Your Happiness Playlist: 25 Songs to Lift Your Spirits and Improve Your Mood

From the ancient drumbeats our ancestors used to the advanced music and streaming services of today, music has held an undeniable effect on the human psyche since the beginning. How is it that sound sequences and rhythms can affect us so much? Follow along for a quick rundown of what makes music so powerful for humans, and our ultimate Happiness Playlist.

The Power of Music

Many studies have been conducted over the years to try and further understand what it is about music that touches us so. With that research, many interesting things have been discovered to help unravel the mystery. One such truth research has uncovered is that people tend to prefer music that is reflective of the mood that they are currently experiencing.

Another fact that research has revealed is that regularly listening to one type of music will typically make someone begin to exhibit a disposition that is more like that of that particular type of music. So, for example, if someone listens to a very upbeat and joyous kind of playlist for several weeks, they are very likely to start to exhibit more of a joyous and upbeat character. Likewise, regularly listening to sad tunes can start to bring the listener down.

Music and Medicine

Further demonstrating the power of music, a 2015 study observed those who were due for various types of surgeries and that would listen to music before, during, or after their procedures. The study found that these people would actually go on to experience less pain and less anxiety than people who were not listening to music around procedure time. Furthermore, these same music-listeners would require less pain medication while in post-surgery recovery.

Some of the world’s leading psychologists have pinned a number of factors that make us so sensitive to music and various types of songs and sounds we hear. Music can emotionally mimic us. It put off what are referred to as “action tendencies” which evoke feelings of action in us through rhythm, beats, and the use of timing. It is also powerful in evoking memories, anticipation, pleasurable stimuli, and even the further development of personal identity.

Your Happiness Playlist

So, in the spirit of improving mood and feeling good by way of the magic of music, we’ve put together a playlist of some great upbeat, happy, and very encouraging songs. Here are 25 picks that are sure to help lift you up and keep you up.

1. Florence and the Machine – Dog Days are Over
2. Beautiful Small Machines – Counting Back to 1
3. Whitney Houston – I Wanna Dance With Somebody
4. Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Want to Have Fun
5. Wham! – Wake Me Up Before You Go
6. Beach Boys – I Get Around
7. Imagine Dragons – On Top of the World
8. American Authors – Best Day of my Life
9. Matt and Kim – Daylight
10. Black Eyed Peas – Labor Day
11. Katrina and the Waves – Walking on Sunshine
12. Pharrell Williams – Happy
13. Hall & Oates – You Make My Dreams Come True
14. Stevie Wonder – Isn’t She Lovely
15. Sugar Ray – Every Morning
16. Ace of Base – The Sign
17. Avicii – The Days
18. Prince and the Revolution – Let’s Go Crazy
19. James Brown – I Got You
20. Lizzo – Good as Hell
21. Animal Collective – My Girls
22. Bobby McFerrin – Don’t Worry Be Happy
23. Beck – Mixed Bizness
24. Bob Marley – Three Little Birds
25. The Flaming Lips – She Don’t Use Jelly

We hope these upbeat jams help get you through the week!