The Y! Music Playlist Blog

The Top 20 Positive “Feel Good” Songs of Popular Music

By | The Y! Music Playlist Blog – Thu, Aug 9, 2007 7:24 AM EDT

Popular music is filled to the brim with superficial songs about sex, drugs and money, but it can also be used to uplift, or present a philosophy lesson within the confines of a three to four minute song.

One of the best things music can do is to lift us up, or help us think about how to be better people.

For this playlist I wanted to select the top 20, positive "feel good" songs in popular music. Not just happy songs mind you, but songs that can be used much like a self-help book. The lessons contained in these 20 tracks can be viewed as enlightening, or sappy, depending on your point of view. But they all offer valuable lessons for life. 

rainbow.jpgrainbow.jpgI have tried to ignore the fact that some of these songs have been overplayed, or have not aged well, and instead focused on selecting tracks with an overwhelmingly positive message. Many of the artists who made the cut are worthy of more than one track, but I have chosen to limit the list to contain only one song per artist.

I have ranked the top 20 from my own experience, and since music has a different impact on all who hear it, your list will certainly differ from mine, but one thing I am sure of is that these 20 songs are truly positive, inspiring, and for the most part, loved.

Please add your disagreements and/or picks to the comments. One glaring omission for many will be the absence of John Lennon's Imagine. Sorry, but the line "Imagine there's no heaven" just doesn't make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. And since this playlist was put together on pure gut emotion it was easily kicked to the curb.

 

And so, I present the top 20 positive songs of popular music:

1. Three Little Birds - Bob Marley

2. What A Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong

3. All You Need Is Love - The Beatles

4. Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive - Ella Fitzgerald

5. Put A Little Love In Your Heart - The Isley Brothers

6. Love Train - The O'Jays

7. Shower The People - James Taylor

8. Do You Realize? - The Flaming Lips

9. A Beautiful Morning - The Rascals

10. Walking On Sunshine - Katrina & The Waves

11. Simple Man - Lynyrd Skynyrd

12. I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash

13. The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) - Simon & Garfunkel

14. Peace Train - Cat Stevens


15. Don't Worry, Be Happy - Bobby McFerrin
 
16. Thank You For Being A Friend - Andrew Gold
 
17. Lovely Day - Bill Withers
 
18. Top Of The World - The Carpenters
 
19. Dancing In The Streets - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
 
20. Everyday People - Sly & The Family Stone

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