26 Happiest Albums of All Time

Sings The Great Diva Classics

Aretha Franklin

Every song on that record is feel-good GOLD. From “Rolling In The Deep “(with a sneaky “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” moment towards the end) to the “I’m Every Woman/Respect” mash-up, this record is one of my favorites to listen to while I power walk through the streets of NYC. It makes me so happy, mostly because Aretha is SO FREE singing these songs, with her voice and her soul. You can just feel how at ease and a diva (in the best way) she is when listening to this record. This one will make you dance in the streets, for real. Aretha is mostly remembered for the songs that were written for her, but in this record, she pays a beautiful homage to other, sometimes younger and newer divas and I love how egoless this act of respect is.

Recommended by:
R O N I
New York City, United States
@roni_sounds on Instagram

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Elton John

Elton’s got the chops. Elton brings you on an emotional journey that always ends up with you dancing in a field of flowers. At one point, you’re dancing to “Bennie and the Jets” while wearing a sparkly top hat. The next moment, you’re swaying amongst the stars to “Candle in the Wind” and then you’re driving away feeling the electricity of leaving a manipulative lover while listening to “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”

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Girl Friday
Los Angeles, California
@girlfridaytm on Instagram

Malibu

Anderson.Paak

Got this album on an upswing. Had lived the lines, “I spent years being called out my name, living under my greatness.” First glimpses of things in life turning around and opening up. I’d put Malibu on, drive home down PCH from San Francisco, roll the windows down, feel it. This vibe that balances effortless mastery with grit and heart in the production. This insistent kind of assuredness and relentless positivity that serves well: “My mama caught the gambling bug … My papa was behind them bars/ We never had to want for nuthin’/ Said all we ever need is love.”

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Josiah Johnson
San Francisco, United States
@josiahjohnson on Instagram

Come To My Garden

Minnie Riperton

On Come to My Garden, Minnie Riperton’s stunning solo debut, her vocal genius is paired with simple, life-affirming lyricism. The songs celebrate ordinary love in the context of the natural world. Recorded in 1969, the album eschews the saccharine insincerity of some of its Summer of Love contemporaries and draws the listener into a world so vivid you can smell the earth and its flora. Charles Stepney achieves perfection with lush, nuanced instrumental and choral arrangements. The band includes legends Ramsey Lewis on piano and Maurice White on drums.

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Joe Wong
Los Angeles, California
@thetrapset on Instagram

Whipped Cream & Other Delights

Herb Alpert’s Tijuana Brass

When it comes to the happiest album of all time, nothing beats Whipped Cream and Other Delights by Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass. The album has become Starwolf’s official ping-pong time theme music. If sitting on a beach in southern California with a piña colada in your hand in the year 1965 had a soundtrack, it would be this album. It is the quintessential, classic, summertime, feel-good album. So if it’s a steamy summer night, pour yourself a glass of your favorite drink, put this album on, and try to forget that the world is rapidly descending into a nightmarish hell.

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Starwolf
St. Louis, United States
@starwolftheband on Instagram

Mystic Voyage

Roy Ayers Ubiquity

Listening to Mystic Voyage brings me joy from beginning to end. The arrangements are impeccable and the songwriting is flawless. “Mystic Voyage,” “Spirit of Doo Doo,” and “Life is Just A Moment” (parts one and two) are standout tracks but listening to the album as a whole completely elevates my mood. That makes it a really powerful record and why I think it’s one of the happiest albums of all time.

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Jessy Lanza
San Francisco, United States
@jessy.lanza on Instagram

Forever Your Girl

Paula Abdul

Nostalgia is a mixed bag, and best avoided. Some memories are pure, though: I’m on the PATH train going home from the mall with my father and a cassette of Paula Abdul’s Forever Your Girl. I didn’t know what New Jack Swing or an SP-1200 snare were; I just knew “Cold Hearted” was the best song I’d ever heard. I’m a very small boy but I’m so grateful for my friend Paula Abdul’s suggestion that I avoid this cold-hearted snake who doesn’t play by rules [sic], delivered with her signature friendly confidence. The whole album feels that way, an old friend singing directly to me, underscored by chaotic ’80s exuberance.

Eddie Cooper, Tempers
New York City, United States
@tempersmusic on Instagram

You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby

Fatboy Slim

Admittedly, I don’t think I listen to a lot of happy music. When I think about albums that have made me smile, I think about You’ve Come Along Way, Baby by Fatboy Slim. It reminds me of being in high school and being innocently naive about what a rave was. Everything about this album is sort of absurd and ridiculous, to a point where you’re not sure if you should be liking it as much as you are. It’s catchy and dancey, nostalgic and weird. It’s a very self-aware record; like your awkward relative busting out dance moves at a wedding knowing they suck at dancing but wanting everyone to get a laugh out of it. Like the music video for “Praise You,” the album doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s in on the joke and wants to make you smile.

