Handpicked by Our Editors

"Wash Your Hands" (CD single)
Age 3+
4

"Wash Your Hands" (CD single)

Why We Recommend It

Feel like a broken record about clean hands? This cute ditty may make an impression and send kids to the sink.

Read our full review
From Elmo to Eminem you can trust our children's music reviews.

Kids of all ages love music. For our littlest children, music helps build vocabulary and coordination. For our older kids, music expresses passions and angst. But finding kids' music that has messages you feel comfortable with can take some homework on parents' part. Luckily, our reviews give you what you need to know to choose and manage kids' music.

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She Wolf by Shakira
Parents Need to Know...

that overall this album is mostly OK for young teens, but parents should still be ready to talk about certain issues. A discussion about healthy relationships might be in order since this album presents some iffy role models for kids ... read more

Age 13+
She Wolf
4
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"Fireflies" (CD single) by Owl City
Parents Need to Know...

that though the lyrics in this song are somewhat nonsensical, they contain no real show-stoppers in the way of profane language, sexual references, or other adult themes. read more

Age 10+
"Fireflies" (CD single)
3
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My World by Justin Bieber
Parents Need to Know...

that MY WORLD is an album full of clean songs about the typical tween concerns like crushes, breakups, and prom. read more

Age 10+
My World
3
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Echo by Leona Lewis
Parents Need to Know...

that even though there's a lot of emotional turmoil here, listeners also get a healthy dose of inspiration and motivation. Lewis deals with the weighty issues of loss and unrequited love, but manages to also remind her audience that ... read more

Age 10+
Echo
5
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Battle Studies by John Mayer
Parents Need to Know...

that in both his lifestyle and music, John Mayer is just a little too mature for younger kids -- engaging in public relationships with various women and singing about adult topics like substance use and one-night stands.  read more

Age 12+
Battle Studies
4
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"Russian Roulette" (CD single) by Rihanna
Parents Need to Know...

that RUSSIAN ROULETTE is about a girl holding a gun, deciding whether or not to shoot herself. The song ends with a gun going off.  Though the song includes no graphic language, it does contain references to suicide that will disturb ... read more

Age 15+
"Russian Roulette" (CD single)
2
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Before I Self Destruct by 50 Cent
Parents Need to Know...

that although this album might not be as sick and twisted as Eminem's Relapse, it does focus on violent threats and imagery. 50 Cent talks about shooting people that don't see things his way and discusses more varieties of guns than most ... read more

No Kids
Before I Self Destruct
2
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Putumayo Presents: A Family Christmas by Various Artists
Parents Need to Know...

that unlike other Putumayo albums, this one is mainly in English, and the songs are spins of traditional, secular Christmas tunes. That being said, there is still a "world flavor" to the music that gives this holiday disc the ... read more

Age 2+
Putumayo Presents: A Family Christmas
5
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"Favorite Girl" (CD single) by Justin Bieber
Parents Need to Know...

that this is another clean release from Justin Bieber, containing nothing more than one boy’s innocuous expressions of affection for his girlfriend. read more

Age 10+
"Favorite Girl" (CD single)
3
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"I Can Transform Ya" (CD single) by Chris Brown
Parents Need to Know...

that  this combo rap-R&B song by Chris Brown offers lots of references to girls and material goods, but it doesn't incorporate profane language or graphic descriptions of sex, drinking/drugs, and violence.  read more

Age 13+
"I Can Transform Ya" (CD single)
3
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"Tik Tok" (CD single) by Ke$ha
Parents Need to Know...

in general this is a fun, frivolous song about hitting the clubs and partying with friends. But several references to alcohol (including brushing teeth with Jack Daniels) may lead listeners to the conclusion that in order to party hearty, ... read more

Age 15+
"Tik Tok" (CD single)
3
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Glee: The Music, Vol. 1 by Glee Cast
Parents Need to Know...

that while the TV show Glee includes some eyebrow-raising moments, this soundtrack of cover songs from the show is a shade cleaner, offering no foul language or heavy references to adult themes like sex and drugs. read more

Age 10+
Glee: The Music, Vol. 1
4
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"Forever" (CD single) by Drake
Parents Need to Know...

that the lyrics in FOREVER are extra mature in just about every way, including plenty of references to violent situations, mentions of drug use, sexual allusions, and swearing.  read more

Age 15+
"Forever" (CD single)
3
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"Empire State of Mind" (CD single) by Jay-Z
Parents Need to Know...

this single is milder than most rap songs and cleaner than most of Jay-Z's other works. There are a few questionable traits to the song, however, that make it best for teens and up. First, there's the use of the N-word, plus a few other ... read more

Age 14+
"Empire State of Mind" (CD single)
4
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Go Waggaloo by Sarah Lee Guthrie
Parents Need to Know...

that most of the songs are sweet and sound for little ones, but there are a few minor mentions of death. Of course, many kids won't notice, but it's worth noting if your child is sensitive. read more

Age 4+
Go Waggaloo
3
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"Wash Your Hands" (CD single) by Bill Harley
Parents Need to Know...

that if you're tired of telling your kids to "Wash your hands!" or "Use hand sanitizer!" every two seconds, now there's a fun song to remind them so you don't have to. It even gives steps to staying healthy during the ... read more

Age 3+
"Wash Your Hands" (CD single)
4
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"Love Me" (CD single) by Justin Bieber
Parents Need to Know...

that there’s not a lot to worry about in this single: it lacks foul language and mature content, focusing instead on innocent -- and idealized -- puppy love. read more

Age 10+
"Love Me" (CD single)
3
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"Bad Romance" (CD single) by Lady GaGa
Parents Need to Know...

that this song is more of the same from Lady GaGa: she uses a celebratory tone to describe a dysfunctional relationship, making it seem more cool than wrong. The word "bitch" is repeated throughout, and there is one minor sexual ... read more

Age 12+
"Bad Romance" (CD single)
3
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Fearless Platinum Edition by Taylor Swift
Parents Need to Know...

that like all of Taylor Swift's music, her new FEARLESS PLATINUM EDITION CD/DVD is great for tweens: it contains nothing offensive, yet it's relevant enough for young adults to like. read more

Age 12+
Fearless Platinum Edition
4
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I Told You I Was Freaky by Flight of the Conchords
Parents Need to Know...

that although this album's humor is good-natured and mainly self-effacing, the language and sexual themes make the songs only appropriate for older audiences. The album covers adult themes like prostitution, the male anatomy, and ... read more

Age 14+
I Told You I Was Freaky
3
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"Papers" (CD single) by Usher
Parents Need to Know...

that this song touches on a serious topic: divorce. Usher doesn't use swear words or go into graphic detail about the intimate details, but his general description of an exceptionally difficult marriage and subsequent break-up will still ... read more

Age 13+
"Papers" (CD single)
3

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