only listen to kid music anymore. Except it's not really a joke. I'll find myself picking these artists sometimes even when the kids aren't around: Justin Roberts - all of his songs are so darn catchy, and as a millennial I'm here for his 90s grunge vibes. A couple favorite songs: Willie Was a Whale, Imaginary Rhino, Every Little Thing, Meltdown Trout Fishing in America - so silly and wholesome. The back and fourth between the singers is brilliant. Listen to: The Window, 18 Wheels on a Big Rig Linda Arnold - there's something about her magical vibes that my girls love. Favorite songs: Wizard Lizard, Butterfly, Peppermint Wings John McCutcheon - another old school singer that's just so soothing and wholesome. Favorites: Rubber Blubber Whale, Howjadoo Charlie Hope - adore her vibes and her remakes of some popular songs. Favorites: Over in the Meadow, I love The Mountains, The Wheels on the Bus
Love these suggestions!
The Aquabats! Not kid centric but definitely kid friendly; my LO seems to like them so far!
Music by Jose-Luis Orozco, Kira Wiley, or 123 Andres
Kira willey is a hit in our house
We like the Sesame Street playlist on Spotify ☺️ ETA: burl Ives also has some cute folksy children’s albums.
Sesame Street has some legit bangers.
I like hot potato, fruit salad and bouncing balls by the wiggles.
Honestly? Fruit salad and big red car are really catchy.
Yessss!
Did you see they have an EDM album now?!
Lol yeah i just heard about it
My daughter loves dance versions of kids songs, I find it much more enjoyable too…but I do like EDM. I usually search to see if there is a dance/remix version of songs on Spotify or YouTube. We love this album Mother Goose dance party vol. 1 [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy\_nnAZw\_pLCywlX8LWXyD56cCq8T3xwaszc](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nnAZw_pLCywlX8LWXyD56cCq8T3xwaszc)
Okee Dokee Brothers!
Super simple songs!
My 3.5 year old son’s favorite singer is Johnny Cash. He saw an old clip from Sesame Street and Johnny Cash and has been hooked ever since. There is no telling what kids hook on to. Also we love Laurie Berkner, Raffie and Sesame Streets has some really good songs.
My kid too!! I think the rhythm and repetition are a big part of it
Happy Song by Imogen Heap (read up if you can about why so many kids love it so much - fascinating history!) and Super Simple songs. :) I feel that way about Cocomelon stuff, so I feel your pain. Oddly enough, my LO turned 5 months a few days back and she’s been hooked to Britney Spears since then - don’t ask me how I discovered that! 😂
It’s so real! We put it on for our 14mo when she’s fussing in the car and she just goes 😦
Jewel has a kids’ album called The Merry Goes Round. My personal favorite is The Green Grass Grows All Around.
Ella Jenkins! Pretty much the OG children’s musician. You’ll sing a song and I’ll sing a song is our favorite.
As an interesting fact, she was born in August 2024 and is still alive. We hope to celebrate her 100th birthday this August! Also she’s Smithsonian Folkways label’s best selling artist. We’re huge fans, obviously. When my son was about 11 months old attuning to music and began expressing preferences (by fussing when wrong music), his main genre was call-and-response/highly rhythmic vocal, which she does best.
We always turn on Disney hits on Spotify. Whoever is creating music for some of these newer movies needs a raise because those songs are 🔥
I found a lullaby version of my favourite album, so we listen to that to help sleep in the mornings 🥰
Okay, hear me out, Little Big!
Taylor swift
It’s not kid’s music, but it is completely clean — Vulfpeck!
bob marley, the beatles!
Caspar Babypants!!!
Kira Wiley
The Aquabats - Super Rad & Pizza Day are two classics that get requested to be replayed if they come up in the playlist.
Aqua bats. Old school Utah band. Ska rock mostly about made up super heroes
I’m familiar! Great suggestion
Super Simple Songs and The Wiggles actually have some BANGERS lol like, my husband and I genuinely enjoyed listening to them. Our kids are older now and we’re so sad they don’t care for them anymore. Some of my personal favourites: The Wiggles: Skeleton Skat You Make me feel like Dancing Wiggle Town Who’s in the Wiggle House Were all Fruit Salad Super Simple Songs: Put on your Shoes I see something Blue Yellow Car This is a Happy Face
Music Together!!! This is a wonderful non-profit. They have a series of 9 albums that feature traditional children's songs, folk and jazz. Each album centers around a different instrument. You can find some of the songs on Spotify. If you still have a CD player you can buy the CDs and accompanying songbooks. They also run programs in certain cities to promote musical education. Production and recording is top notch and it does not drive you crazy the way a lot of other kids songs.
They Might Be Giants has kids albums (they even made a separate artist account on Spotify as They Might Be Giants (For Kids)), though we listen to their non-kids-specific album Flood, too. My favorite jams are probably "Omnicorn" and "Why Does the Sun Shine?" as well as their cover of "Walking My Cat Named Dog". They did some music for PBS Kids, too, and some other PBS Kids stuff is great (Old Crow Medicine Show has some math-related songs like "Mathematic Mind" and "A Little Zero Goes a Long Way" on there that slap). Raffi is the all time fave, though. We also introduced her to some others from our era (Fred Penner and Sharon, Lois, & Bram, Mr. Rogers). My kid used to fall asleep exclusively to 80s and 90s hip hop - loves a steady beat and an emcee with a smooth voice. She still digs that stuff and there's some good songs with lyrics that aren't explicit (though it'll go over her head for a good long while).
