HELP! Need Wedding Playlist!!

November 11, 2009 1:35 AM

HELP! I am (was) using my ipod instead of a DJ for my wedding that is in 10 days and it just CRASHED! It synched to my computer without warning and now all my wedding playlists are GONE! I'm a dope and only very recently started using an external hard drive...long story short I need help to rebuild my wedding playlists. With the stress of the wedding planning I cant even remember to poop, let alone the collection of music ive been building for years!!

I would appreciate ANY and ALL recommendations but I need the most help with the dance portion. I love all kinds of music from all eras and I want to make sure there are some dance hits from my school days ie TLC, SWV etc but I also want to play some newer hits and I am suffering serious brain fart. I'm also 6 months pregnant so I have baby brain as they say.

So far my playlists are thus (in a nutshell)

Preceremony/seating:

sun kil moon, joni mitchell, elvis, alasdair roberts, some instrumental stuff etc., peter gabriel

Dinner/Cocktail:

cocteau twins, yo la tango, van morrison, fleetwood mac, sufjan stevens, nina simone, otis redding, nuetral milk hotel

Dancing:

MGMT, MIA, Soldia Boy, JAson Derulo, Kool & the gang, outkast, madonna, pssion pit, cure, aha, TI, iggy pop, peter bjorn and john, daftpunk, the knife, george michael.......

posted by madmamasmith to media & arts (21 comments total)

Everyone dances to Motown.
posted by robcorr at 1:50 AM on November 11 [3 favorites has favorites]

Seconding Motown. Don't be afraid to be a little cheesier than normal. You're catering for a broad church.

Also see a previous AskMe for help.

Oh, and don't stress. As long as you and your SO turn up, you have alcohol and food, everything else is pretty peripheral. Seriously.
posted by MuffinMan at 2:00 AM on November 11 [1 favorite has favorites]

You might want to consider outsourcing this job. I bet you any money there's someone in your extended circle of friends who'd DJ your wedding for $100. Or ask one of the bridesmaids or someone close like that to do it. Or email each person in the wedding party and ask them to put together one CD of music in a certain type- (one for the cocktails, one for dinner, several for dancing, etc) and then just put the dance stuff on your iPod and hit shuffle, and play the other CDs at the right times. This particular workload can easily be shared- music is pretty easy and everyone has some.
posted by twistofrhyme at 2:53 AM on November 11 [1 favorite has favorites]

With the stress of the wedding planning I cant even remember...

Stop. Hammertime.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 3:14 AM on November 11 [3 favorites has favorites]

I like twistofrhyme's idea. It's a very good one. This is the sort of situation a best man or maid of honor was invented for. Hand the job over to one or both of them (assuming you have one or both) and let them delegate. If you don't have attendants, I am very, very sure that a good friend would be more than happy to help you.
posted by cooker girl at 3:40 AM on November 11

Etta James. At Last.
posted by spinturtle at 3:40 AM on November 11

Everyone dances to Brown Eyed Girl. It's weird.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 4:41 AM on November 11

My bride put me in charge of making the soundtrack for our wedding, because I'm incompetent in other areas and she needed something to occupy my nervous energy. I made a handful of CDs and put them in a disc changer. Music for Mingling, First Dance, Father/Bride Dance, Dance CD 1, etc.

Neill Young's Harvest Moon went well. So did Pizzicato 5 for the buffet line.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 4:44 AM on November 11 [1 favorite has favorites]

Funny music that generally gets people dancing (intersperse this - pick songs that have facepalm effect with your friends)
Gettin Jiggy With It - Will Smith
I'm Too Sexy - Right Said Fred
Baby Got Back - Sir Mix-A-Lot
Rumpshaker - Wreckx-n-effects
Hey-Ya! - Outkast
Ninja Rap - Vanilla Ice
Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC
We Like to Party - Vengabus
Barbie Girl - Aqua
Rubberneckin - Elvis Presley (good for bridal introductions if the groomsmen are in the front and the bridesmaids are coming in individually)
posted by Nanukthedog at 4:49 AM on November 11

