Our Absolute Favorite 75+ Wedding Dance Songs

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.

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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

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.
• 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.

The Best 75 Wedding Dance Songs (Ever)

1. 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

   

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

   

   51. “Lean On” by Major Lazer & DJ Snake ft. MØ
   52. “Who Am I (What’s My Name)” by Snoop Dogg
   53. “Party Up (Up in Here)” by DMX
   54. “Sweet Child o’ Mine” by Guns ’N’ Roses
   55. “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'” by Michael Jackson
   56. “One More Time” by Daft Punk
   57. “Move Ya Body” by Nina Sky
   58. “Dance to the Music” by Sly & The Family Stone
   59. “Take on Me” by A-ha
   60. “Get Free” by Major Lazer ft. Amber of The Dirty Projectors
   61. “Flashing Lights” by Kanye West ft. Dwele
   62. “Still D.R.E.” by Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg
   63. “Good Life” by Kanye West ft. T-Pain
   64. “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys
   65. “In Da Club” by 50 Cent
   66. “Hypnotize” by Biggie Smalls
   67. “Good Feeling” by Flo Rida
   68. “We Found Love” by Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris
   69. “Low” by Flo Rida
   70. “Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix-a-Lot
   71. “Girls” by The Beastie Boys
   72. “Shout” by The Isley Brothers
   73. “All I Do Is Win” by DJ Khaled ft. Ludacris, Rick Ross, T-Pain, and Snoop Dogg
   74. “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift
   75. “Dark Fantasy” by Kanye West
   76. “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?