It's About the Music
From a DJ's perspective, there are two main categories of music: the stuff you like to listen to, and the stuff you can dance to. The boomer years produced a huge volume of both. I specialize in the dance stuff. My library has over 7250 tunes; the top 100 from every year between 1949 and 2003 and I add about 20 a month.
My library doesn't include metal, hip-hop, or country. If that's what you are looking for there is no shortage of DJs who can cover those. I am a "specialist"...in baby boomer dance tunes.
The lists below are tunes that fill the dance floor OR were special requests that...well...resonated. Most of the tunes are from the 50s, 60s and a little from the 70s, but a few are just so awesome that they earned a place in the core playlist. Hence, the B-52s, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis. The slow tunes are just classics.
Dance music. The right tempo. The right time signature. Beautiful string arrangements that leave you misty. Bouncy melodies. Lyrics you can't forget after 40 years. ...you know it when you hear it.
My library doesn't include metal, hip-hop, or country. If that's what you are looking for there is no shortage of DJs who can cover those. I am a "specialist"...in baby boomer dance tunes.
The lists below are tunes that fill the dance floor OR were special requests that...well...resonated. Most of the tunes are from the 50s, 60s and a little from the 70s, but a few are just so awesome that they earned a place in the core playlist. Hence, the B-52s, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis. The slow tunes are just classics.
Dance music. The right tempo. The right time signature. Beautiful string arrangements that leave you misty. Bouncy melodies. Lyrics you can't forget after 40 years. ...you know it when you hear it.
Uptempo Tunes - get ready for a workoutTwist and Shout - (I prefer the Beatles version to the Isley Bros.) Pride and Joy - Marvin Gaye Great Ball of Fire - Jerry Lee Lewis (If this doesn't get you moving you're dead) Love Shack - B52's (Tiiiiiiiiiiiiiin roof........rusted!) Baby Workout - Jackie Wilson ("HEY YOU!...get out on the floor!" A sexy, fun tune) Mony Mony - Billy Idol Dance the Night Away - The Santana version, not the Van Halen version. (Because..it's better) Twistin' the Night Away - Sam Cooke Tell Mama - Etta James Party 'til the Cows Come Home - Elvin Bishop (Moo!) Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry (A monstrous classic!) Hanky Panky - Tommy James and The Shondells (What IS the hanky panky?) Money (That's What I Want) - The Beatles version Blue Suede Shoes - Carl Perkins (4 out of 5 boomers prefer Carl's to the Elvis cover) Little Latin Lupe Lu - Righteous Brothers Play That Funky Music White Boy - (Fills the dance floor every time.) Let's Groove - Earth, Wind and Fire Doobie Brothers - Rockin' Down the Highway (Remember the Chateau Liberte?) Redneck Friend - Jackson Browne I Just want to Celebrate - Rare Earth (Liquor + this song = Full dance floor) Double Shot (of my Baby's Love) - Swingin Medallions (Too Much Fun) I Can't get Next to You - The Temptations Shake a Tail Feather (remastered version) - Ray Charles (You DO remember the Blues Brothers movie, don't you?) ABC - Jackson Five Willie & The Hand Jive - Johnny Otis (The ultimate field sobriety test) Devil With A Blue Dress - Mitch Ryder ("fee fee fi fi fo fo fum...YEAH!) Mickey - Toni Basil (get in touch with your inner cheerleader) Tighten Up - Archie Bell and The Drells Jumping Jack Flash - Rolling Stones Bottle Of Wine - Fireballs (Unlock memories of drunken frat parties) Livin In The USA - Steve Miller Band (you'll be shouting "Somebody get me a cheeseburger!") Man I Feel Like A Woman - Shania Twain (Always gets requested) Jailhouse Rock - Elvis Bossa Nova Baby - Elvis (Damn, this is a GREAT tune!) Shotgun - Jr. Walker & the Allstars Cool Jerk - The Capitols Little GTO - Ronny & The Daytonas (Wah waaaah wah wah wah...oh hell yes!) You Can't Sit Down - The Dovells (No. It's true. You CAN'T sit down.) I'm Blue - The Ikettes (Once and for all, she's saying gone, not gong!) Oh, just shut up and dance. Everybody's In The Mood - Chris Issak (Chris doesn't