Happy music...


Like Vivaldi guitar concertos, most flute concertos, etc.
I will be listing some I know-but would appreciate your favs.
ptss
Hell Yes, Mapman! That was a good call! I was about to recommend Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No.2, but.... I think you out-did me.
I think my three Gabor Boldoczki albums are about as uplifting (i.e. happy) to listen to as anything I have ever heard. It isn't "playground fun" but more like the happiness you get from Ode to Joy or The Messiah done well. The albums are listed below:

Italian Concertos
Händel Telemann
Gloria

Gloria arrived in the mail today and is currently playing as my wife and I sit on the couch together. It is a rare CD that I don't end up being told to turn it down and this is one of the rare ones. Trumpet and organ make a fantastic duo.
Jimmy Buffet ..... his music always puts me in a happy mood.
Feeling down and need to smile ? .... Listen to "Cheeseburger in Paradise."
ALMARG, thanks. I didn't know the Prokofiev.I've just listened to snippets--I like it and now have something new to enjoy.
Just what I wanted from this thread :)
MOFI I'm still enjoying Steely Dan on radio. VSOLLOZZO, thats a goldmine. I don't know Zoom Zoom Bacala-but will check it out. I am sort of hoping guys will post specific albums or CD's with titles. As a record, CD-(well, music) collector it's what I'm used to-especially when you get into Classical and favorite interpretations. For example I'm liking some Carl Maria von Weber tonight on a Cascade Medienproduktions CD #40 of a boxed set "Famous Composers".Elizabeth Ganter on clarinet, Jiri Malat conducting. The Rondo from Concerto #1 for Clarinet & Orchestra . The Polacca from Concerto #2 and the Theme Andante from the Concertino Op. 26. Carefree playing.
BRAUSER- i'm with you on the Polka music. Brings me back to dances at a Ukranian Orhodox church in Montreal late '60's.
5/6 piece band, including my Uke friend Lisney on sax (departed), Vodka shots and very pretty Ukranian lasses to whirl around. Puts a smile on this face!
Zydeco music will put a little kick in your getty up. I like Buckwheat Zydeco and C.J. Chenier. Laissaz bons temps rouler!
Even a lot of Moody Blues music starting in the very early 80's sets a generally happy tone. I know most of it makes me very happy! Most of the blatant cerebral aspects of their earlier classic 7 albums was gone, though they continued to write intelligent music that was also generally more "fun" and light. I like it all but which more exactly depends on my mood of the day mostly I suppose.
Britney Spears, Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga...pretty happy stuff!

Taylor Swift? IS she getting that chip off her shoulder yet?
A lot of Baroque period classical music is pretty happy sounding stuff, but as the years progressed, things seemed to get a lot more serious and cerebral overall in general. Lots of good happy sounding exceptions to that general trend over the years though.

Lots of happy sounding rock and pop music back in the 80's Reagan years though. I always wonder how much John Lennon's untimely death helped lead to that as a response. There was still a lot of downer music though, especially on certain new wave fronts.

Then grunge and the talented but depressed Kurt Cobain and Nirvana came along. THat and rap/hip hop.

Things musically have lightened up a bit though in mroe recent years in general I think. I think we have only a certain limit/capacity to get too heavy or serious musically in generl over time, and then the cycle swings the other way.

The world in general would probably be well served if it could somehow just lighten up a bit more overall down the road. :-)
Schubert's "Trout Quintet", thought to be the most popular piece of chamber music ever written.
We No SPeak Americano Video.

Even Scrooge likes this.

Also Brahms Hungarian Dances, and most any well known Strauss Waltz. Like polka's you can't waltz to music that is not happy.
THis one has a lot of narrator talking in it but is worth it for the fantastic sounding rendition of the "Batman" TV show theme song by Neil Hefti alone that makes me very happy.
The SMCGH CD is fun and fantastic with good sound start to end.

Most not all the cartoon songs are from when I was a kid back in the 60s-70s heyday of saturday morning cartoons, but this was always a hit with all my family including even my 12 and 17 year old kids in the car during a trip.

I can also recommend Rhino's "Cowabunga" Surf Music Box Set for lots of one stop shopping fun surf music old and newer with great sound quality throughout.
I like the way you think, Mapman! And you offered up some really great ideas. I particularly like Surf music, and my favorite band of that genre are The Mermen. Folks can get a listen to their stuff by going to the Archive.org....

-RW-

PS: The Sat. morning cartoons music sounds like a great idea! I will be checking those out very soon...
I'll second Al's nomination of the Prokofiev Classical Symphony. Also, I find Hindemith's Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber to be a fun piece to listen to.
Surf guitar music, beach boys, b52s, leroy anderson, beatles/mccartney,
vintage chet atkins, buck owens, a lot of 50s and early 60s pop hits,
before kennedy, vietnam, watergate, etc. When things got heavier.

Go to allmusic. Com and check out music breakdowns by mood.

We'll be alright by travie mccoy, we no speak americano by yolanda be
cool.

Arrival of the queen of sheba by handel, joy by apollo 100.

Saturday morning cartoons greatest hits remakes cd by various artists.
Prokofiev's Symphony No. 1 (the "Classical Symphony") would certainly be high on my list.

Regards,
-- Al
While I have only heard one song from this album, I would highly recommend "Life of Tango" with Alfredo Marcucci. I finally identified the song, on Friday, that is on a burned copy of a demo CD used at my local audio store. I ordered the CD within minutes and can hardly wait for it to arrive. It is tango music and the song I have heard sounds like the Bandoneon (think concertina or accordion) and a guitar. It just puts a smile on your face.
Brauser's suggestion is a good one! I don't recall too many polka dirges.

Mariachi, Salsa, Rag Time, Bop and New Orleans Jazz, WWII era big band and swing, pop music from the 50s all come to mind as generally upbeat.

Louis Prima's Zooma Zooma Bacala always makes me happy.
I don't listen to it often, but occasionally I'll play some Polka Music and it never fails to energize. Willie Nelson and host of other stars have toyed with Polka over the years and the results have been interesting. If I'm not mistaken, I believe there was a Polka group that received a Grammy sometime back. In any event, if you need a lift, give it a try. It probably won't become your favorite style, but it just might put a smile on your face.