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40 Of The Happiest Songs of All Time That Practically Manufacture Sunshine

Eric Alper

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Mar 1, 2026

40 Of The Happiest Songs of All Time That Practically Manufacture Sunshine

Every generation has its emergency mood lifters. The tracks you reach for when the sky feels grey, the coffee has not kicked in, or you just need to remind yourself that joy is still a thing. Below are 40 certified serotonin boosters, each delivering its own brand of sunshine.

“A Beautiful Morning” – The Rascals
Pure 1968 optimism bottled in three minutes. No matter what the forecast says, this one convinces you the day is wide open and full of possibility.

“All You Need Is Love” – The Beatles
Brassy, bold, and built for a global singalong. The message is simple, the melody is bright, and the mood shift is immediate.

“Best Day of My Life” – American Authors
Built like a victory parade, this 2013 indie pop anthem is all stomp, clap, and shout along optimism. It feels tailor made for montages, road trips, and spontaneous high fives.

“Blister in the Sun” – Violent Femmes
That jittery bassline alone could power a city block. Offbeat, quirky, and impossible not to strut to.

“Can’t Hold Us” – Macklemore and Ryan Lewis feat. Ray Dalton
A victory lap disguised as a single. The chorus explodes with the kind of triumphant energy that makes you feel unstoppable.

“Can’t Stop the Feeling” – Justin Timberlake
Engineered for maximum bounce. From the first beat, it is all hips, smiles, and involuntary dance moves.

“Dance to the Music” – Sly and the Family Stone
The title is less a suggestion and more a command. Horns, harmonies, and groove collide in pure celebration.

“Dancing Queen” – ABBA
Disco royalty at its peak. The piano intro alone signals that happiness is about to take over the room.

“Dog Days Are Over” – Florence and the Machine
That slow burn intro exploding into pounding drums is pure emotional release. It sounds like running downhill toward something better with your arms wide open.

“Don’t Stop Me Now” – Queen
Often cited by neuroscientists as a top feel good track thanks to its tempo and major key. Freddie Mercury sounds like joy personified.

“Don’t Worry, Be Happy” – Bobby McFerrin
Minimalist and relentlessly optimistic. It is hard to stay tense when the entire arrangement is built from vocal playfulness.

“Feel Right” – Mark Ronson feat. Mystikal
Throwback funk with modern swagger. It hits like a party already in full swing.

“Good as Hell” – Lizzo
Self confidence set to a beat. By the time the chorus lands, you are walking taller.

“Good Vibrations” – The Beach Boys
A sonic ray of sunshine. That swirling production feels like summer in stereo.

“Groove Is in the Heart” – Deee-Lite
Slide whistles, Bootsy Collins bass, and pure 90s color. It is chaotic joy in dance form.

“Happy” – Pharrell Williams
Built as an antidote to a bad day. The handclaps and buoyant rhythm sparked a global dance movement.

“Here Comes the Sun” – The Beatles
Gentle, glowing optimism. It does not shout happiness, it radiates it.

“I Can See Clearly Now” – Johnny Nash
Blue skies and rainbows in musical form. The chorus feels like stepping into fresh air after a storm.

“I Got You (I Feel Good)” – James Brown
Funk distilled to its most ecstatic essence. JB practically shouts joy into existence.

“I Really Like You” – Carly Rae Jepsen
A sugar rush of pop euphoria. It captures that giddy, heart racing stage before love fully lands.

“I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” – Whitney Houston
Yearning in the verses, fireworks in the chorus. When Whitney hits that hook, the dance floor belongs to everyone.

“I’m Coming Out” – Diana Ross
A declaration wrapped in disco sparkle. Every note sounds like liberation.

“It’s Oh So Quiet” – Bjork
Whispers to full on brass blasts. Love’s emotional roller coaster has never sounded this gleeful.

“Kites Are Fun” – The Free Design
No hidden meaning. Just sunshine, harmonies, and childlike wonder set to melody.

“Let’s Go Crazy” – Prince
A sermon disguised as a party anthem. The guitar solo alone could reboot your mood.

“Love On Top” – Beyonce
Classic Motown exuberance with modern polish. Each key change raises the happiness bar even higher.

