Good dance tracks for the 35 - 55 set.

August 28, 2007 4:31 PM

Help me find good dance tracks for the 35 - 55 set.

Our band is playing at an annual outdoor party/fundraiser for our kid's school, and I need to put together a CD of dance music for the break between sets. Looking for alternatives to the usual standards that will still keep them dancing, and also good for listening.

We play stuff from Stones (Joss and Rolling) to Police to Five for Fighting, but I'm open to new ideas. Bonus points for great but obscure covers of popular songs.

posted by jpmack to Media & Arts (18 answers total)

I don't know what you mean by the usual standards.

However, anything New Wave would work for that crowd: Blondie, Devo, The Go-Go's, OMD, INXS, Violent Femmes, Eurymics, Tears for Fears, Duran Duran, etc. (ok some of these aren't really New Wave, but trust me anyone that age will dance to The Reflex and Hungry Like the Wolf).

For slightly odder stuff you can get ideas from Urgh!
posted by oddman at 5:18 PM on August 28, 2007

"You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only 17"...
posted by splendid animal at 5:49 PM on August 28, 2007

I am midway between your age bracket but enjoy dance tracks such as Justin Timberlake's Sexyback.
posted by JJ86 at 5:53 PM on August 28, 2007

Speaking of Dancing Queen...
posted by Robert Angelo at 5:54 PM on August 28, 2007

Whatever you come up with must include It's the End of the World (As We Know It). Us fogies love that shit.
posted by grateful at 5:59 PM on August 28, 2007

Walk Like An Egyptian. My 55-year-old mom loves the Macarena.
posted by salvia at 6:10 PM on August 28, 2007

Give Paul Anka's cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit a listen.
Well I thought it was great.
posted by Neiltupper at 7:43 PM on August 28, 2007

Best answer: fine young cannibals' "she drives me crazy", thomas dolby's "she blinded me with science", B-52's "deadbeat club", figures on a beach "accidentally fourth street", echo & the bunnymen "bring on the dancing horses", big audio dynamite "e=mc^2" or "the bottom line", ramones "i wanna be sedated", bow wow wow "i want candy", ub40 "I can't help falling in love with you" or "red red wine", dead milkmen "punk rock girl", depeche mode "i just can't get enough", madness "one step beyond" or "our house", eurythmics "right by your side", either the talking heads "burning down the house" or the cover done a few years ago by tom jones and the cardigans, fun boy three's cover of "our lips are sealed".

just to name a few.

also, didn't tori amos cover "smells like teen spirit", too? that's pretty excellent but not so danceable.
posted by rmd1023 at 8:00 PM on August 28, 2007

Ummm.... I'm right in the middle of that age range, and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is *not* anything I would consider part of my "generation".

Anyway, Adam Ant's "Ant Music", lots of Talking Heads, the Go Go's "Our Lips are Sealed"; going back a little further, thow a couple Donna Summer discos in there. I abhorred them when they were hits but I love to listen to them now.

Damn, rmd, that's a good play list!
posted by Doohickie at 8:24 PM on August 28, 2007

i waited tables at a country club awhile back, at the new year's party they played "baby got back" and the 35 to 55 crowd flooded the dance floor. the entire wait staff dropped everything and came running to watch. literally slack jawed.
posted by andywolf at 8:38 PM on August 28, 2007

Bowie - "Let's Dance"; Tom Jones and Yellow - "Kiss"; Prince - "1999"; Etta James; Gatemouth Brown; Blondie; Peter Gabriel - "Sledgehammer"; Ertha Kitt; Dolly Parton - "9 - 5"
I'm 46, and EVERY party I went to in the 80s included "Burning Down the House." "Sir Duke"
posted by johngumbo at 8:55 PM on August 28, 2007

Best answer: Here are some of my favorites to throw into a (mostly) '80s mix that qualify as danceable and a little off from the expected, but still known:

Erasure - Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!
Squeeze - Black Coffee In Bed
Robert Palmer - I Didn't Mean To Turn You On
Aztec Camera - Oblivious
Real Life - Send Me An Angel
Violent Femmes - Blister In The Sun
The Smiths - How Soon Is Now?
Simple Minds - Sanctify Yourself
George Michael - Freedom (the original)
ABC - Poison Arrow
Naked Eyes - Promises Promises
Power Station - Some Like It Hot
Smithereens - Blue Period
Falco - Vienna Calling -or- Rock Me Amadeus
Tragically Hip - New Orleans Is Sinking
Split Enz - I Got You
Rough Trade - High School Confidential
Michael Jackson - PYT (Pretty Young Thing)
The Kinks - Picture Book
Zebra - Tell Me What You Want
Edwyn Collins - A Girl Like You
Jonny Lang - Lie To Me

for fun:
Sweet - Ballroom Blitz
They Might Be Giants - Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
Dead Milkmen - Punk Rock Girl
Camper Van Beethoven - Take The Skinheads Bowling
posted by Melinika at 10:59 PM on August 28, 2007

Some Shalamar will make this a night to remember
posted by FearTormento at 2:06 AM on August 29, 2007

I've been thinking about dance music that works across different age groups lately (as a result of attending a lot of weddings). I'm very keen on Northern Soul tracks (the original version of Tainted Love is an example)... you can find compilations fairly easily, it has a good beat for dancing and is pretty cool without having the groan nostalgia factor of 1980s hits.
posted by 8k at 3:43 AM on August 29, 2007

"Rock Lobster" by the B-52s. anyone who won't dance to that should probably have their pulse checked!
posted by kuppajava at 8:16 AM on August 29, 2007

This is what I did for a birthday party with folks that age:
http://www.artofthemix.org/FindAMix/GetContents.asp?strMixid=105274&song=&artist=

I might change a couple of things but it's a pretty nice range.
posted by 100watts at 10:35 AM on August 29, 2007

Best answer: dammit. It's nice to, you know, link a link
posted by 100watts at 10:36 AM on August 29, 2007

Response by poster: Wow...great suggestions everyone. Thanks esp to rmd1023, Melinika and 100watts for the thoughtful lists. Looks like I have my work cut out for me, but it's going to be fun. Damn good thing I have 3 weeks...
posted by jpmack at 2:20 PM on August 29, 2007