That Eric Alper

Some songs just make life better. Not because they’re complicated or trying to say something profound, but because they tap into something simple and universal: the feeling of being alive and happy to be here. Whether it’s a funk groove that makes your feet move before your brain catches up, a reggae reminder that everything’s going to be alright, or a pop anthem built purely to make you smile, the twenty songs below have one job and they do it beautifully. Put any one of these on and see what happens to the room.

“Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina & The Waves (1985)

The song was written by Kimberley Rew and originally recorded after he left The Soft Boys. It has since appeared in over 50 films and TV shows and is considered one of the most recognizable opening guitar riffs in pop history. Katrina Leskanich has said she knew it was something special the moment she first heard it.

“Lovely Day” by Bill Withers (1977)

Bill Withers held that sustained note for 18 seconds without any studio trickery, making it one of the longest held notes in pop music history. The song was a modest hit on its original release but became a genuine classic after it was remixed and rereleased in 1988, reaching number four in the UK. Withers wrote it in about 20 minutes.

“Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen (1978)

Despite being one of Queen’s most beloved songs today, Don’t Stop Me Now was not a big hit when it was first released and received mixed reviews at the time. Freddie Mercury wrote it during one of the happiest periods of his life. A 2005 survey named it the most uplifting song of all time.

“Happy” by Pharrell Williams (2013)

Happy was written for the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack and was the first song ever released as a 24-hour music video, featuring a different person dancing every minute of the day. It spent 47 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and won Pharrell a Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance. He reportedly cried when he first heard it played back.

“Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley & The Wailers (1977)

Marley was inspired to write the song by the three little birds that used to sit on his windowsill at his home in Kingston, Jamaica. The song did not chart significantly on its original release but has since become one of the most covered and recognized reggae songs in history. It remains a go-to comfort song for people all over the world.

“Mr. Blue Sky” by Electric Light Orchestra (1978)

Jeff Lynne wrote the song while holed up in a Swiss chalet during two weeks of relentless rain. The moment the sun finally came out he was so relieved he sat down and wrote it immediately. It took him and the band three months to record and features an orchestra, a choir, and one of the most joyful codas in rock history.

“September” by Earth, Wind & Fire (1978)

The famous opening lyric asks why nobody can remember the twenty-first night of September, and to this day co-writer Allee Willis has said she has no idea why that specific date was chosen. It just felt right. The song has been covered hundreds of times and remains one of the most streamed classic soul tracks on Spotify every single September.

“Here Comes The Sun” by The Beatles (1969)

George Harrison wrote the song in his friend Eric Clapton’s garden after sneaking away from a particularly difficult day of business meetings at Apple Records. He described it as a feeling of enormous relief. It is now consistently ranked as one of the most streamed Beatles songs of all time and one of the most beloved songs ever written.

“You Make My Dreams (Come True)” by Hall & Oates (1980)

The song was not initially released as a single and almost did not make the album at all. It became a massive hit years after its release when it appeared in the final scene of the 2009 film 500 Days of Summer, introducing it to an entirely new generation of fans who had no idea it was 30 years old.

“Dancing Queen” by ABBA (1976)

Dancing Queen was the only ABBA song to reach number one in the United States and was reportedly a favourite of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, for whom it was performed at his wedding. Benny Andersson has said it remains the song he is most proud of writing. It has never gone out of style for a single day since it was released.

“I Can See Clearly Now” by Johnny Nash (1972)

Nash recorded the song while recovering from an eye infection that had temporarily blurred his vision, making the lyric far more literal than most people realize. It reached number one in the US and Canada and was later covered by Jimmy Cliff for the 1993 film Cool Runnings, introducing it to millions of new fans worldwide.

“Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys (1966)

Brian Wilson spent six months and recorded the song across four different studios at a cost of around $50,000, making it the most expensive single ever recorded at the time. Wilson called it his pocket symphony and it remains one of the most technically ambitious pop recordings in history. It topped the charts in both the US and the UK.

“Can’t Stop the Feeling!” by Justin Timberlake (2016)

Written for the animated film Trolls, the song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and became one of the best-selling singles of 2016. Timberlake has said he wanted to write the ultimate feel-good song with no verses, just pure momentum. Mission accomplished.

“Sir Duke” by Stevie Wonder (1976)

Written as a tribute to Duke Ellington following his death in 1974, the song also namedrops Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Glenn Miller, and Louis Armstrong in its lyrics. It reached number one in the US and remains one of Wonder’s most joyful and technically stunning recordings. The horn arrangement alone is a masterclass.

“Send Me on My Way” by Rusted Root (1995)

The song was written by Michael Glabicki in a single sitting and recorded almost exactly as he first played it. It became one of the most recognizable songs of the 1990s after appearing in the films Matilda and Ice Age, introducing it to generations of children who grew up thinking of it as the sound of pure adventure.

“I Wanna Dance with Somebody” by Whitney Houston (1987)

Producer Narada Michael Walden has said he designed the production specifically to showcase Houston’s full vocal range from bottom to top in a single song. It debuted at number one in both the US and the UK and was later the centrepiece of the 2022 biographical film Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody.

“Sunday Best” by Surfaces (2019)

The Texas duo Surfaces released the song independently and watched it go viral on TikTok almost entirely through user-generated content, with fans using it as the backdrop for happy, everyday moments. It has since been streamed hundreds of millions of times and has become one of the defining feel-good songs of the streaming era.

“Celebration” by Kool & The Gang (1980)

The song was written in a single afternoon and recorded quickly, with the band not entirely sure it was special until they heard the playback. It went on to become one of the most played songs at weddings, sporting events, and parties in history and was played at the White House when the American hostages returned from Iran in 1981.

“What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong (1967)

The song was rejected by every major US label when it was first recorded and was barely released in America at all. It became a massive hit in the UK, selling over a million copies, but only found its true American audience after it was used in the 1987 film Good Morning, Vietnam. Armstrong recorded it in one take.