The Top 50 ‘Kids Corner’ Songs of All Time
Music is the heart of WXPN and the backbone of ‘Kids Corner.’
Years ago, my friend Scott described my job as, “you play ‘Star Trekkin’,’ you play ‘Fish Heads!’” Since the statute of limitations has long passed, I can confess that both songs came directly from my cancelled Kids America show, which premiered in fall of 1987 on WXPN and ended soon after. Much of my Kids America music library made the trip from New York with me in 1988 when I said “I’ll give Philly a year,” and I created Kids Corner. No surprise that both songs were first popularized by the legendary Dr. Demento. Kids Corner Music was built upon a foundation established by the Doctor and his Greatest Novelty Songs of All Time series of albums. My father Big Tom O’Connell brought home every Allen Sherman record in the 1960s. Years later, I shared them with new generations.
Big Tom would be proud of how Spike Jones, Bobby “Boris” Pickett, and Abbott & Costello became Kids Corner favorites. And because Soupy Sales is the reason I’m good at talking to kids, he would be proud to be in our Top 50. He loved Kids Corner, too!
Fun Fact: Kids Corner was the first place on WXPN you heard Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” It’s the first place on WXPN you heard “Weird Al” Yankovic and Trout Fishing in America.
Kids are the reason for Kids Corner. Call-ins and requests helped craft four decades of music for all family members. Thanks to Kids Corner listener Chrissy Rockwell, They Might Be Giants got regular airplay before they ever made a kids’ album. Listener Jill Grossman mailed us a seven-page song request with just three words over and over: “Achy Breaky Song.”
Folk music is an important contributor to our Top 50 Kids Corner Songs. Peter Alsop, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, Bill Wellington, Billy Jonas, and Bill Harley made the move with me here in 1988. Once I moved to WXPN with its strong connection to the folk community, legendary DJ Gene Shay introduced me to John Flynn, and we made musical history together.
Both Kids Corner music and kids’ music in general changed in 1992 when I got a cassette called “Big Trouble” from a band I never heard of. Trout Fishing in America changed my musical life like nobody had since The Beatles. Eventually, they became my best friends and four-time Grammy nominees for Best Children’s Album.
The revolution in kids’ music that Trout Fishing in America, Raffi, Dan Zanes, and more started is still growing and entertaining new audiences. Musicians like Joanie Leeds, The Pop-Ups, and Lucky Diaz — who grew up listening to these kids’ artists — started making their own music, which we also played on Kids Corner!
The beat goes on.
You can listen to Kathy play back the Top 50 ‘Kids Corner’ Songs of All Time anytime! Just fire up the Kids Corner stream in the XPN player.
The Top 50 Kids Corner Songs of All Time
- “Star Trekkin'” — The Firm
- “The Window” — Trout Fishing in America
- “The Cheese Song” — Bubboon’s Tunes
- “The Duck Song” — John Flynn
- “Pierre” — Suddenly Beth and Kathy
- “The Saga Begins” — ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic
- “Who’s on First” — Abbott and Costello
- “Proper Cup of Coffee” — Trout Fishing in America
- “Green Eggs and Ham” — Moxy Fruvous
- “Hello Mudda, Hello Fadda” — Allan Sherman
- “18 Wheels on a Big Rig” — Trout Fishing In America
- “A Manatee Sneezed on Me” — John Flynn
- “Fish Heads” — Barnes and Barnes
- “Birdhouse In Your Soul” — They Might Be Giants
- “Radiation Man” — Sarah Hickman
- “My Name is Joe” — Bill Wellington
- “Roadkill Café” — John Flynn
- Pink Piggy Polka Pancake Picnic” — Ernie and Neal
- “What Makes The Breakfast” — Mike Phirman
- “What Kind of Cat Are You” — Billy Jonas
- “My Hair Had a Party Last Night” — Trout Fishing in America
- “Old King Louis” — Allan Sherman
- “Worm Collection” — Bubboon’s Tunes
- “King Tut” — Steve Martin
- “The Sun” — They Might Be Giants
- “The Sun” — They Might Be Giants
- “More Cowbell” — Joanie Leeds
- “Ballad Of Magellan” — Animaniacs
- “Harriet The Spy” — Two of a Kind
- Alien In My Nose” — Trout Fishing in America
- “Teach Me Your Magic” — Skip Denenberg
- “Robot Monkey Head” — John Hadfield
- “50 Ways To Fool Your Mother” — Bill Harley
- “Achy Breaky Song” — ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic
- “Balloon” — Lucy Kalantari
- “Don’t Worry Be Happy” — Bobby McFerrin
- “Nerves” — Terri Hendrix
- “Pollution” — Tom Lehrer
- “Your Brains’ll Fall Out” — Soupy Sales
- “Four Boys Named Jordan” — Jessica Harper
- “Best Fruit” — The Pop Ups
- “From Scratch” — Justin Roberts
- “Monster Mash” — Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett
- “On The Day That You Were Born” — Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer
- “Gotta Be Me” — Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
- “Vacation” — Lucky Diaz
- “Hot Hot Hot” — Sebastian The Crab
- “Highway 40 Unplugged” — Brak of Space Ghost
- “My Body” — Peter Alsop
- “The Poopsmith Song” — Over The Rhine