appear to age like us human males) Thank You - Sly & the Family Stone (Funkiest bass ever) Stupid Cupid - Connie Francis (You won't be able to get this tune out o your head...honest) Shake Your Groove Thing - Peaches & Herb (Just TRY not to dance to this) Splish Splash - Bobby Darin Who's Been Talkin' - Steve Miller (...you had no idea Steve had so many dance-worthy tunes) Play That Fast Thing (One More Time) BR5-49 (Roadhouse...Georgia-style) Hot Hot Hot - Buster Poindexter & His Banshees (I'm sorry. I needed a song for a conga line and this is it. Now, get IN the line and DON'T spill your drink.) Mashed Potato Time - Dee Dee Sharp I Got Loaded - Los Lobos (A crowd pleaser..better than La Bamba!) Last Night - Mar-Keys (The unofficial anthem of Boomer Dance Party!) The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss) - Betty Everett I Want Candy - (Toss up between the Strangeloves original and Bow Wow Wow's cover) Shake - Sam Cooke (but put your drink down first) These Boots Were Made For Walking - Nancy Sinatra (Catchy. Evocative. Fun.) Smooth - Santana Featuring Rob Thomas (Crossover tempo. A hit...with the ladies) Ruby Baby - The Drifters Down In Mexico - The Drifters (Delightfully nasty...all you need are strippers) September - Earth, Wind & Fire (Who doesn't like this song?) Jungle Boogie - Kool & the Gang Hollywood Swingin' - Kool & the Gang I (learned how to boogaloo to this) He's So Fine - Chiffons (It's the doo-lang doo-lang doo-langs!) Hot & Nasty - Humble Pie La Bamba - Los Lobos version Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley Heavy Music Part 1 - Bob Seeger & the Last Heard (in the early 60s he rocked!) At The Hop - Danny & The Juniors (Okay, very fifties, but still a classic) Brown Sugar - Rolling Stones (Show off your moves..."like Jagger') Le Freak - Chic Surfin' USA - Beach Boys (Music Secret: Surfin USA IS Sweet Little Sixteen, note for note) Sweet Little Sixteen - Chuck Berry Why Get Up? - Fabulous Thunderbirds (Never heard it? it's a GREAT song for retirement parties) My Boyfriend's Back - The Angels (...and you're gonna get a beatin') I'm Too Sexy - Right Said Fred (This replaces The Stroll as the "exhibition dancing" tune) The Twist - Chubby Checker (...come on baby, let's do the twist!) Whole Lot Of Shakin' Going On - Jerry Lee Lewis Tequila - Champs (I have 4 versions of this tune...all great!) Roll Over Beethoven - The Beatles (Remember when the Beatles were a DANCE band?) Tore Down - Eric Clapton (THE most dancible Clapton tune ever!) The Wanderer - Dion & The Belmonts Sway (The more recent Buble version beats the Dean Martin version hands-down. No, really.) The above are in the core playlist of a Boomer dance party. This list doesn't include the tunes in the "Disco Madness, British Invasion" or "Land of a Thousand Dances" set playlists. Please don't ask me to play the Macarena or the Chicken Dance (unless it's your wedding reception and YOU are going to be dancing.) |
Slow Tunes (including the smoldering "makeout" songs)Up on the Roof - The Drifters Dance With Me - The Drifters Save the last Dance For Me - The Drifters (Okay, you've figured out we are HUGE Drifters fans) You Belong to Me - Jo Stafford's version,( but Annie Lennox did a sweet cover in 2013 ) Everyone's Gone to the Moon - Jonathan King Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye - The Casinos (This is one of my all-time top 3 slow songs) Because - Dave Clark Five Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying - Gerry and the Pacemakers Crazy - Patsy Cline Yes It Is - The Beatles Greetings (This is Uncle Sam) The Monitors (Nice slow tune...btw, you've been drafted.) I Can't Help (Falling in Love With You) - Elvis (Chris Isaak's version is AWESOME) I Only Have eyes For You - The Flamingos (This is the very definition of "smoldering") Me and Mrs. Jones - Billy Paul Something Stupid - Nancy and Frank Sinatra Are You Lonesome Tonight - Elvis ANYTHING by the Righteous Bros. - (admit it, you know it's true) Call Me - Aretha Franklin (I dedicate this to all road warriors...and it's in waltz tempo!) Break It To Me gently - Brenda Lee La Vie en Rose - Louis Armstrong (what they mean by "Love