Irresistible dance songs...
August 5, 2004 6:46 PM   Subscribe

I'm looking for irresistible dance songs, songs that get you out of your seat and shaking it. Can you remember the best song you've ever danced to? (bonus points for obscure or genre-bending tracks)
posted by milovoo to Media & Arts (41 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
The compliation Jump with a Shuffle from Indigo records is incredibly irresistible. I like to put it on when there are people in the room and just sit back and watch the asses start to boogie. It gets everyone. It's all big band and boogie-woogie music, generally palatable by young and old alike.
posted by scarabic at 6:50 PM on August 5, 2004


There is a really vital dance-punk scene happening right now. I am really into the stuff DFA records is putting out right now. Check out:

The Rapture - House of Jealous Lovers (listen!)

LCD Soundsystem - Give It Up (clip)
posted by Quartermass at 7:17 PM on August 5, 2004


As far as trance goes, DJ Kim - Jetlag (Alphazone Remix) is right up there. There are few others. But any decent progressive hard trance should do the trick.
posted by Gyan at 7:42 PM on August 5, 2004


That one Us3 song. Y'know. Neither obscure nor genre-bending, but undeniably a floor-filler.
posted by ook at 7:43 PM on August 5, 2004


The Only Way is Up - Yazz

Runners-up:
Boogie Wonderland - Earth Wind & Fire
Digging Your Scene - Blow Monkeys
Love Plus One - Haircut 100
TSOP - MFSB
To Be Real -?
Perfect Kiss - New Order
Rockin Robin - Jackson 5
My Everchanging Moods - Style Council
Don't Put Another Dime in the Jukebox - ?
(and tons more) : >

posted by amberglow at 7:44 PM on August 5, 2004


Junior Senior - Move Your Feet
posted by gen at 7:50 PM on August 5, 2004


You want an excellent mish-mash? Try Bhangra and hip-hop and the theme to Knight Rider.

Punjabi MC feat Jay Z - Beware of the boys

An excellent tune!
posted by gen at 7:55 PM on August 5, 2004


I am probably very unhip for suggesting the Cha Cha Slide. As Random Amazon Reviewer says, "It has a party feel and makes you dance even if your cat has just died."
posted by reklaw at 7:59 PM on August 5, 2004


Felix da Housecat - What Does It Feel Like (Royksopp remix)

I've spun this in clubs and people go nuts.
posted by swift at 8:05 PM on August 5, 2004


RadioFG.
posted by gramcracker at 8:19 PM on August 5, 2004


Response by poster: I am probably very unhip for suggesting...

I'm looking for whatever makes people move, guilty pleasures included, no such thing as hip for this one. These are all great so far. More! More!
posted by milovoo at 8:22 PM on August 5, 2004


Prince - You Sexy MF
posted by BlueScreen at 8:34 PM on August 5, 2004


Michael Jackson - Billy Jean
posted by banished at 8:37 PM on August 5, 2004


Mickey and the Soul Generation

Also, "Soul Brother Testify" by the Original Soul Senders, it's on the Brainfreeze Breaks, compiled by DJ Shadow.
posted by rocketman at 8:51 PM on August 5, 2004


Guilty pleasure of mine is that Junior Senior album.

Enjoy thevideo for Move Your Feet. Classic. (warning: REAL player)
posted by Quartermass at 9:04 PM on August 5, 2004


Where's your head at? by Basement Jaxx is probably my current favorite. Even if i'm at work i gotta move a little bit for that one. Their Good Luck track off the new album is also pretty good. Basement Jaxx has a 'house music' base with a spash of 'hip hop' and dash of 'pop' thrown in for extra flavor.
posted by escher at 9:14 PM on August 5, 2004


Check out Basement Jaxx - they may well restore your faith in current dance music.

Their 2001 album Rooty is particularly good, and a few label-provided samples from each of their albums can be found here.

I'd specifically recommend the tracks "Romeo," "Red Alert," "Cish Cash," and the ridiculously good "Where's Your Head At."
posted by pjhagop at 9:18 PM on August 5, 2004


Escher - you beat me to it...
posted by pjhagop at 9:19 PM on August 5, 2004


Speaking of LCD Soundsystem, check out "Losing My Edge." A great sendup of music hip-i-tude.
posted by swift at 9:34 PM on August 5, 2004


"Chase the Wind" by a now-disbanded local bar band, so you'll never ever hear it, but I dance to it all the time. IN MY MIND.
posted by WolfDaddy at 9:35 PM on August 5, 2004


I mostly like Detriot/Microhouse/Kompakt stuff at the moment.

