They weren't traditional. As simplistic and potentially annoying as the traditional "Happy Birthday" song was and is, it's part of the birthday tradition shared by a lot of English-speaking people, so it's special.
It's simply special, and nothing can replace it.
Ideally, works should be public domain long before they're traditional to that extent. It's just creepy for a company to assert ownership rights on some piece of culture that's been passed down through your family for generations.
It's simply special, and nothing can replace it.
Ideally, works should be public domain long before they're traditional to that extent. It's just creepy for a company to assert ownership rights on some piece of culture that's been passed down through your family for generations.