Are you looking for the perfect road trip playlist or perhaps some songs to play at your next party? You are in luck because this collection of songs is sure to bring in the good times.
Songs about good times often speak of appreciating the simple things in life, like spending quality time with friends, family, or your lover and having some fun.
Naturally, songs about good times resonate with us because they make us feel something good, something special. We all love to have fun and be around people with good vibes. Listening to songs that remind us of our own good times and memories inspires us to remember what is really important in life. Simple things like good music, good food, and good company. After all, we’re all here for a good time. The list of songs below has songs from all music genres, so I’m sure you’ll find some songs you love.
Table of Contents
1. Good Old Days by Macklemore featuring Kesha
| Genre | Pop, R&B, Hip Hop |
| Year Released | 2017 |
| Album | Gemini |
On the day “Good Old Days” was released as a single, co-writer and singer of the song, Kesha, took to Twitter with a message about the song. Kesha wrote, “my new song with Macklemore reminds me of being 16 chasing wild dreams not knowing those moments would be so precious.” The song is a nostalgic journey back into the adolescent lives of the singers. They were having the time of their lives and only have the perspective to look back now, missing “the magic of the good old days.” The song was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
2. One More Time by Daft Punk
| Genre | French House, Electronic, Dance |
| Year Released | Discovery |
| Album | 2000 |
“One More Time” is considered one of the greatest dance songs of all time. Give it a listen, and you’ll see why. It’s a feel-good dance song featuring groovy Technotronic instrumentals and aesthetically pleasing auto-tuned vocals. Rolling Stone even included it on their “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” list. Not too shabby for the once-obscure French duo, Daft Punk. While some artists dream of being recognized worldwide, Daft Punk routinely dressed as robots for their public appearances (yes, that group) to protect their identities. It was a perfect complement to their futuristic sound.
3. Summer of ’69 by Bryan Adams
| Genre | Rock, Pop Rock |
| Year Released | 1985 |
| Album | Reckless |
Summer of ‘69 is a feel-good rock song about the memories of a fun-filled summer “that seemed to last forever.” Bryan Adams writes, “if I had the choice / Yeah, I’d always wanna be there / Those were the best days of my life.” He speaks about buying his first guitar and learning how to play the instrument. The song then recounts the nostalgic and blissful memories spent with his first love. He wonders what went wrong and thinks about what could have been. But ultimately, he looks back fondly on the good times past. As of July 2022, the music video has over 180 million views on YouTube. If you’re looking for songs about memories and then this is a perfect choice to add to your playlist.
4. Dixieland Delight by Alabama
| Genre | Country, Country Rock |
| Year Released | 1983 |
| Album | The Closer You Get… |
“Dixieland Delight”’ by Alabama is one of the band’s most popular hits. The narrator in the song describes taking a drive down a country road with his girlfriend, his “Dixieland Delight.” They park out in the woods, away from it all, and spend some quality time together after a long week of work. The lyrics paint pastoral images, and he sings of being “free as a feeling in the wind.”
College football fans will recall hearing the song at University of Alabama games, as the Crimson Tide has adopted it as an unofficial fight song. Seeing tens of thousands of fans packed into Bryant-Denny Stadium, singing the lyrics in unison is sure to bring on the goosebumps.
5. I Go Back by Kenny Chesney
| Genre | Country |
| Year Released | 2004 |
| Album | When the Sun Goes Down |
“I Go Back” is an extremely popular country song that celebrates the good times early in life. Kenny sings about his best memories during his high school and college years. He sings about going back and time and drinking wine with a girl on a beach, the smell of a gym floor where he played sports, and spending time with friends.
This song is so relatable to just about anyone who realizes how fast life goes by and wishes they could go back to the earlier years that maybe they didn’t appreciate enough at the time.
