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
I was also happy to see Freedom 90 on this list, because that's a legitimately great song (one of the best songs of the 90s) that seems to be mostly forgotten.
Jackie Wilson Said is a good song, but it should be subbed out for Bright Side of the Road. That's one of the happiest songs by anyone ever.