# I Need Dance Songs!!! (For my wedding) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 12, 2001, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-dance-songs-for-my-wedding/54117 "2001-02-12T05:42:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TKD2DAN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dbc845/32.png) [@TKD2DAN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TKD2DAN)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2001, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-dance-songs-for-my-wedding/54117/21 "2001-02-14T16:31:53Z")
Total Eclipse Of The Heart" Nikki French ??? The Bonnie Tyler version is much better. How about “Eternal Flame” by the Bangles I Have to Say I Love You (in a song)- Jim Croche Lola- The Kinks The Sweetest Thing- Juice Newton (good first song) Got Nowhere to Go- Melissa Ethridge (sp) Oh, and don’t forget the Texas Wedding Favorite… ``` "THE CHICKEN DANCE"! ``` ---
**Author:** ![Darqangelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecccb3/32.png) [@Darqangelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darqangelle)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2001, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-dance-songs-for-my-wedding/54117/22 "2001-02-14T19:21:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TKD2DAN \* > \*\*Total Eclipse Of The Heart" Nikki French ??? The Bonnie Tyler version is much better. \*\* I can’t argue taht fact, but the Nikki French version gets people dancing, and that’s the aim. > [@](#): > > \*\*How about “Eternal Flame” by the Bangles > I Have to Say I Love You (in a song)- Jim Croche \*\* uhh… > [@](#): > > **Lola- The Kinks** umm. oh boy… > [@](#): > > **The Sweetest Thing- Juice Newton (good first song)** errrrr… > [@](#): > > **Got Nowhere to Go- Melissa Ethridge (sp)** ech! Hurk! > [@](#): > > \*\*Oh, and don’t forget the Texas Wedding Favorite… > “THE CHICKEN DANCE”! > \*\* Alright… as a twelve-year Wedding DJ veteran, I have a licence to kill you now… but seriously, those tunes (Chicken Dance notwithstanding) are not going to “fill the floor”, no matter how good they are. Unfortunately, we still live in a spoon-fed society when it comes to music: “I haven’t heard this before so I’m not going to dance to it because I haven’t heard it EIGHTEEEN TIMES A DAY ON LOCAL RADIO.” ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2001, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-dance-songs-for-my-wedding/54117/23 "2001-02-14T19:56:43Z")
A few songs from my own wedding (a lot have already been mentioned): **As Time Goes By** from the soundtrack of _Casablanca_. Our first dance. **Brown Eyed Girl** by Van Morrison (only works if the bride has brown eyes, of course). **Good Lovin’** by the Young Rascals. **You Can Leave Your Hat On** by Joe Cocker. Don’t be too drunk when this comes on, or you’ll end up naked. **Louis, Louis** by someone or another (we used the _Animal House_ soundtrack). For this song, it helps to be drunk. **When We Dance** , by Sting. For relaxation. **Everybody Needs Somebody to Love** by the Blues Brothers. Don’t use another version; people expect the intro. **Woolly Bully** by Sam the Sham and the Egyptians. The most fun song ever written. Even people who’ve never heard it before will be singing it before it’s over. Any help? ---
**Author:** ![Sengkelat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Sengkelat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sengkelat)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2001, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-dance-songs-for-my-wedding/54117/24 "2001-02-14T20:28:49Z")
I got married last year, and opted for no DJ at the wedding. All the DJs we interviewed were loudmouthed pricks, and they were insanely expensive. I considered burning CDs, but instead went out and bought a minidisc player. That way I could record a bunch of stuff, change what order it played, erase it when it was vetoed by my fiancee, etc. I made four discs worth (each at 74 minutes), three of dance songs and one of during-ceremony music. I used the minidisc editing features to make an extra-long version of a track from Myst for the processional. And the best part of buying the hardware instead of hiring a DJ is that I still have the minidisk player. Unfortunately, I don’t have the gargantuan playlist we made up anymore, but here are a few songs: Rock Lobster/B52’s Brick House/? Jungle Boogie/Pulp Fiction Sdtrk Goodbye/Oingo Boingo Blister in the Sun/Violent Femmes Radar Love/Golden Earring Gigantor/Saturday Morning album Burning Down the House/Talking Heads Spam/Save Ferris Sing, Sing, Sing/Lee Press-on and the Nails Blue Suit Boogie, Check Book Daddy-O/Royal Crown Revue? In the Mood/Glen Miller Zoot suit riot/Cherry Poppin’ Daddys Damnation/Squirrel Nut Zippers Godzilla/Blue Oyster Cult ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2001, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-dance-songs-for-my-wedding/54117/25 "2001-02-14T22:26:13Z")
