In an age of iPad kids with “Cocomelon” addictions, education is a very undervalued aspect of children’s entertainment. The federal government is no longer funding the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), an American non-commercial television station focused primarily on providing free educational programming to the public.
There is still a lot of good children’s media being produced. For example: “Bluey”, the “Reading Rainbow” reboot, and “Sesame Street”. However, a good chunk of quality children’s media has been traded for AI “slop” and “brainrot” content found on the internet.
While I am not an expert on children by any measure, I’m pretty sure watching this soulless garbage cannot be good for developing brains.
The effects of raising children with an iPad as a babysitter are not very clear yet, as this technology is fairly new. But why wait to find out? The best children’s programming has already been made.
Debuting in 1973, “Schoolhouse Rock!” is incredibly fun, catchy, and educational. I missed the era of “Schoolhouse Rock!” airing on TV by a few years, but throughout my education, teachers frequently showed “Schoolhouse Rock!” songs to help us understand different concepts across the core subjects.
These simple tunes transcend generations. My parents grew up watching them, I grew up watching them, and I hope they’ll continue to be shown to classrooms for generations to come. So, here are my top ten favorite “Schoolhouse Rock!” songs.
10. “Three Ring Government”
The writers of “Schoolhouse Rock!” were genius for their use of analogies. While this song isn’t very catchy, it’s a great way to explain how the federal government is organized.
9. “No More Kings”
As a whole, “Schoolhouse Rock!” does a great job covering history in a way that’s easily digestible. This song is no exception, simplifying the early years of America into a simple concept that still holds true today.
8. “Three is a Magic Number”
The number three is truly magical. “Schoolhouse Rock!” might have several different songs about specific numbers, but three is my absolute favorite.
7. “Electricity, Electricity”
Although simplistic, this is probably the catchiest “Schoolhouse Rock!” song of all time. Almost every line ends with the repeated phrase “electricity, electricity”. It’s a great way to introduce electricity to young minds.
6. “Sufferin’ ‘til Sufferage”
This song is still how I remember which amendment secured women’s right to vote. My favorite part is the list of influential women in the women’s suffrage movement. This song is an underrated gem and I love the word play in the title.
5. “The Great American Melting Pot”
This song is very simple yet effective. The animation is full of cute visuals and the message is a good reminder even today: America is a very culturally diverse land, but no matter where your family is from, you belong here.
4. “The Preamble”
This tune is the most useful of the “Schoolhouse Rock!” songs. I remember using it in 5th grade to help me memorize the preamble. The non-preamble parts of this song are less well-known as compared to the preamble chorus, but still very well written.
3. “Conjunction Junction”
While this song is very elementary and simplistic, it’s thoroughly enjoyable thanks to the jazzy vocals and cute animation. Comparing conjunctions to train cars that get hooked together illustrates the concept beautifully for kids to easily understand.
2. “Interplanet Janet”
This song has one of my favorite “Schoolhouse Rock!” animations of all time. I love how it’s a bit of a time capsule, since it treats Pluto like any of the other planets despite its semi-recent demotion.
1. “I’m Just a Bill”
“I’m Just a Bill” is arguably the most iconic Schoolhouse Rock song of all time. This song takes the form of a conversation between a kid and an anthropomorphic bill. Besides being incredibly catchy, this song makes the lawmaking process easily digestible for young children.
