282 Happy Songs

My blog archives from roughly 2008 to 2012 are in this one massive file that I have no idea how to catalog or search. It’s a long, long story but basically those blog posts are all gone from the Internet (as far as I know) and the only way for me to find anything is to go through the days, one by one.

And I wrote A LOT of stuff back then. I mean, yeah, I write a lot of stuff now too, so that’s probably not surprising. But back then, I wrote a lot of random stuff. Like one day I’d be writing about Uruguayan soccer and the next day it would be Snuggies and the next day it would be NFL Films and the next day it would be Jay Leno and the next day it would Herschel Walker, I mean, what was even happening in my brain back then?

In any case, I went looking for this massive piece I did — you’ll see some of it in story in the not too distant future — and I came across this project I have almost no memory of doing. Apparently, at some point in 2010, I decided to create a list of “Happy songs.” I don’t know what propelled me to do it, but, yeah, it sounds like me.

In any case, I apparently put together 282 Happy Songs.

And I figure, with things being the way they are, I would just reprint the happy songs. I have not gone through this list with any particular attention so there might be some songs in here that would make no sense to me now. And, obviously, there are no songs from the last 10 years on here, so you can add those in the comments if you like.

Here then are the 282 songs along with the original rules I put at the top. I hope that maybe, just maybe, it brings you a little happiness.

The original 2010 Rules:

1. No act is allowed on the list more than once. So, there is only one Beatles song on here, only one Springsteen song on here, only one Elvis song on here. I have no doubt that Beatles fans may not have picked “Here Comes the Sun” and Springsteen fans may not have picked “Rosalita” and true Elvis fans definitely would not have picked His Latest Flame … feel free to fill in your own there.

2. “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” is not on here despite many requests. I despise that song … but that’s not why I left it off. There are other songs here I don’t particularly like. I left it off because, deep down, you know it, I know it, it’s not a happy song. Landlord says your rent is late — he’s suing you. Guy’s got no cash, no gal … what the hell is he supposed to be so happy about? He’s not happy. He’s kidding himself.

3. Some of these songs are not “happy” in and of themselves. Hearing them, though, makes me very happy.

* * *

7 Stars, The Apples In Stereo

100 Years, Five For Fighting

1979, Smashing Pumpkins

1234, Feist

A

ABC, Jackson 5

AEIOU Sometimes Y, Ebn-Ozn

Accidentally In Love, Counting Crows

Ain’t Even Done With the Night, John Cougar

All Will Be Well, The Gabe Dixon Band

Angela (Theme from Taxi), Avenue 4 a.m.

Africa, Toto

All of Your Love, Hellogoodbye

Always Something There to Remind Me, Naked Eyes

American Saturday Night, Brad Paisley

Anthem, Filo & Peri

Artificial Flowers, Bobby Darin

At the Edge, Jonathan Elias

B

Babylon, David Gray

Bad Day, Daniel Powter

The Ballroom Blitz, Sweet

Basketball, Kurtis Blow

Beautiful Day, U2

Beautiful World, Colin Hay

Beer, Reel Big Fish

Benton Harbor Blues – Again, The Fiery Furnaces

The Best of What’s Around, Dave Matthews Band

Birdhouse in Your Soul, They Might Be Giants

Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream), The Icicle Works

Blinded by the Light, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band Version (Bruce Springsteen)

