Get on up?

July 11, 2012 7:50 AM

Please help. Looking for any danceable, up-tempo, completely awesome songs that you know.

So I'm getting married on Saturday, and looking for songs for the playlist. Realising that the kind of songs that I like aren't always the ones that drive people to the dancefloor, I'm looking for suggestions for more songs that are guaranteed to make people stand up and put a smile on their face.

Thanks in advance.

(Here's an selection of what I have so far. Wedding crowd is a fairly even mix of 20-70 years olds)

Town called malice - The Clash
Your love keeps lifting me higher - Jackie Wilson
Lust for life - Iggy Pop
I got a feeling - the four tops
Praise you - Fatboy slim

posted by greytape to Media & Arts (27 answers total)

Walking on Sunshine!
posted by shortyJBot at 7:54 AM on July 11, 2012 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Town called malice

I think you mean The Jam.
posted by hydrophonic at 7:55 AM on July 11, 2012 [3 favorites]

Just Can't Get Enough-Depeche Mode
Don't Stop til You Get Enough-Michael Jackson
Signed, Sealed, Delivered-Stevie Wonder
This Must Be the Place-Talking Heads

Congratulations!!
posted by shortyJBot at 8:00 AM on July 11, 2012

Billie Jean. I've thrown a few parties and events and when the dancefloor is dead, I always put on Billie Jean. It's like dance floor catnip. Really any Michael Jackson will work, but Billie Jean just seems to work fastest.

For older songs:
Love Shack - The B-52's
One Way or Another - Blondie
Old Time Rock and Roll - Bob Seger
Crocodile Rock - Elton John
Boogie Shoes - KC & The Sunshine Band
Footloose - Kenny Loggins
I Want To Dance With Somebody - Whitney Houston
Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry

For new pop songs for the younger crowd:

Wild Ones - Flo Rida
Scream - Usher
Starships - Nicki Minaj
Dance Again - Jennifer Lopez
Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO
We Found Love - Rihanna
Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) - Big and Rich (Different I know, but women love this too. I think it has something to do with Dancing with The Stars)
Just Dance- Lady Gaga

And I tend to end my playlists with Home for A Rest by Spirit of the West but I don't know if that just a Canadian thing.

Congrats and have an amazing night!
posted by GilvearSt at 8:04 AM on July 11, 2012

So What?-P!nk
Latin Music: (in Spanish, but who cares?)
La Duena del Swing-Los Hermanos Rosario
Quimbara-Celia Cruz
posted by nickhb at 8:11 AM on July 11, 2012 [1 favorite]

Junior Senior - Move Your Feet

Unfailing.
posted by merocet at 8:16 AM on July 11, 2012 [4 favorites]

I am working on the same for my *party* so yay for posting (gives me new ideas).

What I see missing is some old school Madonna. Madonna and MJ will keep people dancing.
posted by anya32 at 8:37 AM on July 11, 2012

There's a local band I know that told me once that when they can't get the dance floor going they play:

Down on the Corner - CCR

does the trick every time.

Other song I've seen work the same way:

White Lines - Grand Master Flash
Celebration - Kook and the Gang.
posted by humboldt32 at 8:44 AM on July 11, 2012

Here's a family-friendly party playlist that I put together a while back:

Robot Rock - Daft Punk
It's A New Day - James Brown
You're So Gangsta - Chromeo
D.A.N.C.E. - Justice
Coffin Nails - M.F. Doom
Return of the B-Boy - The Pharcyde
One Nation Under a Groove - Funkadelic
The Breaks - Kurtis Blow
Summer Madness - Kool & The Gang
A Forest - The Cure
In The Jungle - The Hygrades
Get Down Saturday Night - Oliver Cheatam
Cookies - Brother Soul
Dance Wiv Me - Dizzee Rascal (feat. Calvin Harris)
Million Dollar Legs - Outlaw 4
Mother Popcorn - James Brown
Baby I'm Yours - Breakbot (feat. Irfane)
posted by saladin at 8:57 AM on July 11, 2012

she drives me crazy - fine young cannibals
posted by rmd1023 at 9:12 AM on July 11, 2012

Cool Songs

Groove is in the Heart-Dee Lite
Anything off of Saturday Night Fever
Shakira-Hips Don't Lie
Wherever, Whenever-Shakira (do a mix with English and Spanish, it's freaking awesome!)
Super Freak-Rick James (that will be THE JAM of everyone who is my age.)
Brick House-The Commodores (ditto)
Walk the Dinosaur-Was (Not Was)
Let's Go Crazy-Prince
Little Red Corvette-Prince
1999-Prince


I hate to say it, but that Jennifer Lopez song that samples the Lambada song. Get on the Floor? It's sucks, but it's easy to dance to.


