[zybar]

My kids love music and I have it playing for hours at a time.  Kids are 4 & 2 1/2 yrs old.  We take turns between Dads music and kids music.  What recordings can I pass off as kids music that aren't obnoxious to grownups?

I've got some Dan Zane, Jack J., Elizabeth Mitchell, and what others do you AND your kids enjoy?

Rob S.

My two boys are 5 1/2 and almost 3 years old.

They like listening to their music (various Kidz Bop and Laurie Berker cd's) as well as sharing lots of dad's music.

Some of their favorites include music from the following artists:

Garcia and Grisman
Grateful Dead
Jack Johnson
The Beatles
Bob Marley
Dave Matthews Band
Rusted Root
Nirvana
Ryan Adams
John Mayer


George
 

[ctviggen]

One band that my friend's kids loved was....Abba.  If you can stomach them, they do have catchy songs. 

[Russell Dawkins]

One band that my friend's kids loved was....Abba.  If you can stomach them, they do have catchy songs. 

... but don't you run the risk of rotting their little brains with that?

[Dan Banquer]

It's better than that damn purple dinosaur Barney! But not by much.
                     d.b.

[Russell Dawkins]

I guess you haven't seen the Teletubbies!

Apparently, they did research to find out what exactly would hold the attention of little ones. It was effective - kids go into a zombi-like state watching that, yet it has absolutely ZERO appeal to adults, unlike, say, Sesame Street.

[Dan Banquer]

I guess you haven't seen the Teletubbies!

Apparently, they did research to find out what exactly would hold the attention of little ones. It was effective - kids go into a zombi-like state watching that, yet it has absolutely ZERO appeal to adults, unlike, say, Sesame Street.

Oh God; you had to remind of that. A pox upon thee Russell
                 d.b.

[jon_010101]

They Might be Giants, if you enjoy their sound, would be quite kid-friendly.  In fact, they did a few kid albums.

Vaguely-psychedelic rock stuff can be appealing to kids too -- like Olivia Tremor Control or Architecture in Helsinki.  Might get on your nerves if that isn't your style, but there's a lot going on and it can really keep one's attention.

Foreign language music is an intriguing thought -- you can listen to dirty old man stuff like Serge Gainsbourg and they wouldn't pick up on how sketchy it is until they are well into their teens  .  More tame and indecipherable options include Japanese pop and the like ... for example, Pizzicato 5.

The suggestion of jam band kinda stuff (Dave Matthews, Jack Johnson, Grateful Dead) is right-on, even though I can't personally stand to listen to much of it.

When I was a kid I loved all sorts of oldies and classic rock (Beatles, Neil Diamond, Paul Simon) ... maybe try to figure out what of your music they appreciate most, and then try to introduce similar things by getting them interested ... "ooooh you'll like this!"  I'd think within a few years they will be more excited to listen to your music, simply for the associated self-confidence boost that comes with being able to appreciate stuff that "grown-ups" like.

[chadh]

Putamayo has a series of world music discs designed just for kids.  I'm really not sure what distinguishes their "kids" series from the adult ones.  We have "African PLayground", which is cool, and some other latin one which isn't quite as good.  We bought the flamenco one for a nephew, and that one was pretty cool too.

Sweet Honey in the Rock put out a couple of albums especially for kids.  I bought these for my wife, so she'd have something to play for the kids in the car other than hours of Raffi. One of them might be called "Still the same old me."  Really good stuff.
 
Kim Scanlon is a jazz vocalist from Seattle.  She recorded an album "Night Songs and Lullabies" for her first child, and it's really beautiful.  The album is essentially a collection of songs she liked to sing as lullabies for her baby.  My kids still love it now they're 2 and 4 respectively.

I think George suggested Garcia and Grisman.  My experience is that little kids love almost anything in the bluegrass vein.  Try playing the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack for the kids.

There's lots of "grown up" music that seems always to appeal to kids.  These are some artists loved by both my kids and some of my nephews:

Sting
Aretha Franklin
Stevie Wonder
Paul Simon
Bob Marley
Tommy Emmanuel

and the #1 requested song in my house, which inspires endless hours of dancing from both my boys...

"Big Old Jet Airliner", by the Steve Miller Band.

I guess we were just lucky that my wife's CD that includes that song must have been the Walmart release.  It has them singing about "funky KICKS goin down in the city", so we haven't had to explain the s#!t word.

Chad

[lonewolfny42]

I've got two for you.....not new....but should be enjoyable for all.
Burl Ives....and Peter, Paul, and Mommy(Mary).......

You could also try....Pete Seeger.......and ....Leadbelly......

Add to that....some early R & R - Tommy James, Turtles, Youngbloods, Young Rascals, Beatles, etc...

I remember when my son was growing up....he liked all those kiddie songs.....but he really perked up with R & R.....and he knew all the lyrics for AC/DC and Golden Earring. 
To this day, when their tunes come on the radio....he smiles.....

[SWG255]

When my daughter was younger she liked stuff that was easy to sing along with. That meant The Beach Boys, The Beatles, and almost everything from Motown. All this stuff is my wife's kind of music too, so it made for very harmonious automobile trips.

[andy_c]

What recordings can I pass off as kids music that aren't obnoxious to grownups?

Here's an album of music for kids by NRBQ.  I like it a lot, especially "The Music Lesson" 

[tex-amp]

Trouting Fishing in America.

Garcia and Grisman did some good kid stuff.

Music for Little People has some good discs. Big Blues is a favorite of ours.
http://store.musicforlittlepeople.com/muforlipe.html

Disney has some good discs compiling songs from the Disney movies.

There is a really good jazz CD for kids from Verve with things like Ella singing Old MacDonald and The Muffin Man. Every parent that hears it at our house always wants the name. http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/product.aspx?ob=m&src=art&pid=10988

Ladysmith Black Mambazo also has some kid stuff.

[bundee1]

I like the Free Design's "Songs for Very Important People".

[mcrespo71]

My niece loves the Spice Girls.  I can certainly stomach listening to them over Barney.  A guilty pleasure for me.