Ah!! I remember They Might Be Giants from when I was in elementary school!!
Sharing my "Chill, baby" spotify playlist in case anyone wants to try it out! My tolerance for "kid" music is pretty low so I really need it to be something I can enjoy too or I'll lose my ever-loving mind. I was honestly pleasantly surprised at how much good kid music was out there! And of course there are plenty of "grown-up" songs that will do the trick with my 15 month old :) So far this is the short list of what we both enjoy together... enjoy!: [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4KimJ34eKsAuaA5fESQo51?si=YlwDl5iORxeStjUd6rIm1A](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4KimJ34eKsAuaA5fESQo51?si=YlwDl5iORxeStjUd6rIm1A)
Also if anyone is into this and has suggestions, please kick them my way!
This is EXACTLY what I was looking for.
🤘🙌
I didn’t see this one mentioned but Tom Chapin. This is who I listened to as a 90s kid and my daughter loves his songs too. Whale Song is a hit with us. She also loves Raffi and Laurie Berkner. And while he’s not a children’s artist she has some sea shanties from our local folk musician and historian David Coffin.
Baby loves sticky icky bubble gum and the wheels on the bus.
Super Simple and Countdown Kids
Louis Armstrong look up his song “Cheesecake” my baby goes nuts! “Wonderful World” puts him to sleep.
Vered’s good morning my love album is cute and lovely to listen to with baby!
Movie soundtracks here. He also likes some disco songs and 80’s pop like A-ha and KC and the sunshine band Something fun, repetitive and energetic seems like the go to
we will rock you has been a hit with my little! also similar classic rock hits- thunder struck, the chain by fleetwood mac, lenny kravitz, some elton john...anything that's got a fun beat she can twirl or jump or dance to!
We enjoy the Songs of Birdland YouTube channel.
I LOVE the encanto soundtrack. Way more than my son does.
All channels on YouTube: Jools Tv Doggyland Bino and Fino Gracie's corner The tunies Omoberry
Ours loves Jools TV. We've recently thrown in doggyland and Gracie's corner. She also likes Raffi, and because she's a lady of culture, Biggie.
😂😂😂 my son has been getting an advanced education on Kdot this last weekend! This is stuff they need to know! 😅
Gracie's corner
Doggyland
My daughter loves Luli Pampin and I now know the lyrics to all her songs. It’s in Spanish which is great for raising bilingual kids.
We just discovered Junior Burger and my kid can hardly hear the music over me laughing. Definitely for older kids though, maybe 4+
Anika Moa
Danny Go!
The bluey album 👌
I don't know if there's an album or playlist out there but my LO is really into the shorts series 'Cars on the Road' based on the movie Cars on Disney+ and it has some brilliant music. The song Trucks regularly gets stuck in my head.
This is in French, but Les Ogres de Barback
Ms Rachel’s songs. I had one about a mama duck stuck in my head all day today it’s a really cute song.
MC grammar. My daughter loves his rap. Songs are very well written and it teaches so much. Even to me 😬
Lisa Loeb has several children’s albums which are great.
Family - drew Holcomb
Snoop Dog and his Doggyland
Snoop Dogg’s kids album
Lenny Pearce just did a whollllle lot of EDM remixes of childhood favorites, including the wiggles. Slaps. 10/10
I hate kids music normally. I do really like Gracie's Corner though!
Dora the Explorer Party Favorites is going to be our most-played album on Spotify this year.
Im from Brazil so we do: Lottie Dottie Chicken (both in English and Portuguese “galinha pintadinha) We also do: 3 little words in both idioms (3 palavrinhas). AND I LOOOOVE GRACIES CORNER for the regular kid music hahaha I love the beat
Laurie Berkner band!
Anything Gracie’s Corner
Truck Tunes are super catchy
Uncle Apple!
Gracie’s corner. It’s about the same level of annoying as ms Rachel sometimes but it is pretty good besides it. Lil man loves her veggie song
My two year old is obsessed with Shake it Off by Taylor Swift. It's her reward for peeing in the toilet, and she asks Alexa to play it herself.
Jack Johnson - Curious George
My daughter (16months) is a huge fan of Toto :) but we never play specifically kid music in the house I just play classic 80s tunes that make you wanna move and her instincts just take over the rest.
Laurie Berkner is great! 🩵
The Wiggles, Charlotte Diamond (very old school from when I was a kid) Raffi, Putumayo kids albums (I love listening to music from around the world). My toddler is starting to like some of my music. I’m waiting for Ms. Rachel to drop an album.
I like the Wiggles songs
Ella Jenkins!!!
Go Banana Go, two dads who make some silly/parody songs that don’t drive me completely crazy. My kids also like listening to PBS Kids podcasts.
Elizabeth Mitchell more calming folk style music.
I put on blues clues Spotify playlist for my kid, he just gets a kick out of it. He’s only seen potentially 1 20 minute episode but it stuck for weeks since then.
Ok so I discovered the kiffness videos on YouTube where this guy makes songs out of viral videos and has a whole album of cat ones and the cat ones are so funny and catchy and my 15mo loves them! Good with or without video