Near-Guaranteed Songs To Fill Your Dancefloor
There’s nothing more nerve-wracking than witnessing a wedding where No. One. is getting up to dance. (Besides the type of weddings where there really isn’t meant to be dancing, like a dinner party, but I digress.) We all want our weddings to have an energetic, party feel, where all the guests are included - so how do you do it?
A DJ or live band will always be your best asset during your reception, because not only do they have the experience and can vibe off of the crowd, they also mark and announce each part of the night, letting your guests know what to expect and do - either through the music or on the mic.
We’ve photographed many weddings where the dancefloor was packed full the entire night, and weddings that felt empty because everyone was sitting the entire time. (Depending on your crowd, consider your venue very important to the right vibe! If most aren’t dancers, opt for a cozier feel.) Most weddings, though, are a mix of both, and the DJ can save the atmosphere by playing specific songs at the right intervals to keep people coming back, no matter their age.
After every wedding, Rachel and I gush over what worked really well, and after one of our recent events, we noticed that some songs ALWAYS fill the dancefloor, even in surprising ways.
These are THE songs that we’ve seen time and time again will get people on the dance floor.
crowd-pleasing party songs
Some are more late-night-after-grandparents-and-kids-have-left than others, but we’ve seen exhausted/sweaty friends and bridal party members jump up from their seats to run to the dancefloor for all of these.
Turn Down for What - Lil Jon (We get THE best photos from this song!)
Shots - LMFAO (Same as Turn Down For What.)
Toxic - Britney Spears
Anaconda/Baby Got Back - Nicki Minaj/Sir-Mix-A-Lot
Groove Is in the Heart - Deelite
Dancing Queen - Abba (Grandparents and kids love this one.)
Jump Around - House of Pain (Any song that includes dance instructions goes well.)
Man, I Feel Like a Woman - Shania Twain (“Let’s go girls” kicking off the song is an instant invitation.)
always-a-hit slow songs
I really want to include “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri, as a Twilight stan, but it doesn’t have the near 100% success rate of filling a dancefloor like these do, in our experience.
Can’t Help Falling in Love - Elvis
Unchained Melody - The Righteous Brothers
At Last - Etta James
As Time Goes By - Billie Holiday
Your parents’ wedding songs (Get them on the dancefloor, and maybe emotional, too!)
Worried that you and your partner might get split up during the reception, what with so many friends and family vying for your attention? In advance, pick a few songs that when they come up, you both must meet on the dancefloor for a dance together.
Group Dance Songs That Actually Go Over Well
Good
The Harlem Shake - Not everyone will know the dance, but it’s such a hype song that everyone WANTS to dance to it.
(Apache) Jump on It - Same with this one! It’s always a crowd-pleaser
The Wobble - Easy to do, and even older family members give it a try, especially later in the night.
Shout - I have to include this as an upstate NYer. Even at non-Buffalo weddings everyone in the crowd changes the song to “The Bills make me want to shout” - dads love this.
Cupid Shuffle - A better version of the Cha Cha slide in that it has instructions, but can be a tiny bit long.
C’mon Ride It (The Train)/Jump In The Line - Lots of people love a conga line, and these songs are nostalgic enough that it’s usually a hit.
The Twist - Easy for kids and grandparents to do, and not super high energy, so it makes for a good break between the bangers.
“So Bad It’s Good”
YMCA - Kind of an honorable mention because it doesn’t always pack the dancefloor, but it’s a good song because even those who are sitting the entire night (or are totally wiped out from dancing) usually join in for this one - while sitting!
The Macarena
Gangnam Style - Guys love making a fool of themselves to this one.
Skip
Cha Cha Slide - It gets points because it’s really instructional, so it’s easy for anyone to do… but it’s just SO long, that we always find big groups get tired and bored after the first couple of minutes. A good DJ will fade out the song, but most let it play to the very end which can be too much.
The Hokey Pokey/The Chicken Dance/The Electric Slide - They seem like they would be in the “so bad it’s good” category, but in practice we find that they’re just so bad, they’re bad, and not many people show up for these.
Thriller/The Time Warp/Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) - Unless you have a fall wedding, save these for your next Halloween party.
Ultimately what you’re looking for, is songs that your guests will connect with - so pick ones that make sense for your crowd. Would Truth Hurts by Lizzo get all the bridesmaids and your Aunt Brenda out there? Are you an audiophillic crowd where oldies reign supreme? Gauge who you’re inviting, and mix it with what you like, with a few bangers mixed in.
