Rockabye Baby has made it to the top 3 in the Most Awesome Kids Music and Artistscategory in Red Tricycle’s Totally Awesome Awards. Over 78,000 votes have been cast, and we can’t thank our Mamas and Papas enough for voting for Rockabye Baby!
With less than a week left to vote, the heat is on. You can help Rockabye Baby bring home a Totally Awesome Award (because we are, right?) by heading over to Red Tricycle and casting your vote.
A huge thank you to the folks at Red Tricycle. We’re so happy to be nominated!
Description: Do baby’s sleepless cries have you sending out an SOS? Looking for a message in a baby bottle? If every breath you take is a plea for a peaceful night’s sleep, Lullaby Renditions of The Police is here to help. One spin of our gentle versions of the band’s classics and your sleepy little angel will be wrapped around your finger.
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Tracklist:
1. Every Breath You Take
2. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
3. Synchronicity II
4. Roxanne
5. Don’t Stand So Close to Me
6. Can’t Stand Losing You
7. Message in a Bottle
8. King of Pain
9. Wrapped Around Your Finger
10. Walking on the Moon
11. So Lonely
12. De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
If you lived near Seattle in the late eighties, you no doubt had huge holes in your jeans, wore flannel shirts and rocked out to grunge music. The angst filled lyrics and distorted guitar sound eventually launched nationally. While I don’t think I would appreciate my kids dressing like grunge rockers, I still think it played an important part in rock history (and still does for some bands) and I always try to get them to listen to the classics. So here is a list of top grunge acts for your kids.
Soundgarden
Formed in Seattle (duh!) in 1984 they were the first grunge band to sign to a major label (in 1988) but they achieved their biggest success in 1994 with “Black Hole Sun” off of Superunknown. Their sound might be a little more heavy metal than other grunge acts, and therefore your kids might not be into it as much but there’s no denying the quality of Chris Cornell’s voice. Check out their hit “Black Hole Sun”.
Alice in Chains
Another Seattle band formed in 1987 and was known for the harmonized vocals of lead guitarist Jerry Cantrell and lead singer Layne Staley. Substance abuse in 2002 would lead to the death of Staley and the band taking a long break until they found William DuVall and reunited in 2005. Listen to “Man in a Box” from their debut album Facelift, this might take a little longer for your kids to get used to.
Pearl Jam
A third Seattle band, they came together in 1990. These guys were launched into stardom with their debut album Ten and the songs “Jeremy” and “Alive”. Pearl Jam have been one of the few grunge bands who have been able to grow musically and are still putting out relevant music today. Their sound was a little less heavy than other grunge bands and probably explains why their classic rock feel still works today. Have your kid listen to “Better Man” even though the lyrics are about settling in a relationship.
Nirvana
The one that set the bar for everyone else. Yes, these guys are also from Seattle and finally locked on to a line up when Dave Grohl joined as the drummer in 1990. Their second album, Nevermind would go on to sell over 10 million copies. It was frontman Kurt Cobain with his “Can’t be bothered” attitude and brilliant songwriting that sucked in millions of fans. Kurt killed himself in 1994 and the band broke up, but their music defined the grunge scene and was most likely the reason the genre became a national phenomenon. Check out their biggest hit “Smells Like Teen Spirit”.
Sesame Street is a venue that pulls in big names, and with good reason. The sun is always sweepin’ the clouds away and friendly neighbors open their doors to anyone who shows up on the block. Makes sense then that greats like Johnny Cash, Norah Jones, Tito Puente, James Taylor and Ray Charles have all gone down to play “up where the air is sweet.” The street’s permanent residents have also recorded a slew of their own legendary jams without the assistance of a Grammy winner. Here are our picks for the top 5 Sesame Street cast jams:
Sesame Street had a grunge phase too! This Pearl Jam-inspired rock song doubles as a public service announcement encouraging viewers to be conscious of their water consumption. It seems the flannel-clad residents of Sesame Street care about the Earth just as much as activist Eddie Veddar and crew. “Don’t be too long,” the puppets sing, “because you might just go and empty a lake.”