“Lovely Day” – Bill Withers
Serene, steady joy. That 18 second sustained note feels like holding onto a perfect moment.

“On Top of the World” – Imagine Dragons
Whistling hook, driving beat, and lyrics about finally arriving where you dreamed of being. It captures the grin you cannot wipe off your face after a long awaited win.

“Roam” – The B-52s
An ode to wanderlust and following love wherever it leads. Bright, buoyant, and endlessly replayable.

“Send Me On My Way” – Rusted Root
From the first yelped vocal and bouncing rhythm, this 90s staple feels like sunshine through trees on a road trip. Carefree in the best possible way.

“September” – Earth, Wind and Fire
The groove is seamless and the “Ba-dee-ya” refrain is instant serotonin. No calendar required.

“Shiny Happy People” – R.E.M.
Colorful harmonies and unapologetic cheer. Cynics may roll their eyes, but the chorus wins anyway.

“Shout” – The Isley Brothers
Escalating, explosive joy. It builds and builds until you have no choice but to let loose.

“Sir Duke” – Stevie Wonder
A brass fueled tribute to musical heroes. You can feel it all over.

“This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)” – Natalie Cole
Bright horns, soaring vocals, and unstoppable groove. It is romantic joy turned all the way up.

“Tightrope” – Janelle Monae
Confidence wrapped in funk. It dares you to keep moving no matter who is watching.

“The Way You Make Me Feel” – Michael Jackson
Swagger, groove, and primal joy. The rhythm alone pulls you into its orbit.

“Three Little Birds” – Bob Marley and the Wailers
Reassurance in its purest form. That refrain feels like a hug set to reggae.

“Walking on Sunshine” – Katrina and the Waves
Horn blasts and pure pop rush. It is elation, no filter.

“You Make My Dreams” – Hall and Oates
Doo wop energy meets 80s polish. Few choruses feel this genuinely ecstatic.

Line them up and you will hear something bigger than hooks and horns. You will hear decades of artists chasing the same thing: that lift in the chest, that spark behind the eyes, that moment where everything feels lighter. Press play accordingly.

Olivia Dean Dominates BRIT Awards as Icons and New Stars Share the Spotlight

Music

Eric Alper

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Mar 1, 2026

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Olivia Dean Dominates BRIT Awards as Icons and New Stars Share the Spotlight

If there was a headline within the headline at the BRIT Awards 2026, it was this: Olivia Dean just leveled up. With four wins, including Artist of the Year, Mastercard Album of the Year, Pop Act, and Song of the Year with Mastercard for “Rein Me In” alongside Sam Fender, she owned the night. Add in a UK No. 1 single and album in the same week and a recent Grammy for Best New Artist, and you are watching a career go supernova in real time.

But the BRITs were not a one story show. Sam Fender picked up Alternative/Rock Act for the second year running. Lola Young scored her first BRIT for Breakthrough Artist. Wolf Alice took Group of the Year. ROSALÍA claimed International Artist of the Year, while ROSÉ and Bruno Mars won International Song of the Year for “APT.” Mark Ronson was honored with Outstanding Contribution to Music, PinkPantheress was named Producer of the Year, Jacob Alon won the Critics Choice Award, Noel Gallagher received Songwriter of the Year, and Ozzy Osbourne was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award in a moment that felt like British music history taking a bow.

Elsewhere, Geese won International Artist of the Year, Dave took Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Act, Fred again.., Skepta and PlaqueBoyMax won Dance Act, and SAULT were honored with R&B Act. From K-pop breakthroughs to rock royalty, the 2026 BRITs showed a scene that is global, genre fluid, and unafraid to celebrate both the future and the legends who built the stage.

