Kid-Friendly Music That Won't Drive You Nuts

As much as we love our kids, there are only so many times we can rock out to Wheels On The Bus or Old MacDonald without going insane. And who says kids have to listen to "kid" music anyway? Here are our favorite picks for tunes that both you and your toddler (or tween/teen) can both enjoy. E-I-E-I-O…

• The Beach Boys. Happy, feel-good music, whether you're beach-bound or not. Our vote is the classic album, Pet Sounds, which includes crowd pleasers like Wouldn't It Be Nice, Sloop John B, and God Only Knows.
• The Beatles. Younger kids enjoy the catchy rhythms, while older kids get a kick out of kooky lyrics from hits like Yellow Submarine, Rocky Raccoon, Octopus's Garden and HELP.
• Chris Isaak. Isaak's upbeat rockabilly vibe is perfect road-tripping or hanging-in-the-backyard music -- cool enough to please older kids and adults, but catchy enough to interest littler ones.
• Ray Charles. Do your kids (and yourself) a favor and introduce them to Ray Charles early in life. Favorites like Busted, Hit The Road Jack, and You Are My Sunshine never go out of style.
• Getz/Gilberto. We never tire of grooving out to jazz bossa nova and this album is the gem of all gems by Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto. There's nothing quite like watching your little ones swoon to The Girl From Ipanema.
• Renee & Jeremy. The sunny acoustic vibe and earthy vocals of this Los Angeles-based duo have won over fans of all ages. On their second release, C'Mon, they deliver more of their trademark tunes -- from gentle ballads to unlifting rock -- without any saccharin aftertaste. Check out the catchy title track, Do Do Do Do, and Wishing Well.
• Bruce Springsteen. Pretty much anything by Bruce will rock your kids' world but if you can only choose one, Born To Run.
• The B-52's. It's impossible to sit still when Love Shack or Rock Lobster come on, so when you and your kids are ready to shake and shout, just crank up the volume!
• The Rolling Stones. 1971's compilation Hot Rocks includes enough groovy tunes to keep your crowd hip-swaying all day long -- Satisfaction, Street Fighting Man, and Jumpin' Jack Flash just to name a few. And You Can't Always Get What You Want is an ideal choice for those late-in-the-day meltdowns when your little angel starts to make unreasonable demands -- like a third bowl of ice cream.

Whether your tastes are more Rascal Flatts or REM, Buddy Holly or Blues Traveler, The Supremes or The Shins, Jack Johnson or Jackson 5, before you grab for the "Most Annoying Kid Hits" CD that makes you want to smash something into bits, burn a disk of your favorite grown-up music. Kids don't know the difference between - but you will!
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