6. Can’t Stop the Feeling by Justin Timberlake
| Genre | Disco-Pop, Soul-Pop |
| Year Released | 2016 |
| Album | Trolls: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack |
“Can’t Stop the Feeling” was released by Justin Timberlake for the 2016 film, Trolls. Timberlake was the film’s executive music producer and even performed the voice of one of the characters. The song is an undeniably catchy and groovy dance song. The music video has been viewed over 1.5 billion times on YouTube and streamed another 1.3 billion times on Spotify. It was a smash hit in dozens of countries and was certified 4x Multi-Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
7. Rock and Roll All Nite by Kiss
| Genre | Rock, Hard Rock |
| Year Released | 1975 |
| Album | Dressed to Kill |
When I was 10 years old, my parents took me to an Aerosmith concert and Kiss was the opening act. The costumes the band was wearing were interesting, to say the least, but the music was awesome. One of the best rock concerts I’ve ever seen and for good reason. Kiss is one of the most influential bands in the history of rock and roll. In 2014, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. VH1 named the song the 16th greatest hard rock song of all time. Rolling Stone selected it as number 404 on their “Top 500 Best Songs of All Time.” The song’s chorus will have you shouting, “I wanna rock and roll all night and party every day.”
8. Good Time by Alan Jackson
| Genre | Country |
| Year Released | 2008 |
| Album | Good Time |
Alan Jackson is one of those rare artists that write the majority of their own songs, which makes the fact that “Good Time” was his twenty-fourth number one hit all the more impressive. It was certified Platinum and is about as classic of a blowin’ off steam, ready for a rowdy weekend song as it gets. Like several other songs in this list, the narrator is tired from working all week. But instead of just moping around at home, he’s ready for a night out on the town. Leaving no doubt about what he is looking for, Jackson literally spells out “Good Time.” He sings, “A G with an O, an O with a D, a T with an I, an M with an E.”
9. Nothin’ But A Good Time by Poison
| Genre | Glam Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal |
| Year Released | 1988 |
| Album | Open Up and Say… Ahh! |
This one’s for all the 80’s hair metal fans, even if you didn’t know you were one. “Nothin’ But A Good Time” is the perfect feel-good sing-along rock ballad about having fun. The narrator in the song talks about being stuck in a routine of working hard to barely make ends meet. He is ready to forget about work and “ain’t lookin’ for nothin’ but a good time.” The song reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs list, and the album it was featured on was certified 5x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
10. Here for a Good Time by George Strait
| Genre | Country |
| Year Released | 2011 |
| Album | Here for a Good Time |
The upbeat and catchy “Here for a Good Time” by George Strait is less about going out and having fun and more about living your life to the fullest. Strait’s son Bubba helped co-write the song and contributed to most of the tracks on the album. Strait sings, “When I’m gone, put it in stone, / “He left nothing behind,” / I ain’t here for a long time. I’m here for a good time.” Like several others in this list, the song was also certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. American Songwriter calls it a “sanguine, swinging original that’s as good as any good times song you’ll hear on contemporary country radio.”
11. Memories by Maroon 5
| Genre | Pop, Pop Rock, Dance Pop |
| Year Released | 2019 |
| Album | Jordi |
Too often in life, it takes the loss of a loved one to look back on all the good times we spent with them. Through tragedy, we reflect on good memories and appreciate relationships even more than we did before. Maroon 5 wrote “Memories” after the loss of the band’s longtime manager, Jordan Feldstein. The song speaks of the cathartic process of celebrating life with loved ones still around while mourning the loss of a good friend. The music video has nearly 850 million views on YouTube. Impressively, as of July 2022, the song has over 1.5 billion streams.
12. Best Day Ever by Mac Miller
| Genre | Hip Hop |
| Year Released | 2011 |
| Album | Fifth Mixtape |
“Best Day Ever” by Mac Miller is a legendary song by Pittsburgh artist Mac Miller. Mac Miller started at the bottom, and the song inspires others to follow their dreams and stay creative because anything truly is possible. Mac talks about the good times he has after reaching massive success and he even talks about life being better than ever possibly imagined. This song pretty much represents every person’s dreams of going for it and making it to the top.