Full List of Winners

Artist of the Year – Olivia Dean
Mastercard Album of the Year – Olivia Dean
Pop Act – Olivia Dean
Song of the Year with Mastercard – “Rein Me In” – Olivia Dean and Sam Fender
Alternative/Rock Act – Sam Fender
Breakthrough Artist – Lola Young
Group of the Year – Wolf Alice
International Artist of the Year – ROSALÍA
International Song of the Year – “APT.” – ROSÉ and Bruno Mars
Outstanding Contribution to Music – Mark Ronson
Producer of the Year – PinkPantheress
Critics Choice Award – Jacob Alon
Songwriter of the Year – Noel Gallagher
Lifetime Achievement Award – Ozzy Osbourne
International Artist of the Year – Geese
Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Act – Dave
Dance Act – Fred again.., Skepta and PlaqueBoyMax
R&B Act – SAULT

Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas Turn Up the Volume in Power Ballad

Music

Eric Alper

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Mar 1, 2026

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Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas Turn Up the Volume in Power Ballad

Paul Rudd smashing a guitar. Nick Jonas looking like he just stepped off a stadium stage in 2008. If that sentence alone doesn’t sell you on Power Ballad, I don’t know what will. Lionsgate just dropped the first character posters for John Carney’s new musical comedy, and yes, they are exactly as dramatic and gloriously self-aware as the title suggests. Sunglasses on. Guitars raised. Rock star energy dialed all the way up.

The film follows Rudd as Rick, a once-promising wedding singer, and Jonas as Danny, a fading boy band idol. They bond over a late-night jam session, but things go sideways when Danny turns Rick’s song into a career-reviving hit. Suddenly it’s less “brotherhood of music” and more “who actually wrote this thing?” It’s about ambition, ego, friendship, and that universal musician fear: hearing your song on the radio and realizing someone else is getting the applause.

Directed by John Carney, the man behind Once and Sing Street, Power Ballad premieres at the Dublin International Film Festival before heading to theaters on June 5. Between Rudd’s effortless charm and Jonas leaning into his pop legacy, this feels like a love letter to the messy, emotional, occasionally petty world of making music. If you’ve ever argued over a chord change, a credit line, or who really came up with the hook, this one might hit you right in the chorus.

Hang In There Punch and Why the Internet Needed Him

Music

Eric Alper

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Mar 1, 2026

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Hang In There Punch and Why the Internet Needed Him

If you have been online this week, you have probably met Punch. Seven months old. Japanese macaque. Abandoned by his mother at Ichikawa City Zoo near Tokyo. Now the most unexpectedly important creature on your feed.

Punch was born last summer and was rejected by his mother, likely due to inexperience and the extreme heat. Zookeepers stepped in, nursing him and giving him something deceptively simple: a stuffed orangutan. Not as a cute prop, but as a behavioral tool. The zoo explained that soft objects help simulate maternal clinging and prevent overdependence on humans. Translation: this was science, not sentiment.

But then the photos hit. Punch dragging the plush toy. Punch hugging it. Punch clutching it when other monkeys swatted at him during his rocky reintroduction to the enclosure. Suddenly, timelines everywhere were flooded with one small primate and one big emotional metaphor.

The hashtag #HangInTherePunch took off. Visitors lined up outside the zoo. Parking lots filled. Entry restrictions followed. In the middle of global political tension, economic anxiety, and algorithmic chaos, millions of people stopped to collectively care about a baby monkey holding a stuffed animal.

And then came the twist. This week, the zoo shared that Punch has begun playing with other young monkeys without relying on the toy. He has been grooming and being groomed. He has received hugs. For macaques, grooming is social currency. It means trust. It means belonging. It means he is integrating.

Why did this hit so hard?

Because Punch became a mirror. We saw vulnerability. We saw isolation. We saw the awkward stage of trying to rejoin the group after being on your own too long. And we saw progress. Slow, imperfect, but real.

There is something deeply human about needing a placeholder while you figure out how to belong again. A stuffed orangutan. A comfort album. A comfort show. A ritual. We all carry something.

Punch’s story says a few things about us in 2026. We are overwhelmed. We are craving softness. We are desperate for narratives that bend toward connection instead of collapse. And we will absolutely rally around a baby monkey if it means believing that integration is possible.

The best part? The toy is still there if he needs it. Growth does not erase comfort. It just adds community.

The 50 Most Streamed Songs of All Time (Updated For February, 2026)

Music

Eric Alper

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Mar 1, 2026

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The 50 Most Streamed Songs of All Time (Updated For February, 2026)

Streaming has rewritten the record books. No more waiting for decades of radio spins or physical sales tallies. Today, cultural impact is measured in billions of clicks. From 1970s rock staples to 2020s pop smashes, these are the 50 most-streamed songs ever, ranked by cumulative global streams.

