Kids Music Rocks

If your previous (painful) experience with kids’ music is limited to a nasally purple dinosaur singing “I love you, you love me...” over and over again in a hypnotic trance of adult brain cell destruction, you might be pleasantly surprised at some of the new offerings in the category. Current and former rock bands like Devo and They Might Be Giants are diving into making music for kids. And, with offerings that please both parents and kids, they are kicking former staples such as Barney and Raffi from the top of the kids’ charts. Some online retailers like Baby Rock Apparel®, Baby Wit® and Metal Babies® are even taking advantage of the new trend by selling classic rock T-shirts and onesies to clothe the next generation of hipsters.

WonderGroup’s Perspective

Marketers and musicians are realizing more than ever that kids’ music is a shared experience. There is a parent in the driver’s seat whenever the kids are listening. This new generation of parents doesn’t equate having kids with getting old. They still feel young and want music that not only is appropriate and enjoyable for their kids, but is also something they can enjoy (not just tolerate) themselves. And, for musicians, the fact that little kids have no preconceived notion of how music is supposed to be can be attractively liberating. Even if much of the music still covers kid themes, the fact that it has a more energetic beat and comes from bands they loved and grew up with, can make the whole experience a bit more palatable for today’s parents.