The Orb - "Cool Harbour" on Schaffelfieber 2 is a great schaffel track. What is Schaffel?

Maus & Stolle "Adore" on Miss Kitten Radio Caroline Vol.1

Anthony Shakir "Ghetto Futures" on All Tomorrow's Parties 3.0

Stephen Brown - "The Year Zero" Transmat 12"

Sasha Funke - "Drei Auf Drei" on Kompakt 3

Kaito - "Release Your Body" on Special Life

Ferenc- "Yes Sir I Can Hardcore" (M. Mayer Mix)
posted by dydecker at 10:00 PM on August 5, 2004


I first read that as "gender-bending", but then I haven't had much sleep lately.

But on topic: Dragostea Din Tei. I'm serious.
posted by mr.marx at 11:12 PM on August 5, 2004


Also, don't let me forget the mastery of Thomas Bangalter, better known as Daft Punk (along with Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo.) Their popular albums include "Homework" and "Discovery."
posted by gen at 12:21 AM on August 6, 2004


Groove Armada. I see you baby (fat boy slim remix) off of their Vertigo cd. Another good one they have is Superstylin' from Goodbye Country, Hello Night Club.
posted by inviolable at 12:51 AM on August 6, 2004


Pardon me. There's no way I'm going to link all these. Google. Or slsk. ;)


Artists, bands, or DJs I highly recommend dancing to:

Rino Cerrone
Danilo Vigorito
Marco Carola
Mistress Barbara
Psychick Warriors of Gaia
Cari Lekebusch
Carl Cox
PLUG Research
Neuropolitique
Surgeon
Solstingr
John Tejada
Bassland
8bit Rockers
Goto80
Cylob
Meat Beat Manifesto
Planet E
Carl Craig
Juan Atkins
Derrick Carter
Commie 64
Kevin Saunderson
The Skatalites

Currently favorite tracks or albums as recalled just now and wish I was dancing to. (* indicates album)

Coil "The Snow EP"*
Justus Kohncke "Intergalactic Autobahn"
The Kosmik Kommando "The Krakker Hakkdown"
8bit Rockers "Electro Disco"
Rolemodel "Ashtrace"
Hardkiss "Delusions of Granduer"*
Alden Tyrell "Love Explosion"

And there's soooo much more I'm forgetting. I will post more if it strikes. *Scurries off to browse files and objects*
posted by loquacious at 12:57 AM on August 6, 2004


There can be only one...

Deee-Lite: "Groove Is in the Heart"
posted by FidelDonson at 1:17 AM on August 6, 2004


Most of the stuff on this "New York Noise" compilation, which documents NYC's early 80's "punk-funk" scene (without which we would have no Rapture, etc.) is pretty ass-shakin'. I remember in particular that The Bloods' track, "Button Up," definitely got me moving.
posted by sklero at 2:49 AM on August 6, 2004


Orbital: "Frenetic"
posted by viama at 3:10 AM on August 6, 2004


D*Note - The Garden Of Earthly Delights
posted by DelusionsofGrandeur at 3:26 AM on August 6, 2004


It's terrible but I recently discovered I am no longer inspired to dance to Come on Eileen.
posted by biffa at 4:03 AM on August 6, 2004


Not sure why, but a lot of MeFi Disc Swap people emailed me after a swap to tell me that "Addicted to Bass" by puretone was excellent.
posted by seanyboy at 4:10 AM on August 6, 2004


I third the Junior Senior song. My daughter made me listen to it a few months ago, and I remember rolling my eyes when she mentioned it. She had an mp3 of it, and after she left the room, I copied it to my winamp folder, and listened to the song about 10 times in a row. Furtively. Let's Push Things Forward by The Streets is fun to dance to. Too.

If you want really obscure, there's some true shake your booty stuff right here. I especially love the stuff by adrober, sgt serenity (the battle hymn!) and victors, and would like to eventually listen to it all. I started running last week (thanks to a post here on AskMe) and I loaded up the mp3 player with metafilter music - there's some great, fun stuff there.
posted by iconomy at 4:11 AM on August 6, 2004


The theme to the first game in the Sega Genesis version of Math Blaster. Beats all other disco tunes ever.
posted by jfuller at 4:32 AM on August 6, 2004


The Cult - She Sells Sanctionary
posted by thomcatspike at 5:08 AM on August 6, 2004


jesus & mary chain: reverence
posted by crush-onastick at 9:44 AM on August 6, 2004


"Roule"...awesome "zouk" music from Martinique, by a guy named Dede Saint-Prix. (The only link I could find with info was MSN, unfortunately. The track's available on two different albums, Saint-Prix's Mi Se Sa, and the Africa on Mango compilation.)

