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...
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...
16/05/2026
Helps to deliver a clean, balanced midrange
Developed alongside Newfangled Audio, the latest plug-in in Eventide's software collection has been designed...
16/05/2026
Brings onboard stem rendering to RANE System One
Engine DJ have just released Engine DJ 5.0, a free update for their Engine DJ OS embedded hardware and Engi...
15/05/2026
Last night, the Spotify Podcast Awards in Mexico returned to the country's capital. Now in its second year, the evening honors creators whose voices are hel...
15/05/2026
Rebranded show announced
Ahead of their 2026 return, Music Expo have announced that they have now officially changed their name to the MONO Music Conference...
15/05/2026
Fuzz pedal joins UK companys line-up
UK-based pedal makers Buzzing Bugs Audio Devices have recently unveiled their latest creation, the Bolster. Said to pay...
15/05/2026
Join Calrec at MPTS 2026 | May 13-14 | Stand A40 | Olympia, London We're looking forward to meeting up with customers and partners at this year's Media ...
15/05/2026
The six-part series is a co-commission with BritBox and Sony Pictures Television...
15/05/2026
Against that backdrop, IAB UK has added retail media to its Gold Standard. Jan Pitt, Commercial Director at ABC, spoke with Liv McCullagh, Retail Media Lead at ...
15/05/2026
Further to RT 's statement released yesterday and in the interest of full transparency, with the full permission of Derek Mooney, we are now publishing the ...
14/05/2026
At Spotify, we're focused on making every listening experience feel intentio...
14/05/2026
Spotify recently welcomed songwriters, artists, executives, and music students t...
14/05/2026
New articulations, ostinatos, Motion Scoring Articulation Sets & more
Sonuscore's flagship cinematic string library has just been treated to a significa...
14/05/2026
World-class studio opens on T rkiye's Aegean coast
P r Recording & Residence have announced their official opening, introducing a new world-class reside...
14/05/2026
Now supports channel layouts up to 9.1.6
Nugen Audio have just released an update for their AI-powered dialogue intelligibility and compliance tool. Set to ...
14/05/2026
New recordings & one-key chord tool
UVI have just announced the release of Orchestral Suite 2, a ground-up redesign of their all-in-one symphonic orchestra ...
14/05/2026
Two new arrivals & expanded factory content
Rob Papen's all-encompassing plug-in and virtual instrument collection has just been treated to another upda...
14/05/2026
Embed QR codes into DAW sessions
FSK Audio's latest plug-in doesn't process audio, but serves as an organisational tool that allows QR codes to be e...
14/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz transforms spectrum complexity into situational awareness and ef...
14/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and Quantum Systems join forces to redefine EW and C-UAS-enabled...
14/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz showcases STANAG aligned ARDRONIS Counter UAS capability at NATO...
14/05/2026
Code of Silence has won the BAFTA for Best Drama Series at Sunday night's ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall.
The series, starring Rose Ayling-Ellis and w...
14/05/2026
Vivid Broadcast was embracing remote production long before it became the industry norm. Now, with Calrec's True Control 2.0-enabled Argo M and Type R conso...
14/05/2026
Comscore Reports First Quarter 2026 ResultsRESTON, Va., May 14, 2026 Comscore, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCOR), a trusted partner for planning, transacting and evaluating...
14/05/2026
RT is today publishing the earnings of its top 10 highest-earning presenters for 2025, ahead of the publication of RT 's Annual Report 2025 later this year...
14/05/2026
What can I watch on UKTV and stream on U this week?
This week on UKTV and the free streaming service U, viewers can watch a range of new and returning programm...
14/05/2026
The high-stakes chase thriller from Oscar- and BAFTA-nominated writer Matt Charm...
14/05/2026
Back From The Brink airs Sunday 17 May and Sunday 24 May at 6.30pm on RT One an...
13/05/2026
13 May 2026
VEON Delivers Strong Start to 2026 1Q26: Revenue 17.0%, EBITDA 17...
13/05/2026
Thousands of props donated from Skys longest-running original seriesWednesday 13 May 2026
How a neon windmill from A League of Their Own ended up in a dogs'...
13/05/2026
SAN JOSE, Calif. - May 13, 2026 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced that I...
13/05/2026
A definitive portrait of one of Ireland's most influential musicians
New TV documentary airs Monday 18 May on RT One and RT Player at 9.35pm
Watch the...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
FOX Announces Schedule for 2026-27 Season FOX'S POWERFUL NEW SERIES PIPELINE FUELS A BREAKOUT SEASON WITH RETURNING HITS AND BOLD NEW STORYTELLING ACROSS ...
12/05/2026
Customer demand for data continues to grow in the first quarter of 2026 at Magya...
12/05/2026
The latest drama underscores Sky's continued investment in regional production and Welsh creative talent.Tuesday 12 May 2026
Wales takes the spotlight in S...
11/05/2026
As Eurovision fans gear up to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the iconic song ...
11/05/2026
Pela primeira vez na hist ria, o Brasil figura entre os oito maiores mercados de...
11/05/2026
New desktop instrument focused on tactile performance
Bastl Instruments have announced the Kalimba, a new desktop instrument that combines physical modellin...
11/05/2026
Compact sampling workstation gains new features
1010music have announced the blackbox 2, a new version of their compact standalone sampler designed for DAWl...
11/05/2026
Performance-focused sequencer with microtonal control
Berlin-based KOMA Elektronik have announced Monoplex, a new 42HP Eurorack sequencer designed for hands...
11/05/2026
Boasts wireless control from mobile devices
The latest iteration of IK Multimedia's compact amp and effects modelling pedal expands on the capabilities ...
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. 
