Mix Tape Filter: Seeking bouncy songs that make you want to dance!

March 10, 2013 5:10 AM

I'm looking for mostly pre-2000s stuff. Not dancy necessarily, but very happy, poppy, stuff that you could dance in your seat to. So far I have; Hall & Oates - You Make My Dreams Come True Stevie Wonder - Signed Sealed Delivered George Michael - Freedom Cheesy is fine, if not encouraged. Thanks MeFi!
posted by heavenstobetsy to media & arts (40 answers total)

Pop Goes The World by Men Without Hats. Cheers me right up every time.
posted by shelleycat at 5:32 AM on March 10 [3 favorites]

"Freak Out" or "Good Times" by Chic, "Love is the Drug" by Roxy Music, "Queen Bitch" by David Bowie, "Number One in Heaven" by Sparks...also, the new Bajofondo single "Pide Piso" is quite the rump-shaker, in an old-school kind of way.
posted by pxe2000 at 5:37 AM on March 10

Electric Avenue
posted by knile at 5:46 AM on March 10 [1 favorite]

"Shiny Happy People" by REM, "Roam" by The B52s, "Twist and Shout" by the Beatles.
posted by Specklet at 5:51 AM on March 10 [1 favorite]

Lionel Richie - All Night Long
The B-52's - Roam
Isley Brothers - Shout
Jim Guthrie - Hands In My Pocket (Hopefully you're not Canadian, or else you'll associate this with bank commercials)
posted by The Notorious SRD at 5:54 AM on March 10

Da Da Da - Trio
(I can't get me no) Satisfaction - Devo (or pretty much anything by Devo)
Jump Jump - Kris Kross
Alphabet Street - Prince
posted by loveyallaround at 6:11 AM on March 10

The Police - Synchronicity
posted by fuse theorem at 6:18 AM on March 10

Elton John - I'm Still Standing
Wham! - Wake Me Up Before You Go Go
Soft Cell - Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go
Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come on Eileen
Baltimora - Tarzan Boy
posted by sueinnyc at 6:31 AM on March 10 [1 favorite]

When I see you baby, I go out of my head
I just can't get enough
I "Just Can't Get Enough" by Depeche Mode
posted by infinitewindow at 6:46 AM on March 10 [3 favorites]

Paul Westerberg and Joan Jett's version of Let's Do It from the Tank Girl (1995) soundtrack.
posted by vitabellosi at 6:50 AM on March 10 [2 favorites]

Walking on Sunshine - Katrina and the Waves
You Spin Me Right Round - Dead or Alive
Hold Me Now - Thompson Twins
Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen
Call Me - Blondie
Love Today - Mika
posted by bunderful at 7:30 AM on March 10 [1 favorite]

Groove Is in the Heart by Deee-Lite
posted by southern_sky at 7:33 AM on March 10 [3 favorites]

Katrina and the Waves - Walking on Sunshine
KC and the Sunshine Band - That's the way (I like it)
Sly and the Family Stone - Higher
Santana - Soul Sacrifice
Ten Years After - I'm Going Home
Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs - Most People I Know
Deep Purple - Speed King, Lazy
Frank Zappa - Willie the Pimp
Ray Charles with the Blues Brothers - Shake a Tailfeather
Jane's Addiction - Been Caught Stealing
Pretenders - Tattooed Love Boys
Magic Dirt - Bring Me The Head Of...
Motörhead - Ace Of Spades
Beasts of Bourbon - Let's Get Funky
Stinky Wizzleteats - Happy Happy Joy Joy
posted by flabdablet at 7:42 AM on March 10 [2 favorites]

The Eighties are full of wonderful pop!

KC and the Sunshine Band - Give It Up
Hey! You - The Rocksteady Crew
Malcolm Mclaren - Double Dutch
Deniece Williams - Lets Hear It for the Boy
Sister Sledge - He's The Greatest Dancer
Chaka Khan - I Feel For You
Salt-N-Pepa - Push It
Tom Tom Club - Wordy Rappinghood
Tom Tom Club - Genius of Love
Madness - Our House
posted by nevan at 7:47 AM on March 10 [2 favorites]

Karma Chameleon - Culture Club (Actually, pretty much anything by Culture Club is cheesy happy dancy pop.)

