Here we go, friends! The Pop Rock Coach is in session!
Today we're going to just jump right in and talk about Pop Songs for Teens.
Where do you even start?
As a teacher, how are you expected to know allllllll the music that's out there?
As a singer, where do you start if you're not familiar with songs/artists from other genres or eras?
Whether you're a teacher or singer- Don’t fear - help is here!
With the way that teens (or all of us for that matter) listen to music now, it’s super easy to just find one song and play it on repeat. More music is released as singles now as opposed to albums and they don’t have to listen to the entire album, which means that they can miss out on some real gems!
So my hope is always to work on exposing them (and you) to new songs and artists - and I don’t just mean 2023 artists.
But… where do you even begin??
Well - That's why I'm here!!
Today we’re going to talk about 10 different songs that are cool and appropriate for your kids/teens to sing. Heck- they're even ok for adults!
These songs span across a variety of genres and eras AND at one time, students of mine have sang every one of these songs so I know they work!
Before we get started, there are a couple of reminders I want to give you about singing pop music
- Gender doesn’t matter
- CHANGE THE KEY!!!!! (I’ll get on a soap box about this often- but if you don’t hear anything else hear this - change the key!)
- Do a little research about the song and make sure you know what the song is about - pop-rock music is about being able to connect to the song!
Ok - so let’s get on with the list! These are in no particular order…
- “Love Yourself” - Justin Bieber - who doesn’t love the Biebs? Whether YOU like him or not, your students do! and the fact that he started as a youth makes it all better. While this song can be fodder for gossip about some past relationships, the general idea of the song makes it a good choice. “Cause if you like the way you look that much Oh, baby, you should go and love yourself”
- “Fight Song” - Rachel Platten “Empowering, anthemic, honest, raw and emotional” is how Rachel Platten described her hit “Fight Song”. She said… "I needed that reminder that I believed in myself no matter what.” Don’t we all need that???
- “ABC” - Jackson 5 - I mean C’mon - the ABCs and the Jackson 5 - How can you lose? This song compares learning to love to learning the ABCs. It’s not the little Kids' “ABCs” or the angrier "abcdefu", but an awesome in-between! And singers young and old just have fun with this song!
- “Be Ok” - Ingrid Michaelson - this very catchy, upbeat song actually gives singers an opportunity to connect with their own feelings, and isn’t that important?!
- “Can't Blame a Girl for Trying” - Sabrina Carpenter - Sabrina was a Disney Channel star in the show Girl meets World and released her first single - this song- in 2014. It's fun and upbeat and has that pop indie vibe that teens love. It also won a Radio Disney Award for “Best Crush Song”. awww…perfect!
- “The Climb” - Miley Cyrus - This song was recorded by Miley Cyrus and written for “Hannah Montana: the movie” in 2009. It talks about life being a difficult but very rewarding journey. Perfect for kids and teens - heck - it’s perfect for ALL of us! Who am I kidding? I want to sing it!
- “Classic” - MKTO - My student brought this in and I wasn’t familiar with the song or the group, but he loved it and I ended up loving it as well. And watching him love it and have fun singing it is what really counts - amirite? This song gives you a lot of space to have fun and put your own personality in it - PLUS it is a laundry list of ‘CLASSIC” singers and actors and actresses, which is just more exposure!. OH and PLUS PLUS - there’s a dance to it as well that can be thrown in!
- “Forever Young” - Alphaville - Where are my GenX friends?? Throwing it back -80s style with this one. German band Alphaville’s synth-pop hit was not their most famous but has gained notoriety over the years. Written in the midst of the Cold war, It’s a haunting song about the virtues of youth but also about the fears of aging. My 10 yr old young male student chose this song and there wasn't a dry eye in the room!
- “Hall of Fame” - The Script, Will.I.Am - I LOVE this song - Honestly, I love Will.I. Am! This anthemic, chest-bumping song was written by the Irish Band The Script in collaboration with Will-I Am and is sooooo infectious!! This song is perfect for kids and teens because it’s about following dreams and making an impact on the world. Danny D’onoghue, frontman for the Script also said: "We wanted to inspire people to stop trying to be famous for the sake of it."
- “Home” - Philip Phillips - this is a fantastic song - simple but catchy. And if your student also plays guitar, this could be a great one to add for both singing and playing. Philip Phillips is a Georgia boy born and raised - Ahem - me too! - and whether it references his home state and town, or home in the feeling he gets with someone or from something, it’s a great song that all of us can hopefully find a way to relate to.
So there you go - 10 pop songs ( to begin with) that are PERFECT for young singers and a good primer to Pop Rock tunes.
I'll be highlighting 10 more in a separate post but if you're the type that says “Gimme, Gimme”, you can find these songs and soooooooo many more on my Pop Music for Teens Playlist.
If this was helpful, please let me know along with what types of information you would like about choosing pop-rock songs, singing, and/or performing. And if you would love your very own playlist of songs curated and compiled just for you, then check out my Rock Out Your Rep service, it could make the repertoire game so much easier for you!
Have a great time with these songs!!
Go Be Awesome and Rock on!
-Heather