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No Joy
Montreal, Canada
@nojoy68jk69 on Instagram

Mr. Soul of Jamaica

Alton Ellis

Whether it’s “Breaking Up” or hooking up, meeting for a first date, or running from one teary-eyed, Alton Ellis, on his 1974 classic, Mr. Soul of Jamaica, causes the sun to shine radiantly, even up here, in the miserable Calder Valley. Made up of entirely simple, catchy love songs that get straight to the point, straight to the heart, it’s clear on this record that both rocksteady and romance go hand in hand, never letting go, together. For Ellis, and for those listening in, falling in love should be easy, a never-ending process of pure, sensitive emotion that touches every nerve, warming up the soul.

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The Goa Express
United Kingdom
@thegoaexpress on Instagram

Get Rich Or Die Tryin’

50 Cent

When I was a kid, I would turn on this record and it would always put me in a good mood. Countless times, I’ve played 50 Cent in the car with my mom on the way to school and on the way back home from school when she’d pick me up. And then when I’d wanna fall asleep in a good mood, I’d put on something more mellow and relaxing like 21 Questions. [Get Rich Or Die Tryin’] reminds me of really innocent times when I’d come home from a long day of skating with my friends and turn this album on my CD player and zone out. 50 Cent is underrated and motivated me to get rich or die tryin’ even as a youngin’.

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Eyedress
Los Angeles, United States
@eyedress on Instagram

Exile On Main St.

The Rolling Stones

This record f****** rocks. Period. Don’t even try and tell me otherwise. I WILL NOT LISTEN TO YOU. It has such a carefree, louche feel about it. “Rocks Off” and “Rip the Joint” get things nice n’ loose at the start, uptempo yet still slinky, with the horns on the first track really adding a bit of spice. “Tumbling Dice” is one of my all-time, top-10, end-of-year-list, decade-retrospective tracks. It makes me laugh and cry and fist-pump the air. Moving on, we’ve got more hot cuts like “Loving Cup” and the Keith-led “Happy” keeping things hot and heavy. Then, one of my favorite cuts off the album: “I Just Want To See His Face.” Psychedelic gospel that was clearly made in a sweaty basement in the south of France. YOU’VE GOT TO LOVE THIS STUFF. Then, my friends, “Shine a Light.” ‘Nuff said.

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Lazarus Kane
London, United Kingdom
@lazaruskaneusa on Instagram

Happiness And Surrounding Suburbs

Ball Park Music

Firstly, the people in Ball Park Music are the nicest people in the world, so that’s a very good start. Secondly, if you listen to “Literally Baby,” “It’s Nice To Be Alive,” and “Sad Rude Future Dude” all in a row, it will definitely be a good start to taking you to happy town. Thirdly, there are so many great sounds in the whole album, lots of great percussion and fun piano, guitar, bass, synths, and drums and other random bits and bobs that promote happiness. Fourthly, the songs are so well written; Sam and Dean are brilliant songwriters, and all of the songs’ lyrics are so detailed and fantastically real, and funny, and beautiful. Fifthly, there is a song called “Alligator” about an alligator, which should definitely sell it to you.

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Alex the Astronaut
Sydney, Australia
@alex.the.astronaut on Instagram

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Every song on this album feels like a different ride at the county fair; Alec Ounsworth’s vocals hit you with the velocity of a rollercoaster, while the buzzing, shimmering synths, fast strumming guitars and impressive, sometimes clunking, percussions propel him in loops. This album awakens a horrible dancing beast within me, and I cannot be stopped. It’s musical sunshine that’s reminiscent of the happiest summers of my life and smells like hot grass and blood and will make me feel 22 forever. Listen to this album start to finish; spin and scream and maybe accidentally break a vase.

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Haley Blais
Vancouver, Canada
@hblaisauce on Instagram

Heavy Rockin’ Steady

Beatchild & The Slakadeliqs

The record Heavy Rockin’ Steady is an uplifting force of positivity, light, and optimism. I mean, it opens with birdsong, giving way to Beach Boys-esque harmonies on “California Coastin’.” As the records moves along we get wrapped up in warmth and energy with tracks like “Giants and Monsters” (banjo and all!) and “The Good Life.” It gets better — “Bottom Of You” has a soul clap that can’t not be clapped along to. This is sunshine music with influences spanning the best of feel-good music from the past five decades. For me, the fireball of happiness on the record is right in the heart of it: ‘The Only Difference.” I could walk over water listening to that. There are so many beautiful tracks on here that make me smile wide and fill me with pure, blissful joy. The track names alone light me up: “In My Arms,” “The Remedy,” and “Beach.” How can I fully describe how happy this record is? I’m even happy and enjoying life just writing about it, and I hope you felt that from reading this. If you’re having a difficult day, no matter what’s going down, put on Heavy Rockin’ Steady by Beatchild and The Slakadeliqs and that will set you right. You’ll see.

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Peter Adarkwah, BBE Music
London, United Kingdom
@bbemusic on Instagram

Orange

Caroline Shaw and Attacca Quartet

Caroline Shaw’s Orange is an ecstatic record. It makes me happy for the sheer enjoyment of playing, you hear in every note of Attacca Quartet’s performance. Each instrument and player is treated like a gymnast, an athlete at peak fitness sprinting for the finish line, already knowing they’ve won. A huge influence on my thinking and ambitions, their 2019 performance at kings place was a masterclass in squeezing and savoring every drop of joy from the music, the instrument, and the moment. Returning to the record, there’s a powerful sense of each note being chosen not only for the music itself but also for the individual it was given to. A grand architectural lattice, part outsider sculpture, part Eiffel Tower.