That, and just about any great samba tune, especially from the big schools where they've got 100 people on stage playing and singing at once.
posted by LairBob at 9:49 AM on August 6, 2004


Bobby Freeman -- "The Swim" (produced by Sly Stone, pre-"Dance to the Music").
Nick Lowe -- "Seven Days to Rock"
posted by Faze at 11:03 AM on August 6, 2004


bobby byrd - i know you got soul
james brown - sex machine, cold sweat, superbad, turn it up or turn it loose etc etc.
gloria jones - tainted love
georgie fame - somebody stole my thunder, getaway,
ike and tina turner - contact high
tony curtis - landslide
jackie wilson - who who song
isley brothers - fight the power
jimmy smith - got my mojo working
quincy jones - soul bossa nova
booker t and the mgs - soul limbo, green onions
ted heath and his orchestra - the conga
herb alpert - spanish flea, tijuana taxi

etc etc. i could go on for hours, but i'd be wasting my time because i suspect you want modern stuff.
posted by nylon at 11:30 AM on August 6, 2004


"Higher State of Consciousness" by Wink. Specifically the bootleg version with Public Enemy's "Bring the Noise" vocals over it. You can track down a white label like I did or you can find it on any of your popular file sharing services.

Runner-up: "Set U Free" [Groove Man's Journey mix] by Planet Soul.

reklaw: Cha Cha Slide is always a hit around here, since it has a helpful caller to tell you what to do.

Playing Marcia Griffiths' "Electric Boogie" [you know, the "IT'S ELECTRIC" song] is always a good way to get people out there to do the Hustle, or the Electric Slide if you would like to call it that. Unless you're in Detroit, where the accepted regional substitute is "My Eyes Don't Cry" by onetime almost-mayoral-candidate Stevie Wonder. [Are there any other regional hustle tracks? Surely some D.C. go-go band does a killer hustle track.]

The Detroit/Toledo area wedding photographers' associations must have a mug shot of me in their newsletters, because at every wedding reception I go to, they play one or more of the above tracks and, when it's all said and done, someone invariably has a picture of me leading the hustle, like I'm some kind of pudgy white Shabba Doo. Last night, I'm certain, was no exception. The groom's side is pretty much all from Utah, and they all stood on the sidelines and watched us hustle.
posted by britain at 7:57 AM on August 7, 2004


Some great suggestions.
Skip this if you want to get to the tunes.
If I may bore you with some observations;
Firstly rhythm reccognition seems to be international, mostly. A good beat is a good beat, be you African or Inuit. However, many people have been brought up not to reccognise the inherent funkiness of certain beat structures. I for one could not really get interested in music that was not 4 on the floor for some years. Had you played me the works of Starks and Stubblefield (James Brown's hay day) I would have proclaimed it old and baggy sounding, despite the fact that it was the funkiest, phatest sound in the world ever.
Drum and bass boyz may not bounce to salsa, and dancehall boyz may not get down to ska. Goa trance fans may not be moved by Schaffel and rock heads may not like anything which is not acoustic. For instance; cuban youth (possibly the most musically educated youth in the world, with Iceland a close second) shun the old son and rumba for timba.
I find timba impenetrably dense and confusing, but I like other cuban musical forms.
So, to conclude, there are no records that are guaranteed to fill the floor any where, any time, but if you judge your audience well you can get them to dance, if they want to.
Incidentally, AFAIK the search for the irresistable beat was what drove early disco. Which lead to DJing and sampling as we know it.

In addition to the suggestions above.
Some cross-over tunes (to help me focus)
Salif Keita - Madan (Martin Solveg Remix)
Ojos De Brujos - Venitlaor R-80
Ozomatli - First album
The Scissor Sisters
Desi
Future World Funk
posted by asok at 11:31 AM on August 9, 2004


The Rapture - House of Jealous Lovers ditto

The Stills - Still in Love song - still remember where I was when I heard this - love it to death and have to listen to it at least once a day.
posted by Lizc at 4:16 PM on August 13, 2004


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