Song") Groovin' - Young Rascals Ladyfingers - Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass (So perfect...so utterly perfect) Sincerely - The Maguire Sisters (yaaaaaay) When You Love a Woman - Journey (I know, I know...but it's STILL a great slow tune.) Shut Up and Let Me Go - The Ting Tings (hahahahahahahahahahaha...just kidding.) Let's Stay Together - Al Green (okay, not quite a "slow" song, but a great "partner" dance.) Cherish - The Association Our Winter Love - Bill Pursell ( A MONSTER! one of the 4 classic instrumentals of the 60s) Summer Wind - Frank The Way You Look Tonight - Frank Unforgettable - Nat King Cole (the original, not Natalie's remake) For The Good Times - Ray Price (I know, I know...too sad)) I'm Sorry - Brenda Lee (while we're on the topic of sad...) My Happiness - Connie Francis (but Chris Isaak's recent cover is amazing!) Where the Boys Are - Connie Francis (hint: they're on the dance floor) Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime - Dean (oh yeah, we love Dean) Dream a Little Dream of Me - Le Yeux Ouverts (Okay...it's in French. What is the problem?) Night & Day - Frank Go Away Little Girl - Steve Lawrence (Classic!) In My Life - The Beatles (I have the classic Beatles version and a version by Sean Connery. Not surprisingly, Sean's version didn't make the charts.) Canadian Sunset - Andy Williams (...in 2-part harmony. Such a classic!) I've Got You Under My Skin - (Frank's version trumps the Four Seasons hands-down) In My Room - The Beach Boys Warmth of the Sun - The Beach Boys ("hey Gidget...they're playing our song!") Surfer Girl - The Beach Boys (...and there you have it. The BB "make-out trilogy.") When a Man Loves a Woman - Percy Sledge Theme from "Moulin Rouge" - Percy Faith (Percy and Henry Mancini were battling for the most haunting, beautiful song in a waltz tempo.) Kiss to Build a Dream On - Louis Armstrong (what do you mean you haven't heard it?) I Left My Heart in San Francisco - Tony The Day That You Leave Me - Tony (best Tony Bennett tune you have never heard) Something in the Way She Moves - The Beatles That Boy - The Beatles (from Met the Beatles...possibly their best slow song) L-O-V-E - Nat King Cole (Classic!!) Samba Pa Ti - Santana (Europa is just too long) Last Date - Floyd Cramer Follow Your Bliss - B52s (new classic song in the "last dance at senior prom" tradition) Still a Young Man - Tower of Power (not a perfect dance tune..it's actually a waltz time signature, but it is sooooo awesome, so get out there and 1-2-3...1-2-3) Baby It's You - Toss up between the Beatles and the Smiths Your Precious Love - Marvin Gaye Sleep Walk - Santo & Jonny (another one of the classic instrumentals from the early 60s) Moondance - Van Morrison ( a little too uptempo for a slow song, but what the hell) Into the Mystic - Van Morrison (proof that Morrison could still write slow tunes in the 70s) All Day Music - War All I Have to do is Dream - The Everly Brothers Moon River - Henry Mancini (Such a beautiful song. Thank you Henry.) Misty - Johnny Mathis Any song recorded by Patti Page I Go Walkin' (After Midnight) - Patsy Cline (...and I think she's pissed off.) Smoke Gets in Your Eyes - The Platters All in the Game - Tommy Edwards You Don't Own Me - Leslie Gore (Oh crap! Don't tell your wife/girlfriend this song is stupid or you will sleep on the couch forever and ever! Don't even think about you know what tonight.) At Last - Etta James (If you don't like this tune you have no soul) My Girl - The Temptations Since I Don't Have You - Brian Setzer's version is awesome Chances Are - Johnny Mathis (Classic. Classic. Classic.) Turn Around, Look at Me - The Vogues (they don't make 'em like this anymore) Breaking Up is Hard To Do - Neil Sedaka - (The SLOW version from the mid 70s) Trouble - Ray LaMontagne (another 3/4 time signature and local favorite) Pretty Blue Eyes - Steve Lawrence (Such a pretty little song) These are my go-to slow / partner dances. I have tangos, sambas, bossa-novas, waltzes, and that thing that you learned from practicing with your sister or Aunt Clair. It's not the complete list of my slow tunes. Slow tunes are very personal. Request your favorite...I'll bet you I have it! |