Question - did you create the playlists in itunes? If so they are (probably) still there - unless you removed them in itunes, too.
posted by getawaysticks at 5:23 AM on November 11

Ooh I just DJed a fairly successful nonstop dance party and each one of these was a complete hit:
I Want You Back (Rogerseven Remiz) - Jackson 5
Paper Planes - M.I.A.
Make Her Say - Kid Cudi featuring Kayne West
She Wolf - Shakira
Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town - Cake (cover)
Bossy - Kelis
Wraithed Pinned to an Ancient Mystic Mountain - of Montreal
Cape Code Kawassa Kawassa - Vampire Weekend
First... and Then - Handsome Boy Modeling School
I Got a Feeling - Black Eyed Peas
Judy is a Punk - Ramones
Gimme that Nut - Eazy E
Bubble Pop - Del the Funky Homosapain
Mr. Blue Sky - ELO
Another Bites the Dust remix - Party Ben
Atomic - Blondie
Send Me and Angel - Pet Shop Boys
U.K. Girls (Physical remix) - Goldfrapp
Good Girls Go Bad - Cobra Starship
Lip Gloss - Lil Mama
Young Folks - Peter Bjorn and John
99 Problems - Jay-Z featuring DJ Dangermouse and The Beatles
I'll Believe in Anything - Wolf Parade
posted by banannafish at 5:48 AM on November 11

Send me a mefimail with your email address and when I get home tonight I'll send you a copy of my wedding playlist from a month ago. The dance portion went especially well, in my opinion.
posted by thejanna at 5:50 AM on November 11

A sampling of what we had for dance music at our wedding. We trended heavily towards the 80s/90s, and then our DJ added in some of the contemporary stuff. Obviously some of these are slower, for all the lovers out there. Also, everyone dances to Prince.

Heart of Glass / Blondie
Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps / Cake
Sea of Love / Cat Power
Love Song / The Cure
Girl U Want / Devo
Tenderness / General Public
Freedom / George Michael
Kiss on My List / Hall & Oates
Rock with You / Michael Jackson
Shake Your Body Down To The Ground (Extended Disco Mix) / Jacksons
I'll Stop the World / Modern English
Promises, Promises / Naked Eyes
Candy Girl / New Edition
If You Leave / Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
In Your Eyes / Peter Gabriel
Take Me With You / Prince
1999 / Prince
Kiss / Prince
Crazy Little Thing Called Love / Queen
Peekaboo / Siouxsie & the Banshees
Bust a Move / Young MC
posted by bedhead at 6:23 AM on November 11

For new and dancey stuff, the hype machine lists songs for free download from a bazillion different music blogs. Not everyone likes it because you have to go through a few clicks and navigate away from hype to the actual blogs to do the downloading but as someone who wasn't sure what I was looking for, I found the "reviews" really helpful. When I find a song I like on a blog I like, I just go through their archives and grab everything.

Also, if you like Sufjan and Outkast, I think you'll love this song as much as I do
Tor / Sufjan Stevens - Dumb I Sound / ATLiens (f. Outkast) Lyrics may not be wedding appropriate though.

You might like the whole Tor mixtape, which is a free download.

here is the playlist from our little wedding. We were with 12 friends in Tahoe and didn't really dance. We just kind of hung out and listened to the cheesey songs we like. Maybe something in there is suitable for the dinner/cocktail portion.