Corny Wedding songs that people love

We Are Family-Sister Sledge


Chicken Dance
Hora
Electric Slide
Macarena
Hokey Pokey


Aaaand you have the play list for our wedding ten years ago.

Mazel-Tov!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 9:12 AM on July 11, 2012

Seether by Veruca Salt
posted by Bruce H. at 9:15 AM on July 11, 2012

Trying to think of things that always make me get up

Dancing With Myself - Billy Idol
Modern Love - David Bowie
Don't Stop Me Now - Queen
Danger! High Voltage - Electric Six

Gonna keep thinking on these....
posted by Quincy at 9:17 AM on July 11, 2012

Oh oh...

Poison - Bell Biv Devoe
posted by Quincy at 9:22 AM on July 11, 2012 [1 favorite]

And...

Apache (Jump on it) - Sugar Hill Gang

Seriously I'll stop now.
posted by Quincy at 9:23 AM on July 11, 2012

Best answer: There's an entire genre of videogames that you could pilfer the playlist from. Any song included meets your criteria, by virtue of its inclusion in the game.

(For a specific song recommendation: Make sure you include "Bulletproof" by La Roux.)
posted by jbickers at 9:47 AM on July 11, 2012 [1 favorite]

Here's my reception playlist. It's a four-hour-long history of music that could be used for such parties, and it should suffice (Isley Brothers' "Shout" is essential):

Runaround Sue by Dion and the Belmonts
You Never Can Tell by Chuck Berry
Summertime Blues by Eddie Cochran
Willy and the Hand Jive by Johnnie Otis Show
Long Tall Sally by the Beatles
Brown Eyed Handsome Man by Chuck Berry
Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever by The Four Tops
Jock-a-mo by Sugar Boy Crawford
She's Got It by Little Richard
Try Me by James Brown
Wait a Minute by Barbara Stephens
Misirlou by Dick Dale
Do You Love Me by the Contours
333 by The Drifters
Breakaway by Derek Martin
Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry
Hello Joesephine by Them
Tutti-Frutti by Little Richard
One Fine Day by the Chiffons
I Only Have Eyes For You by The Flamingos
Little Bitty Pretty One by Thurston Harris
I Want to Hold Your Hand by the Beatles
Cool Jerk by The Capitols
Give Him a Great Big Kiss by the Shangrilas
Rip It Up by Little Richard
Twist and Shout by the Beatles
Keep-a Knockin by Little Richard
Tighten Up by Archie Bell and the Drells
Wooly Bully by Sam The Sham and the Pharoahs
Sweet Soul Music by Arthur Conley
Let's Dance by Chris Montez
Sticks and Stones by Manfred Mann
In the Basement by Etta James
Louie Louie by the Kingsmen
Soul Limbo by Booker T. and the MGs
I Can't Help Myself by the Four Tops
I'm Still In Love With You by Al Green
I Heard It Through the Grapevine by Gladys Knight and the Pips
Break It All by Los Shakers
96 Tears by ? and the Mysterians
Good Lovin by the Rascals
Thank You by Sly and the Family Stone
I Got You by James Brown
Shout by the Isley Brothers
Good Things by Frank Williams and the Rocketeers
Higher and Higher by Jackie Wilson
I Got Ants in My Pants by James Brown
Look What You Done For Me by Al Green
I Only Want to Be With You by Bay City Rollers
Express Yourself by Charles Wright and the Watts
Flashlight by Parliament
Love and Happiness by Al Green
Don't Stop Til You Get Enough by Michael Jackson
Take a Chance on Me by Abba
Tear the Roof Off the Sucker by Parliament
Heart of Glass by Blondie
Rock with You by Michael Jackson
Don't Leave Me This Way by Thelma Houston
More Bounce to Ounce by Zapp
Stand by Me by John Lennon
I Wanna Be Your Lover by Prince
Off The Wall by Michael Jackson
You Make My Dreams by Hall and Oates
Across The Universe by the Beatles
Kiss by Prince
Teen Again by the Toms
Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson
Pull Shapes by the Pipettes
Love at First Sight by Kylie Minogue
Groove Is in the Heart Deee-lite
Crazy in Love by Beyonce
Hey Ya by Outkast
Tightrope by Janelle Monae
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger by Daft Punk
My Love by Justin Timberlake
Crazy by Gnarles Barkley
Eye Know by De La Soul
Music Sounds Better with You by Alan Braxe
One More Time by Daft Punk
Umbrella by Rihanna
Move Your Feet by Junior Senior
posted by Luminiferous Ether at 10:17 AM on July 11, 2012 [3 favorites]