Sesame Street’s favorite garbage can-dwelling curmudgeon lets loose on this ode to anything “dirty or rotten or rusty.” The usually grumpy Oscar gets downright exuberant while singing about his life’s passion. “I love it because it’s trash!” he exclaims in this orchestral jam. We love it because it’s hilarious.
All around nice guy Kermit the Frog gets downright sentimental on this melancholy ballad about the travails of “having to spend each day the color of the leaves.” We get choked up every time.
It doesn’t get any sweeter than this, folks. Jammie-clad Bert takes a pre-bedtime trip up to the moon while gently explaining that while he would “like to look down on the Earth from above” he would “miss all the places and people” he loves. We couldn’t agree more.
“C is for cookie, that’s good enough for me,” explains this monster of few words in his classic ode to the most delicious of baked goods. It’s good enough for us too. It also makes us hungry.
It was the name of a record label, but the sound actually was so distinctive that Motown became a genre of music. Originally based out of Detroit, Motown would launch a ton of successful artists and hits in the sixties. It was the combination of soul music with a pop flavor that made Motown what it was, and combining those two genres also created some great music that is worth playing for kids almost fifty years later. Here are the top Motown songs for your children.
The Temptations were the first Motown act to win a Grammy award and they’ll always be remembered for their 1964 hit, “My Girl”. The song was written by Smokey Robinson and Ronald White of the Miracles and hit number one on the charts. It might not be a fast paced rock tune, but the song seems to work so perfectly in its simplicity. It’s also very easy to sing along to.
Another 1964 classic, “Dancing in the Street” will make your kids want to do just that. Aside from being a great geography lesson, and being co-written by Marvin Gaye, the song is all about having a good time and it still resonates today. While some misunderstood the song’s lyrics and thought the track was a call to riot, lead singer Martha Reeves stated “My Lord, it was a party song.” And it still is.
If you can hear the first notes of this song and not start tapping your foot you need to check your pulse. “I Want You Back” dropped in 1969 as the only single off the Jackson 5’s first album Diana Ross presents the Jackson 5. Listen to the song and then watch video of the group. You would think the lead singer is an older man of roughly thirty years, but there’s a preteen Michael Jackson belting out the tune with all the poise of an experienced singer.
A 1967 number one smash, the song became such a hit that it prompted Smokey, who was about to leave the band, to stick around for a few more years until 1972. Stevie Wonder co-wrote the music but could not come up with a lyric. Smokey heard the track and thought it had a circus motif to it, hence the clown. While the lyrics seem sad and mellow, the beat has an upbeat tempo that keeps the song moving for kids.
Synthpop is a genre where the synthesizer plays the lead role. It’s supposed to sound mechanical and electronic and almost artificial. It’s a pretty far cry from classic rock and that’s why I think younger kids will appreciate the sound. When you hear the word synthpop I’m sure most of you are thinking Depeche Mode. That’s too easy a choice, so without further ado here are the top synthpop songs to listen to with your kids.
In 1986 Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark released “If You Leave” and it hit #4 on Billboard’s 100. The best part about playing this song for your kids is that will remind you about watching John Hughes’ (who was a huge synthpop fan) Pretty in Pink film. Hear those first few synthesizer notes when the song starts? That’s classic synthpop.
Every band has had a song called “Forever Young”, but not everyone has had Jay-Z sample it. The German synthpop group was originally called Forever Young but changed their name to Alphaville early on. The track is the title song off their 1984 debut album. You can hear the eerie synthesizer at the start of the song that sets the ominous (and somewhat creepy) mood.
In 1977 The Human League formed in Sheffield, England. In 1981 they released the triple platinum album Dare which included “Don’t You Want Me,” a Billboard hot 100 chart topper. Listen to those artificial sounds at the start of the song. Kids will also dig the back and forth of the two opposing memories of a relationship. The video also has great subtle 80’s effects like staggered zooms and obvious mood lighting.
Why is it that synthpop was so big in Europe? A-ha was a Norwegian band formed in 1982 and they had one big hit off their debut album Hunting High and Low. One of the reasons “Take On Me” became such a hit was because of the original comic like video which kids will dig.