1. Enya - Sail Away (3:46)
2. Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (DJ Infinity Mix) (7:50)
3. Everything but the Girl - Rollercoaster (3:13)
4. De La Soul - Eye Know (4:13)
5. Mazzy Star Fade Into You (4:55)
6. P J Harvey - Good Fortune (3:20)
7. Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah (6:53)
8. Aquagen - Hard to say I'm sorry (3:13)
9. Modern English - Melt With You (3:53)
10. Peter Gabriel - In Your Eyes (5:29)
11. PJ Harvey - Is This Love (3:51)
12. Sade - its Only Love That Gets You Through (3:53)
13. Des'ree - Kissing You (4:58)
14. Echo & the Bunnymen - Lips Like Sugar (4:54)
15. Eurithmics - Love is a Stranger (3:39)
16. Sade - Lover's Rock (4:14)
17. Mazzy Star - Fade into you (4:54)
18. Stevie Wonder - My Cherie Amour (2:51)
19. Nina Simone - Ne me quitte pas (3:38)
20. Nina Simone - My Baby Just Cares for Me (3:36)
21. Sade - Nothing can come between us (3:52)
22. Bob Marley - One Love (2:48)
23. Enya - Only Time (3:40)
24. Yazoo - Only You (3:09)
25. Proclaimers - I Would Walk 500 Miles (3:36)
26. Roxy Music - Avalon (4:16)
27. Sade - By Your Side (4:34)
28. Sade - Love Is Stronger Than Pride (4:18)
29. Cat Power - Sea of Love (2:14)
30. Cat Power - Still In Love (3:29)
31. Bob Marley - Sugar Sugar (2:48)
32. Mazzy Star - Wild Horses (4:24)
33. Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams Are Made of These(4:54)
34. Dido - Thank You (3:45)
35. The Cure - Love Song (3:30)
36. Norah Jones - The Nearness Of You (3:07)
37. PJ Harvey - This Is Love (3:48)
38. Everything But the Girl - Time After Time (4:29)
39. Lucious Jackson - Water Your Garden (4:24)
40. The White Stripes - Fell In Love With A Girl (1:50)
41. Oh Brother Soundtrack - You Are My Sunshine (4:27)
42. Sade - Your Love Is King (3:41)
43. New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle (3:51)
44. Van Morrison - Brown-Eyed Girl (3:05)
45. Sade - By Your Side The Neptunes remix (3:59)
46. Lick The Tins - Can't Help Falling in Love With You (3:09)
47. Norah Jones - Come Away with Me (3:05)
48. Bob Dylan & Van Morrison - Crazy Love (2:35)
49. DJ Mystic - Unchained Melody (Trance mix) (6:43)
50. Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel - Don't Give Up (5:55)
51. Dramarama - Anything, Anything (3:20)
posted by simbiotic at 6:30 AM on November 11

Make sure you're creating these new playlists in iTunes and then dragging them onto the iPod. Unfortunately, there's no way to drag them off the iPod and into iTunes.
posted by phatkitten at 6:42 AM on November 11

Danceable Top 40 hits from the past year here.

To which I would add:
Cascada - Evacuate the Dance Floor
Beyonce – Halo
-or-
Kelly Clarkson – Already Gone

Music from the TLC era here.
posted by yawper at 6:57 AM on November 11

I would like to add to the people who have already said, "Don't Stress About It". Music is great, but the "perfect playlist" isn't going to make or break your wedding. Make sure that the one or two or three songs that you REALLY need to play are in place, and pick fun stuff for the rest of it.

Maybe solicit suggestions from your guests! What I'm trying to say is, with a few exceptions (first dance, etc), the music at your wedding is on the list below at least a half dozen other things that your guests will be paying more attention to.

Don't sweat it. Choose stuff you like and forget about it. You've got more important things to worry about! Like enjoying your wedding!
posted by Aquaman at 8:31 AM on November 11

People are really into Michael Jackson right now. Definitely do Thriller or Beat It, but maybe throw in some slightly more obscure so people go "Oh man I love this song!"...may I suggest Jam?

