Now is not the time for Leonard Cohen or Nick Cave. Bob Dylan is even a little too dark if you're looking for music to carry you through the din of this coronavirus quarantine.
On the other hand, you don't want "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," either. Cheery pop music right now sounds as vapid as those Florida spring-breakers on TV who didn't want to leave the beach three weeks ago.
Here's what I came up with as a playlist to keep me upbeat for the long haul. This is actually a whittled-down version of a list I programmed last year after writing about "The Happiness Playlist," a great memoir by Minneapolis rocker Mark Mallman about how he listened to only hopeful, positive tunes to carry him out of depression.
It may seem like a simple concept, but to Mallman and us Generation Xers — whose Walkman-ized youths were ruled by grunge, punk, goth, gangsta rap and metal — happy songs are not really part of our regularly scheduled programming. But we know all about the power of music in general.
1. The Kinks: "Better Things"
2. Allen Toussaint: "Yes We Can"
3. Staple Singers: "Heavy Makes You Happy"
4. Black Flag: "Rise Above"