Yes, it was the first video played on MTV, but the song actually dates back to 1979, a much earlier time for synthpop than these other songs. The song was so big it hit #1 in 16 different countries. The lyrics are rather fitting too since they talk about how kids don’t remember the past with all their new technological advances.
Sure the eighties gave us a lot of fluffy pop songs with synthesizers but they also gave us hair bands. The glam metal genre began in Los Angeles on the Sunset Strip, and to hear Vince Neil tell it, it was started by Motley Crue. Regardless of the name, the power chord-based heavy sound is perfect for kids to jump around to, and because of the outrageous hair, most of the videos are perfect for a good laugh thirty years after the fact. Here are the must haves for the glam metal kid.
The Scorpians – Rock You Like a Hurricane
The track is off the 1984 album, Love at First Sting by the German rock band, the Scorpions. It reached number 25 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and has become a staple at sporting events. The music is enough to get your kids interested in hearing the track, but the best part is really the chorus. “Here I am, rock you like a hurricane.” It’s a silly statement that seems to sound so important because of the magnitude of the rock music behind it.
Lita Ford – Kiss Me Deadly
Lita Ford’s (formerly of The Runaways) hit would come later in the hair invasion, 1988 to be exact, but it’s a perfect glam metal song. If you think that only guys can do the hair metal look, check out Lita’s tresses on the album cover. This girl was born for this era. You might want to skip the first ten seconds of the song since there is a lewd reference.
Night Ranger – Sister Christian
The song was released by Night Ranger in 1984. It was written and sung by the band’s drummer, Kelly Keagy for his sister Christy. He was shocked at how fast she was growing up and penned this track. It’s got a great shift from a slow ballad to a full out arena rock sound.
Twisted Sister – We’re Not Gonna Take It
If there’s one song that defines hair metal glam rock, it’s this one by Twisted Sister. One look at lead singer Dee Snider and you know not to take these guys too seriously. The 1984 song also had a hit comical video. Listen to the simple lyrics and while it might sound like a rebellious song it comes off as just a fun rock song.
I’ve decided that the best way to educate my kids in music is to break down the different genres and give them a lesson by playing them my top five favorite songs from each style. First up is punk music. This should be an easy genre to get the kids interested – it’s fast, rockin’, and the songs usually are pretty short. So take a look at the top punk songs to play for your kids (and please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments).
5) Blink 182 – All The Small Things
These three guys (Tom, Mark and Travis) formed a band that was destined to be enjoyed by children. Their easy going, prankster attitude and catchy pop punk sound makes them a natural for Rockabye. Listen to “All The Small Things”, it’s quick and has a catchy sing-a-long part even if you don’t know the words. Also, the video will have you cracking up.
4) Rancid -Ruby Soho
Not exactly the biggest name in punk, I included this band for one reason only, “Ruby Soho.” It’s a short burst of energy and my older son loves it (maybe because when I play it I let him jump on the couch as he rocks out). It was released back in November 1995 and only charted at #13 on the modern rock chart, but I promise it will get your kids banging their heads. Funny enough, it was produced by Jerry Finn who also produced a lot of Blink 182.
3) Green Day – Welcome to Paradise
So many to choose from with these guys, but I’m taking it back to 1994 off their Dookie album. “Welcome to Paradise” is pure punk. It’s raw, fast and lean. The song is about moving out of your parents’ house (which we’ll all have to deal with someday when the kids get older) and it doesn’t let up. Their more recent songs off American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown are great but much more polished than the earlier stuff.
2) The Clash – London Calling
If you’re listing The Clash, you would have to pick something off of London Calling. I’m going with the title track. While the lyrics might refer to bigger ideas that kids won’t catch on to (the Three Mile Island accident, etc.) the song is still a classic. Joe Strummer’s voice is in full force and bleakly honest as he sings the lyrics.
1) The Ramones – Rock n’ Roll High School
Were they really all brothers? Then why did they all have the same last name? The Ramones burst on to the scene in the seventies and although they would never receive the recognition that later bands would bestow on them they were wholly original. Check out “Rock n’ Roll High School” from 1979. It’s fun and campy and the repetition (rock rock rock rock n’ roll high school) will have the kids singing along.
