48 Happy Songs to Lift Your Mood, from Pharrell to The Beatles

What are the top 10 happiest songs?

"Happy" by Pharrell Williams, "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves and "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin top almost every list. Add "Good Vibrations", "Happy Together", "Here Comes the Sun", "I Got You (I Feel Good)", "Mr. Blue Sky", "Lovely Day" and "Three Little Birds" for the full top 10.

The happiest songs of all time

1. "Happy", Pharrell Williams: the modern anthem of joy.
2. "Walking on Sunshine", Katrina and the Waves: instant good mood.
3. "Don't Worry, Be Happy", Bobby McFerrin: the a cappella reminder.
4. "Good Vibrations", The Beach Boys: pure pop bliss.
5. "Happy Together", The Turtles: simply happy.
6. "Here Comes the Sun", The Beatles: sunshine after a hard season.
7. "I Got You (I Feel Good)", James Brown: the scream of joy.
8. "Mr. Blue Sky", Electric Light Orchestra: a sunny symphony.
9. "Lovely Day", Bill Withers: a sunny soul classic.
10. "Three Little Birds", Bob Marley: a gentle reminder not to worry.

Feel-good classics

11. "Dancing Queen", ABBA: for the dance floor.
12. "September", Earth, Wind & Fire: pure joy.
13. "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours", Stevie Wonder: joyful energy.
14. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell: a classic duet.
15. "I'm a Believer", The Monkees: bright and catchy.
16. "Twist and Shout", The Beatles: the party starter.
17. "Shout", the Isley Brothers: everyone joins in.
18. "Brown Eyed Girl", Van Morrison: a crowd-pleaser.
19. "Build Me Up Buttercup", The Foundations: everyone knows the chorus.
20. "Good Day Sunshine", The Beatles: a sunny piano song.

Happy songs from the 80s and 90s

21. "Girls Just Want to Have Fun", Cyndi Lauper: the 80s anthem.
22. "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go", Wham!: impossibly upbeat.
23. "I Wanna Dance with Somebody", Whitney Houston: pure joy.
24. "You Make My Dreams", Hall & Oates: a kitchen dance classic.
25. "Footloose", Kenny Loggins: the freedom to dance.
26. "Celebration", Kool & The Gang: gets every generation dancing.
27. "What I Like About You", The Romantics: a punchy power-pop hit.
28. "Mambo No. 5", Lou Bega: a 90s party favorite.

Modern happy songs

29. "Can't Stop the Feeling!", Justin Timberlake: fun for every age.
30. "Uptown Funk", Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars: impossible not to dance.
31. "Shut Up and Dance", Walk the Moon: the floor-filler.
32. "Good as Hell", Lizzo: a confidence boost.
33. "Levitating", Dua Lipa: a dance-pop favorite.
34. "Cake by the Ocean", DNCE: playful and bright.
35. "Riptide", Vance Joy: upbeat ukulele.
36. "Best Day of My Life", American Authors: says it in the title.
37. "Good Time", Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen: carefree summer pop.
38. "Dynamite", BTS: bright disco-pop.

Happy country songs

39. "Chicken Fried", Zac Brown Band: a toast to the simple things.
40. "Wagon Wheel", Darius Rucker: the singalong.
41. "Life Is a Highway", Rascal Flatts: the road-trip anthem.
42. "Good Directions", Billy Currington: a sweet, sunny love story.
43. "Toes", Zac Brown Band: sand and sunshine.

Happy songs for kids

44. "If You're Happy and You Know It": the clapping classic.
45. "You Are My Sunshine": the song every family knows.
46. "Hakuna Matata", from The Lion King: no worries.
47. "The Bare Necessities", from The Jungle Book: the easygoing life.
48. "Everything Is Awesome", from The Lego Movie: relentlessly cheerful.

Songs about happiness

Some songs are not just happy but about happiness itself: "Happy", "Don't Worry, Be Happy", "Lovely Day", "Here Comes the Sun" and "What a Wonderful World" all describe what it feels like to be content. They make a calm, warm playlist for a slow Sunday morning with the windows open.

Happy songs for a bad day

When you need a lift, start gently with "Three Little Birds" and "Lovely Day", move to "Here Comes the Sun", then turn it up with "Mr. Blue Sky" and "Walking on Sunshine". Keep one song that always works for you and play it first, before you have time to talk yourself out of it. For a bigger push, see our motivational songs.

Upbeat songs for work

For an office playlist, choose upbeat songs without explicit lyrics: "Happy", "Can't Stop the Feeling!", "September", "Good Day Sunshine" and "Best Day of My Life". Keep the volume low enough for conversation.

Feel-good songs for adults

For a grown-up party, mix the classics with a few dance-floor hits: "Uptown Funk", "Levitating", "Dancing Queen" and "Shout". For more dance ideas, see our songs about dancing.

Why happy songs work

Upbeat tempos, major keys and catchy choruses are linked with a lift in mood, and singing along adds to the effect. A three-minute song can change how the next hour feels. And when you need a good cry instead, our sad songs are there too.

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