Maddie and I talk a lot about our generational divide. I can’t decide if it’s weird that we rather clearly have one, given that she’s twenty-six and I’m thirty-three, but it sometimes feels like a chasm (girlfriend was like six when Kurt Cobain died, WHAT?) She sent me a link to the mini-documentary Dirty Girls that’s gone viral (watch it if you haven’t), so I could see “overly articulate teenagers talking about feminism, how strange!” So I watched it. To oddly no tension. It was filmed in 1996 in Southern California, and those girls were basically my social circle. Maddie’s mind, blown.
So it was hilarious that later the same day she posted highlights of her wedding playlist. My immediate text to her: “Generational divide in action.” I mean, Kelly Osbourne? God knows I love her on Fashion Police, but I’m not even sure I knew she put out an album. Turns out, much like Maddie’s wedding playlist, mine telegraphs where David and I grew up, and exactly how old we are. I find it fascinating that our playlists are so revealing. Here’s my question to you: What’s the song on your wedding playlist that gives away your history in one stroke? (Ours is probably House of Pain’s “Jump Around.”) If we get a good list, we’ll give you Playlist: Generations. Without further ado, my wedding dancefloor playlist in its entirety, less the personal first dance song kind of stuff. It starts with soulful classics (catering to the older generation, who we knew would definitely still be in attendance), turns into a throwdown dance party (note: I firmly believe that if you want people to dance, you need to play songs they know like the back of their hand) with ebbs and flows of energy, and then ends sweet. Every single part of it was designed to have people moving their ass on the dance floor in the middle of the afternoon (which they damn well did). I’ll add that one of the joys of self-DJing your wedding, is that we often listen to our playlist on our anniversary. Enjoy.
- “Chapel of Love” by The Dixie Cups
- “Twistin’ the Night Away” by Sam Cooke from Live At The Harlem Square Club
- “Twist and Shout” by The Beatles
- “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong
- “New York, New York” by Frank Sinatra
- “Georgia on My Mind” Ray Charles
- “Can’t Take my Eyes Off of You” by Frankie Valli, covered by Lauren Hill
- “Let’s Get It Started (radio remix)” by Black Eyed Peas
- “Independent Women Part I” by Destiny’s Child
- “Proud Mary” by Tina Turner & Ike Turner (Important note: this song needs to be clipped. You only want to use the second half for a dance party)
- “Jump Around” by House of Pain (Jump Around and 9 to 5 is only the best cross fade ever, listen to it in action here, thanks to The Flashdance)
- “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton (for the purpose of doing the electric slide, which I don’t think you can have a dance party without)
- “I Loves You, Porgy” by Nina Simone
- “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours” by Stevie Wonder
- “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” by Michael Jackson
- “ABC” by The Jackson 5
- “Kiss” by Prince
- “Hey Ya” by Outcast
- “Medley: It’s All Right—For Sentimental Reasons” by Sam Cooke from Live At The Harlem Square Club
