What does happiness sound like? That is the question the United Nations is asking as part of its latest campaign to support this year’s International Day of Happiness.

#HappySoundsLike is a global appeal for people to “nominate a song that brings a smile to your face”, and given the intense debates about the playlist in the Mediaworks office, we thought we’ve asked some of our staff what song makes them happy.

The Housemartins – Happy Hour (John Hannen – Digital Marketing Executive)

“I love Happy Hour by The Housemartins.  It reminds me of my school days, sunny afternoons, desert boots and Nike cagoules. Hull 4, London 0?  Dunno’ about that but ‘Happy Hour’ put a smile on plenty of Kentish faces back in 1986.”

Donna Summer – I Feel Love (Jenny Adair – Digital Marketing Executive)

“It’s hard not to ‘feel love’ and happy when you hear this song. I think the words and build-up at the beginning literally charges you up and nothing else matters in that moment, you’re carefree and ready for anything!”

Duke Dumont – The Giver [Reprise] (Craig Bradshaw – Head of Creative)

“I loved the original version of this song when it came out in 2012, but I guarantee that this updated version will be one of the songs of the summer! The addition of a vocal to a dance track can sometimes spoil it, but this one somehow manages to stay faithful to the original whilst also managing to adding an element of classic Chicago House.”

Cab Calloway – Happy Feet (Beth Dennis – Digital Marketing Manager)

“It makes me happy because It reminds me of dancing penguins…of course! “

The Beatles – Here Comes The Sun (Will Cook – SEO Executive)

“Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles is a great positive mood song as it incorporates a few different factors. Firstly, the backing tune is both catchy & positive. The song is written in the key of A major – major keys encompass notes perceived as being ‘happy’ by the general population, and so instantly puts a positive vibe to the song. The song opens with the refrain “here comes the sun”. Sunlight tends to make people happy, adding to the positive emphasis. Additionally, this conjures up mental imagery of a new dawn, which is widely seen as a happy occurrence given its association with making a fresh start. This ‘new start’ theme reappears in other lyrics within the song, such as “it’s been a long cold lonely winter” & “the smiles returning to the faces”, both of which suggest that negativity is in the past and is being replaced by something positive. The song finishes on the line “It’s all right, it’s all right”, providing reassurance to the listener that although we are entering a new phase, we are right to leave the negative past behind and embrace the bright future ahead.”

Cast – Alright (Ross Palmer – Head of Design)

“This was my introduction to Britpop, and the start of my musical generation. A perfect three and half minute pop song but played with lads and loud guitars who wore trainers and parkas. Impossible to listen to without tapping your feet and drumming your desk like an idiot. And it was a cracking album too – happy days. Can’t believe it’s 20 years old. I feel less happy about that.”

Do you agree with any of our choices? Feel free to let us know what song makes you happy in the comments below.