So, I get to DJ a wedding this weekend. For a friend. I’ve never DJ’d before.
I’ve got my mittens on a DJ CD collection, so I gots all I needs at my disposal. I think I can read the crowd well enough to figure out what ought to be played, as they start getting a bit drunk and having some fun.
What I’d like is your suggestions on the first dozen or so songs I should play, in the order I should play them. That is, what would be the best playlist for “testing” the crowd to see what they like?
Really?
It’s been 3 hours, and nobody has suggested anything? The Cafe people, I figured, woulda commented by now.
At our wedding, we played OutKast’s Hey Ya! early on, which went over very well. Marvin Gaye’s Got to Give It Up also got people dancing.
Here’s a link that may prove helpful.
See, the problem is that no matter what anybody tells you to play, somebody’s going to come busting in and say, “Nobody wants to hear that shit!” And no matter what you play, someone at the wedding reception will come up and demand to know what you think you’re doing playing such utter crap.
A whole lot depends on the crowd. The music Albert mentioned might have worked great for the crowd at his wedding, but at my wedding it wouldn’t have worked so well. The Outkast song would have gone over like an orgy during Sunday School. People would have been sitting there discreetly casting appalled glances at one another. Your best bet is probably to talk to the bride and groom, since they’re the ones most likely to have a feel for the group you’ll be working with. They won’t be giving you specific songs, of course, as they have roughly five million other things on their minds at the moment, but they should be able to give you a general idea of where to start.
Once you have that, the Dopers can probably make you a play list.
Hmmmm… it’s tricky not knowing what age your friends are, and what age most of their friends are likely to be. And are you mainly trying to cater for the happy couple’s age group and the kids, or do you want Great Aunt Gertrude up there shaking her tail-feather as well?
But this is probably what I’d go with if it were me, trying to mix up some old stuf and new stuff, lots of different styles, and keeping it up-tempo and fairly well known.
Vogue - Madonna
Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand
Crazy In Love - Beyonce
Song 2 - Blur
Love Shack - The B-52s
Twist and Shout - The Beatles
She Wants To Move - NER*D
Debaser - The Pixies
Baby One More Time - Brittney Spears
Tainted Love - Soft Cell
Celebrity Skin - Hole
California Dreamin’ - Mamas and the Papas
Praise You - Fatboy Slim
This should at least give you a pretty good idea of what you’re dealing with.
Hey Ya!?
Don’t want to meet your Daddy
Just want you in my caddy
Don’t want to meet your Momma
Just want to make you cumma
For a wedding?
We checked out This Day In Music to find out what was number 1 on the days we were born, which is why we ended up with Fernando and Dancing Queen on our playlist. Hey, we thought it was funny. It’s all about the in jokes. 
dude, how can you leave out the “Macarena” song?
“Celebration” song.
good dancing songs that get the crowds going. “Dancing Queen” is another one.
“Electric Boogie”.
put in some country line dancing songs as well.
By the time the crowd is fully drunk you can start playing any song cause no one cares, they just wanna dance.
As a joke play “Like a Virgin” by Madonna and “Cherry Wine” Jermaine Stewart.
Hava Nagila.
What? I’m serious! Everybody loves Hava Nagila!
You have to gauge the audience - if, ultimately, you are looking for a fun, party atmosphere, then find a balance between obvious dance/disco songs, fun oldies and more modern dance-able stuff.
Stuff off the Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack (hey, disco nights at clubs are popular for a reason)
Its rainin Men by the Weathergirls (ditto)
What I Like About You (Romantics)
We got the Beat/Our Lips our Sealed by the Go-Go’s (girls will jump up and scream)
Pump it up - Elvis Costello
Just Can’t Get Enough by Depeche Mode
Blue Monday - New Order
You get the idea…
You have to have polkas. Lots and lots of polkas. Trust me on this one.