00:00La la la, la la la la la la la la la la
00:05Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 10 songs that have us singing that note to follow soul.
00:12Do re mi fa so la ti
00:17Number 10. Lola, The Kinks.
00:19One of the most well-known songs by The Kinks, Lola was written by the band's frontman Ray Davis in 1970.
00:25I met her in a club down in Old Soho
00:28More than just a catchy song that has endured as a classic rock staple, the song's lyrics are actually incredibly progressive for the time it was written.
00:35Lola tells the story of a young man's first encounter with gender nonconformity through Lola, who is either a transgender woman or a drag queen.
00:42She walked up to me and she asked me to dance
00:46I asked her her name and in a dark brown voice she said Lola
00:51It's a song that celebrates love without regard for traditional gender norms,
00:55and music historian J.D. Doyle cites the song as quote,
01:08Lola's catchy La La La's help the song pass radio censors, helping to bring this underrepresented subject matter to the world.
01:21Number 9. Dare La La La.
01:24Shakira.
01:25This 2014 dance-pop hit was two years in the making, with the singer giving birth to her
01:29first child and judging on the voice in the time between the music video being filmed
01:34and its release.
01:35Needless to say, there was plenty of build-up and anticipation surrounding the song for
01:46Shakira fans, and it did not disappoint.
01:49Its catchy Brazilian beats are upbeat and endlessly easy to dance to, and the song even
02:01became a secondary theme song for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
02:11A music video for the song's World Cup remix was released that features famous footballers
02:15alongside people of all ages from around the world, all joining Shakira in her la-la-lying.
02:208.
02:21La La La – Y2K and Baby No Money
02:29This song completely blew up on TikTok in 2019 due to its catchy and candid opening
02:36where Baby No Money blanks on the song's melody and has to be prompted by Y2K.
02:48That portion of the song has been played and replayed countless times in short-form video
02:53content, but the whole song is worth a listen as well.
03:03A remix of the song was also recorded, featuring Enrique Iglesias and Carly Rae Jepsen.
03:08It's a cool laid-back song with a catchy beat that takes us right back to 2019, and it definitely
03:14has some iconic la-la-la's.
03:157.
03:16La La La – Naughty Boy
03:27This hit single, produced by Naughty Boy with vocals by Sam Smith, features la-la-la lyrics
03:32that actually tie in with the meaning of the song.
03:41It refers to the way children often cover their ears and repeat la-la-la to block out
03:45unwanted noises, like lectures from a parent, taunting from a peer, or even a spoiler for
03:50a new movie.
03:59The song was inspired by No Doubt's Don't Speak, which also deals with the idea of wanting
04:03to avoid difficult conversations.
04:13More than just a catchy hook, this song's la-la-la's tap into a universal feeling of
04:17being confronted by the things we just don't want to hear.
04:236.
04:27Lovin' You – Minnie Riperton
04:36This dreamy and soulful song showcases the beautiful vocals of Minnie Riperton, and was
04:41written as a joint effort between the singer and her husband, Richard Rudolph.
04:51The song's affectionate lyrics clearly express the feelings held between the spouses and
04:55co-writers, but also the love they shared for their daughter, future comedy star Maya
05:00Rudolph, then just two years old.
05:02The song's delightfully sweet la-la-la's perfectly capture the times when words can't express
05:07the sheer amount of affection one feels for another.
05:16The song topped the charts, and has endured the test of time as one of the most enchanting
05:21songs ever written.
05:275.
05:31Can't Get You Outta My Head – Kylie Minogue
05:33Known as the Princess of Pop, Kylie Minogue's most popular song by far is the disco pop
05:38hit Can't Get You Outta My Head.
05:48When it comes to this dance classic, the one part we can never get out of our heads
05:52is the iconic la-la-la hook.
05:54It's hard to imagine any other voice behind this song, but it was actually pitched first
05:58to both S Club 7 and Sophie Ellis Baxter before it was successfully offered to Minogue.
06:10The singer instantly knew it would be a hit, and jumped on the opportunity to record it.
06:22She was spot on.
06:23Can't Get You Outta My Head is a seminal classic of 2000s pop music, and we expect
06:28to be hearing it for decades to come.
06:334.
06:38La-La-La-La-La – A Touch of Class
06:46Speaking of early 2000s classics, you cannot talk about la-la-la songs without also mentioning
06:52this Europop hit from A Touch of Class, better known by their initials ATC.
07:02The song is sung in English by a Germany-based group, but it's actually a cover of a Russian
07:08song, Pesenka, by pop duo Rukivir.
07:10The English translation made the song much more accessible to a wider global audience,
07:14and the cover far exceeded the popularity of the original song.
07:24It's impossible not to get moving and grooving to this high-energy, incredibly catchy song.
07:343.
07:38Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
07:40The oldest song on our list, Brown Eyed Girl was originally considered to be too racy to
07:44be played on the radio in its original form.
07:52Though it might seem innocent to us in the modern age, lyrics like Making Love in the
07:56Green Grass were cut from the song for radio play in its earliest years.
08:04Of course, the song's la-la-las were safe from censorship, and have been present in
08:09every iteration of the song.
08:14It's one of the most enduring songs of its era.
08:17Although technically the lyrics are sha-la-la and not la-la-la, we'll give this song a
08:22pass because it's just too good.
08:272.
08:30The Passenger – Iggy Pop
08:32Right off the bat, this song hooks you in with its hypnotic guitar riff and Iggy Pop's
08:36rich vocals.
08:43But The Passenger's la-la-las might take diehard rock fans by surprise with the addition
08:47of a familiar voice.
08:54The backing vocals for this proto-punk song were provided by none other than Pop's close
08:59friend and collaborator, music icon David Bowie, who also plays piano on the track.
09:11Bowie's contribution helps turn this already legendary song into a piece of rock history,
09:16and a testament to the two musicians' chemistry and immense talents.
09:401.
09:41Don't You Forget About Me – Simple Minds
09:43This song was written for one of the most memorable, decade-defining movies of the 80s,
09:48The Breakfast Club, and has become an enduring anthem in its own right.
09:55Although it was an instant hit when it was recorded, the band Simple Minds initially
09:59rejected the song when approached by its producer.
10:02They preferred to sing their own material, but after some convincing and a few rewrites,
10:07they agreed to record the song.
10:17One of those key rewrites was done by the band's lead vocalist Jim Care, who added the
10:22unforgettable hey-hey-hey and those famous la-la-las.
10:32This song is well-known across many generations, aided by the fact that it's been prominently
10:36covered several times, and for good reason.
10:45Which non-lexical vocal should we count down next?
10:48Na-na-na?
10:49Do-do-do?
10:50Tell us in the comments!
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