13. After Hours by Charlieonnafriday
| Genre | Hip Hop, Rap |
| Year Released | 2021 |
| Album | Single |
“After Hours” is an epic song about the life lived by Charlieonnafriday after he reached massive success in his music career. Charlieonafriday is a relatively new artist who started his YouTube channel in 2020 but quickly grew to fame after several massive hits. This particular song can be found all over TikTok and Instagram.
14. Happy by Pharrell Williams
| Genre | Soul, Pop |
| Year Released | 2013 |
| Album | Girl |
“Happy” by Pharrell Williams will have you nodding your head and clapping along to its addictive rhythm. Pharrell was able to reach an expansive audience with the song as it was originally released in the 2013 children’s film, Despicable Me 2. He then featured the song on his own album the following year. It was the most successful song and Billboard’s number-one single of 2014. As of July 2022, the song has over a billion streams on Spotify and a billion views of the official music video on YouTube.
Pharrell tells listeners to “clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth.” He sings about having a positive attitude, regardless of the struggles life throws our way. No matter what, he insists, “can’t nothing bring me down.”
15. We Are Young by Fun featuring Janelle Monáe
| Genre | Indie Rock, Indie Pop |
| Year Released | 2011 |
| Album | Some Nights |
The members of Fun captured lightning in a bottle with their single “We Are Young.” The song has been certified Diamond by the Record Industry Association of America, achieving over 10 million combined records sold and streams. The song was covered by the cast of the television show Glee. This helped the song gain exposure, and after it was used in a Super Bowl XLVI commercial, the song became the mainstream smash hit it was destined to be.
In an interview with MTV News, Jack Antonoff, one of the co-writers of “We Are Young” and guitarist of Fun, said the song “is like [the] bull’s-eye center of what we wanted to do with this album. It’s showing how, artistically, the album is different.” As of July 2022, the song has nearly one billion views on YouTube and over 800 million streams on Spotify.
16. Good Time by Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen
| Genre | Dance-Pop |
| Year Released | 2012 |
| Album | The Midsummer Station and Kiss |
This song is so catchy that my six-year-old knows the words verbatim and has been singing the chorus on repeat for days. It has all of the essential elements of an anthem song for summer. It’s uplifting, energetic, and filled with images of summertime. The song has been certified 2x Multi-Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and has nearly 400 million streams on Spotify as of July 2022. Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen’s vocals are very complementary. The lyrics speak of escaping the city for some fun in the countryside with friends. “Doesn’t matter when / it’s always a good time. / We don’t even have to try / it’s always a good time.”
17. Good Day For A Good Day by Michael Franti
| Genre | Pop/Rock, Adult Alternative |
| Year Released | 2021 |
| Album | Good Day For A Good Day – Single |
According to Michael Franti, the song “is about how sometimes we can make the choice to have an enjoyable day, despite the circumstances we may face in our usual routines. Sometimes you just need to have a good day to help you get through to the next one!” The song was released in the summer of 2021 when people around the world were in need of a good song with good vibes. “Good Day For A Good Day” reached number 24 on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay chart. Franti sings, “you know today would be a very good day just to have a good day / With a little more love and a little more laughter. / A little more good vibes, less disaster.”
18. It’s a Great Day to Be Alive by Travis Tritt
| Genre | Country |
| Year Released | 2000 |
| Album | Down the Road I Go |
Travis Tritt released his cover of this Darrell Scott song in December 2000. The hook of the song is incredibly catchy, daring you not to sing along. It serves to remind us that even if we’re just having an average day, “it’s a great day to be alive.” The song climbed Billboard’s Hot Country Songs and Hot 100 charts all the way to numbers 2 and 33, respectively. The narrator in the song tells us that he’s “feelin’ pretty good.” We could all benefit from heeding Tritt’s advice and be sure to appreciate the little things in life.
