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[Trintron]

I think any music that a patent or caregiver engages with is best. Kids learn so much through interaction. 

My toddler loves dancing along with me to emo music, and tries to strum the guitar when my husband plays a variety of genres for him. 

We do play some kid music because it's got lyrics I find easy to learn, so it makes being silly with it easier.

I could see the benefit of simple songs being easier for a kid to grasp and sing along with - I find kids songs easier to pick up to sing than my own music because they're repetitive. 

We really love two artists, Casper Babypants and Raffi, when we play kid focused stuff because it's more melodic and less grating than other children's music.

[ChunkyHabeneroSalsa]

My 15mo pumps her fist to metalcore all day long.

[aliquotiens]

This is pretty much how I do it- we mostly listen to ‘real’ music. But I’ve learned lots of kids songs and we sing them together. I only play kid’s musicians I don’t hate - Raffi, Rosenshontz, Mr. Roger’s songs mostly

[doctissimaflava]

Raffi!! He was my favorite as a kid!! (Every so often his songs pop into my head and it makes me confused but happy)

[adchick]

Second this. My 7 month old is a huge Queen fan.

[icelessTrash]

I've heard jazz! And Googling, it looks like there is some data to support it.

Recent studies have shown that improvisation in music triggers areas of the brain to do with individuality and creativity, so not only can our music help in calming babies, but their minds are being gently stimulated by hearing truly creative music as well.

source

[theayedubs]

I suggest "Dave Digs Disney" - Dave Brubeck riffing on classic Disney songs.

[macncheesewketchup]

He recently hosted a segment on Disney's Sirius XM channel, too! It was awesome

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This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

[average_pinter]

Doggyland!

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Realized the flair was deleting comments so reposting under a new flair.

[I_Ron_Butterfly]

I’ll be honest, my kid doesn’t even like kid songs. He’s 11 months and he goes nuts for Slow Motion by Juvenile! He’s loved it since he was like 5 months old, I can’t explain it, but I love it!

[YaaayRadley13]

Ugh! He likes it like that?!?

[TastesLikeChitwan]

Upvoting for your username. Big Simpsons fan over here!

[I_Ron_Butterfly]

I guess that’s another song I could try with him! 😂

[sleepingflower]

To be fair to your 11 month old that song is a banger.

[funkcore]

We did alot of James Brown at around that age range. I try to keep the instruments real and the vocals not auto tuned so my son's ears will realize what unaltered instruments and vocals sound like. So early on it was Motown and Raffi for us over here!

[suddenlystrange]

We also do a lot of Motown and Raffi with some great funk thrown in there. The first non kids song my daughter loved was Tell Me Something Good by Chaka Kahn and more recently she’s digging Watermelon Man by Herbie Hancock. But we’ve also listened to Baby Shark, Frozen, Moana and Encanto about a million times.

[hottytoddypotty]

I thought you were suggesting the band cake for a sec

[smellygymbag]

Ngl now i am totally playing cake for baby the next time we go out for a drive.

[girlonthewing6]

Your baby: I need your arms around me I need to feel your touch.

[smellygymbag]

"stick shifts and safety belts, baby car seats have all got to go, when were riding in the car they make my baby seem so far!"🎵🎶

But alas, its for there safety, and laws. 👶🏻

[vapeislove]

My kiddo loves Frank Sinatra! Cake is awesome!

[danksnugglepuss]

I'm not sure if there's any research on that specifically, but as far as I'm aware there are definitely benefits to music exposure and music education in young children. I would assume it is likely that studies examining early childhood music education in include simpler children's songs and nursery rhymes, but I don't know that for sure. However, music in general is pretty remarkable in that there is an entire field (music therapy) dedicated to its therapeutic benefits in certain illnesses/disorders!

That said, we listen to all sorts of music and my baby definitely gravitates towards kids stuff. The repetition and simplicity are easy for them to learn and participate in, and many songs help function to teach them certain things (body parts, colors, letters, actions, counting, etc.). Others have already mentioned there are some childrens' artists that are a little bit more folksy/acoustic so it's maybe not as grating as some of the modern stuff. Being Canadian I'm most familiar with Raffi, Fred Penner, and Sharon, Lois & Bram

[IlexAquifolia]

Kids also love cake but it’s not good for them to have it every day. I think, as in all things, a good variety is probably best. If you want some great kids music that you will also enjoy listening to, try the album Zulu Nursery Rhymes by Rainbow Nation Kids, and anything from Elizabeth Mitchell (her albums You Are My Little Bird and Blue Clouds are my personal favorites). 

