# Songs to perk up a gathering **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 25, 2003, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-to-perk-up-a-gathering/215166 "2003-11-25T12:25:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ecugrad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ac8455/32.png) [@ecugrad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ecugrad)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-to-perk-up-a-gathering/215166/1 "2003-11-25T12:25:23Z")
Ever been to a gathering that so dull you wish you’d never gone? Name a great song to get the ball rolling… My pick: AC/DC “Shook Me All Night Long”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DrMemory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DrMemory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrMemory)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-to-perk-up-a-gathering/215166/2 "2003-11-25T13:59:27Z")
Needle and the Damage Done… Neil Young or Neil Diamond’s cover there of…? ---
**Author:** ![Mal\_Adroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@Mal\_Adroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mal_Adroit)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-to-perk-up-a-gathering/215166/3 "2003-11-25T15:18:19Z")
“Domino” by Van Morrison? Anything by the B-52’s, really. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-to-perk-up-a-gathering/215166/4 "2003-11-25T16:05:48Z")
Monty Python’s ‘Sit on My Face’ 😛 ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-to-perk-up-a-gathering/215166/5 "2003-11-26T04:53:39Z")
For dance party music: _Red Alert_ by Basement Jaxx and _We Like the Party!_ by the Venga Boys Cheesy, boith of 'em, but parties love 'em! ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-to-perk-up-a-gathering/215166/6 "2003-11-26T06:04:24Z")
Old Beatles: Since I Saw Her Standing There, Please Please Me, Twist And Shout, I Should Have Known Better, Eight Days A Week, etc. The number one litmus test I have found for a party: Jailhouse Rock - Elvis If you play this song and no one gets up to dance, call the morgue, this party is officially dead. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-to-perk-up-a-gathering/215166/7 "2003-11-26T06:32:09Z")
“Oh, the engineers have hairy ears…” ---
**Author:** ![Nvme77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Nvme77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nvme77)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-to-perk-up-a-gathering/215166/8 "2003-11-26T06:40:24Z")
Marvin Gaye : Got to give it up Chic: Le Freak Wilson Pickett: Land of a thousand dances New song to get a party going, IMHO: Outkast: Hey Ya My personal must get up wherever I am and start moving to this song is New Order: Blue Monday ---
**Author:** ![buttonjockey308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@buttonjockey308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buttonjockey308)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-to-perk-up-a-gathering/215166/9 "2003-11-26T07:01:56Z")
If the party can’t be brought about by blister in the sun, I will leave. Even if it’s my party. ---
**Author:** ![CBCD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@CBCD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBCD)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-to-perk-up-a-gathering/215166/10 "2003-11-26T12:54:52Z")
Gordon Lightfoot’s **The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald**. Just kidding. Gosh, I’ve been making this joke for years - it just gets funnier every time… ---
**Author:** ![DrMemory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DrMemory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrMemory)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-to-perk-up-a-gathering/215166/11 "2003-11-26T13:05:34Z")
Rainy Days and Mondays : The Carpenters ---
**Author:** ![Jennyrosity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@Jennyrosity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennyrosity)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-to-perk-up-a-gathering/215166/12 "2003-11-26T13:08:50Z")
“Sit Down” by James always seems to get people up dancing, ironically enough. ---
**Author:** ![Elysian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c77e96/32.png) [@Elysian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elysian)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-to-perk-up-a-gathering/215166/13 "2003-11-26T14:11:26Z")
Stray Cat Strut by the Stray Cats! Gets them wiggling out on the the dance floor every time! ---
**Author:** ![burundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ec8ea/32.png) [@burundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burundi)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-to-perk-up-a-gathering/215166/14 "2003-11-26T16:19:23Z")
Just about anything by the Squirrel Nut Zippers will work. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-to-perk-up-a-gathering/215166/15 "2003-11-26T18:14:47Z")
What I Like About You by The Ramones. ---
**Author:** ![gaba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e0b2c6/32.png) [@gaba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaba)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-to-perk-up-a-gathering/215166/16 "2003-11-26T20:16:13Z")
Zorba’s Dance from Zorba the Greek worked wonders on my prome. No, really. Also, pardon me, YMCA by the Village People. 😉 It NEVER fails. Other tacky seventies disco, Gloria Gaynor included. The sheer cheese of this stuff just makes people less self-conscious and loosened up. For most people it’s hard to groove to a complex masterpiece, if you know what I mean. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-to-perk-up-a-gathering/215166/17 "2003-11-26T20:55:53Z")
Handel: My heart is inditing. ---
**Author:** ![Spooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Spooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spooky)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-to-perk-up-a-gathering/215166/18 "2003-11-26T23:59:34Z")
Celebration, by Kool & the Gang! ---
**Author:** ![peritrochoid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@peritrochoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peritrochoid)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-to-perk-up-a-gathering/215166/19 "2003-11-27T00:09:42Z")
“_Rough Sex_”, “_I Must Increase My Bust_”, or “_I Sit On Acid_” by Lords of Acid. Guaranteed to bring ANY party to life. ---
**Author:** ![saramamalana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/74df32/32.png) [@saramamalana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saramamalana)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-to-perk-up-a-gathering/215166/20 "2003-11-27T04:02:52Z")
“Pick Up the Pieces” by the Average White Band. And I second the “Red Alert” nomination. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-to-perk-up-a-gathering/215166.md?page=2)