Even for rock stars, having a child changes things. Suddenly, everything's all about shaping a tiny human's future. Certainly that was the case for Walter Martin, who, after his wife became pregnant, went from one of the most respected indie bands in New York City, The Walkmen, to a solo album of all-ages songs with names like If I Were a Tiger.
We typically think of dad rock as the tragically unhip music our fathers love, but what happens when the artists themselves become fathers or mothers, or start making songs meant for toddlers to hear? Do they lose their edge, or just find new angles for innovation? After giving Martin's an album a listen and scouring our catalog for other albums of kids' songs by musicians not known for family fare, we're certain it's the latter.
For one, sociopolitical uncertainty can be a serious motivator when it comes to passing values to the next generation. That was as true in 1959-when Pete Seeger released Folk Songs for Young People, full of lovely proletariat ditties like The Farmer Is the Man (Who Feeds Us All) -as it is in 2019. On July 12, Backstreet Boy Howie D drops Which One Am I?, a family album with songs ( No Hablo Espa ol ) inspired by the identity politics of growing up mixed race in America. Of course, self-acceptance and love for humankind aren't unusual themes in grown-up music either. You could easily mistake Ziggy Marley's 2007 album Family Time, with social justice-minded songs featuring Paul Simon and Willie Nelson, for just another solid reggae release-except it's set to kid-friendly melodies.
Far less likely to appear on an album meant for adults? A guide to the alphabet. Marley has one of those songs on his album too, but in 2009, They Might Be Giants raised the stakes by making an entire LP called Here Come the ABCs-complete with a cut called Flying V -devoted to the subject. The annals of kids' tunes made by major musicians are full of educational anthems. For arithmetic, consider the eerie rasp of Johnny Cash, whose One and One Make Two (on 1975's The Johnny Cash Children's Album) offers double entendre for parents. For more fundamentals, 2012's OzoKidz by Ozomatli packs mini lessons on subjects like Germs, Trees, and Water into nutritious Latin rock-rap nuggets.
But no childhood is complete without a healthy dose of absurdity. Enter Kimya Dawson (of Juno soundtrack fame), whose penchant for primitive folk jams and scatalogical humor makes her exactly the right artist to deliver a family album all about farts and poop-2008's Alphabutt. A year prior, Barenaked Ladies covered the other end of that equation with Snacktime!, which includes a high-concept song trilogy where Canadian celebrities like Jason Priestley list their favorite munchies. Meanwhile, The Presidents of the United States of America front man Chris Ballew built a post-grunge career as Caspar Babypants, author of such silliness as Bubble Rap, where he voices a rapping bubble on his 15th kids' LP Keep It Real! (2018).
Story songs are common too, especially from stars already known for spinning yarns, like Jerry Garcia, who teamed with bluegrass guru David Grisman to record a bunch of ancient hillbilly tales (like A Horse Named Bill ) for 1993's Not for Kids Only. Or Jewel, who sings about characters like Bucky the Bull and Sara Swan Sleepy Head on 2011's The Merry Goes 'Round. Concept albums aren't off-limits either. In 2008, hip-hop legend Prince Paul assembled The Dino-5-members of Jurassic 5, The Roots, and Digable Planets-for a song cycle about creative struggle and a misunderstood T. rex whose best friend is a bunny.
Plenty of familiar artists use the medium to foster appreciation for music that's come before. In 1996, Linda Ronstadt recast hits by Queen and The Beach Boys as lullabies on Dedicated To The One I Love. In 2009, Los Lobos totally remade the Disney songbook (their Heigh-Ho is a Tex-Mex cowpunk riot). And 2016's Beat Bugs soundtrack is hardly the first compilation to feature youthful takes on The Beatles-in this case by Eddie Vedder, The Shins, P!nk, and more. Walter Martin took a different tack on his folky 2014 all-ages debut, We're All Young Together. His song The Beatles (When Ringo Shook His Mop) offers a lovely primer on the Fab Four: John's songs are dark and pretty, Paul's songs are sweet little ditties, he sings.
Finally, there's the lullaby, the most vital piece of music in a parent's arsenal. With his mellow vibe, Jack Johnson was a perfect fit to oversee 2006's Curious George soundtrack, and his duet with Ben Harper, With My Own Two Hands, is a soothing way to end any day. Fittingly, dream-pop band The Innocence Mission released a mighty sleep aid in 2004, Now the Day Is Over-gossamer original My Love Goes With You ought to be canonized alongside Twinkle Twinkle Little Star as an essential inclusion in the lullaby oeuvre. But Lisa Loeb's Catch the Moon (2007) might be the tenderest of all. Her rendition of Fais Do Do is sweet, heartfelt, and evocative enough to send even stress-ridden adults into blissful slumber. Forget the kids-add this to your personal sleep playlist now.
For more family-friendly jams, stream Spotify's Toddler Tunes now.
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
02/06/2026
Musically intelligent soft synth gets upgraded
Scaler Music will be probably be best known to many for their music theory tools, but their product range al...
02/06/2026
Powerful new vocal-production tool announced
Described as a vocal performance station , Klevgrand's latest plug-in combines pitch-correction with harmo...
02/06/2026
Launched alongside Go Green sale extension
McDSP have just released the latest addition to their APB line-up, DC-2 Dual Compressor, and have also announced ...
02/06/2026
Create custom tools for Ableton Live 12 Suite
Ableton have just introduced a new open JavaScript toolkit that allows anyone to create their own custom tools...