19. 5 O’clock Somewhere by Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffet
| Genre | Country |
| Year Released | 2003 |
| Album | Greatest Hits Volume II |
In an interview with American Songwriter, Don Rollins tells how he had the idea for the song just as a title but didn’t know how it would work musically. His co-writer, Jim “Moose” Brown, mentioned that he was working with another artist that was looking for a song with a Jimmy Buffett “Margaritaville” vibe. They both agreed that this could be a good direction to take the song. Impressively, they created the smash hit in just one two-hour session.
After Kenney Chesney and his management team passed on the song, it was pitched to Alan Jackson. He saw it as the perfect song to record with friend Jimmy Buffett. He was right. The song eventually became the number 3 country song of the decade (2000-2010) on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
20. In This Diary by The Ataris
| Genre | Pop Punk |
| Year Released | 2003 |
| Album | So Long, Astoria |
“In This Diary” is a pop punk song by the Anderson, Indiana band The Ataris. It’s about the memories of a great summer and reflecting on fun times, filled with images of typical adolescent mischief and shenanigans. “Breaking into hotel swimming pools. Lighting fireworks in parking lots. Cherry cokes under this moonlit summer night.” Too often, when we’re kids, we can’t wait to get older so we can drive cars, move out of the house, make our own rules, and so on. The Ataris remind us to appreciate our time spent as kids because “being grown up isn’t half as fun as growing up / These are the best days of our lives.”
21. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper
| Genre | Dance-Pop |
| Year Released | 1983 |
| Album | She’s So Unusual |
Growing up with an older sister in the 1980s, it seems like this song was always playing. It was wildly popular and had a big influence on 80s pop culture. The music video won the very first award for Best Female Video at MTV’s 1984 Video Music Awards.
Interestingly, when Cyndi Lauper was presented with the demo of the song, she didn’t initially want to record it. Thankfully for her and many music fans, she listened to her producer, Rick Chertoff, who was convinced it could become a smash hit. It was Lauper’s big break and would become the signature song of her career, climbing the charts and eventually becoming certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
22. Round Here by Florida Georgia Line
| Genre | Country |
| Year Released | 2012 |
| Album | Here’s to the Good Times |
Florida Georgia Line became only the second duo after Brooks & Dunn to achieve the feat of having their first three singles top the Country Airplay chart. “Round Here” is a summer anthem about working hard and playing harder. Like several songs on this list, the lyrics are about the narrator being tired from work but still “ready to raise some hell.” He’s done with work and anticipates heating things up with the girl he’s interested in. It may be a simple life, but he is proud of where he comes from and appreciates the good times he has had there. In 2019, the song was certified 3x Multi-Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
23. Knee Deep by Zac Brown Band featuring Jimmy Buffett
| Genre | Country |
| Year Released | 2011 |
| Album | You Get What You Give |
Having a good time is often as simple as forgetting about your worries and doing things that make you happy. The narrator in “Knee Deep” speaks of escaping his troubles and having fun at his favorite place: on a beach, soaking up the sunshine and good vibes. The song is reminiscent of the beach/paradise sound that Jimmy Buffett helped make popular. Buffett himself makes an appearance on the record and shares part of the song’s vocal duties. They sing, “never been so happy / never felt so high / and I think I might have found me my own kind of paradise.” “Knee Deep” is Zac Brown Band’s most successful song yet and was certified 3x Multi-Platinum by the RIAA.
24. Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen
| Genre | Pop Rock, Hard Rock, Power Pop |
| Year Released | 1979 |
| Album | Jazz |
One of the most quintessential songs about good times is “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen. The song is energetic and just plain fun to sing. Freddie Mercury shows off his famously brilliant vocals on the song’s catchy and clever melodies. Mister Fahrenheit sings, “So don’t stop me now, don’t stop me / ‘Cause I’m having a good time, having a good time.” The song has maintained its popularity and relevance over the years as it has been featured in many television shows, commercials, and films. It was certified 3x Multi-Platinum and is considered one of the best songs of its era.
