Summertime for many families means roadtrips! Do your kids have a favorite band that they listen to while riding in the car? Here at DMB, we are of the opinion that there is only so much Fresh Beat Band, Frozen, or even Laurie Berkner a parent can take. Even though our kiddos would be perfectly happy to put Kidz Bop (ugh!) on repeat all. day. long. the truth is there is actually a lot of music out there made for kids by bands that us parents rocked out to in our formative years. It turns out several quirky 90s rock bands have taken their turn at entertaining the under 10 set.
Give your ears a break this summer & check out our list below!
First up, hometown heroes, The Verve Pipe. This Michigan based rock band, who had a huge hit in 1997 with The Freshmen, was inspired a few years ago to write music for the whole family to listen to together. Their two children’s albums are full of super fun songs and clever lyrics you won’t mind getting stuck in your head. Also, because they are from Michigan we are lucky to have pretty regular opportunity to see them live, in fact they are a staple of the Detroit Zoo’s Wild Summer Nights concert series (they will be playing August 31 this year!)
Canadian rockers Barenaked Ladies bring all the humor you would expect from them (remember If I Had $1,000,000?) to their children’s album called Snacktime. With wacky songs like Allergies, Food Party and Crazy ABCs this music will have you laughing right along with your kids.
Another 90s rock band, They Might Be Giants, recently released their fourth children’s album filled with fun songs designed to be educational. Also, they did the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme and the Hot Dog song so they are sure to be instant heroes in the eyes of any preschooler.
Hearing the opening notes to her 90’s mega-hit Stay immediately conjures up images of a scruffy Ethan Hawke for anyone old enough to know and love Reality Bites and now Lisa Loeb has dedicated 3 albums to children’s music (plus she wrote a children’s book and a family musical!). Her sweet voice is easy to listen to and her music is a mix of fun originals and classic camp songs and nursery rhymes younger kids will love.
Music streaming services are in on the game too. Pandora has a station called Family Road Trip Radio that is a fun collection of mostly oldies and is heavy on the Motown (great chance to instill some Detroit pride in the kids!) and other songs not written for kids but that you can safely listen to with no threat of having to yell “Earmuffs!” or make a mad grab to turn down the volume before your kids realize what is actually being said.
Apple Radio has a station called Cool Family Radio that again is not kids music, but music that is safe to listen to around kids that will make you the cool mom in the elementary drop off line (of course if you currently still have access to Apple Radio you probably already are the cool mom). They play some oldies too but it can tend to lean a little towards the emo/hipster vibe.
Honarable Mentions:
Harry Connick Jr: I personally have been obsessed with Harry since junior high and I love everything he has done, but his Songs I Heard album of children’s song covers is more for adults wanting some nostalgia than kids wanting to rock out.
Soundtracks & Complilations: There are some really great one off songs on soundtracks by very decent bands, too many to list here, but one that stands out is the Yo Gabba Gabba soundtrack. Every other song is from a real band that visited the show and played an original tune and they cross over several genres.
For The Kids (plus 2 follow up sequels) is a compilation of kids music covered by various pop music artists that is worth a listen, plus the proceeds go to a music education charity.
Tell us, what music does your family all love to listen to together?