The Weeknd – “Blinding Lights” – 5.305 billion
Ed Sheeran – “Shape of You” – 4.796 billion
The Neighbourhood – “Sweater Weather” – 4.422 billion
The Weeknd and Daft Punk – “Starboy” – 4.397 billion
Harry Styles – “As It Was” – 4.276 billion
Lewis Capaldi – “Someone You Loved” – 4.243 billion
Post Malone and Swae Lee – “Sunflower” – 4.143 billion
Drake with Wizkid and Kyla – “One Dance” – 4.073 billion
Ed Sheeran – “Perfect” – 3.854 billion
The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber – “Stay” – 3.815 billion
Imagine Dragons – “Believer” – 3.762 billion
Glass Animals – “Heat Waves” – 3.676 billion
Billie Eilish and Khalid – “Lovely” – 3.669 billion
Arctic Monkeys – “I Wanna Be Yours” – 3.635 billion
Lord Huron – “The Night We Met” – 3.623 billion
The Chainsmokers and Halsey – “Closer” – 3.621 billion
Coldplay – “Yellow” – 3.615 billion
James Arthur – “Say You Won’t Let Go” – 3.539 billion
The Chainsmokers and Coldplay – “Something Just Like This” – 3.534 billion
Vance Joy – “Riptide” – 3.529 billion
Billie Eilish – “Birds of a Feather” – 3.524 billion
Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars – “Die With A Smile” – 3.473 billion
Tom Odell – “Another Love” – 3.456 billion
Tones and I – “Dance Monkey” – 3.401 billion
Hozier – “Take Me To Church” – 3.372 billion
OneRepublic – “Counting Stars” – 3.361 billion
Post Malone and 21 Savage – “Rockstar” – 3.337 billion
The Police – “Every Breath You Take” – 3.325 billion
Ed Sheeran – “Photograph” – 3.322 billion
Taylor Swift – “Cruel Summer” – 3.262 billion
Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello – “Señorita” – 3.258 billion
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis with Ray Dalton – “Can’t Hold Us” – 3.225 billion
Harry Styles – “Watermelon Sugar” – 3.217 billion
Coldplay – “Viva La Vida” – 3.209 billion
The Weeknd – “Die for You” – 3.171 billion
Dua Lipa – “Don’t Start Now” – 3.168 billion
The Goo Goo Dolls – “Iris” – 3.158 billion
Bruno Mars – “Just the Way You Are” – 3.149 billion
Post Malone – “Circles” – 3.090 billion
Justin Bieber – “Love Yourself” – 3.085 billion
Bruno Mars – “Locked Out Of Heaven” – 3.083 billion
Juice Wrld – “Lucid Dreams” – 3.080 billion
Queen – “Bohemian Rhapsody” – 3.075 billion
Travis Scott and Kendrick Lamar – “Goosebumps” – 3.075 billion
Bruno Mars – “That’s What I Like” – 3.064 billion
Ed Sheeran – “Thinking out Loud” – 3.046 billion
The Killers – “Mr. Brightside” – 3.044 billion
Linkin Park – “In The End” – 3.036 billion
Bruno Mars – “When I Was Your Man” – 3.034 billion
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper – “Shallow” – 3.025 billion

Alt-Rockers Red Vanilla Announce Second EP ‘Where I Should Be’ With Acoustic Single “Sunkissed Pools”

Music

Eric Alper

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Mar 1, 2026

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Alt-Rockers Red Vanilla Announce Second EP ‘Where I Should Be’ With Acoustic Single “Sunkissed Pools”

Red Vanilla are moving. The Dundee alt-rock quartet have announced their second EP, ‘Where I Should Be,’ due April 3rd, and launched it with new single “Sunkissed Pools,” out now. It is their first new material since their critically-acclaimed 2024 debut EP ‘Days of Grey,’ and it arrives as a deliberate left turn, their first fully acoustic release, built from layered vocals, guitar, and synth, recorded with producer Kieran Smith in lead guitarist George’s spare room in Dundee.