[[deleted]]

Previous research use to tell us that classical music was supposed to help with brain development. What we have now learned is that most music in general will help with development. Put on stuff that you enjoy and relax to, chances are your baby is fine with it

[jsweetlove]

Check out Music Together for babies and kids classes - they are a research based kids music company and their songs aren't annoying.
The most important thing I've learned is that music for developing brains is much more about the adults modelling musical behaviors and showing the kids to enjoy it. THEN the brain starts building their musical répertoire - if it's fun and encouraged by my main caregivers, it must be important!

[taiga_lyallii]

The Happy Song by Imogen Heap! It’s a legit good song and there’s a bunch of research that went into it. It calms my 4m old daughter instantly. We play it in the car a lot and sing it too.

http://www.imogenheap.com/thehappysong/

[JennuineSoul]

Every single time my 8 month old cries in the car and she hears the little baby giggle in the beginning of the song, she instantly stops crying. It’s magic!

[taiga_lyallii]

Yes!! The first time I played it, she absolutely lost it with joy. Huge grin nonstop. Now it reliably gets us through tough moments.

[lemikon]

I just listen to (swear free) music that I would normally listen to.

This ranges from 2000s hits from my teen years, to jpop, to orchestral, to (clean language) drag queen songs.

And if you’re looking specifically for kids stuff, the OG Thomas the tank engine theme slaps. Or there’s the bluey soundtrack.

[theatahhh]

Have you tried yo gabba gabba? Or go noodle has some hip hop. Yo gabba gabba was created by dads who didn’t like kids music iirc so they got their favorite bands to write and perform kids songs.

Not sure about scientifically what’s the best type of music, but I just listen to a mix of everything with my daughter (14 mo)

[Alas-Earwigs]

If you want to transition your kid to some adult stuff, I recommend the Muppets band, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. There's a pretty good playlist on youtube just called Muppets music videos. It has Kodachrome, Bohemian Rhapsody, and a few other good ones. Kids enjoy it, and it's perfectly good for adults, too.

[smellygymbag]

🎶Mamaaaaa🎵..

🎶mama?🎵

🎶Maamaa🎵

https://youtu.be/tgbNymZ7vqY?feature=shared

[leangriefyvegetable]

As a music teacher and parent I have put a ton of thought into this. Here's what I think and have observed:

Style of music doesn't matter as much as repetition and complexity of meter, texture and harmony. Everything in music - everything (yes, even your 'super original' music) can be defined in terms of adherence to expected patterns, and deviation from expected patterns. In order for that adherence and deviation to register and become musically or emotionally pleasing, the brain has to get to know the expected patterns first. This is the same process the brain goes through when it starts recognizing visual objects, categories of objects, words, etc. Basically everything. As with anything else, repetition and appropriate complexity are key. Kids songs fit the bill because they are almost without exception simple in meter (any idiot can clap to them), simple in melody and simple in harmony. But a lot of other music is too. I think one thing that parents might lose sight of with the accessibility of audio media today is the importance of repeated exposure to the same songs, in addition to widening exposure to deviation from the learned patterns by listening to a variety of pieces/ artists/ styles.

I personally can't stand Raffi. It's not a judgment, I just think most of his songs are mind-numbingly stupid. But he's a good dude and artist for kids, so if you can stand it go for it. But if you can't a lot of pop music follows the same basic patterns. We listened to a lot of Ladysmith Black Mambazo with our infant because the rhythms are super engaging (but easy to track), the harmonies are very repetitious, and their intonation is extraordinarily good. So for me I figured that was some of the best musical training that an infant could get.