02/06/2026
Now features full H90 algorithm library
Eventide have announced the upcoming launch of the H9 Harmonizer Gen 2, a new and improved version of their hugely p...
02/06/2026
Plus UAD Half Yearly Sale now live
The latest arrival to the Universal Audio range delivers a new native pitch-correction plug-in that's capable of deli...
02/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to present comprehensive performance, conformance and spectrum-m...
02/06/2026
BTL Laboratory becomes Taiwan's first test house with a CTIA Certification c...
02/06/2026
If you've kept up with this article series, you know by now where to start w...
02/06/2026
With new DSP configurations and flexible licensing options, Calrec is removing the barriers to virtualised audio, giving broadcasters the freedom to scale produ...
02/06/2026
02 Jun 2026
VEON Closes USD 1.4 Billion Bond Offering, Refinancing 2027 Notes A...
02/06/2026
Praise for series three:
The Times - sun-dappled pleasure
The Daily Mail - The Homes Counties' Charlie's Angels
The Sun - 4* this [is an] enjoya...
02/06/2026
Wuppertal June 2, 2026
Gudrun Scharler Appointed CEO of Riedel Networks The Riedel Group today announced the appointment of Gudrun Scharler as CEO of Riedel N...
02/06/2026
Trust has become a commercial issue With global advertising spend forecast to exceed US$1 trillion this year*, the commercial consequences of weak governance co...
02/06/2026
June sees Ireland's cultural calendar in full bloom, as RT Supporting the Arts showcases a vibrant and wide-ranging programme spanning music, theatre, visu...
02/06/2026
After The Traitors Ireland launched in 2025, Irish audiences proved to have a taste for the global hit reality show. This Bank Holiday Monday fans can indulge e...
01/06/2026
Category line-up & sponsors announced
Photo: Paul Clarke
The Production Music Awards (PMA) have announced that submissions are now officially open ahead of...
01/06/2026
New hybrid sample/synthesis instrument revealed
Excite Audio have just released the latest instalment in their Evolve series, which has been developed in co...
01/06/2026
Latest TONEX expansion captures three rare vintage amps
The newest addition to IK Multimedia's ever-growing TONEX line-up introduces a set of three incr...
01/06/2026
Musically intelligent soft synth gets upgraded
Scaler Music will be probably be best known to many for their music theory tools, but their product range al...
01/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz Satellite Industry Days 2026 guided by the motto From Earth to ...
01/06/2026
Luxembourg, June 1, 2026 - SES, a leading space solutions company, and Viva, Mexico's ultra low-cost airline, launched fast and reliable multi-orbit satelli...
01/06/2026
Mardi 2 juin 14h00
FilmLight (ARRI), 10 rue Ren Boulanger, 75010 Paris
Rejoignez-nous pour d couvrir comment FLAPI (l'API FilmLight) peut transformer e...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
cetecom advanced certifies Rohde & Schwarz test solution for hybrid and Next Gen...
29/05/2026
May 29 2026, 09:00 (PDT) Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Genelec announces V2.1 for Aural ID binaural headphone monitoring application posted: 29/05/2026
Aural ID 2.1 enhances binaural monitoring for stereo and ...
29/05/2026
At just 20 years old, Sean Melia from Summerhill Co. Meath has been revealed as the winner of Super Garden 2026. Sean is the youngest ever contestant and winner...
28/05/2026
Thomsons Climate Crisis Toolkit is already being put to work, helping journalist...
28/05/2026
A little refresh can go a long way. We've been making behind-the-scenes upda...
28/05/2026
Since early last year, our quarterly Creator Milestone Awards have celebrated podcasts from around the world that hit major streaming milestones on Spotify. Tod...
28/05/2026
New software-based MIDI multi-clock announced
Rapid Flow have just announced the launch of a new MIDI utility plug-in that aims to solve one of the most per...
28/05/2026
Company introduce most affordable interface yet
SSL's range of audio interfaces has just gained its latest, and smallest member, the SSL 1. Designed to ...
28/05/2026
New compact drum machine & sampler announced
The latest instrument from Sonicware sees the company kick off an all-new Deconstruct series with a compact dru...
28/05/2026
Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority modernizes nationwide ATC voice communications...
28/05/2026
Comscore Announces Appointment of Matt McLaughlin as Chief Executive OfficerJon Carpenter to remain as Senior Advisor to the Board and CEO
Global business lead...
28/05/2026
Wuppertal May 28, 2026
Berliner Ensemble Upgrades Backstage Infrastructure With Riedel Stage SystemsRiedel Communications today announced that Berliner Ensemb...
28/05/2026
Harmonic's Software-Based XOS Advanced Media Processor Powers Cost-Efficient 24/7 Channel Origination and Direct-to-Consumer Delivery
SAN JOSE, Calif. - M...
28/05/2026
RT presents Wild Conamara, a two-part natural history documentary that brings a...
27/05/2026
Spotify already brings together listeners' favorite music, podcasts, and audiobooks in one place. Now, we're trialing a new format that expands the cont...
Even for rock stars, having a child changes things. Suddenly, everything's all about shaping a tiny human's future. Certainly that was the case for Walter Martin, who, after his wife became pregnant, went from one of the most respected indie bands in New York City, The Walkmen, to a solo album of all-ages songs with names like If I Were a Tiger. 
