Our Absolute Favorite 75+ Wedding Dance Songs

Don't just stand there, bust a move

I’ve been to my fair share of receptions that had amazing wedding dance songs. Like, kick your granny out because the bar is closing, and she’s still busting a move kind of amazing wedding playlist. But I’ve also been to my fair share of wedding receptions that, well, didn’t have a whole lot of dancing going on.

Everyone always wants to know the secret to picking wedding dance songs, and getting people on the dance floor at their wedding. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that it isn’t always as simple as putting a few of your favorite songs on a wedding playlist and hoping everyone will join in. Finding the right wedding dance songs that appease both young and old, that are fun to listen to and fun to dance to, isn’t always easy to the untrained ear. And no matter how many times I want to bust a move to “Call Your Girlfriend,” sadly, my great aunt probably doesn’t.

So today we asked Michael Antonia of The Flashdance for his best tips on how to throw the kind of party where everyone ends up barefoot, sweaty and with laryngitis from singing along too loudly. Based out of Southern California, Michael is hands down the hippest DJ we know (wedding or otherwise), so he gets what it takes to pack a dance floor and keep it that way. While we were at it, we also asked for a few of his guaranteed wedding dance song favorites, and he gave us… seventy-five. So without further ado, here are Michael’s best insider tips, followed by seventy-five wedding dance songs that will make your night. Bonus: you can listen to the entire playlist right here.
—MADDIE

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bride dancing to wedding dance songs under confetti

Tips For Putting Together Your Wedding Playlist

  • Nail the first song: The first song of the night sets the tone and can make or break the reception. Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” always slays—it’s the perfect combination of fun, energetic, and well known without alienating anyone. You don’t want the most popular song on the radio, but you want something people know. It can’t be too fast or too slow.
  • Don’t worry about the words: Some songs that are really fun to dance to aren’t about how in love you are, and that’s okay! When we’re talking about wedding dance songs, the words don’t really matter.
  • Think about your guests: So yes, you had a hilarious experience at a bar ten years ago while “Nothing Compares 2 You” by Sinead O’Conner was playing, but no one else at your wedding (except maybe your BFF) was there, and they won’t think the song is nearly as funny as you do. You don’t have to make sure every single song will appeal to as many people as possible, but definitely leave ultra-inclusive inside jokes out.a dj mixing music at a wedding reception
  • Stagger the playlist for multiple generations: Treat your wedding playlist like the film rating system. The beginning of the night (aka rated PG) should include Motown/Motown-era soul (Stax/Atlantic/Muscle Shoals)—think Aretha, Sam and Dave, Stevie Wonder, and so on, but with a few new jams sprinkled in so younger gusts can enjoy themselves. You’ll also want the good stuff—try to avoid cliches like “We Are Family.” If you’re not using a good DJ (or not hiring a DJ at all), you’ll want to listen to the entire song before you decide on it. After forty-five minutes or so, a lot of the youngest and oldest guests will exit the dance floor, and you move to PG-13: you can transition to ’80s, ’90s, and current pop, hip-hop, and New Wave—it’s great to transition with a hip-hop song that samples a soul classic. After another hour you’re usually down to your core group of friends and family who want to party, and anything goes (including, or maybe especially, this timely jam).
  • If you’re not going pro, at least use an app: There is a really cool DJ app called Djay2 that will work for iPad and iPhone. You can use this with a simple set-up to automate your wedding playlist with criteria that you set. For example, you can make a playlist of the songs you want and set it up to mix every two minutes or so (safe bet) and it will just go through and mix them all together.

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The Best 75 Wedding Dance Songs (Ever)

    1. “Little Pretty One” by Bobby Day & the Satellites
    2. “If You Want To Be Happy” by Jimmy Soul
    3. “ABC” by The Jackson 5
    4. “This Is How We Do It” by Montell Jordan
    5. “Jungle Boogie” by Kool and The Gang
    6. “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours” by Stevie Wonder
    7. “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” by The Beatles
    8. “Got to Give It Up” by Marvin Gaye
    9. “Paper Planes” by M.I.A.
    10. “Gimme Little Sign” by Brenton Wood
    11. “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
    12. “Upside Down” by Diana Ross
    13. “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough” by Michael Jackson
    14. “September” by Earth, Wind, and Fire
    15. “Respect” by Aretha Franklin
    16. “Me Myself and I” by De La Soul
    17. “Bust a Move” by Young MC
    18. “Groove Is in the Heart” by Deee-Lite
    19. “Holiday” by Madonna
    20. “Please Mr. Postman” by The Marvelettes

    pink dj disc on a turn table at a reception

    1. “The Locomotion” by Little Eva
    2. “Tears of a Clown” by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
    3. “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” by The Temptations
    4. “Dancing in the Streets” by Martha & The Vandellas
    5. “Twist and Shout” by The Beatles
    6. “Stronger” by Kanye West
    7. “The Breaks” by Kurtis Blow
    8. “Midnight City” by M83
    9. “Time to Pretend” by MGMT
    10. “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk ft. Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers
    11. “PYT” by Michael Jackson
    12. “You Shook Me All Night Long” by AC/DC
    13. “I Love It” by Icona Pop ft. Charli XCX
    14. “Lose Control” by Missy Elliot
    15. “Brass Monkey” by The Beastie Boys
    16. “It’s Tricky” by RUN-DMC
    17. “Just Can’t Get Enough” by Depeche Mode
    18. “California Love” by 2Pac ft. Dr. Dre
    19. “The Next Episode” by Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, Nate Dogg
    20. “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang” by Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg
    21. “Hip Hop Hooray” by Naughty by Nature
    22. “Shoop” by Salt-N-Pepa
    23. “Going Back to Cali” by Notorious BIG
    24. “Flash Light” by Parliament
    25. “I Want You Back” by The Jackson 5
    26. “Mo’ Money Mo’ Problems” by The Notorious B.I.G.
    27. “Ride Wit Me” by Nelly ft. St. Lunatics
    28. “Feel So Good” by Mase
    29. “Don’t Tell ’Em” by Jeremih ft. YG

    a dj mixing wedding music at a wedding reception

    1. “Lean On” by Major Lazer & DJ Snake ft. MØ
    2. “Who Am I (What’s My Name)” by Snoop Dogg
    3. “Party Up (Up in Here)” by DMX
    4. “Sweet Child o’ Mine” by Guns ’N’ Roses
    5. “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'” by Michael Jackson
    6. “One More Time” by Daft Punk
    7. “Move Ya Body” by Nina Sky
    8. “Dance to the Music” by Sly & The Family Stone
    9. “Take on Me” by A-ha
    10. “Get Free” by Major Lazer ft. Amber of The Dirty Projectors
    11. “Flashing Lights” by Kanye West ft. Dwele
    12. “Still D.R.E.” by Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg
    13. “Good Life” by Kanye West ft. T-Pain
    14. “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys
    15. “In Da Club” by 50 Cent
    16. “Hypnotize” by Biggie Smalls
    17. “Good Feeling” by Flo Rida
    18. “We Found Love” by Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris
    19. “Low” by Flo Rida
    20. “Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix-a-Lot
    21. “Girls” by The Beastie Boys
    22. “Shout” by The Isley Brothers
    23. “All I Do Is Win” by DJ Khaled ft. Ludacris, Rick Ross, T-Pain, and Snoop Dogg
    24. Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift
    25. “Dark Fantasy” by Kanye West
    26. “Happy” by Pharell Williams

     

    What are your favorite Wedding Dance Songs? What do you like to get down to on the dance floor? What’s on your wedding playlist?

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