fallow

I know its easy to pinpoint the saddest moments in music, but how about the happiest? Some songs just make you feel good or send the endorphins screaming; what are your happiest musical moments and why?

Mine:
1. Chorus of "Oh!" by Sleater-Kinney - the harmonizing vocals and the screeching moog manage to come off as fun without being cheesy.
2. Chorus of "Debaser" The Pixies - I still have yet to meet someone who likes The Pixies and doesn't howl along with Black Francis: "I am un CHEIN andalusia!!"
3. Intro to "The Boy With the Arab Strap" by Belle and Sebastian - the bass lumbers in and the piano teases with single chords. Complete with handclaps; this songs sends me reeling at Mousetrap in DC.

I can think of others, but I'll just leave it at that for now.

Chuck L

As cheesy as it will sound to most, my happiest music moment was the moment that I first heard Cher's Believe on US radio. After the years of the struggle to get her music played, the US finally caught up with things after every other country certified that the song was a hit and had merit. For any Cher fan, it was a true happy moment in music history!

Penny Lane

I don't know about my happiest of all time, but a few that always make me smile are:
White Stripes - "Hotel Yorba"
Eels - "Mr. E's Beautiful Blues"

fallow

Actually, I'm going to add one more because I've been thinking of it to keep me motivated (I have classes from 8 am until 5 pm with only one break between 11 and 12:15).

4. Minutes 3:20 until 4:00 in "The Suspension Bridge at Iguazu Falls" by Tortoise - its a seamless fusion of safari-style xylophone and rock mini-solo. And of course, the flawless production has to be mentioned for its smooth blend.

tofu

The intro and chorus to "Love" by the Sundays.

I typically don't really like songs like this but this song just makes me smile.

Jepthah

Most recently, album-wise: about 2:50 into "Growing Up" from Peter Gabriel's UP album--the verse about the open book on the long wooden table (one of many highlights on the CD...). The magical way the fore-and-background vocal lines merge and harmonize, the expert beats and instrumental arrangements of such loving care. It was like a warm blanket, being reminded of that man's musical and lyrical genius.

SAShepherd

A difficult question with way too many answers... my truly happiest musical moments come when playing music, but this sounds like an auditory, not participatory, question.

I don't know if this is necessarily the happiest moment for me, but I've always supremely enjoyed the end of the Lemonheads' "Alison's Starting to Happen" with lyrics "she's the puzzle piece / behind the couch / that makes the sky complete" -- really like the lyrics, Dando's singing, and tension/release aspect of those 10 seconds or so.

But we all probably have hundreds of these.

atlantamoi

I'll go with happy experiences instead of the happy parts of songs...

I get a smile on my face thinking about the day I bought New Order's "Low-life" record. This was back in 1985. Went to the store the day it came out, rode my bike back to my room, locked the door and put the speakers up on my dresser... sat back and cranked it up all the way through (sorry for the guys on the rest of the dorm floor!).

The first time I ever heard Run DMC's "Walk This Way" I almost drove off the road. It was THAT cool sounding back then. Happy moment.

Oh my, so many more.... maybe later.

Xanager

Everytime I hear "America the Beautiful" played at the finale of a Drum Corp International contest. That is supreme happiness.

Three Day Delay

The entire Jellyfish "Bellybutton" record.

MJKTool

Ask me again after the new Limp Bizkit albums bombs

stevevt

One lyric that makes me play Franklin Bruno's "A Bedroom Community" over and over again:


Do you dream of a world where you can pay your bills?
Or do you dream of a world where there are none?
As you're casting about for the cheapeast of thrills
You're ignoring the least expensive, bar none.

(From "A Layered Look")

Ky-Fi

I cannot get enough of The Brian Setzer Orchestra--Live in Japan DVD. I've never seen so many people having such a good time in one place. Watching Brian and the band perform "Dirty Boogie" or "Caravan" just makes me glad to be alive. He's so unbelievably good that there's virtually no ego involved, just a pure love of music.

Caoimhin

There are a million others that make me smile. I'll have to think of a few.

grrrah

PVD- Cream @ Amnesia, 4:30 AM, 9/30/02

dork

I was in a supermarket and suddenly, for no reason at all, a Marshall Crenshaw song came on the sound system.

For a brief moment, I was happy.