1. When you need a good cry: “Hello” by Adele
Even though this song is currently being played by every radio station and sung by all of your friends, everyone has to admit it is a beautifully tragic song. Her emotions are so powerful and raw. Adele has an amazing vocal range and can bring anyone who has faced a breakup to tears with the pain in every note.
2. When you are angry with someone: “Gives You Hell” by The All-American Rejects
This song is perfect for singing whenever you are mad at someone in your life, be it a friend, your boss or your neighbor. There are certainly some more explicit songs out there to jam out to when you’re mad, but this one is a classic anthem for anyone in a bad mood. You can sing it as forcefully as you want, depending on how much someone has rubbed you the wrong way. It also has a nice happy beat, adding a touch of sarcasm to the mood.
3. When you want to feel good: “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles
This song can brighten just about anyone’s day with its upbeat melody and positive vibes. The optimism it contains will give you hope that any problem can get better. There are a lot of songs by The Beatles that have this effect and are worth adding to an entire playlist dedicated to happiness. Just take a minute to watch them perform and you will be infected by Beatle Mania, the cure for Bieber Fever.
4. When you are in love: “Some Kind of Wonderful” by Grand Funk Railroad
With so many love songs out there to choose from, I went with the one I listen to the most at this point in my life. This song is such a happy love song where the singer's infatuation and cheerfulness is contagious. Even if you aren’t currently in love, it can give you hope that someday you will care about someone as much as the lead singer of Grand Funk Railroad does.
5. When you wish you were still in middle school: “1985” by Bowling for Soup
I will sing this song on any day at any time, along with my other middle school favorites “Beverly Hills” by Weezer and “Sk8ter Boi” by Avril Lavigne. “1985” was one of the first songs I knew all the words to, even if I didn’t know who Bruce Springsteen was when his name popped up in the lyrics. These types of songs flood me with nostalgia about days that I don’t necessarily want to remember, but I love them anyway.
6. When you want to jam out to Disney: “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” from "Mulan"
This was a particularly difficult song to pick out, as I love all Disney movies and the awesome songs they have given us. Every song in "The Lion King," "Aladdin" and "Tarzan" are pure gold. We have also been given some great recent Disney songs from "Frozen" and "Tangled." I decided to give a shout out to "Mulan" because, other than it being one of my favorites, it’s such a feminist movie. Mulan is often overlooked as one of the Disney princesses, but she’s one of the most relatable characters of the old Disney movies. She’s clumsy and can’t quite fit in with her parent’s expectations, but she has a lot of fight and courage inside of her and takes on a man’s world. This song is a key point during her transformation in the movie into a badass warrior who can defeat any man.
7. When you need motivation: “Masterpiece” by Jessie J
Jessie J is able to capture the hard work and dedication it takes to be successful in the world within this song. She can motivate any listener to push themselves to their very best, and not to let others tell them when to stop. This song is meant to remind every person out there that you can achieve anything you put your heart into, and it’s all right to make mistakes along the way.
8. When you feel on top of the world: “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen
When you have accomplished a great feat or made progress that you feel amazing about, this is the song for you. Queen has so many songs that celebrate people at their best, but this one in particular makes you feel like you can fly. Even if you haven’t reached the high note that Freddy Mercury reaches in this song, his enthusiasm is enough to make you want to work harder and get on his level.