Blister in the Sun, Violent Femmes

Blue (Da Ba Bee), Eiffel 65

Blue Sky Mining, Midnight Oil

Blueberry Hill, Fats Domino

Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen

Bossa Per Due, Nicola Conte

Brian Wilson, Barenaked Ladies

Burnin’ For You, Blue Oyster Cult

Buddy Holly, Weezer

Bust A Move, Young MC

C

Canned Heat, Jamiroquai

Cantaloupe, Us3

Cars, Gary Numan

Catch My Disease, Ben Lee

Cheek to Cheek, Mel Torme

Chevy Van, Sammy Johns

Chicago, Surfjan Stevens

Christmas in Hollis, Run-DMC

Classic Battle, Sam Spence for NFL Films

Cleveland, Luke Doucet and the White Falcon

The Coffee Song, Frank Sinatra

Come Dancing, The Kinks

Come on Eileen, Dexy’s Midnight Runners

Crazy, Gnarls Barkley

Crazy, Patsy Cline

Crying at the Discoteque, Alcazar

D

Daylight, Matt & Kim

The Devil Went Down To Georgia, The Charlie Daniels Band

Digging Your Scene, The Blow Monkeys

Do You Believe in Love, Huey Lewis & The News

Do You Remember, Jay Sean

Don’t Bring Me Down, ELO

Don’t Stop ‘til We Get Enough, Michael Jackson

Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right, Bob Dylan

Dream Like New York, Tyrone Wells

Drops of Jupiter, Train

Dry The Rain, The Beta Band

Duke Of Earl, Gene Chandler

E

East Asheville Hardware, David Wilcox

Elvira, The Oak Ridge Boys

Empire State of Mind, Jay-Z

Excuse Me, Amy Arena

Every Little Thing She Does is Magic, The Police

Everyday, Buddy Holly

Everything’s Beautiful (In It’s Own Way), Willie Nelson

F

Fairy Tale of New York, The Pogues

Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop, Landon Pigg

Far Away, Ingrid Michaelson

Fell In Love With A Girl, White Stripes

Feeling Good Again, Robert Earl Keen

Fight the Power, Public Enemy

Forca, Nelly Furtado

Freedom 90, George Michael

Freetime, Kenna

Friends in Low Places, Garth Brooks

Forever, Chris Brown

Friday I’m In Love, The Cure

Funky Cold Medina, Tone-Loc

G

Gathering Crowds, John Scott (This Week In Baseball song)

Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It, Will Smith

Gimme Three Steps, Lynyrd Skynyrd

Go Your Own Way, Fleetwood Mac

Going To California, Led Zeppelin

Gravity Rides Everything, Modest Mouse

Groove is in the Heart, Deee-Lite

The Guy That Say Goodbye to You is Out of His Mind, Griffin House

H

Happy Hour, The Housemartins

Have a Little Faith in Me, John Hiatt

Have a Nice Day, Stereophonics

Hawaii Five-O, Countdown

Headlock, Imogen Heap

Heart of Glass, Blondie

The Heart of The Matter, India.Arie version

Heaven, John Legend

Here Comes The Sun, The Beatles

Here Comes Your Man, Pixies

Hey Ya, Outkast

Hoedown Throwdown, Hannah Montana

Hollywood Nights, Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band

Hyperactive, Thomas Dolby

I

I Can’t Stand Up for Falling Down, Elvis Costello

I Don’t Know a Thing, Lucy Schwarz

I Got You (I Feel Good), James Brown

I Gotta Feeling, Black Eyed Peas

I Know I’m Not Alone, Michael Franti & Spearhead

I Only Have Eyes, The Flamingos

I Second That Emotion, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles

I Will Follow You into the Dark, Death Cab for Cutie

I Will Survive, Cake Version

I Won’t Say I’m in Love, Susan Egan (from Hercules)

Ice Cream, Sarah McLachlan

If I Can’t Change Your Mind, Sugar

If I Only Had a Brain, Harry Connick Jr.

In a Big Country, Big Country

In Da Club, 50 Cent

In Your Eyes, Peter Gabriel

I’m A Believer, The Monkees

I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles), The Proclaimers

Insomnia, Craig David

It’s A Great Day to be Alive, Travis Tritt

It’s A Miracle, Barry Manilow

It’s Not Unusual, Tom Jones

I’ve Been Everywhere, Johnny Cash

J

Jackie Wilson Said, Van Morrison

Jai Ho, A.R. Rahman

James Brown Is Dead, L.A. Style

Jerk It Out, Caesars

Jesse’s Girl, Matt the Electrician Version

July July!, The Decemberists

Jump, Van Halen

Just Breathe, Pearl Jam

Just Can’t Get Enough, Depeche Mode

Just One of Those Things, Nat King Cole

Just the Two of Us, Grover Washington Jr.

K

Keep it Loose, Keep it Tight, Amos Lee

(Keep Feeling) Fascination, The Human League

Kids In America, Kim Wilde

King of the Road, Roger Miller

Kiss the Girl, Samuel E Wright

L

Lay Down Sally, Eric Clapton

Let Go, Frou Frou

Let’s Get It On, Marvin Gaye

Let’s Fall in Love, Diana Krall

Life in a Northern Town, Dream Academy

Life in Technicolor, Coldplay

Linus & Lucy, Vince Guaraldi Trio

The Lion Sleeps Tonight, The Tokens

Little Red Corvette, Prince

London Calling, The Clash

Love of Mine, Richard Julian

Love Plus One, Nick Heyward and Haircut 100

Love Will Keep Us Together, Captain and Tennille

M

(Marie’s the Name) His Latest Flame, Elvis Presley

Mayor of Simpleton, XTC

Me and Julio Down By The School Yard, Paul Simon

Me and Bobby McGee, Janis Joplin

Melt My Heart To Stone, Adele

Melt With You, Modern English

The Metro, Berlin

Minnie the Moocher, Cab Calloway

Missing You, John Waite

MMMBop, Hanson

More Than A Feeling, Boston

More Than This, Roxy Music

My Girl, The Temptations

N

The Natural, Randy Newman

Near Wild Heaven, R.E.M.

