Music is very good for well-being, both physically and mentally. A good tune boosts feelings of happiness and a dance around the kitchen helps to keep you fit. We have compiled a list of feelgood songs to help make our weeks of confinement seem less torturous
There’s never a perfect time for a lockdown but the current bout of isolation because of the Covid-19 outbreak seems especially taxing because it has co-incided with the arrival of some long-awaited good weather.
We’re all stuck in doors with the sun beaming down outside, just tantalizingly out of reach. No longer able to head to the beach or even meet up with friends for a picnic in the park, it’s easy to feel trapped and rather down-hearted.
So we thought that we would create a playlist of upbeat, happy songs which can be accessed on streaming site Spotify and will our part of our contribution to reset the community’s equilibrium. Research has proved that music is incredibly important to our well-being. Dr Kimberly Sena Moore writing in Psychology Today notes that studies have shown that the brain releases dopamine, the “feel-good” neurochemical, when listening to music.
“It can be argued that mTusic is a core function in our brains. Our brains are wired from the beginning to process and understand music.”
It’s performs similarly when processing food and sex experiences – deemed to be basic life functions. Put in layman’s terms, she says, it’s all about ‘pleasure and reward’.
“From a practical standpoint, this will not affect your average day-to-day listening. Just know that when you experience an emotion while listening to music, your ancient reward circuits are flooding your brain with a chemical designed to make you feel good.”
With this in mind we have asked Archant’s motley crew of writers, editors and designers to nominate a cross generational, cross-genre, totally eclectic list of feelgood songs to be included on the list. We asked them to nominate their favourite feelgood songs, the ones they would take to that fabled desert island which exists off the shores of Radio Four.
It’s a long list and we only had two duplicates – three people nominated Mr Blue Sky by the Electric Light Orchestra and two people wanted Happy Talk by Captain Sensible – make of that what you will.
I commend the list to you. Have a listen and hopefully you’ll feel happier, less confined and maybe discover some exciting new music.
You can access our playlist Happy Hits for Homeworkers here
The Happy Hits for Homeworkers Playlist
Atomic - Blondie
Help! - The Beatles
Crazy in Love - Beyonce
Hips Don’t Lie - Shakira
LDN - Lily Allen
Good as Hell - Lizzo
Charles Trenet - La Mer
Round Are Way - Oasis
Hot Love - T Rex
Crocodile Rock - Elton John
Summer Song (Wishing You Were Here) - Slade
Promised Land - Elvis Presley
Got My Mind Set on You - George Harrison
Headstart for Happiness - Style Council
Dog Days Are Over by Florence and the Machine
Happy Talk - Captain Sensible
Heaven is a Place on Earth - Belinda Carlisle
Baggy Trousers - Madness
Stupid Love - Lady Gaga
Good as Hell - Lizzo
Found What I’ve Been Looking For - Tom Grennan
My Type - Saint Motel
High Hopes - Panic at the Disco
Common People - Pulp
Don’t Look Back Into The Sun -The Libertines
Lazing on a Sunny Afternoon - The Kinks
Here Comes the Sun - The Beatles
Five Years Time - Noah and the Whale
Put Your Records On - Corinne Bailey Rae
Come to Mama - Lady Gaga
Higher Than The Sun - Peace
Mr Blue Sky - ELO
Cold Day in the Sun: Foo Fighters
Rock and Roll Dreams - Meatloaf or Jim Steinman versions.
The theme from Jurassic Park: John Williams
500 miles - The Proclaimers
Don’t Stop Me Now - Queen
All Together Now - The Farm
The Whole of the Moon - The Waterboys
Dani California - RHCP
Antmusic - Adam and the Ants
Nessun Dorma - Pavarotti
Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin
Zorbing - Stornoway
Birdhouse in Your Soul - They Might be Giants
Learning To Fly - Foo Fighters
Free Man In Paris - Joni Mitchell
Mr Jones - Counting Crows
Tequilla - Terrrovision
Joyride - Roxette
Disappear - INXS
Smoking Spot - Ducking Punches
Life On Mars - David Bowie
Invisible Touch - Genesis
1989 - Taylor Swift
You Make My Dreams Come True - Hall and Oates
Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher - Jackie Wilson
Let’s Go Crazy - Prince
Walking On A Dream - Empire of the Sun
Hallelujah I Love Her So - Ray Charles
Gold Dust - DJ Fresh
This Life - Vampire Weekend
You Can’t Stop the Beat - Hairspray the musical
Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon
Come and Get Your Love by Redbone
Once in a Lifetime by Anjelique Kidjo
It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) - REM
I Feel Free - Cream
Love Shack - B52s
Come On Eileen - Dexys Midnight Runners
A-Yo - Lady Gaga
Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (live ‘85)
Castle on the Hill - Ed Sheeran
Shiny Happy People - REM
Walking On Sunshine - Katrina and the Waves
Don’t You Worry About A Thing - Tori Kelly
Our House - Madness
Daydream Believer - The Monkees
Always Look On The Bright Side of Life - Monty Python
Good Vibrations - Beach Boys
Walk Like An Egyptian - The Bangles
Mama Mia - ABBA
Goodbye Earl - Dixie Chicks
Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin’ - Hugh Jackman
You Can Call Me Al - Paul Simon
Found - Dan Davidson
The Zephyr Song - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Life Is A Highway - Rascal Flatts
Livin’ On A Prayer - Bon Jovi
Good Day - CC Smugglers
Shake For Me - Joe Bonamassa
Rhythm - CC Smugglers
No Geography - Chemical Brothers
Hey You - The Quireboys
Dirtee Disco - Dizzee Rascal
Because We Can - Bon Jovi
Dynamite - Taio Cruz
Sideways - Dierks Bentley
Bringin’ Back the Sunshine - Blake Shelton
December 1963 - Franki Valli & The Four Seasons
Long Tall Sally - Little Richard
Burning Love - Elvis Presley
9 to 5 - Dolly Parton
Troublemaker - Olly Murs
Fall Back Down - Rancid
Friday Night - Eric Paslay
She’s Kerosene - The Interrupters
Guilty - The Shires
Wonder What You’re Doing For The Rest Of Your Life - Train
Listen to the Music - Doobies
Weather With You - Crowded House
Cuddly Toy - Roachford
Swoon - Chemical Brothers
Positive Thinking - Morecambe and Wise
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