I’m the type of person who likes themes. My living room is tropical. My bedroom is roses. My kitchen is country. And my music is categorized according to themes as well. I’ve my favorite rock and roll playlist for when I’m feeling a bit old and need to prove to myself I can still strum the guitar and beat the drums to Led Zepellin, Bad Company and Pink Floyd. I’ve my favorite classical playlist for when I need an incentive to call it a day and get a good night’s sleep. I’ve my favorite beach tunes playlist for when I long for frolicking in the ocean. I even have a playlist for my favorite food songs!

On Top Of Spaghetti (10), which was written by folk singer Tom Glazer, continues to delight children of all ages. Put a plate of spaghetti on the table and there’s sure to be a “funny” Uncle Paul or Aunt Debbie lurking about who will entertain those within hearing range with On Top of Spaghetti. Why do I love this song? It’s the cleanest way I know for committing the forbidden “Don’t Play With Your Food.”

Sugar, Sugar (9) by the Archies, Lollipop (8) by the Chordettes, Mashed Potato Time (7) by Dee Dee Sharp and Fats Domino’s Blueberry Hill (6) are my “golden oldies” for dancing around the kitchen while tossing a salad, cracking eggs or flipping omelets and burgers. The lyrics of these songs, which are easy to learn, are perfectly complimented with the legendary 60’s sound that appeals to dancing feet throughout the world.

I Want It Now (5), a song appearing in the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, makes my list for two reasons. Whenever I see little children displaying their terrible two’s “I want it now attitude, “ my children included, I can’t help but remember Julie Dawn Cole’s portrayal of Violet Salt as she sings to her father about wanting “geese to lay gold eggs, bean feasts, cream buns and doughnuts and fruits with no nuts, and ten thousand tons of ice cream.” Being a child when the movie came out, I am also reminded of singing “oompah loompah doompadee doo” with my elementary school friends as we walked about the classroom as oompahs do.

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Another song making my top ten list is Lemon Tree (4) by Fool’s Garden. This song, which admittedly is not full of references to food beyond a yellow lemon tree, makes my top ten list for its perky pick-me-up melody.

The Onion Song (3), which is a duet performed by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, is another great food song. Using the analogy of a great big onion, which is meant to represent all the people in the world, and spices that are added in the cooking process, to represent the hurt and pain that often make us cry, this song offers a unique perspective for how to tackle everyday prejudices. That is, “And the only way to get rid of this great big onion, Is to plant love seeds until it dies.”

Rupert Holmes’ song Escape, known throughout the world as The Pina Colada (2) song, was released during my teens. This song makes my top ten list because I love the irony at the end when two people who feel bored and unsure of their relationship wander into a clandestine meeting, arranged through a personal ad in the newspaper, to discover they had been communicating with each other.

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Sitting at the top of my playlist is Candy Man (1) as sung by Sammy Davis, Jr. There are no exceptions here – the song must be sung by Sammy Davis Jr. to make my top ten food songs. As with The Onion Song, Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, who wrote the words and composed the music for Candy Man, uses food to demonstrate that when we all come together as one people the world will be a better place. A chocolate candy bar is delightful but toss in some almonds, walnuts or coconut and it becomes scrumptious. Why? Because, “the candy man thinks it should.” I agree. What about you? What are your favorite food songs?