Anything by the Go-Go's, especially Vacation, We Got the Beat
posted by SuperSquirrel at 8:07 AM on March 10 [1 favorite]

Michael Jackson Off the Wall
Pointer Sisters I'm So Excited
Prince - Let's Go Crazy
Janet Jackson Alright
Ace of Base Beautiful Life

It's 2000 but if you don't mind some dancy stuff, I feel like you can never go wrong with Daft Punk One More Time
posted by citron at 8:08 AM on March 10

Previously on AskMeFi
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 8:10 AM on March 10

INXS: Burn for You, Don't Change, and What You Need.
posted by JoeZydeco at 8:35 AM on March 10

Queen - I Want To Break Free
posted by belau at 8:51 AM on March 10

You Might Think by The Cars.
I guess the lyrics aren't very " happy" but I Wanna Be Sedated by The Ramones makes me want to get up and move.
posted by LiverOdor at 8:52 AM on March 10

Helen Love's Junk Shop Discoteque
is from 2006, but is relentlessly poppy and upbeat.
posted by sciencegeek at 9:01 AM on March 10

Sly & the Family Stone: Everybody is a Star, Hot Fun in the Summertime, If You Want Me to Stay.
Amerie: 1 Thing
Beach Boys: Wouldn't It Be Nice?
Hugh Masekela: Grazing in the Grass
Prince: I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man (cover version by My Morning Jacket, because, you know, Prince...)
Abba: Dancing Queen
KLF: Justified and Ancient
posted by Bron at 9:03 AM on March 10 [1 favorite]

Here's a Hacienda playlist from spotify. A ton of 80s acid house and new wave.
posted by empath at 9:52 AM on March 10

Last week at work I listened to the Erasure album 'Wild!' for the first time in nigh on 20 years (cheers Spotify!) and when it got to the track 'Drama' I was so giddy with the beat I had to excuse myself to an empty office with my phone and earbuds and dance like a mofo for four minutes.
posted by freya_lamb at 10:48 AM on March 10

Harmour Love by Syreeta. If you saw Junebug you'll recognize it; it was on the soundtrack. It is happy, poppy, and instantly catchy.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 11:18 AM on March 10

Moxy Früvous: King of Spain
posted by ceribus peribus at 11:24 AM on March 10

Boy Meets Girl - Waiting for a Star to Fall
posted by Otto the Magnificent at 12:29 PM on March 10

Ain't Too Proud to Beg - Temptations
I Can't Help Myself - Four Tops
Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow) - Monkees
I Want You Back - Jackson Five
Love Train - O'Jays
Train in Vain - Clash
Head Over Heels - Go-Go's
Jump - Van Halen
Invisible Touch - Genesis
Semi-Charmed Life - Third Eye Blind
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 2:19 PM on March 10

Billy Idol - Dancing with Myself
The Cure - Close to Me
posted by dottiechang at 2:41 PM on March 10

Okay, this is definitely NOT pre-2000, but I gotta say how much I love Macklemore's And We Danced, which he performs as his alter ego Raven Bowie. It's hilarious.
posted by mon-ma-tron at 7:26 PM on March 10

My immediate gut reaction to happy pre-2000s is Hanson's MmmBop, but that's not really because I like it.

More seriously, here are a couple songs I put on a mix tape I called "I Want You To Feel Better": REM + Sesame Street singing Furry Happy Monster. They Might Be Giants' Birdhouse In Your Soul. And you can't go wrong with anything Muppet. Or anything Queen.
posted by maryr at 9:00 PM on March 10

Elvis Costello: The Other Side of Summer
The Clumsy Lovers: Don't Think Twice (It's Alright)
The Pizzicato Five: Good
The Rutles: I Must Be in Love
Split Enz: Shark Attack
posted by mazola at 10:03 PM on March 10

Accidentally Kelly Street - Frente!
I See Red - Split Enz
posted by h00py at 5:47 AM on March 11

Counting the Beat - The Swingers
Soul Kind of Feeling - Dynamic Hepnotics
posted by h00py at 6:03 AM on March 11

Rock Lobster (B-52s)
Every Little Kiss (Bruce Hornsby)
Good Lovin' (The Rascals)
posted by acm at 7:22 AM on March 11

Our housemate has caught me and boyfriend sitting in the car parked in the driveway car-dancing to Paul Simon's "You Can Call Me Al" and I've made it through many rough mornings at work chair-dancing to this in my office, so my vote is for this song.
posted by dearwassily at 10:39 AM on March 11 [1 favorite]

How about "Annie Get Your Gun" or "Cool For Cats" by Squeeze?

Also, UB40's "She Caught the Train" or "Keep on Moving" are great.

And The Specials song "A Message To You Rudy" lights up my face.

Dang, I am like a time machine!
posted by wenestvedt at 11:01 AM on March 11

"It's Raining Men" - The Weather Girls (co-written by Paul Shaffer)

Since you already know you like Stevie Wonder:
"Sir Duke"
"I Wish"

"Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" - Louis Jordan
"What is Hip" - Tower of Power
posted by kristi at 9:19 AM on March 12

The Smiths - Girlfriend in a Coma or Ask
Blondie - Sunday Girl
ELO - Mr Blue Sky
Madness - My Girl
Dexy's Midnight Runners - Celtic Soul Brothers (Come on Eileen is too obvious)
posted by mst3kzz at 6:20 PM on March 15

Good Times - Hoodoo Gurus
posted by h00py at 8:34 AM on March 26