The Best Songs That Help Us Learn

Earlier this month, the Meyer Levin School for the Performing Arts put out a Gangnam Style parody video about Long Division. I dare you not to enjoy this:

For all the goofiness, songs have a long history of helping us learn things. Take the ABC’s for example:

Or everyone’s favorite history lesson—the Bill on Capitol Hill.

Want to learn all the states and capitals? Try this Animaniacs song:

Actually, the Animaniacs are doing more than their fair share of education in this country. Here’s another song about the nations of the world:

The difference between Istanbul and Constantinople? Bam, there’s a song for that too:

And for the chemists, Tom Lehrer has a song of the elements (that existed at the time):

Go forth and learn while singing, my friends.

More from Smithsonian.com:

Good Morning Curiosity – Wake up With the Same Songs as a Mars Rover

Rose Eveleth | | READ MORE

Rose Eveleth was a writer for Smart News and a producer/designer/ science writer/ animator based in Brooklyn. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Scientific American, Story Collider, TED-Ed and OnEarth.