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

Ely Standard: Madness performing at Newmarket Nights. Our House and Baggy Trousers are on our playlist Photo: Gregg BrownMadness performing at Newmarket Nights. Our House and Baggy Trousers are on our playlist Photo: Gregg Brown (Image: Archant)

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.”

Ely Standard: Queen in 1977: Brian May, Roger Taylor, Freddie Mercury and John Deacon. Their hit Don't Stop Me Now helps to power our Happy Hits playlist PA Photo.Queen in 1977: Brian May, Roger Taylor, Freddie Mercury and John Deacon. Their hit Don't Stop Me Now helps to power our Happy Hits playlist PA Photo. (Image: Archant)

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