Entertainment, Mental Health, Music, Tuesday Tips

Tuesday Tips: 20 Songs To Lift Your Mood

songs to lift your mood when you are feeling down

Today’s Tip: Use music to lift your mood

I was pretty young when I realised music could be used to influence your mood- in dark hours there were certain ‘go to’ songs and albums/artists for me that I used as a form of self-medicating. It wasn’t always healthy. They say music soothes the savage beast (I agree) but it can also make sensitivities more raw and feelings of pain more deep. I’m also aware of the incredible power that music has when it comes to lifting you out of a bad mood, a dark moment, times of anger. Music can have an incredibly positive affect on us.

Even now, there are certain songs that are guaranteed to get me dancing around my room, singing into my hairbrush. I have playlists specifically made of ‘psych me up’ positive songs that I listen to as I go to work.

Everyone’s tastes are so individual and unique, but I have compiled a list of 20 songs from my own collection, including songs friends have mentioned as being great for getting them out of a ‘funk’ (as Americans would say).

These songs make your foot tap and your face smile. A combo of upbeat mixed with some slightly more mellow tunes.

20 Songs To Lift Your Mood

  1. Learnalilgivnanlovin- Gotye
  2. Can’t Stop- Red Hot Chili Peppers
  3. Beautiful Day- U2
  4. Tennis Court- Lorde
  5. Everything in its right place- Radiohead
  6. Higher Ground- Stevie Wonder
  7. Dance the way I feel- Ou Est Le Swimming Pool
  8. Buddy Holly- Weezer
  9. Milky Way- Sia
  10. Feel Good Inc- Gorillaz
  11. Hanging On- Active Child
  12. Eight Easy Steps- Alanis Morissette
  13. Come Together- The Beatles
  14. Hella Good- No Doubt
  15. Last Splash- The Breeders
  16. High- The Cure
  17. These Days- Foo Fighters
  18. Black Betty- Spiderbait
  19. Chase that feeling- Hilltop Hoods
  20. Sweetness and Light- Itch-E & Scratch-E

This is just a sample of the songs that can be used to improve your mood- I own around 3000 cd’s and have an extensive album collection, as well as 4 different iPods for different purposes. I will share different playlists for different purposes at another time.

Do you have a favourite song/band/artist that helps you feel better when you’re struggling emotionally?

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    • http://johnanthonyjames.com/ John James

      In terms of purely happy songs I would add:

      – Big Sky by Kate Bush
      – I’ve Got You and You’ve Got Me (Song of Contentment) by New Buffalo (Sally Seltman)
      – Wouldn’t It Be Nice by The Beach Boys
      – The Sprout and The Bean by Joanna Newsom

      But I find some really sad and dark songs can life my mood too – especially:

      – Stagger Lee by Nick Cave
      – The King Of Rome by The Unthanks

      Sometimes you need to cry or scream the sads away… sometimes My Unicorn farts rainbows, but sometimes My Unicorn is an angry and vengeful beast… 😉

      • maree Talidu

        I absolutely have days where I choose to scream the sads away. More than I should, probably. 😉

    • Bek

      Some of my feelgood songs are:

      Footloose/ Kenny Loggins
      Titanium/ David Guetta feat. Sia
      Pompeii/ Bastille
      Radioactive (either the cover by Within Temptation or Pentatonix)
      Walk this Way/ Aerosmith & Run DMC
      Ladies Choice/ Zac Efron (from the Hairspray soundtrack)
      Brown-eyed Girl/ Van Morrison
      Come Together/ Michael Jackson
      I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’/ Scissor Sisters

      And if I’m in a sing-a-long mood, I’ll put on the soundtrack of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical episode, Once More With Feeling.

      • A Blog Called Henry

        Love all of these lists! But yes, there is a definite smile-factor for the Buffy musical soundtrack :)

        *starts digging around CD collection for it*

      • maree Talidu

        I actually find a lot of soundtracks to be great! ‘Run Lola Run’, ‘The Breakfast Club’, ‘Forrest Gump’, ‘Trainspotting’, ‘Ferris Bueller’ etc. John Hughes movies.

        • Monique Fischle

          The score soundtrack of The Holiday by Hans Zimmer is such pretty music. Definitely makes me happy when I listen to it.

    • http://diceofdoom.com RupertG

      The only song I need to lift my mood is Progenies of the Great Apocalypse.

    • Monique Fischle

      THANK YOU for putting Dance The Way I Feel on here. The music has been stuck in my head for a few weeks but I couldn’t remember the lyrics to look up the song but reading it reminded me. So thank you!

      Music that improves my mood at the moment (and it’s not all happy songs etc):
      – Anything Foo Fighters (special mention to Everlong and Rope)
      – Unaware by Allen Stone (YouTube the version live from his mother’s living room, it will change your life)
      – Fancy by Iggy Azaelea
      – Feel So Close by Calvin Harris
      – The Girl by City and Colour (I walked down the aisle to this song)
      – Something That I Want by Grace Potter
      – Ride by Cary Brothers
      – Half Moon by Blind Pilot
      – Shake It Off by Taylor Swift (don’t judge me)
      – Hillsong’s Young and Free album is great

      Man, there are so many songs that I can’t even name them all because I’ll be here all day.

      • Sally

        No judgement here – LOVE Shake It Off, especially the video. :) (I’m a big Swifty fan…)

        • Monique Fischle

          Glad I’m in good company!

      • maree Talidu

        You know I nearly didn’t include ‘Dance the way I feel’ because the singer committed suicide not long after its release….. But I choose to focus on the way it makes me feel, it totally pumps me up! ‘Fancy’ is crazy good, I’m a bit addicted and as much as I’m not a Taylor Swift fan, I can’t help but tap my toe when ‘Shake it off’ comes on!

        p.s Have you heard the new FF single off the upcoming album ‘Sonic Highways’? The single is available on itunes now- ‘Something from Nothing’. Classic Dave Grohl scream mid-song!

        • Monique Fischle

          Oh geez, I did not know that! That’s so sad.

          I love Iggy Azaelea. She’s amazing. I also meant to include Bang Bang by Jessie J. Awesome vocals.

          And yes, yes I have. Ah I love Dave Grohl.

          • maree Talidu

            What’s not to love, I ask? He’s talented, not jaded, quite humble, treats his fans with respect: he’s fantastic! As for Miss Azalea: totally addicted.

    • Sally

      My “feel good” songs:
      – Summer of 69 by Bryan Adams
      – Dakota by Stereophonics (I listen to this when I’m doubting myself)
      – Little Black Dress and Fairytale by Sara Bareilles
      – Higher Ground by the Red Hot Chili Peppers
      – Let Me Entertain You by Robbie Williams
      – Canned Heat by Jamiroquai
      – The Boy Does Nothing by Alesha Dixon
      – Clocks by Coldplay
      – Need You Tonight by INXS (especially the live version)
      – Grace Kelly by Mika
      – Hella Good by No Doubt
      – City of Blinding Lights by U2 (for very sentimental reasons) :)

      • maree Talidu

        YES to Higher Ground (the RHCP cover, you’ll notice I included the Stevie Wonder original) and another big yes for City of Blinding Lights by U2. Just amazing!

        • maree Talidu

          Oops! I thought I included RHCP cover of ‘higher ground’ but I didn’t. Sorry!

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    • http://sonjalouise.wordpress.com SonjaLouise

      Oh, there are some great songs on this list!

      I’ll add:
      Boom Clap by Charli XCX
      Friday I’m Love by The Cure
      22 by Taylor Swift
      Firework by Katy Perry
      Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen

      I could go on, but pretty much anything with an up tempo and lyrics that I vaguely know