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Our kids are for whatever reason very finely tuned in to listening to lyrics. And then they ask a whole lot of questions, followed by follow-up questions. Sometimes the songs with the best beats, and seemingly really kid-friendly tunes have lyrics that I just don't feel like explaining on a regular basis. Not so much even profanity, but songs referring to complicated adult relationships or whatever. Also it can be disturbing to hear your four-year-old repeating them. As a bit of a music snob, I've made a small hobby of finding listenable kid music. I can cull the really great ones from my own collection and add to them the good kid music and I really don't mind. FYI, there's a really great compilation put together by the folks of Belle and Sebastian, called "Colours are Brighter" which has a few current favorites. I second the motion for Elizabeth Mitchell. The "For the Kids" compilations (there are three) have some stellar tracks as well. Those are some decent starting points. I just checked and realized I have nearly 600 songs labeled "kid music" in my itunes playlist, so, yikes. There's a lot out there!

I hear you, adriennep. If you're looking for more ideas for kid-friendly rock that doesn't make your ears bleed, a show I like is Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child on WRSI in MA. If you're not in the area, you can see the playlists at their blog at http://sparetherock.com/ and get a link to listen to the shows on demand. Excellent music. They had Elizabeth Mitchell as a guest a while ago.

Oooh, I've been waiting for a post like this. I would love to hear everyone's favorites for their kids' playlists. Our daughter Daisy (18 mos) really really loves music. She starts out at breakfast clapping her hands - our signal to turn on the ipod. She'll dance to anything (except my inept guitar playing) and she already counts off on the drumsticks when she's bashing her daddy's drums.

We play a mix of music. We have different playlists for Daisy. Lately we've been leaning heavily towards kids' music because she really seems to respond to it more than to regular ole music. Most of it sounds good to us, though, so we're okay with it. Favorites from the kids' genre are: The Fox by the Waco Brothers and Snowball by Handsome Family - both off The Bottle Let Me Down compilation. We also mix in kids' classics like Jenny Jenkins and Fiddle Dee Dee. Then we throw in songs that she hears in her Kindermusik class that we had not heard before - Tingalayo, John the Rabbit, and the like. If I only know the name of a song, I'll play all the samples on itunes until I find one I can stand.

Then there's 'our music' that we found she really likes. Elvis Costello's Head to Toe is a killer song for kids. Dancing Days by Zeppelin works much better than you would think. Van Halen's version of Happy Trails is on her playlist. Lots of old school dub/reggae seems a natural for her. Some ska tunes work, especially Banana by E.K. Bunch.

I can't wait to hear what others like. Off to check out Colours are Brighter now.

My kids have liked the Ramones, They Might Be Giants (of course! how do you not love them!), The Beatles, James Brown and the Kaiser Chiefs. My husband is really into music, so they get a wide variety.

Before I was pregnant a friend said be careful with the children's music you bring into the house because when kids get into a disk you'll her it non-stop.

My daughter likes "gentle" music in her words. Lots of classic country--so I am eager to check out the Johnny Cash children's album---but I agree it can be hard to explain the lyrics (my husband actually stopped singing The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down to my daughter for a while because the questions where too hard).

We came across Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer's Pillow Full of Wishes from Rounder Kids and my daughter loved it. We listened to it multiple times a day for easily a year--and it didn't drive me batty. They have beautiful voices and are competent musicians and the lyrics are really gentle and beautiful. They also have a disk with Brave Combo that it is more up-beat and dance-able that both our kids really like. Another winner for our family has been Ralph's World. We have two disks and both are enjoyable and can withstand repeated listening. Fun songs. Nice voice. Clever without being too ironic (a pet peeve of mine when the product is aimed at a child).

The big winner for my daughter from the adult collection is Sweetheart of the Rodeo by the Byrds. And the littlest loves Mystery Train: Classic Railroad Songs, Volume 2 on Rounder. There is a great version of Casey Jones by Johnny Cash!

I look forward to checking out the playlists from Spare the Rock for some other ideas.

