The world just seems to spiral out of control every now and then, and right now it is practically spinning off its axis. This seems like a good time to escape into yesteryear, when life was simpler (at least that what we’ll pretend), people weren’t hooked on personal devices…and family movies had some great music.

There might be a couple of new earworms here and there, but back in the 70s and 80s there were some classics that we just can’t replica today, no matter how much we try.

For example, the 70s started out with a Disney ditty that brought the hot jazz of Paris into the animal world of The Aristocats.

Everybody Wants to Be a Cat

Written by Floyd Henderson and Al Rinker, this song has been covered by a lot of cool artists, but Scatman Cruthers leading this group of jazzy cats literally brings the house down. I don’t want to hear about any “problematic” racial stereotypes. All these cats rule, and they own their personal style.

Pure Imagination

Remember Anthony Newley? He did the songs for the 1971 children’s acid trip which was Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory. Sammy Davis Jr. may have turned the “The Candy Man” into a 70s style Las Vegas mainstay, but the song that makes us all smile is “Pure Imagination” sung by Gene Wilder. I’m one of the few people who might admit to also loving Johnny Depp’s Wonka (I didn’t see the Timothy Chalamet version), but no one will replace Wilder who could swing easily from unhinged weirdness to the wistful “dreamer of dreams.”

The Rainbow Connection

In the 80s, the rainbow wasn’t a symbol of a sexuality, but a beautiful sign of imagination, hope and chasing your dreams. Paul Williams wrote one of the most beautiful songs ever for The Muppet Movie and it is still perfect today. Everyone wants to cover it, but Kermit the Frog does it best. He even gave people a small slice of happiness in 2020, outclassing other celebrities who were smugly “sharing our pain” in their massive backyards.

The Neverending Story Theme

I know this movie was cheesy, but we still cried when Artax died in the Swamp of Sadness, and you can’t tell me you don’t want your own luck dragon like the Falkor. I do! Also, I know everyone is ready to sing along with this title track from a well-loved one hit wonder, Limahl, who came from a one hit wonder band, Kajagoogoo.

I realize it is easy to lose hope in the way humanity acts. However, we still gotta hang onto our dreams, even if it means returning to our own childhoods of candy filled factories, the rooftops of France, bears in their natural habitats of a Studebaker, and into magical books.

Reach the stars! Fly a fantasy!…Dream a dream!