What is music, really? Music is the expression of emotion through voice and/or instruments.
But what, specifically, is music meant to do for you, the listener? Music is meant to make the listener feel something. *Cue English teachers far and wide groaning in collective frustration. What is this elusive something? True, it’s a vague word. But there is beauty in that vagueness, that music can be anything. Music, I think, is freedom of expression, meant to mimic the range of emotions humans feel. Therefore, music is relatable to everyone. It can mirror our own feelings, help us feel a little less alone in our emotions, and process our greatest tragedies and our greatest feats.
That being said, I have chosen a few favorite songs for a range of moods. When choosing, I considered lyrics, instrumentals, melody, etc. and aligned this with how they worked together to affect me emotionally. Fair warning, this is just a small sampler of my favorites, and even though I’ve put some of them in a single category, many of them belong to multiple categories. Also, although there are many popular songs on here, I’ve snuck is a few hidden gems to turn you on to some good artists. Here they are for your enjoyment/needs:
1. Sad.
Sometimes a little rain cloud refuses to stop drifting over your head and you feel as if nothing will make you happy again. You just want to drown in your sorrow (and maybe a carton of ice cream, for good measure).
- “Habits” by Tove Lo
- “The Sound of Silence” by Simon and Garfunkel
- “Hero” by Family of the Year
- “Someone Like You” by Adele
- “The Heart Wants What It Wants” by Selena Gomez
- “Cry For You” by September
2. Happy
Some days you can’t stop smiling; there’s an extra hop in your step. Here are some songs to accompany you on your sunniest of days.
- “Diamonds” by Rihanna
- “I Want To Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles
- “Orinoco Flow (Sail Away)” by Enya
- “Higher” by Carly Rae Jepsen
- “Shivering Gold” by Tove Lo
- “Hypnotic” by Zella Day
3. Angry
Some days you want to yell at everything and everyone, even to inanimate objects like your pillow. This is for those raging days.
- “They” by Jem
- “Money, Money, Money” by ABBA
- “Heartstrings” by Leighton Meester
- “Strangelove” by Depeche Mode
- “All Too Well” by Taylor Swift
- “Parents” by YUNGBLUD
4. Nervous
Sometimes your heart is skip-skip-skipping and it won’t slow. Your fingers thrum with nerves, and sweat courses down your skin. Give these songs a listen if you want to be reminded that you’re not alone. Life is hard, and it’s okay to be a little nervous sometimes.
- “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” by Green Day
- “Need You Tonight” by INXS
- “Hypnotic Tango” by My Mine
- “Destination Unknown” by Missing Persons
- “The One” by Carly Rae Jepsen
- “Sweater Weather” by The Neighborhood
5. Tired
Sometimes you sleep in until 3pm. Sometimes you would sleep in even later if it weren’t for the fact that you have class. Sometimes you’re too lazy to get out of bed and drag your feet over to Pierce, so instead you stay in and microwave a big ‘ol bowl of Annie’s Mac & Cheese. Here are songs for those days when you revert back to your 5 year old self and extend your nap time into an all-day ordeal.
- “Island In The Sun” by Weezer
- “Caribbean Blue” by Enya (this song makes me cry because it is so beautiful)
- “Lucia” by Roosevelt
- “When The World Was At War We Kept Dancing” by Lana Del Rey
- “Salvatore” by Lana Del Rey
- “Seventeen” by Ladytron
6. Energetic
Sometimes the usually black-and-white world fills with color, and you want to dance and spin around and laugh until you feel drunk with glee. These are songs for the days when you can’t seem to stop smiling.
- “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” by Tears for Fears
- “It’s Tricky” by RUN DMC
- “I Love It” by Icona Pop ft. Charlie XCX
- “Froot” by Marina and The Diamonds
- “Walking in LA” by Missing Persons
- “SuperLove” by Charli XCX
In conclusion, we all have those days when we want to sleep in until dinner. We all have those days where we want to cry into our pillows and then fling them in succession across the room. We also have those days where we get up bright and early because the sun is so pretty and everything is pretty and oh, isn’t life great? And we have everything between. Whatever your mood, I hope these song recommendations will help make you feel a little less alone and a little better.