One of my friends wants me to play waltzing music at a party tomorrow night. Any suggestions for famous/popular songs that can be easily waltzed to?
Also search here – there was a thread about it maybe a year, year and a half ago.
Ashokan Farewell is more beautiful than famous.
Annie’s Song by John Denver is more famous than beautiful.
James Taylor “Sweet Baby James”
“She’s Leaving Home” by the Beatles is in waltz time.
For that matter, so is “Norwegian Wood.”
The Doors’ “Wintertime Love” on their Waiting for the Sun CD. Particularly appropriate for this time of year.
“Hide Your Love Away” is a good one as well.
Q
“Sad Songs & Waltzes” by Cake
Actually, now that I think of it, it wasn’t very famous OR popular. But it was on the album “Fashion Nugget” which was famous AND popular. 
A whole lot of Johann Strauss, Jr.'s music.
No, it’s in 6/8, which is like playing in 2, but with a triplet feel.
Missed the edit window:
Even though Norwegian Wood isn’t in 3/4, I guess you could still waltz to it. I played a gig where a couple waltzed to Coltrane’s “Afro Blue” (he didn’t write it, but played one of the definitive versions). That was pretty cool, especially since it was a corporate dinner event.
Oh, my.
The old thread referenced was one of mine and a good place to start. You can waltz to basically anything in 3/4 time and many in 6/8, though 6/8 is just too fast sometimes (Try waltzing to Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” or Rufus Wainwright’s “Hallelujah” for instance!). Here are a few of my current favorites that haven’t been mentioned yet:
For learning, with clear, easy beats and slow, easy tempos:
“Come Away With Me” by Norah Jones (very, very slow. Not even fun once you know what you’re doing, but OK for beginners)
“Pretty Maids All In A Row” or “Take It To The Limit” by The Eagles (Both easy, though “Pretty Maids” is a better song)
“Waltz #2 (Xo)” by Elliott Smith (better than "Waltz #1 on the same CD, though both work)
“The Rainbow Connection” by Kermit the Frog (kitschy, I know)
Quicker, more fun, and slightly more advanced. Mainstays of our waltz nights:
“Waltz Into Me” by Hootie and the Blowfish
“Blue Eyes” by Cary Brothers (can be found on the Garden State soundtrack)
“Sweet Baby James” by James Taylor
“Kiss From A Rose” by Seal
“It’ll All Work Out” by Tom Petty
“Go Places” by The New Pornographers
“Hear You Me” by Jimmy Eat World (or, ideally, the cover by On The Rocks, an University of Oregon’s a cappella group)
“Bank Job” by The Barenaked Ladies (a weird topic for a romantic dance, but hey, whatever)
“Goodnight, Irene” by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (but it’s an old bluegrass tune, this is just my preferred version)
“Scarborough Fair” by Simon and Garfunkel
“Mr. Bojangles” by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
“Someday You Will Be Loved” by Death Cab for Cutie
“The Last Waltz Theme” by The Band
“Where Would I Be” by Cake
“Open Arms” by Journey (for that high school prom aesthetic)
“I’ll Be” by Edwin McCain
“Turn Me On” by Norah Jones
Pretty, pretty songs and beautiful waltzes, but hard to hear the beat- tricky, but fun. These are some of my favorites, but you do need to work to stay on beat:
“The Over Grown Waltz” by Bela Fleck
“Satellite” by Dave Matthews Band
“The Night I Painted The Sky” by Jimmy Buffet
“Dreaming My Dreams” by The Cranberries
Quick waltzes: more suited to Viennese waltz, which I don’t know and therefore rarely dance to these songs. They are waltzes, though, and I’ve danced to them all:
“Hold On” by Kansas
“Try Not To Breathe” by R.E.M.
“Love Will Come Through” by Travis
“Norwegian Wood”, “Hide Your Love Away”, and “She’s Leaving Home” by The Beatles
“Mexico” by Cake
Lots of christmas music is in 3/4 time and easy to waltz to. That’s a big help around this time of year, and we often have a Christmas waltz night in the snowy city park in the gazebo. This list is by no means exhaustive:
“Carol of the Bells” by everyone in the world. I like the Trans-Siberian Orchestra version.
“Silent Night” by even more people than “Carol of the Bells”
“The Peace Carol” and “Noel: Christmas Eve, 1913” from that old John Denver and the Muppets TV special.
“O Holy Night”, another traditional carol
“Greensleeves”, another
“Away In A Manger”, another
I think this is actually a Willie Nelson cover. The Cake version is awesome, though.
Mull of Kyntire by Wings.
From the world of musical theater:
“Hello, Young Lovers” from The King and I
“Out of My Dreams” from Oklahoma
“Wunderbar” from Kiss Me, Kate
“Carousel Waltz” from Carousel
“Paris Waltz” from Candide
The Waltzing Fool and Walk Through the Bottomland – Lyle Lovett
When I Need Love – Leo Sayer
What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
Don’t know if it’s exactly famous, but you can waltz to Waltz #2, by Elliott Smith.
Oh, right- I forgot show tunes.
“Sunrise, Sunset” and “Matchmaker” from Fiddler on the Roof
“Oh, What A Beautiful Morning” from Oklahoma.