The Make Music Day Playlist is a selection of well-known, upbeat and accessible songs that we hope will excite and inspire you when planning your event. For 2023, nine songs are on the list. They are:
All You Need Is Love – The Beatles
Bring Me Sunshine – Morecambe and Wise
Happy – Pharrell Williams
I Sing Because I’m Happy – Civilla D. Martin & Charles H. Gabriel
Mr Blue Sky – ELO
Stand By Me – Ben E King
Thank You For The Music – ABBA
Walking On Sunshine – Katrina & The Waves
You Can’t Stop The Beat – from Hairspray
On this page, you’ll find links to resources and videos. We hope you find the Playlist useful and enjoy coming up with your own ways of performing these songs.
The Playlist
All You Need Is Love
The Beatles
“All You Need Is Love” is a song by theThe Beatles that was released as a non-album single in July 1967. It was written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership.
The song was Britain’s contribution to Our World, the first live global television link, for which the band was filmed performing it at EMI Studios in London on 25 June.
Bring Me Sunshine
Morecambe and Wise
“Bring Me Sunshine” is a song written in 1966 by the composer Arthur Kent, with lyrics by Sylvia Dee. It was first recorded by The Mills Brothers in 1968, on their album My Shy Violet.
In the UK, the song is associated with the popular comedy duo Morecambe & Wise, after it was adopted as their signature tune in their second series for the BBC in 1969.
It was also the Make Music Day Anthem in 2020!
Happy
Pharrell Williams
“Happy” is a song written, produced, and performed by American musician Pharrell Williams, released as the only single from the soundtrack album for the film Despicable Me 2 (2013).
“Happy” is an uptempo soul and neo-soul and has been highly successful, peaking at No. 1 in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and 19 other countries.
It was the best-selling song of 2014 in the United Kingdom with 1.5 million copies sold for the year. It reached No. 1 in the UK on a record-setting three occasions and became the most downloaded song of all time in the UK in September 2014.
I Sing Because I'm Happy
Civilla D. Martin & Charles H. Gabriel
I Sing Because I’m Happy is a Gospel Song based on Civilla D. Martin’s famous text ‘His Eye Is On The Sparrow’. There are loads of really interesting ways to interpret and perform this song. We love it’s flexibility. If you’re looking a for a great choral version, Rollo Dilworth’s adaptation is great one – lots of energy and great fun to sing.
Mr Blue Sky
ELO
“Mr. Blue Sky” is a song by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), and was written and produced by frontman Jeff Lynne.
The song was also used in the British television show Doctor Who. It was also featured during the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympics, the awards ceremony following the 2011 Football League Cup Final, and the closing ceremony of the 2018 Commonwealth Games from the Gold Coast, in a promotion for the 2022 Games, which was held in Birmingham – with the track used to celebrate ELO originating from the city.
Stand By Me
Ben E King
“Stand by Me” is a song originally performed in 1961 by American singer-songwriter Ben E. King and written by him, along with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.
There have been over 400 recorded versions of the song, performed by many artists, notably Otis Redding, John Lennon, Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali),[6] 4 the Cause, Tracy Chapman, musicians of the Playing for Change project, Florence and the Machine, and the Kingdom Choir.
It was the Make Music Day Anthem in 2021.
Thank You For The Music
ABBA
“Thank You for the Music” is a song by the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was originally featured on the group’s fifth studio album, The Album (1977), and was later included on “ABBA Gold – Greatest Hits” of 1992. In 1999, it was used for the musical “Mamma Mia!”, and in 2008 for the film with the same title.
Walking On Sunshine
Katrina & The Waves
“Walking on Sunshine” is a song written by Kimberley Rew for British rock band Katrina and the Waves’ 1983 eponymous debut full-length album. The rerecorded version was at first released on the band’s 1985 self-titled album as the album’s second single and reached No. 4 in Australia, No. 9 in the United States and No. 8 in the United Kingdom. It was the Waves’ first American top 40 hit, and their biggest success in the UK until “Love Shine a Light” (1997).
You Can't Stop The Beat
from Hairspray The Musical
“You Can’t Stop The Beat” is the finale number in the 2002 musical Hairspray. It is sung by Tracy, Link, Penny, Seaweed, Edna, Motor Mouth, Velma, and Amber with Corny and Wilbur as backing singers. Although the lyrics touch on sizeism and racism, the song also references broader themes of change and progression.