Dan Michaelson
London, United Kingdom
@danmichaelson on Instagram

Endtroducing…..

DJ Shadow

Some part of me longs for a Lacuna, Inc.-type service to help erase all memory of DJ Shadow’s debut LP from my memory, if only so I can experience it anew. Even after 100-plus listens, Endtroducing can still spark a primordial thrill within my lizard brain as this DJ/producer managed to connect so many of my various musical loves (jazz, hip-hop, electronic pop, shoegaze) into this inescapable web of head-nodding, headphone-shredding joy.

Robert Ham, Writer
Portland, Oregon, United States
@roberthamwriter on Twitter

Little Joy

Little Joy

Yes! This album is my go-to album when I (want to) feel carefree, happy, and relaxed. This whole album feels like an effortless collection of great songs, and even though they are gloomy in nature and despite the band name and album title, this album always makes me intensely happy. The sound, the feel, the lyrics, the singing, the ideas, feel like a warm hug to me. Simple and true.

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Nana Adjoa
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
@nanaadjoamusic on Instagram

Joyous

Pleasure

Such a positive track, lively with driving guitar and an awesome drum break. The upbeat lyrics seal the happy vibe too:

Throw away your troubles and leave your blues behind
Free your frustrations and have a jamming good time
Come on and clap your hands now and let yourself unwind
Everybody together in a universal mind
Get off of that ego into a higher place
Check out my music dig my magic space

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Jake Holloway, Designer
London, United Kingdom
@jakedragons on Instagram

The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death

The Housemartins

It was very difficult to choose. I was between Soda Stereo, Queen, and other very big bands, but I took the criterion that the entire album was the happiest album ever, so I pick up this one. I really like this record and causes a feeling of happiness in our record store. Especially the song “Bow Down.” It conveys a feeling that “everything is fine.”

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Bayiyo Records
Buenos Aires, Argentina
@bayiyorecords on Instagram

Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake

Small Faces

It has such an uptempo and fun psychedelic sound. It’s full of energy where both production and performances just sound like everyone was having such a good time. Lyrical themes don’t ever seem to be too serious even when not directly about something “happy.” “Lazy Sunday” is a particularly good example of why this record sound is the happiest. The second half of the record for me is impossible to not smile and laugh at as the narrative storytelling aspect bookends some songs and is sewn into others. It tells quite an absurd story using plenty of made-up words and undoubtedly the result of a more than reasonable level of psychedelic substances. It’s a beautiful energetic collection of happy melodies, happy lyrics, and just all-round happy feelings for me.

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FUR
Brighton, United Kingdom
@furbabyfur on Instagram

Spilt Milk

Jellyfish

I’ve got to be honest: This album actually kind of annoys me. The album cover, the production, a number of the compositional choices … they’re not my thing. So why is Spilt Milk a perennial listen for me? Because of my sheer love and respect for Roger Joseph Manning, Jr. and Jon Brion. Also, because if you can get through the weird saccharinity, you’re treated to bona fide magic. Exhibit A is “Sebrina, Paste and Plato” — I’m not sure whether I dislike the intro or the outro more. But in between is intoxicating, “Penny Lane”-style sunshine-pop. I guess I’m attracted to music where you’ve got to do a little digging. When the key change on “Sebrina, Paste and Plato” hits, you know you earned that moment of feeling so serene.

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Morgan Enos, Writer
Hackensack, New Jersey, United States
@otherhouses on Instagram

Saves The World

Muna

It’s one of the most masterful bodies I’ve ever witnessed! It brings me so much joy and cathartic release. Truly my number one!

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VINCINT
Los Angeles, California, United States
@VINCINT on Instagram

Kick

INXS

When I was training for the Junior National swimming competition in high school, I would get up every morning at 4:30 a.m. to start training. Kick was pretty much the only album I listened to during that time — on cassette, of course. Whenever I hear it now, it reminds me of believing in yourself, that anything is possible and how hard work can have huge rewards. I swear, it gets better over time too.

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Dr. Jennifer Otter Bickerdike, Writer
United States/United Kingdom
@jenniferotterbickerdike on Instagram

Dylan’s Gospel

The Brothers And Sisters

The question, “What is the happiest album ever?” has infinite answers, but a vinyl LP I’ve carried around since the ’80s relates directly to my joy when the Resistance Revival Chorus lifts its collective voice and sings. On The Brothers and Sisters’ “Dylan’s Gospel,” the mutual admiration acknowledged between these artists is a great example of the power of music to bring people together. Dylan’s lyrics were in correspondence with the Civil Rights Movement in real-time and the spiritually uplifting voices of the choir elevate the familiar songs to rousing new heights.

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Moist Paula Henderson
United States
@moistpaula on Instagram