Songs that make you happy! ...

[Tim K in DC]

Everything on the first B52s album.

[Shaggy 2 Grote]

Jasongrote brought up Dolly Parton, so I'm going to go on record and say that pretty much anything dolly makes me happy. I LOVE HER WITH ALL MY HEART!

Dolly is the greatest.  My wife and I drove her parents' car from Indiana to West Virginia last summer, and Dolly's greatest hits album was in the glove compartment.  I kept talking back to Dolly about all of the horrible men she was always singing about.  She needs a nice Jewish boy.  I'll treat you right, Dolly!

[dave from knoxville]

I have a true-life Dolly story. It's not pretty.

[Gregory]

In 5th grade, my teacher called improper fractions like 5/3 or 6/5 Dolly Parton fractions because they were top heavy.

[Beth]

I have a true-life Dolly story. It's not pretty.

I'm intrigued! I hope it doesn't distort my saintly image of her.

[Shaggy 2 Grote]

I have a true-life Dolly story. It's not pretty.

I'm intrigued! I hope it doesn't distort my saintly image of her.

Do tell, Dave!  Maybe you can insert a spoiler space for Beth if it makes Dolly look bad.

[Phantom Hugger]

I have a true-life Dolly story. It's not pretty.

I'm intrigued! I hope it doesn't distort my saintly image of her.

Do tell, Dave!  Maybe you can insert a spoiler space for Beth if it makes Dolly look bad.

Does it have something to do with how things played out with her and Jolene?

[Vambo]

The Teardrop Explodes:  "Pure Joy"
The Damned:  "A Nice Cup Of Tea"
Donnie Iris:  "The High And The Mighty"
Jason And The Scorchers:  "Shop It Around"
The Polecats:  "Make A Circuit With Me"
The Kings:  "Switching To Glide"

[Chris L]

I think the music that makes me happiest of all the music is late 80's early 90's hip hop:

Jungle Brothers - Straight Out the Jungle
JVC Force - Strong Island
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo - Men at Work
Big Daddy Kane - Raw
Biz Markie - Just a Friend; It's Spring Again
Digital Underground - the Humpty Dance
Young MC - Bust a Move
EPMD - So Watcha Sayin'
LL Cool J - Going Back to Cali; Around the Way Girl
De La Soul - Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)
Resident Alien - Ooh the Dew Doo Man
Main Source - Lookin' Out the Front Door; Live at the BBQ
Souls of Mischief - 93 til Infinity
Pete Rock & CL Smooth - TROY
Eric B & Rakim - Don't Sweat the Technique; Follow the Leader; Paid in Full (Coldcut remix)
Black Sheep - The Choice is Yours
Gang Starr - DWYCK
Boogie Down Productions - My Philosophy
Geto Boys - Mind Playin' Tricks on Me; Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta
Cypress Hill - How I Could Just Kill a Man; Insane in the Brain

and of course, anything from Paul's Boutique, 3 Feet High and Rising, and The Low End Theory

Also, this Glenn Friedman photo makes me happy:

[Emily]

whenever i'm out & about & i hear Regina Spektor playing in a store or a bar, or if i hear one of her songs in a commercial, it brightens my day.

[Martin]

Good call on those hip hop tracks, Chris L. (Though I wouldn't include TROY - that's almost in my sad song list.)

[Rainer]

Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars) - Astrud Gilberto
Pretty Girl - The EasyBeats
Come And See Me - The Pretty Things
Baby - Big Boy Pete
At Last - Etta James
This Will Be Our Year - The Zombies (our wedding song. freaked me out when Tom played it once)
Wives and Lovers - Jack Jones (despite rampant misogyny)
Quando, Quando, Quando - Englebert Humperdink (another one with scary lyrics)
I Want You - Marvin Gaye
Save Me - Graham Central Station
Nikki - Burt Bachrach 
Monkey Man - The Rolling Stones
Thank You Friends - Big Star
Famous Last Words - 9353
Editions of You - Roxy Music
We All Belong - Dr. Dog
Melody - Serge Gainsbourg
Boy Named Sue - Johnny Cash
My Baby Just Cares For Me - Nina Simone
Day of Anger - Riz Ortolani
Franklin - Katell Keineg (sung live, preferably. not too crazy about her studio recordings.)
Someday Man - Paul Williams

And while not "songs" per se:

* Scherzo. Allegro in F major from Borodin's Second String Quartet
* II B.S. - Charles Mingus

[Chris L]

Good call on those hip hop tracks, Chris L. (Though I wouldn't include TROY - that's almost in my sad song list.)

Granted, but that wasn't even the most depressing song on my happy list ("This year Halloween fell on a weekend/Me and Geto Boys is trick-or-treatin'...")

[Martin]

Good call on those hip hop tracks, Chris L. (Though I wouldn't include TROY - that's almost in my sad song list.)

Granted, but that wasn't even the most depressing song on my happy list ("This year Halloween fell on a weekend/Me and Geto Boys is trick-or-treatin'...")

Too true ("It wasn't even close to Halloween...").

[Gilly]

This Will Be Our Year - The Zombies (our wedding song. freaked me out when Tom played it once)

It was our wedding song too! My aunt played the piano and my cousin sang it.