30 Songs to Get Your Guests on the Dance Floor

little kid dancing at a wedding — Songs that turn everyone into dancing machines.

A friend recently told me her biggest fear about her wedding is that people won’t dance. So I asked friends on Facebook for surefire songs to get guests on the dance floor. Here’s what they came up, with a few additions of my own:

“I Want You Back,” Jackson 5 — I’ve written about the dancing allure of “I Want You Back” before, and when I asked friends for suggestions, this song came up immediately. Also, I personally witnessed a wedding last weekend that started the dance set with this song. It did indeed bring the crowd to the dance floor.
“Groove Is in the Heart,” Deee-Lite
“Get Down On It,” Kool & the Gang
“Love Shack,” B-52s
“It Takes Two,” Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock
“All the Single Ladies,” Beyonce
“Hey Ya,” OutKast
“Jungle Boogie,” Kool & the Gang
“C’mon N’ Ride It (The Train),” Quad City DJ
“Come On Eileen,” Dexys Midnight Runners
“Shout,” the Isley Brothers
“Livin’ on a Prayer,” Bon Jovi — People don’t so much dance as wail this song and make big sweeping arm movements. Still, it’s funny.
“Sweet Caroline,” Neil Diamond — Sweet Caroline produces a similar reaction to Livin’ on a Prayer, strangely enough, though people are more likely to throw their arms over someone’s shoulder and sway to the music.
“Pour Some Sugar on Me,” Def Leopard — Another wailer.
“Birdhouse in Your Soul,” They Might Be Giants — This one sounds like a strange choice, but for the right age group (30-ish), it’s a hit and will result in lots of jumping up and down.
“Upside Down,” Diana Ross
“Footloose,” Kenny Loggins
“Call Me Maybe,” Carly Rae Jepsen — It’s probably going to get tired any day now, but I saw a crowd get down with wild abandon to it this weekend.
“Vogue,” Madonna — Expect people to actually vogue — and expect to laugh at it.
“Thriller,” Michael Jackson — People like to dance like zombies.
“Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” Michael Jackson
“Kiss,” Prince
“You Shook Me All Night Long,” AC/DC
“Celebration,” Kool & the Gang
“Build Me Up Buttercup,” the Foundations
“Twist & Shout,” Beatles
“Independent Women,” Destiny’s Child
“1999,” Prince
“Back in Black,” AC/DC
“Dancing With Myself,” Billy Idol

I had no idea Kool & the Gang would get so many shout-outs.

Two things to note: Keep the age of your audience in mind. This playlist would probably go over best with a 30ish crowd. Also, don’t forget regional classics! A friend from Tennessee told me the song that got the biggest reaction at his wedding was “Rocky Top.” As a former Tennessean myself, I have to admit: I dance my little heart out to this one every single time. The couple hosting the Michigan wedding I attended last weekend had similar thinking in mind when they played “California” for the many Californians in the crowd. So play songs that will tap into the regional pride of your guests.

Tweak the above list to your liking and hand it to your DJ as songs you would like to hear at your reception. Oh, and check out my dancing roundup post that has all sorts of music tips on first dances, reception entrance songs and more.

Please add to the list! What songs have you seen that caused a dancing frenzy?

Photo by David Bracho

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