The prejudice against children's music depresses me. There IS so much fun stuff out there.

Be careful with The Ramones, though. It's fun stuff, but do you want your kid singing "beat on the brat, beat on the brat, beat on the brat with a baseball bat, oh yeah! oh yeah!" or "I need to be sedated!" to other adults and little kids?

I love, love, love Frances England. We listen, also, to a lot of Elizabeth Mitchell, Terrible Twos, Dan Zanes, Gustafer Yellowgold, Johnny Cash (for kids or...not).

In the non-kid genre the kids always enjoy Lisa Hannigan, Wilco, Apples in Stereo, New Pornographers, and Akron/Family.

Be it music produced specifically for kids or otherwise, I just try to find things that *I* am willing to listen to ten bazillion times, then play it for them. I agree that you have to watch the lyrics, though, they either stimulate uncomfortable questions at the wrong time or 'singing along' to too adult lyrics!

xo, Amanda @ www.kiddio.org

Another vote for They Might Be Giants . . . I am addicted to "Here come the 1,2,3's" and could probably listen to it non-stop just on my own.

i don't have kids, but the post caught my eye. as a music lover, glad to see this discussion taking place. i have given several friends kids the Medeski Martin & Wood CD, Let's Go Everywhere (check out the funky song Cat Creeps & Where's The Music) and the classic Jerry Garcia/ David Grisman album Not For Kids Only.

Check out Wonderground-- an internet radio station from Minnesota Public Radio. It has an awesome playlist.

We do a mix of stuff, but my son is very opinionated and at various times he has complained my music (Indi Rock/Alternative/New Wave/Blues Rock/Americana/Rockabilly/Classical) is too load or boring. At those times we stick to his music which includes two plus years of Kindermusik CDs, They Might Be Giants, Barenaked Ladies, Elizabeth Mitchel, Johnny Cash, For the Kids, several Jazz CDs (Nicki's Jazz Classics and Lullabies, ) and various Putumayo Children's Playground CDs (World, French, Caribbean, and New Orleans).

CD Baby (http://cdbaby.com/style/kids) has a great selection of kids music, much of which I have marked to buy but haven't yet, like Milkshake's Bottle of Sunshine.

Before I had my son I gave The Cigar Store Indians CD Guest List to several families and they all loved it - great rockabilly fun!

I have a recommendation for all here:

http://www.tightshiprecords.com/release.php?id=0017

Great new kids record by John and Mark formerly of the Coctails.
ENJOY!!

PS to Amanda, did you know the front man from Apples in Stereo put out a kids' CD? Pretty good. It's as Robbert Bobbert, called Robbert Bobbert and the Bubble Machine. Worth a listen! Also, someone named Ryan Tanner remade the Wilco song "My Darling" on a lullaby album that I find absolutely sweet.

Thanks for the recommendations. Wonderground Radio is a goldmine.

I remember feeling really depressed when I went to an aquabats concert as a super fan only to see a party of tots year olds celebrating a 6 year olds birthday. Aquabats saw it as an opportunity and made Yo Gabba Gabba. Now that i think about it though, I'd rather have children into real music, rather than the horrific kidz bop renditions of crap pop songs.

One of the cutest things I ever witnessed was a 2 1/2 year old singing Rivers of Babylon.
This also reminds me to let everyone know, it is ill advised to bring children to reggae festivals - especially ones in enclosed spaces. I nearly OD'd from the contact high at Ragga Muffins Fest in Long Beach. Shoulda seen the kids there.

Being into African/Latin/World music, I found Putumayo has a good series of kid-friendly music from various countries/cultures, the "Playground" series I think. Thought they would be annoying, but they're pretty good.

I'm so glad you listed Elizabeth Mitchell. I love her music and think I would listen to it even if I did have a kiddo!

Most children's music I've come across I have not been a fan of, however as a children's librarian I can recommend some great stuff. Songs for Wiggleworms by Old Town School of Folk Music (and their followup Wiggleworms Love You) and anything by Jim Gill are excellent choices for music that kids and their parents will like.