25. Good Times Roll by The Cars
| Genre | New Wave, Power Pop, Synth Rock |
| Year Released | 1978 |
| Album | The Cars |
“Good Times Roll” was the third single released on The Cars’ 6x Multi-Platinum debut album. Producer, Roy Thomas Baker, created the song’s trademark harmonies by layering vocals on his 40-track machine. Writer and lead vocalist of the song, Ric Ocasek, initially thought the layered vocals sounded “way, way too much.” Eventually, though, he came to like the sound and admitted, “it grew on me later, and it sounded so smooth.” Speaking about the lyrics of the song, Ocasek said, “that was my song about what the good times in rock ‘n’ roll really mean, instead of what they’re supposed to be. It was kind of a parody of good times.” Billboard magazine described the song as “balladic” and said, “the moody sound belies the “let the good times roll” lyrics for a nice cynical twist.”
26. I Got A Feeling by Black Eyed Peas
| Genre | Dance-Pop, Hip Hop, R&B |
| Year Released | 2009 |
| Album | The E.N.D. |
“I Gotta Feeling” topped the charts in dozens of countries around the world. Certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America, it became the first song ever to sell over 7 million digital copies in the United States. It is ranked eighth on Billboard’s Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Songs list.
When asked about the Black Eyed Peas new single, Will.i.am told Annie Reuter of Marie Claire that “it’s dedicated to all the party people out there in the world that want to go out and party.” The international smash hit is certainly a great party song and sure to bring on the good positive vibes.
27. Good Time by Niko Moon
| Genre | Country Pop, Country Hip Hop |
| Year Released | 2019 |
| Album | Good Time |
Singer-songwriter Niko Moon told Kicks 99 radio station the backstory behind his first ever music video, “Good Time.” He stated, “my favorite part about making the video was that all my friends got to be a part of it. It just makes me smile cause it’s all my friends that I’m watching.” Check out the music video, and you can see Niko Moon with all of his friends, “tryna catch a good time” while partying out in the forest.
28. Glory Days by Bruce Springsteen
| Genre | Rock, Heartland Rock |
| Year Released | 1985 |
| Album | Born in the U.S.A. |
“Glory Days” is a song about reminiscing about the good old days. Bruce Springsteen bumps into an old friend at a bar, and they “sit around talking about the old times.” The single was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and was the fifth of seven Top 10 singles featured on Born in the U.S.A. As of July 2022, the “Glory Days” music video has nearly 50 million views on YouTube. Springsteen recently made a surprise appearance during the last concert of Paul McCartney’s Got Back US tour. The “Boss” and former Beatle rocked out together, performing “Glory Days” to the surprise and delight of all the fans at MetLife stadium.
29. Good Times by Chic
| Genre | Funk, Disco, R&B |
| Year Released | 1979 |
| Album | Risqué |
In an interview with Sway Calloway, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and legendary musician Nile Rodgers spoke about “Good Times” and the cultural impact of the group he co-founded, Chic. The song, and bassline, in particular, have been sampled extensively by other artists, most famously in Sugarhill Gang’s “Rappers Delight.” Rodgers spoke about the first time he heard his song being played by another musician at an event called “hip hop.” He stated, “you take something hip, and you hop on it. I went to a hip hop, as they called it, and the thing that they took that was hip, and they hopped on was “Good Times;” and all these emcees kept coming on stage, spitting rhymes to my song. Have a listen, and you’ll be moving and grooving, nodding your head to that famous bassline and singing “these are the good times.”
30. All Summer Long by Kid Rock
| Genre | Country Rock, Heartland Rock |
| Year Released | 2008 |
| Album | Rock n Roll Jesus |
Kid Rock certainly knows how to have a good time. His song “All Summer Long” recounts the carefree summer days he spent at the lake with friends and his girlfriend. The song pays tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd, as Rock speaks of his friends singing their hit “Sweet Home Alabama” all summer long. Rolling Stone magazine tells how the song was inspired by Bob Segar’s “Night Moves” and even sampled parts of Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London.” The lyrics contain classic images of summertime at the lake, like fishing, boating, and making memories on the water beneath the hot sun. It’s another song about not realizing you may be taking the good old days for granted, as his friends “thought those days would never end.”
