Remember when you were stuck listening to those kid-albums that put you out of your mind after about 5 seconds? Well, good news, because here at dadcraft we’re going to give you some recommendations to, at the very least, add some variety to your list. Variety you’ll enjoy as well. So, here are four albums (with favorite tracks from each) to get on your playlist:
Johnny Cash – The Legend of Johnny Cash
Every once in awhile you come across a truly top-level moment as a dad…for me, that most definitely contains the time my four-year-old began belting out “Ring of Fire”. You owe it to your kids to introduce them to the man in black. You owe it to them big time. Favorite tracks: “Hey Porter,” “Big River,” “Ring of Fire,” and “I’ve Been Everywhere”. (Note: the live version of “A Boy Named Sue” has some language and “Delia’s Gone” is an odd one – though apparently historical – and might be best to skip.)
Leave it to the King of Pop to provide a nearly perfect dance party playlist on a single album. Listening to the Thriller album provides a perfect opportunity for, but not limited to, the following: moonwalking, breakdancing, slow dancing, the robot, and (bringing it current) the floss. Also, I could listen to my kids sing, “Ma ma se, ma ma sa, Ma ma coo sa” (“Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’”) all day long. Favorite tracks: “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” “Thriller,” “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” and “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)”.
I know I’m likely distinguishing myself as non-hipster-dad by pointing to the uber-popular British foursome, but…so be it. If you’re looking for an enjoyable, catchy album top to bottom, this is one of our go-to’s. Favorite tracks: “Paradise,” “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall,” and “Princess of China”.
You know when you’re driving to the soccer fields on a Saturday morning and you’re all just dragging a bit? That’s when you look to the fellas from Akron, Ohio, to get things amped up. We like to get everyone on a different air-instrument for a solid rock-out session. Favorite tracks: “Howlin’ for You,” “She’s Long Gone,” and “Everlasting Light”.
Bonus: Single tracks that we’ve got on repeat: “Feel it Still” by Portugal. The Man; “Down” by Marian Hill; “Yellow Light” by Pharrell William; “Back Pocket” by Vulfpeck; “That Black Bat Licorice” by Jack White; “Something Just Like This” by The Chainsmokers and Coldplay; “The Fox” by Nickel Creek.
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We’ve highlighted some books and some BBC shows your kids and you are likely to enjoy.
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Photo by Adrian Korte on Unsplash