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 ...
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...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
06/03/2026
Ten years after its release, South African hip-hop artist Kwesta's DaKAR II is still making waves. With 51.8 million streams on Spotify, the album continues...
06/03/2026
06 Mar 2026
VEON and JazzWorld Advance Pakistan's Digital Financial Future ...
06/03/2026
Friday 6 March 2026
Teaser revealed for Saturday Night Live UKTurn on cookies to view this content. Go to Privacy options and select Accept All'.
Privacy...
06/03/2026
Discover how the F1 sound team turned a real Grand Prix into a cinematic experience.
Director Joseph Kosinski and his team worked directly with the Formula On...
06/03/2026
Arvato Systems Joins Initiative D21 e. V.
Shaping digital transformation together
Collaboration in Germanys largest network for the digital society
Membersh...
06/03/2026
The Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) is a global initiative dedicated to c...
06/03/2026
We are deeply saddened to hear the very sad news of the death of our friend and colleague, John McHugh. John was an exceptionally talented creative leader who s...
06/03/2026
First exclusive look at RT 's promo as Ireland prepare to take on Czechia
Every Moment, Every Generation
https://youtu.be/2ijo96EadLU
36 years after Geor...
05/03/2026
A little over a year ago, Spotify introduced the quarterly Creator Milestone Awa...
05/03/2026
Rohde & Schwarz enables rapid validation of next-gen Wi-Fi 8 networking platform...
05/03/2026
Rohde & Schwarz acquires Software Radio Systems (SRS), specialists in software d...
05/03/2026
Celebrating 21 Years of the RT Choice Music Prize
RT Choice Music Prize
In association with IMRO and IRMA
RT Choice Music Prize Irish Album of the Year 2...
05/03/2026
Thursday 5 March 2026
Sky News secures ninth News Channel of the Year award as ...
05/03/2026
Thursday 5 March 2026
Sky Sports launches first ever nationwide creator competi...
05/03/2026
SAN JOSE, Calif. - March 5, 2026 - At the 2026 NAB Show, Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT)...
05/03/2026
Comscore and Yahoo DSP Partner to Advance CTV Political Advertising with Proximi...
04/03/2026
For many fans, a song's backstory can be just as compelling as the final pro...
04/03/2026
In 2006, Spotify was founded on the belief that technology could bring artists a...
04/03/2026
Spotify is back on the ground for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and we&#...
04/03/2026
Spotify had an energizing week in Sydney, Australia, filled with powerful conver...
04/03/2026
Earlier this year, we launched Directed By, a documentary-style series that pull...
04/03/2026
KT and Rohde & Schwarz to showcase AI-enhanced radio transmission performance In a joint 6G AI proof-of-concept demonstration, the CMX500 one-box tester from ...
04/03/2026
Luxembourg, 3 March 2026 - SES S.A. has today published its 2025 Annual Report, following the announcement of the company's full year financial results for ...
04/03/2026
Luxembourg, March 3, 2026 - SES, a leading space solutions company, along with I...
04/03/2026
04 Mar 2026
VEON Partners with GSMA Innovation Fund to Accelerate Digital Innov...
04/03/2026
04 Mar 2026
VEON's Beeline Uzbekistan and Rakuten Symphony Partner for Open...
04/03/2026
Wednesday 4 March 2026
Sky Sports unveils plans for 2026 Formula 1 coverage
Sky Sports is preparing for one of the most highly anticipated F1 seasons in recen...
03/03/2026
For many, finding time or headspace to pick up a book can feel out of reach, but...
03/03/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and Realtek demonstrate first test solution for Bluetooth LE Hi...
03/03/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
03/03/2026
Luxembourg, 2 March 2026 -- SES S.A. fully consolidates Intelsat from 17 July 2025 and announces financial results for the year ended 31 December 2025
FY25 Pe...
03/03/2026
RT is proud to support a rich and diverse programme of arts and cultural events taking place across Ireland throughout March 2026. This month brings a remarkab...
03/03/2026
03 Mar 2026
VEON and MeetKai Expand Collaboration to Explore Sovereign AI Infra...
03/03/2026
Tuesday 3 March 2026
Sky releases official trailer for The Miniature Wife, a Sk...
03/03/2026
Tuesday 3 March 2026
Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac land first ever live commentary ...
03/03/2026
Tuesday 3 March 2026
The Dyers' Caravan Park reopens for a second season after a hit launch on Sky
The Dyers' Caravan Park
JPEG (510KB)
Sky books a ...
03/03/2026
Harmonic's cOS Virtualized Broadband Platform Simplifies Network Operations, Lowers Hardware Dependency and Enables Seamless DOCSIS and Fiber Growth SAN JO...
03/03/2026
Comscore to Announce Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial ResultsRESTON, VA, March 3, 2026 Comscore, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCOR), a trusted partner for plannin...
03/03/2026
Self-taught on iMovie, Hanagami transitioned to Final Cut Pro in 2009, discovering that professional tools could give him full creative control over how his wor...
03/03/2026
RT Media Sales has announced Spry Finance has renewed it's sponsorship of M...
02/03/2026
Rohde & Schwarz demonstrates FR1-FR3 carrier aggregation, advancing 6G readiness Rohde & Schwarz and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. have reached another pivotal ...
02/03/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, and Arqit Quantum Inc. (Nasdaq: ARQQ, A...
02/03/2026
Luxembourg, February 26, 2026 - SES and Africa Mobile Network (AMN) have expande...
02/03/2026
Monday 2 March 2026
Saturday Night Live UK announces writing team
L-R: Jonno Johnson; Charlie Skelton; Celya AB; Omar Badawy; Gr inne Maguire; Laura Claxton; ...
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. 