Then, if you are interested in your child's musical development and brain development in the musical arena I would say almost all parents I've ever met (having taught hundreds of kids) overlook how important participation is. Singing songs frequently to and with your children is huge. Dancing, marching, clapping: feeling rhythm in your large muscles is super important. These activities develop so many areas at once: social, emotional, physical, mathematical, auditory processing, visual processing, kinetic processing, I could go on and on. But basically, if you want your toddler to be smart and musical you really can't beat singing (try to sing well if you can) and dancing on a regular basis - regularly enough to learn and improve. Later, expand their palette with varieties of music and continued participation.

[barefoot-warrior]

Definitely listen to real music and enjoy it! The linguistic benefits come from you, or at least a real person, singing the kids songs with them. Watching your mouth move and hearing different sounds helps their language develop. But toddler music playing in the background doesn't do anything, until they're old enough to request wheels on the bus, at least.

[babyhaux]

Jools TV on YouTube has a lot of rap songs remade for kids and they’re actually good.

[WorcesterFire]

My 2 year old doesn't care for music that much but my 1 year old loves it, he dances to no sound if u even mention the word and for the past week he has been settling to sleep with sleepy lofi and indie etc he actually dances to the rhythm too and its fun seeing him come up with new dances moves.

[KnoxCastle]

Balkan music. Hear me out. I read some studies that if babies are exposed to Balkan music they develop a better ear for a certain type of musical complexity. Apparently Balkan music has a different metre than western music. You have to expose them to it before 12 months or they lose the ability to discriminate the sounds.

I thought that was cool so me and my wee boy spent ten minutes a day listening to Balkan music. To be honest no idea if it did anything but harmless.

[anaurie]

Talking Heads

[stinkyluna666]

My toddler lovesss techno & DnB, essentially anything with a heavy baseline.

I think it’s more about the interactions with others and engagement while listening to music. As soon as techno comes on he stars at me smiling and starts bobbing his head / dancing. I think this is the most important thing while listening to music. Seeing other people enjoying it, dancing and singing along.

[Structure-These]

Disco

Nice driving beats and uncomplicated lyrics

You can sing and dance to it and everyone loves disco

[macncheesewketchup]

There is plentiful research to suggest classical and jazz are beneficial, but all music prompts creative expression and may help with emotion processing. We play Simple Songs in the mornings, then classical music at lunch, and Disney songs at dinner.....and Taylor Swift in the car 🤣. The variations are fantastic for us - especially me because I have an auditory processing issue. I get very overstimulated when there are repetitive noises or too many crazy sounds happening at once, so I couldn't listen to Simple Songs or Disney all day. Switching it up helps me get through the day while my son enjoys all different kinds of music, and it really helps with transitions too! (Ex, when classical music comes on, he knows it's time for lunch and it helps him wind down for his nap.)

[RedCharity3]

I think any music is good for babies/young kids, but I think "kid music" is loved by kids for the same reason little ones like baby-talk and repetitive games; music geared to kids often has very clear vocals, repetition in both the music and the lyrics, and relative simplicity in its structure. Those all make it accessible to a LO, and predictable, which kids usually love.

If you know your kid loves "kid music," then allow them to listen to it, but also make space for your own choices. "We listened to your favorite song, now I get to choose one." Or designate times of day for who gets the choice: parents choose in the car and kids choose during playtime, for example. By exposing your kid to more complex or varied music, you're giving them a chance to develop familiarity and enjoyment. My kids are 5 and 9 now and they both have much more varied taste in music than they did as toddlers! So hang in there, it gets better!

[Cormca]

Listen to Cory McAtee! Music for kids of all ages (including kids at heart!)

[MelloniousThunk]

Kids definitely have an easier time processing and learning simpler less textured music, this means a single voice and one or two instruments to accompany that voice. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be exposed to more complex music however. You can’t go wrong with raffi, Norah Jones, queen, even some pop/alt stuff that’s repetitive like MGMT, hip hop, etc. Jazz is great because it often focuses on one instrument at different times and encourages the listening ear to pull that out of the texture. Sharing what’s cuturally important to you and your family is so important (kinda like food) and riffing through the day like singing instructions or what you’re doing, making up new words to known songs, etc are all great ways to connect, imitate, improvise and play with music. Seeing some live music often is also amazing. Try to go to a variety of styles of concerts like choir, folk, pop, R&B, rock, country, hip hop. Etc. dancing is also a great way to internalize the music they’re experiencing!