When my kids were little someone (possibly DaddyoRandy?) suggested that we don’t play them kids-specific music — that we just play what we like, as we’ll have many years in the future where we’ll be restricted to listening to some rap crap of their choosing all day long. But my kids really love The Wiggles and Hi-5, and honestly, they are poppy and inoffensive enough that I can tolerate listening to them five times a day each with no problem. I think they love the music because most of the songs have actions that go with the words, and the themes involved — jumping, making animal sounds, and learning which part is the nose — are at a level they can understand.
But this past weekend, on my way to my dance show, I got a rare chance to listen to the radio in the car, and I caught a little bit of the Sunday Morning Oldies Show on our local soft rock station. I totally grooved out to the four songs I heard — Yesterday by The Beatles, Runaway by Del Shannon, Crimson and Clover by Tommy James, and Cracklin’ Rosie by Neil Diamond (the last one of my all time favourites).
All four of these songs were hits before I was born, yet I knew all the words to all four of them. The reason is that my mom was a huge radio fan and listened to a “classics” station when we were growing up, so all four of these are songs I’ve heard many times. Every so often at our house we’d have “DJ night” where we’d break out my mom’s huge collection of 45s and spin them on the record player and dance the night away. I love that old stuff and I think my appreciation of music in general is better, knowing what came before and what influences are out there on modern bands. Also it helps me spot a cover version faster than the youth of today.
So this experience makes me think that maybe I should be listening to less Wiggles, and more of stuff that we like, so that when our kids get older, they have the same nostalgia — “Oh, I remember my mom loved this song!” I wish there was a radio station in town that played better 80s and 90s stuff, for this purpose. There is one in town that does an 80s lunch but people are so unimaginative — it’s “I Ain’t Missing You At All,” “Everything I Do (I Do It For You),” and “Get Out Of My Dreams (And Into My Car)” every damn day. Songs like that just make me cringe to be associated in any way with the era. I think instead I will make a few mixes of some songs I loved as a kid — as well as some songs my mom loved when she was a kid — and play them for my own children.
In the car, when they are a captive audience :).
TurtleHead 
My parents listened to a lot of oldies and “easy listening” type stuff. Good ole Roger Whittaker.
I think there’s a lot to be said for exposing kids to a wide variety of music, and nothing gives you a great feeling of nostalgia like hearing a song from your youth. Why just the other day I picked up “Def Leppard – Vault” and it’s been a steady diet of “Photograph” and “Foolin'” ever since! Guilty pleasures…
and btw – John Waite ROCKS!!
I was one of the people who suggested that you play your kids 50s and 60s stuff, like we used to listen to. Actually, LittleSis and I were just chatting about this last week. She had been tuning into the Treehouse radio station (that you get with digital cable) and was struggling to keep it on without losing her mind, so she switched to a 50s station instead. The baby seemed to like the music just as much, and LittleSis was also surprised by how many songs and lyrics she knew.
As a music lover, when I think back to when I was really small, I remember the 50s songs we’d listen too with far more fondness than the kids records we had. The fact is, kids music as a whole just isn’t as good as 50s music was, as a whole. Kids music is good for kids for reasons unrelated to quality music. As you said, it’s more about relating to the characters singing them, the actions and the humour. It’s not about producing art.
I think that being exposed to real music (instead of kids music) helped build my musical knowledge and my ability to recognize and appreciate good music.
When I was a teen I liked that John Waite song, but somehow it seems to have turned into the anthem for the 80s and I’ve heard it way too often and now it’s just over. Over I say! Ditto Tina Turner’s cover version, which is way worse yet somehow gets even more airplay. Crimey!
Did you make some CDs of 50s music for Mom? If so, can I get a copy?
Also let me add that Treehouse radio is AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL. I don’t know where they find the crap they play on there. I guess they have 24 hours of commercial-free time to fill so they need to seek out a variety, but seriously, if they just put Hi-5 on repeat all damn day it would be a ton better than the stuff that you hear on there. I’d go insane if I had to listen to it! I’ll have to check out the 50s sattelite radio station, though.
Hm, no, I don’t think I did make a CD for mom, although I did think of it. Right now, I don’t have any means of downloading music (cuz I’m an idiot and can’t figure out how to set up P2P software).
You almost always find 50s mixes in the bargain bin at Walmart and places like that. I’ll keep an eye out for that for you!
Ahhh Tina Tina Tina. That really brings me back to the Thunderdome. Well, beyond the Thunderdome actually.
Not that it has anything to do with the 50’s but what about The Beatles “One” – it’s got something like 25 number one hits and not a Parental Advisory in sight.
We actually own that album. I should dig it out and put it in the car. We haven’t listened to it too much because they left out “Here Comes The Sun” for no good reason — it was a #1 hit too — and it’s Captain Jelly Belly’s favourite, so we’re kind of bitter. But it’s still a good mix, especially considering that you really don’t hear The Beatles on the radio very often anymore.