Gimme your hopeful songs - preferably dancers...

August 23, 2017 1:03 PM

Can anyone recommend some tunes for general promotion of joy, frenzied dancing and it's-all-good-no-matter-what vibes?

So after a break up and a little wallowing in FOREVER ALONE last week, I'm trying to think positive. Scanning through some old tunes, I just rediscovered The Isley Brothers' "Seek and You Shall Find" and had three blissful minutes freaking out the dog with some ridiculous swoopy shoop-shoop dancing.

Your new-start, bitter-sweet, live-and-learn, moving-on-up, staying-present, light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel dancers requested... Any genre, any era.

I've seen these hopeful music questions, all with good suggestions, but I'm specifically looking for those songs that make a body leap up and dance around madly.

posted by doornoise to Grab Bag (15 answers total)

"Shut Up and Dance"--Walk the Moon
"Come Away With Me"--Carly Rae Jepsen
The entirety of the Blues Brothers soundtrack
posted by pxe2000 at 1:06 PM on August 23, 2017 [2 favorites]

Jump by Van Halen.
posted by Melismata at 1:45 PM on August 23, 2017 [2 favorites]

Move in The Right Direction - Gossip
Groove is in the Heart - Dee-Lite
Show Me - Mint Royale
Live Like a Warrior - Matisyahu

And for some more classic R&B
Baby Workout - Jackie Wilson
Move On Up - Curtis Mayfield
Fight the Power - Isley Brothers
Get Up Offa That Thing - James Brown
Paper Cup - The Fifth Dimension
posted by brookeb at 1:46 PM on August 23, 2017 [2 favorites]

Hey Ya works every time.
posted by kapers at 1:57 PM on August 23, 2017 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Inspector Norse by Todd Terje is the most infectiously happy piece of dance music, and has such a graceful build of tension throughout.
posted by rollick at 2:01 PM on August 23, 2017

Best answer: These songs in a Spotify playlist: Hopeful Dance Songs
posted by maya at 2:10 PM on August 23, 2017 [2 favorites]

Rufus Wainwright's Beautiful Child makes me feel powerful and ready to face the future. It's not exactly booty-shaking, but I generally find myself twirling around the room with big swooping arm gestures while listening to it.
posted by Tentacle of Trust at 2:32 PM on August 23, 2017 [1 favorite]

Pon De Replay - Rihanna
Sax - Fleur East
Classic - MKTO
I'm Still Standing - Elton John
posted by SisterHavana at 6:05 PM on August 23, 2017

I Want To Break Free by Queen

I Don't Feel Like Dancing by Scissor Sisters

Fighter by Christina Aguilera
posted by Constance Mirabella at 9:10 PM on August 23, 2017

Tightrope
Say hey

But also that That's my Jam! question might be of interest, it is also about shaking your booty in a positive way IIRC.
posted by athirstforsalt at 11:32 PM on August 23, 2017

Ok I found the thread (here it is) (And another one)
posted by athirstforsalt at 11:51 PM on August 23, 2017

Best answer: Well, Hey Ya and Tightrope are already mentioned so I guess there's nothing left for me to add here.



Heh. Whatevs. I can't resist a playlist question. So:

Black & White Town by Doves will get you dancing in the jump-up-and-down style

Do You Love Me will get you shimmying Dirty Dancing style

In The Stone by Earth Wind and Fire will get you dancing in any which way you like, it's literally physically impossible not to dance to this song, and I mean that scientifically
posted by greenish at 4:37 AM on August 24, 2017 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Oh have I got a groove for you: Linda Clifford - Runaway Love (1978). Link is to the 12", almost 10 minutes of DGAF booty shaking. It is divine.
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 7:22 AM on August 24, 2017

Best answer: High Contrast (ft Tiësto and Underworld) - The First Note Is Silent never fails to invigorate me.
posted by Durhey at 1:44 PM on August 24, 2017

Response by poster: Oh man, Inspector Norse - I heard that song an age ago and never found out what it was. Thank you!
posted by doornoise at 9:28 AM on September 7, 2017