These Magic Songs Soothe Your Baby When They're Crying - everymum (2024)

Discover the top music for babies recommended by mums, and the tried and tested song that is scientifically proven to cheer up your baby...it works!

Does your baby have a favourite song that works its magic every time, to cheer them up, calm them down, or send them off to sleep?

There are manytraditional nursery rhymes and lullabies you might remember from your childhood, but sometimes you need something a little more contemporary which can soothe your baby without getting stuck in your head, or driving you mad when you have to listen to it over and over again.

Sometimes these 'magic' songs arespecific not just to each family, but to each individual baby. But there are also certain tunes that seem to have magical powers. So read on,save them to your playlist immediately and you'll be ready to go next time your little one is having a meltdown. You can thank us later.

Here Are Some Favourite Suggestions:

• Bob Marley – Three Little Birds
• U2 – One
• Silent Night
• Alabama Shakes – This Feeling
• John Denver – Annie’s Song
• The Rolling Stones – She's A Rainbow
• Twinkle Twinkle
• Elton John – Tiny Dancer
• Elbow – Mirrorball
• The Lemonheads – My Drug Buddy (!)
• Owl City – Fireflies
• Anything by The Beatles
• Craig Morgan – International Harvester
• Sugarland – Stuck Like Glue
• The Harry Potter Theme Tune
• New Order – Your Silent Face
• Brahms – Humming Lullaby
• Anything from the Buena Vista Social Club
• Imogen Heap – The Happy Song

"I can't stop raving about The Happy Songlike some sort of lunatic, because it seems to have actual magical powers! It's stopped my baby crying when he's getting impatient in the pram, when he wakes in the middle of the night, when he's tired, when he's cranky for no reason…the list goes on. Obviously it doesn't stop the tears every single time, but the success rate is extraordinary. As soon as he notices the song is playing he calms down, and starts listening with a serene look on his face. As a bonus, we have listened A LOT and I still don't find it annoying. Imogen Heap is my hero." – Emily, mum of one.

And to make them laugh?

With dance moves of course. Plenty of dance moves.

• PSY – Gangnam Style
• Arcade Fire – Everything Now
• Kate Bush – Wuthering Heights

So Why Do Certain Songs Have Such An Effect?

One of simplest explanations to why music helps to soothe a baby, is because some types of music feature a swaying or rocking rhythm (similar to a traditional lullaby), which closely matches the movements a baby would have experienced while in the womb. This is also why babies are often soothed by rocking motions. The beat can also reflect baby’s heartbeat (slightly faster than an adult's) which soothes them. Babies also find repetition attractive, and according to studies prefer higher pitched music.

“Around the world, caregivers sing to infants in a way that differs from most other kinds of singing—usually in a conversational style, with a lot of repetition, high in pitch, slow in tempo, and in a loving tone of voice. Infants prefer this over other styles of singing.” – Dr. Laurel Trainor, McMaster University, Ontario.

There have been a number of recent studies on babies’ relationship to music, saying music is important for a child's development, but one has gone even further, creating a song ‘scientifically proven to make babies happy’: According to developmental psychologist Dr Caspar Addyman and music psychologist Lauren Stewart, the music should be:

'In a major key with a simple and repetitive main melody with musical devices like drum rolls, key changes, and rising pitch glides to provide opportunities for anticipation and surprise. Because babies’ heart rates are much faster than ours, the music ought to be more uptempo than we would expect. And finally, it should have an energetic female vocal, ideally recorded in the presence of an actual baby.'

To achieve this, they recruited Grammy award winner Imogen Heap, and developed The Happy Song together, including sounds voted as the funniest (for babies) and with the opportunity for actions. So … does your little one approve?

Whether you’re trying to make them laugh, or soothe them into sleep, music can certainly influence how our babies feel. But from birth (or even before), they’re already developing their own particular taste. So what are the favourites in your house? We’d love to hear.

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