Vocalist Anna Forsyth wrote “Sunkissed Pools” from a specific and personal place. “It’s about your parents constantly worrying about your happiness or safety, wishing they could protect you, and my response to that,” she says, describing the need to move through pain on her own terms while knowing her parents remain her anchor. The band went with a less-is-more approach, and Forsyth believes the intimacy of the production puts full weight on the story. A lot of young people, she says, will find something in it.

Red Vanilla have been building steadily since forming during the pandemic. Their debut single “Embers” arrived in 2022, followed by ‘Days of Grey,’ a tightly constructed collection of guitar-driven alt-rock that drew early support from CLASH Magazine, VISIONS Magazine, Discovery Music Scotland, The Skinny, The List, and more. They have shared stages with Fatherson, Pulled Apart By Horses, Beach Riot, and Dea Matrona, and opened for Kyle Falconer (The View) across two nights at Camden Underworld in London.

‘Where I Should Be’ is being released one song at a time, a deliberate and unhurried process the band has embraced fully. Forsyth is direct about what comes next: “We’re so ready to start working on a debut album. We’ve got stories to tell, and lots to say.” The goal is to keep the momentum going and not wait around. For a band this focused, that sounds less like ambition and more like a plan already in motion.

Yellowcard And Good Charlotte Unite For New Single “Bedroom Posters”

Music

Eric Alper

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Mar 1, 2026

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Yellowcard And Good Charlotte Unite For New Single “Bedroom Posters”

Yellowcard and Good Charlotte have finally made it official. The Florida alt-rock band has released a new feature version of “Bedroom Posters,” lifted from their 2025 album ‘Better Days,’ now with Good Charlotte frontman Joel Madden adding his vocals to a track the band already considered one of the record’s most special moments. ‘Better Days’ is Yellowcard’s first album in almost a decade, executive produced by Travis Barker, who also plays drums on every track, including “Bedroom Posters,” “Better Days,” “Honestly I,” and “Take What You Want.”

Ryan Key sets the scene plainly. “The new single is for anyone who holds memories of their hometown near and dear,” he says, describing the feeling of returning home and being overwhelmed by everything that led up to the day you left. He adds that Madden’s vocals take the song “to an even more impactful place that can truly take you back to the bedroom where you fell in love with your favorite band for the first time.” Madden is equally direct: “GC and Yellowcard finally have a song together and it feels so right. This is our love language.”

The collab carries straight into a live setting. Yellowcard and Good Charlotte are currently on tour together in Australia and New Zealand. This summer, Yellowcard launches the massive U.S. “The Up Up Down Down Tour,” bringing New Found Glory and Plain White T’s along for the ride.

Kesha Drops A Fresh “Glow” Remix With Australian Trio Blusher Ahead Of World Tour

Music

Eric Alper

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Mar 1, 2026

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Kesha Drops A Fresh “Glow” Remix With Australian Trio Blusher Ahead Of World Tour

Kesha is bringing new life to “Glow.” The multi-platinum global pop superstar has released a new version of the fan-favorite track featuring Australian pop trio Blusher, out now via Kesha Records. The remix arrives as Blusher joins Kesha as special guests on the ongoing Australia and New Zealand leg of “The Tits Out Tour,” her first headlining run Down Under in over a decade.

Kesha keeps it direct: “Baddies on the GLOW Blusher remix. Can’t wait for you girls to join the tour down under.” Blusher matches that energy. “Kesha is an icon and a huge inspiration to us, and a big reason why our band formed in the first place after bonding over Kesha’s deep cuts the first time we met,” the trio says, adding that getting to produce a remix and support her on tour would have left their former selves “extremely shook.” They are also, for the record, hoping she does a pre-show shot with them to settle the nerves.

“Glow” appears on ‘Period,’ Kesha’s chart-topping sixth studio album. “The Tits Out Tour” has already electrified sold-out arenas and amphitheaters across North America, from the Kia Forum in Los Angeles to Madison Square Garden in New York. The run continues into the UK and Europe, opening March 4th at Berlin’s Uber Eats Music Hall and closing March 31st at Dublin’s 3Arena.