31. Good Times by Sam Cooke
| Genre | Soul, R&B |
| Year Released | 1964 |
| Album | Good Times |
“Good Times” by the King of Soul, Sam Cooke, is about embracing the good times because you never know what life will bring next. Cooke sings, “I haven’t felt this good since I don’t know when / And I might not feel this good again / So come on and let the good times roll.” The song spent ten weeks on the Billboard Top 100 chart and peaked at number eleven on the list when it was released in early 1964.
32. The Nights by Avicii
| Genre | Progressive House, Folktronica |
| Year Released | 2014 |
| Album | The Days / Nights EP |
The first time I heard “The Nights” by Avicii was when I was playing the video game FIFA 15. Produced by Avicii, the song induces a feeling of euphoria with its infectious dance beat and positive lyrics. The song was co-written by Nicholas Furlong, largely a tribute to his father, while he was at a bar in Ireland. Furlong also is the song’s main vocalist. As of July 2022, the song has accumulated more than 1.1 billion streams on Spotify. The official music video has racked up over 880 million views on Youtube in less than eight years. The lyrics remind us to “live a life you will remember.”
33. Garth Brooks – Friends in Low Places
| Genre | Country |
| Year Released | 1990 |
| Album | No Fences |
Imagine looking forward to the release of your much-anticipated album, only for someone to unwittingly leak its debut single early. That’s exactly what happened when Garth Brooks’ own mother, Colleen Carroll, accidentally sent “Friends In Low Places” to a radio station in Oklahoma. It caused quite the stir and forced the hit song and album it was featured on to be released ahead of schedule. The song was originally written on paper napkins by Earl Bud Lee and Dewayne Blackwell while they were attending a party.
This is a classic feel-good country song about getting through life’s hardships with a little help from your friends. The chorus is undeniably catchy, and it’s easy to see why the song won the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music Awards for Single of the Year in 1990.
34. Good Day by Nappy Roots featuring Greg Street
| Genre | Southern Hip Hop, Pop Rap |
| Year Released | 2008 |
| Album | Humdinger |
Produced by Big Al and Greg Street, The Nappy Roots song “Good Time” immediately pulls you in with its catchy, upbeat piano riff. Then, a children’s ensemble sings the line that is sure to be stuck in your head for days: “We’re gonna have a good day.”
Certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, the song has had sustained success as it has been featured in several films and television commercials. The positive rap song was in 2016’s The Secret Life of Pets and more recently, a McDonald’s commercial, which shows people performing friendly gestures. The lyrics are uplifting and speak of not waiting for a good day but rather making today great. This is one of my personal favorite songs about good times.
35. Celebration by Kool & The Gang
| Genre | R&B, Soul, Funk, Disco |
| Year Released | 1980 |
| Album | Celebrate! |
You’ve probably heard this song before, whether it was at a party, wedding reception, or even a ball game. It was Kool & The Gang’s only single to become a number 1 hit on Billboard’s Hot 100. The year after its release, it frequently had air time on radio stations across the U.S. in honor of celebrating the peaceful resolution of the Iranian hostage crisis. It’s extremely catchy and is sure to bring out positive vibes. Don’t just take my word for it; in 2021, the Library of Congress selected “Celebration” for its “cultural, historical, and aesthetic importance in the United States recorded sound heritage.”
Wrap Up:
That does it for this article; let us know if there are any great songs that we missed in the comments below.
Hi, my name is Kevin and I’m from Butler, Pennsylvania. I’ve been obsessed with music and audio gear for as long as I can remember. I started this website to help people find professional advice related to a wide range of audio topics. We have a number of Audio Engineers on our team who have been designing and fixing audio gear for decades.