Age Appropriate Music

I want to burn a cd each for my 5 yr old SD and my 8 yr old SD to go with their new (used) cd players for Christmas.  I have no idea what the kids are listening to these days though.  I'd like to make them a "cool" cd, but I don't want the cussing and lyrics about sex, drugs, and all the other stuff they have no buissness listening to.  It will be used year round (if I do it right) so I don't want Christmas songs on it.  What are your kids listening to?  What should I put on there?

If you are burning from a download site, most have a "childrens" search, most everything should be safe in there.

You 5 yo would enjoy all the silly type songs and nursery songs. 

Your 8 yo (if anything like mine at that age) will probably "know" that he/she is "too old" for that type of stuff, but has no idea what they "should" be listening to.  In that case, all the Kidz Bop CDs are a godsend.  They introduce kids to pop music with remade pop songs (sung by kids now)  Any questionable language is edited out.    And the older volumes you can get for dirt cheap at Walmart & Target,  probably cheaper than you could downloading songs at 99 cents a pop. 

Here are some CDs my 4-year-old daughter loves:

For the Kids (various artists)

Late Last Night by Joe Scruggs...silly, imaginative songs.

Rise and Shine by Raffi...something I listened to growing up. His other albums are great, too.

Any of the kids albums by They Might Be Giants. I listened to them in junior high/high school before they started making kids music. Even I like these albums (specifically Here Come the ABCs, Here Come the 123s and No!)!

Silly Songs by the Veggie Tales too (Don't worry if you're not Christian. The songs are silly and not religious. :) )

Thank you for your suggestions.  I also posted this question on yahoo answers and I had a LOT of response for Hannah Montana for my 8 yr old.  I picked it up for her.  I heard Jones brothers too, but I think that may be a little old for her.  I got the Chimpmunks soundtrack for the 5 yr old (she's autistic) b/c I think both my 20 month old and her will like it and I don't mind listening to it...lol...ok...I like "witch doctor" to this day.  Do you think these are good or should I maybe exchange them?

Def. Jonas Brothers they are clean and I have to admit that I kinda like their music too. Hannah Montana also that is going to be clean also. There is a CD they sell at Walmart that has several hits from the radio I think it is called NOW or something like that they keep coming out with new versions that would be good too.

High School Musical for the older one?

I've never seen it and I don't have kids but it was the first thing that came to my mind.

My brothers kids like Jack Johnson. He's not specifically for kids...they just happen to like him.

Sounds good. This also could be a great opprotunity to intorduce some jazz or classical music to them. Or some swing or big band. Boys to Men are a great group. No curse words or naughty subject matter. Just great, smooth music. Oh, maybe some international music? Expose them to music of the world?

Original Post by m0m6:

Sounds good. This also could be a great opprotunity to intorduce some jazz or classical music to them. Or some swing or big band. Boys to Men are a great group. No curse words or naughty subject matter. Just great, smooth music. Oh, maybe some international music? Expose them to music of the world?

 I like that idea!  I actually have several Boyz II Men cds and some Josh Groban and Charolette (sp?) Church they may like.

Original Post by m0m6:

Sounds good. This also could be a great opprotunity to intorduce some jazz or classical music to them. Or some swing or big band. Boys to Men are a great group. No curse words or naughty subject matter. Just great, smooth music. Oh, maybe some international music? Expose them to music of the world?

 Excellent idea. My daughter and her friend love Queen (most songs are appropriate) and my daughter absolutely LOVES Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, especially their most recent Christmas album Jingle All the Way. They are primarily an instrumental group. Bela plays the banjo, members Victor and Roy Wooten play bass and percussion, respectively. They have cameos from several other musicians including Tuvan thraot singer Avan-ool Sam. He can "carry and harmonize two simultaneous musical lines,"! Amazing music...I highly recommend it!

*edited to add links

I think that music is a fun and entertaining way to show children and young people the different cultures of the world. I have a  CD in my car right now from a Nigerian band and my son and I listen to it on the way home. The band is all male, and the deep voices just lull my little guy right off. Its the Lion King type music. I love it!

I plan on getting a different cd from around the world each month and listen to it. I think it will help my little boy appreciate the different types of music out there.

That is wonderful!  I'm sure your son will grow up much more cultured than most.  How do you pick your cds?  Do you do traditional music, pop music, or both?  I don't know that I can get my step kids to listen to much of that kind of music, by my little one is still younge enough to start.  She already loves African rhythms and rock beats, anything with strong percussion.

I just go to the music aisle at Wal mart or my Base Exchange and see what they have. That's where I got the African Music. Next month we are going to do Spanish Guitar. No lyrics, but I think the music will be exciting for my little guy.

Most of the time I pick music according to whatever mood I'm in. I don't really stick to a genre. I have music that I prefer, but I'll listen/groove out to anything!  

You know one way to get your kids to listen to different kinds of music? Play it in the car all the time! They can't excape!!! 

My son (he's 11 now) was always really into music. I burned him a bunch of CD's over the last 5-6 years of older stuff like Cat Stevens and the Beatles and newer music, like Weezer and the Ramones, and a bunch of ska (really upbeat, generally clean). I just made sure to hand pick the songs - nothing with bad words or drug or sex references.

Mom6, I think that Spanish guitar and African music are really cool ideas!

Try getting some theme songs from their favorite shows/cartoons.  Also, Hannah Montana, Disney songs, Cheetah Girls, High School Musical, Camp Rock and what not are good.  You CAN put secular (Popular radio) music on their cd's.  Some songs have clean versions but if there is only a small amount of "adult content" it is likely they won't know what the heck the artists are talking about.  My 3 year old LOVES P!nk and sings Queen & that "Iron Man" song.  They have no idea.  Watch VH1 in the mornings (that's what I have on while getting the kids ready for school).  It has alot of really nice and popular songs.

I don't know about you but when I listen to Prince (that NIkki song!) or stuff from when I was little or in Middle School I am totally shocked that my mother let me listen to it!!!  I was listening to N.W.A and other rap groups and thought nothing of it.  It didn't affect me in any way. I listen to them now and I go 'OH! THAT"S what they were talking about?!".  Not that I am suggesting putting N.W.A on their playlists!!!!  LOL!!!