Have you poked around Pandora? It might help you come up with some good playlists just by typing in one of the artists you mentioned.
posted by radioamy at 9:53 AM on November 11

Low - T-Pain feat. Flo-Rida (almost never fails)
Ignition Remix - R. Kelly (a smooth jam makes for a nice slow-dance transition)
Single Ladies - Beyonce (a little on the nose for a wedding, but it comes with its own dance, albeit a crazy difficult one)
Just Dance - Lady Gaga (do what she says or she'll use her Illuminati powers on you)
SOS - Rihanna (a strong, obvious beat can get even non-dancers on the floor)
posted by mhum at 9:59 AM on November 11

Would you consider instrumental for the Dinner/Cocktail portion as well? I would like to suggest anything by Astor Piazzolla.
posted by spec80 at 10:21 AM on November 11

I just did this and it worked out AWESOME! I had a friend help out for the timing of the ceremony and special music, but once the dance music got started I was able to control it. Below are the songs we played for dinner music and dance music:

Dinner Jazz:
Milt Jackson - Thinking of You
Buddy DeFranco - Blues Connotation
Dave Brubeck - Take Five
Kenny Dorham - La Villa
Miles Davis - All Blues
Milt Jackson - Afternoon in Paris
Art Blakey - It's A Long Way Down (Bonus)
Count Basie - Oh Lady Be Good
Clifford Brown - Joy Spring
Milt Jackson - Whisper Not
Kai Winding - Out of This World
Sonny Clark - Deep Night
Duke Ellington - Take The "A" Train
Kenny Dorham - K.D.'s Motion
Milt Jackson - Ill Wind
Lee Morgan - Tom Cat
John Coltrane - Moment's Notice
Art Blakey - Backstage Sally
Lee Morgan - The Sidewinder
Kenny Dorham - Venita's Dance
Art Blakey - Arabia
Kenny Dorham - K.D.'s Cab Ride
Tina Brooks - Up Tight's Creek
Milt Jackson - I Remember Clifford
Art Blakey - Down Under
Clifford Brown - Tiny Capers
Miles Davis - Move
John Coltrane - Straight Street
Milt Jackson - Blues for Diahann
Sonny Clark - Cool Struttin'
Sonny Clark - Come Rain or Come Shine
Art Blakey - Along Came Betty
Miles Davis - Solar

Dance:
Lauryn Hill - Doo Wop [That Thing]
Dee Lite - Groove Is In the Heart
B-52's - Love Shack
Dean Martin - Ain't That a Kick in the Head
Frank Sinatra - The Way You Look Tonight
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
Jurassic 5 - Quality Control
Jamiroquai - Cosmic Girl
Al Green - Love and Happiness
Clash, The - Rudie Can't Fail
Skee-Lo - I Wish
Gnarls Barkley - Smiley Faces
Dean Martin - You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You
Frank Sinatra - When You're Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You)
James Brown - Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine, Pt. 1
Average White Band, The - Pick Up the Pieces
Lipps, Inc - Funkytown
Kool & The Gang - Ladies Night
Cheryl Lynn - Got To Be Real
Peaches & Herb - Shake Your Groove Thing
Huey Lewis & The News - Power of Love
Kool & The Gang - Celebration
Sir Mix-A-Lot - Baby Got Back (Album Verson)
Young MC - Bust a Move
Kinks, The - You Really Got Me
Slackers, The - Manuel
Wyclef Jean - We Trying to Stay Alive
OutKast - Hey Ya!
Roots, The - Dynamite
Cardigans, The - Lovefool
Morphine - Honey White
Arcade Fire, The - Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
Modest Mouse - Float On
Jurassic 5 - Canto De Ossanha
Spice Girls - Wannabe
Pharcyde, The - Passing Me By
Aaliyah - Try Again
House of Pain - Jump Around
Santana - Oye Como Va
La Primavera - Michi Sarmiento Y Su Combo
Van Morrison - Brown Eyed Girl
Thin Lizzy - The Boys Are Back In Town
Queen - Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Zoot Woman - Jessie
Smashing Pumpkins, The - 1979
Bobby Darin - I'm Beginning to See the Light
Royal Crown Revue - Beyond the Sea
Etta James - At Last
posted by bwilms at 6:15 PM on November 16