One thing I miss about my pre-kid life is having total control over the car stereo. I’m a music lover, but with a 4-year-old and a baby in the backseat, my Beastie Boys, Alice in Chains, and Prince CDs rarely get to come out and play. And in their place is a whole lot of annoying children’s music. You know, classics like “The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round Until Mommy Loses It” and “The Itsy Bits Spider that Climbed into Mommy’s Ear and Died.”
It’s taken me several years (of audio torture), but I’ve managed to curate a collection of kids’ music that I truly don’t mind and actually sort of like. Here are some titles that probably won’t annoy you, at least not the first 100 times.
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Kids' Music That Won't Annoy the Sh*t Out of You
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Lullaby, Sophie Barker
Why it rocks: Whether or not you recognize Sophie Barker's gorgeous voice from the British electronica band Zero 7 (their song "Destiny" was on the Blue Crush soundtrack), you will fall in love with her singularly non-annoying renditions of lullaby classics like "Hush Little Baby" and "Lavender's Blue." This is the CD I play in the car whenever the baby's long overdue for a nap, or the preschooler needs some chill time, and we never get sick of it. (But we do get tired, so it's working.)
Photo: Amazon
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Family Time, Ziggy Marley
Why it rocks: Reggae more your speed? Bob Marley's son Ziggy keeps it all in the family with this Grammy-winning album of children's music. One of my favorite songs, "Walk Tall," features a great message about perseverance as well as guest vocals from Paul Simon.
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Catch the Moon, Lisa Loeb and Elizabeth Mitchell
Why it rocks: Loeb, famous for her hit single "Stay" (I Missed You)" always reminded me of a preschool teacher, so is it any wonder the indie-folk darling delivered a sweet and soothing album of children's music? Check out her follow-ups Camp Lisa and Lisa's Silly Sing-Along too.
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Rockabye Baby, Various Artists
Why it rocks: This popular line features instrumental lullaby versions of rock hits, with a pleasing range of artists from The Beatles to Taylor Swift. It's sleepytime music that soothes babies and parents alike, while exposing littles to your favorite bands before you lose them to the dark side: The Wiggles.
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Sing-a-Longs and Lullabies for the Film Curious George, Jack Johnson
Why it rocks: Curious George may be besties with the Man in the Yellow Hat, but he's made another good friend in Jack Johsnon, who lent his super chill acoustic talents to the film soundtrack. Even if your kids haven't seen the movie, these upbeat yet calming songs are sure to please, especially Johnson's mellow cover of The White Stripes' "We're Gonna Be Friends."
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Not for Kids Only, Jerry Garcia and David Grisman
Why it rocks: Jerry may be gone, but Deadheads can share the love with their kids via this soulful acoustic album from 1993. Budding musicians will appreciate the diverse array of instruments, from mandolin to penny whistle.
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The Johnny Cash Children's Album, Johnny Cash
Why it rocks: Young country fans can walk the line -- as well as skip and jump -- to this album of story-based songs from the legendary singer. It's fun to hear the man in black show his lighter side.
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Best of the Laurie Berkner Band
Why it rocks: The prolific Laurie Berkner really knows how to craft catchy, buoyant, non-annoying kids music. With her folksy style, she also delivers some meaningful messages, as with her ode to self-acceptance, "I'm Not Perfect." And if you're okay with screen time, many of of her original songs were made into playful music videos featuring cute, diverse kids.
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Meet the SqueeGees, The SqueeGees
Why it rocks: With their campy pop style and male/female duets, they're like a kid-centric version of The B-52’s. My favorite song on the album is "Animals That We Love," a wacky ode to such oddball creatures as kudus, meerkats and narwhals.
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80's Radio
Why it rocks: The '80s were all about novelty songs. My preschooler is enthralled with absurdist ditties like "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," "She Blinded Me With Science," "Safety Dance," "Ghostbusters," "I Wear My Sunglasses at Night" and "Mr. Roboto." So if you ever run out of kids' music, know that you can always count on the '80s station to keep the peace.
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Anna Banana Band
Why it rocks: Anna Banana's indie-punk-pop ditties are catchy and fun to dance to, no matter what your age. You can roar like a dino or do the robot dance, and you'll feel pretty cool doing it!
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