**I Knew the Bride (when she used to rock n’ roll)** was our opener, only we used the **Dave Edmunds** cover. **Woolly Bully** (by Sam the Sham and the _Pharoahs_) is one of the two or three most fun dance songs in the known universe, as **Alessan** has pointed out (and sorry for the nitpick, btw). **Save It for Later** by the **English Beat** was a good one, although today I might use the **Harvey Danger** cover. **My Sharona** by **The Knack** is another of the ‘most fun to dance to’ songs. **Ain’t Too Proud to Beg** by the **Temptations** is another fun one. This wasn’t on my wedding tape, but if you’re gonna do “I Think I Love You”, go with the **Voice of the Beehive** cover. (We had two other VoB songs on our wedding tape - “I Walk the Earth”, and “Don’t Call Me Baby”. Get a good mix of fast and slow dance songs - more fast toward the beginning, more slow later on. But you probably want to lead off with a slow dance. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-dance-songs-for-my-wedding/54117/26 "2001-02-15T01:18:55Z")
> [@](#): > > pepper- > > ``` > What song do you have planned for your first dance? May I suggest: > > "I Will" - The Beatles > "Something" - The Beatles > > ``` Actually our first dance is going to be “Here There and Everywhere”-The Beatles and “Fields of Gold”-Sting. Obviously we’re planning on playing almost all the Beatles’ songs, except ones that just aren’t appropriate (“Run For Your Life” for example, or “sad” songs). And thank you everybody else. These are excellent! Keep them coming!!! ---
**Author:** ![Skwerl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Skwerl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skwerl)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-dance-songs-for-my-wedding/54117/27 "2001-02-15T04:33:03Z")
If you’re going for real, club-scene type dancing, try “Saltwater” by Chicane or “Nagasakie Badger” by his alter ego, Disco Citizens. They’re kinda like new-age trance, with synth swells and pianos on fast 4-4 beats. And there’re the old disco classics by Donna Summers and the BeeGees and so on that everyone still loves to dance to. Actually, your best bet would be to just go to Amazon or CDNow and search for dance mixes. ---
**Author:** ![FEotU](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9bd4f/32.png) [@FEotU](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FEotU)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-dance-songs-for-my-wedding/54117/28 "2001-02-15T07:11:55Z")
You gotta have them play “Dancing in the Dark” by Bruce Springsteen; that should fill the floor. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-dance-songs-for-my-wedding/54117/29 "2001-02-15T22:08:14Z")
“That’s What I Like About You” by the Romantics. “I Wanna Be Sedated” by the Ramones. If you want a slow dance, “True” by Spandau Ballet. “Will You Lay With Me in a Field of Stone” by Tanya Tucker. This one will give the older guests a chuckle. It was written as a wedding song, but the Bible-thumpers misinterpreted the title and boycotted it for “immorality”. I know that Nikki French’s version of “Total Eclipse of the Heart” is better for dancing, but Bonnie Tyler’s version is still better music. ---
**Author:** ![Pismonque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/46a35a/32.png) [@Pismonque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pismonque)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-dance-songs-for-my-wedding/54117/30 "2001-02-16T07:27:08Z")
At my wedding we played _It’s the End of the World As We Know It_ by REM. Good for dancing, nice irony. We also played Madonna’s _Like a Virgin_ because my wife swore she was gonna roll around in her wedding dress, but she didn’t (grrr). For a beautiful, romantic slow song, you can’t beat Tony Bennett’s version of _Fly Me to the Moon_. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2001, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-dance-songs-for-my-wedding/54117/31 "2001-02-21T17:52:52Z")
I can’t believe I forgot “A Kiss to build a Dream on” by Louis Armstrong. Gotta have that. For a tango-ish dance and irony, play “Mine!” by Trout Fishing in America. ---
**Author:** ![Darqangelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecccb3/32.png) [@Darqangelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darqangelle)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2001, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-dance-songs-for-my-wedding/54117/32 "2001-02-23T13:49:57Z")
You know, pep (can I call you “pep”? 😃 ), ever since you asked this question, I started thinking about all the tunes I’d played over the years at weddings and which ones “worked” (some obviously more than others). With some help from the above posters jogging my memory, I’ve managed to put together a list of (Count 'em) One hundred and ninety-seven songs. Now obviously, not all of those songs are going to work… you may, for instance, wish to eschew the “Chicken Dance” or “Hava Nagila”, and never mind that it’s going to take over 12 hours top play all these tunes, but the list is prepped if you’d like to take a look at it. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2001, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-dance-songs-for-my-wedding/54117/33 "2001-02-23T15:14:50Z")
These are not the greatest tunes but they are great to dance to: “Jump, Jump” by Kriss Kross, “Jump Around” by House of Pain, “3 AM Eternal” by the KLF, “Humpty Dance” by Digital Underground. ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2001, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-dance-songs-for-my-wedding/54117/34 "2001-02-23T19:02:52Z")
Bangles - Eternal Flame Blessed Union of Souls - I Believe Bob Carlisle - Butterfly Kisses (If you want to get the father of the bride teary eyed.) Chris Deburgh - Lady in Red (Works best if you SO is wearing red.) Don Henley - For My Wedding The Foundations - Build Me Up Buttercup Jann Arden - Insensitive Kenny Chesney - Keeper of the Stars (If you like country) Marvin Gaye - Take your pick Michael Peterson - From Her to Eternity (Country song but great for a wedding) Prince - Pick a few. Righteous Bros. - You’ve Lost that Loving Feeling Temptations - My Girl And the best song . . . . Extreme - More Than Words (I guess I’m a nut for slow sappy tunes. Oh Well) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-dance-songs-for-my-wedding/54117.md?page=1)