6 Classic Uplifting Songs to Improve Your Day

---

Songs can trigger emotions by releasing dopamine into your system. The neurotransmitter helps your brain focus on enjoyment, pleasure and satisfaction. Upbeat music gives you optimism, while slower beats provide relaxation. Whether you’re happy or sad, there’s a song for every emotion and every desired emotion. You can listen to music to improve your mood or speak to a music therapist who uses music to address physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs.

How Does Music Improve Your Day? 

Listening to uplifting songs reduces stress because they evoke positive emotions and set the mood for your feelings. While music can make you happy, it can also encourage crying. Crying releases endorphins and oxytocin, which enhance your mood and reduce cortisol levels, resulting in feeling happier and calmer after a cry. 

Upbeat music helps you feel more positive about life. When you listen to your favorite song, your brain reminds your body that everything is OK and you can enjoy the song while looking forward to the future. If you want feel-good music, try listening to these songs below.

1. Here Comes the Sun – The Beatles

One of the most classic uplifting songs is Here Comes the Sun which The Beatles released in 1969 from their album Abbey Road. The song represents hope and renewal after a hard day or time in someone’s life. The lyrics acknowledge that it’s been cold and brutal but the sun is coming and will melt away all your troubles. The feel-good song has an upbeat melody and relates to many audiences. The word “sun” symbolizes something new, a new day or beginning. It also represents life and energy. 

When you feel sad or defeated after a difficult day and feel like there’s no way out of the dark place, play this song and hope that better days are coming. The sun will rise again, and it’s an opportunity to try again because you have life and positivity. 

2. I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor

If you’re looking for songs to improve your mood after a breakup, I Will Survive is one of them. The song was released in 1978, and people still listen to it today. The empowering song is an anthem for women who feel they won’t survive a breakup. Due to its significance, the song was recently added to the Library of Congress in Washington. Breakups are difficult and often leave you feeling hopeless. It’s important to acknowledge the pain and then stand stronger than before after you’ve cried it out.

Gloria Gaynor sang this song after suffering a spinal injury, which left her uncertain about her career. One of the songwriters, Dino Fekaris, lost his job and channeled his energy into writing the breakup song. The song signifies resilience and taking back power after a situation that almost broke your heart. The lyrics are gender neutral, which indicates that breakups and bad situations can happen to anyone. Still, you have the power to rebuild yourself and come back stronger because you’re a survivor. 

3. Walking on Sunshine – Katrina and the Waves

If you’re feeling happy and in love, this song is ideal for keeping you grateful. Walking on Sunshine was released in 1983 from the Walking on Sunshine album. The song offers energetic and feel-good vibes. Faster-tempo songs are often associated with energy and happiness. When your brain processes faster tempos, it associates them with a stimulating feeling. 

The song uses musical elements and words that link to positive emotions, which makes it ideal to boost your mood and keep you in a happy space. Katrina and the Waves also mention how she’s waiting for her partner to write to her but in her waiting, she maintains hope, signifying that it’s crucial to remain positive when waiting for positive results. 

4. Respect – Aretha Franklin

Respect is more than a relationship song — it symbolizes a call for dignity and female empowerment. The song won two Grammy Awards in 1968 for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. The song relays the feeling of self-respect and provides a universal appeal for anyone who feels undervalued or disrespected. 

Apart from demanding respect and understanding core values, the song emphasizes that a lack of respect will lead to leaving, indicating that receiving respect is as important as asking for it. When you’re disrespected, know your worth and never settle for anyone who treats you like you’re not worthy of R-E-S-P-E-C-T. 

5. Roar – Katy Perry

Music plays a role in how you feel based on songs that are reminders of situations or memories of certain emotions. Katy Perry released Roar in 2013 as a self-empowerment song. The lyrics encourage self-expression and you can use this song when exercising. Roar focuses on overcoming adversity and respecting yourself enough to stand up for your beliefs. The music is inspirational because it depicts a person who is afraid to speak or share their opinions until they overcome their insecurities and oppression. 

After overcoming oppression and realizing that she’s worth more than she’s being treated, she channeled her inner strength and stood up for herself. Roar reminds you that you may feel oppressed by your boss, relationship, or even social circle, but you’re allowed to use your voice and stand for your beliefs. 

6. Happy – Pharrell Williams

Pharrell Williams released Happy in his G I R L album. Pharrell wrote the song for the animated film Despicable Me 2. Happy symbolizes joy, optimism and the freedom to express individual happiness no matter what happens around you. The song is a great “pick-me-up” when you’re having a bad day or want to remain in a good mood. 

The upbeat tempo signals your brain to release dopamine, ensuring you feel satisfaction from the song. Happy focuses on finding happiness in what’s right instead of being depressed over what’s wrong. The universal song applies to people globally who want to remain happy in any situation. 

Make Every Day Brighter with Music

Music triggers emotions to help you focus on the future, self-empowerment, cry out your feelings and remain positive in every situation. Music uses a balance between lyrics and sound effects to trigger your emotions, making your day more bearable and helping you to find that inner oppressed person and channel your energy into standing up for yourself and finding hope to conquer the day.