Their responses were mixed. Some people couldn't think of a happy song off the top of their head, while others couldn't pick just one. Lily polled students at her school, adding Disney and T.

Programming note: these songs were selected with our list of the 10 Best Albums of 2024 in mind, so to showcase a greater range of music, no artists appear on both.

"This upbeat shift happened during the great depression ... After a couple of years decline, poptimism is back. The 20 best-selling songs so far this year score 57% on the happiness scale.

Two songs by Chappell Roan highlight our list of 2024’s best songs, alongside an eclectic mix of musical gems.

That means we get 11 wonderful songs in the first part, including the chill-inducing "Defying Gravity," the upbeat "Popular" and Erivo's belting of "The Wizard and I." Here's how we ranked all of ...