New York, New York, Ryan Adams

Night Fever, Bee Gees

Night Parade, Robbie Robertson

A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square, Tony Bennett

No Such Thing, John Mayer

No Woman No Cry, Bob Marley

Nothing Compares 2 U, Sinead O’Connor

O

One Fine Day, The Chiffons

One Thing Was Missing (That’s You), Janet Jackson

Ooh Child, The Five Stairsteps

One Man Guy, Rufus Wainwright

The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide is Press Coverage, Panic! At The Disco

Our House, Madness

P

Paradise City, Guns N’ Roses

Perfect Way, Scritti Politti

Play That Funky Music, Wild Cherry

Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want, The Smiths

Pretty In Pink, The Psychedelic Furs

The Promise, When In Rome

Pulling Mussels (From the Shell), Squeeze

Q

Quiet Town, Josh Rouse

R

Ray of Light, Madonna

Regulate, Warren G

The Remedy (I Won’t Worry), Jason Mraz

Rich Girls, The Virgins

Right Here, Right Now, Jesus Jones

Rhapsody in Blue, George Gershwin

Rock and Roll All Nite, Kiss

Rock Lobster, The B-52s

Rosalita (Come Out Tonight), Bruce Springsteen

S

The Safety Dance, Men Without Hats

Save the Last Dance for Me, Ben E. King

Save it for Later, The English Beat

Secret Agent Man, Johnny Rivers

Send Me On My Way, Rusted Root

(Shake Shake Shake) Shake Your Booty, KC & The Sunshine Band

Skinny Legs, Lyle Lovett

Sir Duke, Stevie Wonder

Smells Like Teen Spirit, Nirvana

Smells Like Teen Spirit, Tori Amos Version

Snow (Hey Oh), Red Hot Chili Peppers

Somebody’s Baby, Jackson Browne

Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole

Spaceman, The Killers

The Spirit of the Radio, Rush

Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand, Primitive Radio Gods

Starry Eyed Surprise, Paul Oakenfold

Such Great Heights, The Postal Service

Sultans of Swing, Dire Straits

Summertime, The Sundays

Super Freak, Rick James

Surrender, Cheap Trick

Sweet Kentucky Ham, Rosemary Clooney

Swing Life Away, Rise Against

T

Take Five, Dave Brubeck Quartet

Take it to the Limit, Eagles

Take Me Out to the Ballgame, Steve Goodman

Tear the Roof Off the Sucker (Give Up the Funk), Parliament

Tenderness, General Public

This is the Last Time, Keane

These Are Days, 10,000 Maniacs

Time After Time, Cyndi Lauper

Tighten Up, Archie Bell & The Drells

This Must Be The Place, Shawn Colvin version (Talking Heads)

Tiny Dancer, Elton John

Today, Zero 7

To Nem Ai, Luka

Too Darn Hot, Ella Fitzgerald

Try a Little Tenderness, Otis Redding

Turn the Beat Around, Vicki Sue Robinson

Turning Japanese, The Vapors

The Twist, Chubby Checker

U

U Can’t Touch This, MC Hammer

Unbelievable (I Am Jen/JCPenney Remix), Sleepy Rebels

Uncle Walter, Ben Folds Five

Under The Boardwalk, The Drifters

Under The Milky Way, The Church

V

Valentine, Nils Lofgren

Video Killed the Radio Star, The Buggles

W

Walk on the Wild Side, Lou Reed

Walk Like an Egyptian, Bangles

Wake Up, Arcade Fire

Walking on Sunshine, Katrina and the Waves

Walking in Memphis, Marc Cohn

What A Wonderful Word, Louis Armstrong

The Way Young Lovers Do, Jeff Buckley

We Close Our Eyes, Go West

We Got the Beat, The Go-Go’s

We Will Become Silhouettes, The Shins

West End Girls, Pet Shop Boys

When All is Said and Done, ABBA

Where Its At, Beck

What’d I Say, Ray Charles

While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Jake Shimabukuro

Whip It, Devo

Who Can It Be Now?, Men At Work

World, New Order

Wouldn’t It Be Nice, The Beach Boys

Wrong Impression, Natalie Imbruglia

Y

You Are My Sunshine, Sara Gazarek

You Belong With Me, Taylor Swift

You Can’t Always Get What You Want, The Rolling Stones

You Might Think, The Cars

You Send Me, Sam Cooke

You Shook Me All Night Long, AC/DC

(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher, Jackie Wilson

You’re So Damn Hot, OK Go

You’ve Got a Friend In Me (Wheezy’s Version), Robert Goulet∂ƒ