Happy songs are hard to write. Most songwriters will agree that it’s much easier to craft a sad tune over minor chords. With upbeat numbers, it’s easier to slip into something cringe-inducing once you choose to travel down a path toward sunshine. Or perhaps it’s the human instinct to wallow in pain and self-pity. Often, it’s hard work to be happy. Yet, when done right, a song can raise one’s spirit from the dumps. If you need a lift from life’s doldrums, check out these happy songs.
“Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys
This seems almost too obvious to mention. “Good Vibrations” may be the zenith of happy songs. Brian Wilson’s “pocket symphony” expanded the possibility of pop music with its drastic scene changes and sophisticated movements. It’s an escape, and you don’t have to hang with Lucy in the sky with diamonds to feel the high. Meanwhile, Mike Love put words to the “good vibes” Wilson wanted to articulate. “Good Vibrations” continued Wilson’s groundbreaking work on Pet Sounds. However, it also marked a period during which Wilson eventually withdrew from public life.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Lovely Day” by Bill Withers
If the groove to Bill Withers’s classic doesn’t put you in a good mood, I’m not sure what will. You can hear how the mere image of Withers’s love makes him feel. He holds the word “day” so long, you think he’ll pass out. Like music, comedy is an art form that causes a physical reaction. Whether you want to or not, you laugh when the joke is funny. It’s the body jolted into some kind of reaction. Great songs achieve similar results. As Nick Cave once said, “Music is a thing that makes things better.”
“I’ve Got A Feeling” by The Beatles
Paul McCartney stands in a league of his own when it comes to penning happy songs. Listen to Macca scream: “Oh, yeah!” He’s utterly unhinged, and whoever has made him feel this way translates into a universal sense of sheer joy. To drive home the universality of McCartney’s good feelings, John Lennon begins a global chant: “Everybody had a hard year / Everybody had a good time”—stitching together two different songs. Lennon’s was originally called “Everybody Had A Hard Year”. The second half makes the joy of the first even more profound because sometimes it’s a struggle to find happiness.
Photo by Roy Cummings/THA/Shutterstock
More The List
-
CIRCA 1977: Dennis DeYoung, Chuck Panozzo, James Young Tommy Shaw, John Panozzo of the rock quintet "Styx" pose for a portrait in circa 1977. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) -
Photo by Doug Griffin/Toronto Star via Getty Images -
(Original Caption) A singer called Joni. Joni Mitchell, Canadian singer-songwriter, United Kingdom, 1968. The guitar-pickin' gal is Joni Mitchell, a long blonde haired Canadian folk singer. Pictured last night outside the Revolution club, Joni is here (until 1st October) for radio, television and concert appearances. Apart from concert appearances, 25 year old Joni will be heard on "Top Gear" on Radio One and "The Monday Show" on BBC 1. (Photo by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images) -
English rock band the Beatles arrive at London Airport from the USA, with their manager Brian Epstein (1934 – 1967, in coach doorway), 2nd September 1965. From left to right, John Lennon (1940 – 1980), George Harrison (1943 – 2001), Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. (Photo by George Stroud/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) -
George Jones, who released several country songs about whiskey -
Elvis Presley and Scotty Moore (left) performing on The Milton Berle Show at NBC's Hollywood studio, Los Angeles, California, 5th June 1956. Presley performed 'I Want You, I Need You, I Love You' and 'Hound Dog'. Press reaction to his performance was largely negative with his gyrating movements during 'Hound Dog' proving particularly controversial. (Photo by Bettmann Archive/Getty Images) -
Singer and musician Merle Haggard performs at the Poplar Creek Music Theater, Hoffman Estates, Illinois, August 16, 1983. (Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images)