Thunder Bring Their Legendary 1998 Live Album Back With A Remastered Edition

Music

Eric Alper

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Mar 1, 2026

0

Thunder Bring Their Legendary 1998 Live Album Back With A Remastered Edition

Thunder has made ‘Live’ essential again. The British hard rock institution has released a newly remastered digital edition of their landmark 1998 album, with a physical release following on April 17th in the US. Recorded in 1997, the album captures the band at full force, a raw and unfiltered document of one of rock’s most commanding live acts doing exactly what they do best.

The remaster, handled in 2025 with careful attention to the original recordings, restores the full weight and immediacy of these performances. Danny Bowes commands the stage with that unmistakable voice, Luke Morley delivers the riffs and songwriting that built Thunder’s reputation, and Chris Childs, joining the band just before these shows, locks in as though he had always been there. Alongside the release, Thunder has shared a video for fan-favorite “The Only One,” a fresh visual companion to a performance that still crackles with energy.

HEADLINE: British Hard Rock Legends Thunder Bring Their Legendary 1998 Live Album Back With A Remastered Edition

TAGS: Thunder, Danny Bowes, Luke Morley, Chris Childs,

BLOG POST:

Thunder has made ‘Live’ essential again. The British hard rock institution has released a newly remastered digital edition of their landmark 1998 album, with a physical release following on April 17th in the US. Recorded in 1997, the album captures the band at full force, a raw and unfiltered document of one of rock’s most commanding live acts doing exactly what they do best.

The remaster, handled in 2025 with careful attention to the original recordings, restores the full weight and immediacy of these performances. Danny Bowes commands the stage with that unmistakable voice, Luke Morley delivers the riffs and songwriting that built Thunder’s reputation, and Chris Childs, joining the band just before these shows, locks in as though he had always been there. Alongside the release, Thunder has shared a video for fan-favorite “The Only One,” a fresh visual companion to a performance that still crackles with energy.

Twenty-two core tracks span the band’s catalog, including “Love Walked In,” “Dirty Love,” “Backstreet Symphony,” and “The Only One,” with bonus acoustic and studio recordings rounding out a 31-track set:

Thunder, ‘Live’ (Remastered) Track Listing:

This Forgotten Town (Acoustic)

Welcome To The Party

Higher Ground

Don’t Wait Up

Low Life In High Places

Gimme Some Lovin’

Empty City

Until My Dying Day

A Better Man

Does It Feel Like Love?

Dance To The Music

She’s So Fine

Backstreet Symphony

An Englishman On Holiday

I’ll Be Waiting

Laughing On Judgement Day

Like A Satellite

Moth To The Flame

Living For Today

The Only One

Love Walked In

River Of Pain

Dirty Love

New York, New York

Pilot Of My Dreams

Everybody Wants Her

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Stand Up

The Only One (Studio Version)

Too Bad (Studio Version)

Something About You (The Nomis Session)

Metal Supergroup Metal Allegiance Breaks Eight-Year Silence With “Black Horizon”

Music

Eric Alper

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Mar 1, 2026

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Metal Supergroup Metal Allegiance Breaks Eight-Year Silence With “Black Horizon”

Metal Allegiance is back. The New York-based metal supergroup has released “Black Horizon,” their first original track since 2018 and the opening shot of a new era for the band. Eight years is a long time, and this song arrives with the weight of that absence fully intact.

“Black Horizon” is a slow-building apocalypse. Alex Skolnick (Testament) opens with roaring riffs that set a desolate scene, while William DuVall (Alice In Chains) delivers ominous, howling vocals that chronicle a desperate flight for survival. Gloomy, minimalistic verses give way to thunderous choruses, with Mark Menghi (King Ultramega) anchoring the low end and Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) keeping the dread coiled and ready to detonate. Systems fail, shadows fall, and the doomed cry for salvation. This is heavy music with genuine atmosphere and weight.

The quotes from the band say everything. Menghi reflects, “Who would have thought we’d be here 12 years later with new MA music,” adding that DuVall’s presence “opens up a new era for MA.” Skolnick describes the track as “a gift from the ghost of MA past, salvaged from a stockpile of riffs we’d started long ago but never quite finished.” DuVall calls it an honor, and Portnoy is simply “stoked they finally get to see the light of day.” Metal Allegiance is not revisiting the past. They are building something new from its bones.