Nthing MJ and Prince. Depending on your group, Pet Shop Boys might be a good one, too. Same with VNV Nation.

Other suggestions:
Morris Day and the Time - the Bird
Carl Carlton - Bad Mama Jama
Sisters of Mercy - Temple of Love
Apoptygma Berzerk - Cambodia
The Smiths - Ask Me
New Order - True Faith
Cure - Lovecats
Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight
The Cult - Fire Woman
posted by skittlekicks at 10:29 AM on July 11, 2012

After all the goofy father-daughter/mother-son/first dance stuff, the first song we played when it was time for everyone to hit the floor was Ain't No Mountain High Enough. The rush to the floor was outstanding. Good luck and happy wedding!
posted by hungrybruno at 10:39 AM on July 11, 2012

I am partial to Hash Pipe and Island in the Sun by Weezer, they're not so much in-your-face dance tunes, but make for sweet turns around the dance floor, depending on your crowd.
posted by lakersfan1222 at 10:56 AM on July 11, 2012 [1 favorite]

Where I'm Going: Cut Copy
Sammy Davis Jr, Fel Del av Gården: Movits
The World's a Mess, it's In My Kiss: X
We've Got the Beat: Go-Gos
Machine Gun: Commodores
Kids in America: Kim Wilde
Echo Beach: Martha and the Muffins
posted by jet_silver at 12:23 PM on July 11, 2012

Do The Twist: Chubby Checker
Palisades Park: Freddy Cannon
The Lawn Chair Song: Our Daughter's Wedding
Mexican Radio: Wall of Voodoo
Dance Hall Days: Wang Chung
posted by jet_silver at 12:43 PM on July 11, 2012

Di Di Di: Hang on the Box
Spy vs. Spy: Brian Briggs
Bucket Rider: Polyrock
Never You Done That: General Public
Tears of a Clown: English Beat
Whatever Happened to Tracey: (Dance) Exponents
Arp3: Floating Points
posted by jet_silver at 1:18 PM on July 11, 2012

Original Oddstep: Vert
Where's Captain Kirk: Spizzenergi
Walk Like an Egyptian: Bangles
Mihetsika: Tarika (on this one you have to look for the song and check it to listen.)
Ouch: The Rutles
Turning Japanese: The Vapors
I Know What Boys Like: The Waitresses
Sonic Reducer: Dead Boys
Butcher Baby: Plasmatics
posted by jet_silver at 1:54 PM on July 11, 2012 [1 favorite]

Really, just one mention of ABBA in this whole thread? Anything disco, really, will bring out the old(er) people.
posted by moammargaret at 3:03 PM on July 11, 2012

songs with dance moves for when you have already played the Hustle and the Electric Slide: Cupid Shuffle and The Cha Cha Slide!

funky disco:
Shake Your Groove Thing by Peaches and Herb
Stomp by Brother's Johnson
Let it Whip by the Dazz Band
Burn Rubber by the Gap Band
No Parking on The Dance Floor by Midnight Star

1990s Dance
The Power by Snap
Pump Up The Jam by Technotronic. (this would be my number 1!!!!)
Everything Starts with an E by E-zee Posse
Pump Up the Volumne by M.A.R.S
Gonna Make You Sweat by C&C Music Factory - 'Everybody Dance now!!!!"

that's enough, i gotta go find a dance floor!
posted by vespabelle at 5:15 PM on July 11, 2012

Walking on Broken Glass - Annie Lennox
posted by LN at 6:01 AM on July 12, 2012