Keep An Impromptu All-Ages Dance Party In Your Pocket

Last month I found myself in a musical quagmire: There were people of all ages at a party and they wanted to dance and somehow it was down to myself and the maid of honor (who was a few years younger than me) to provide the music to help them get down. Thankfully, as a pro-MOH, she had her iPod with her and a few playlists we could steal from. It started off easily enough, who doesn’t love “Don’t Stop Believing,” but as the night progressed (and we came more panicked at the end of each song,) we realized just how hard it can be to pull off an impromptu dance party.

Now you may think it’s easy, throw on some Britney or Beyonce, and you and your girls are getting down. But what about when you’ve got dudes too? Or parents? Or you need to rock the anthems across the gender and generational divide? That’s when you need to keep a impromptu dance party playlist with you at all times. You just never know when people need to get down and are relying on you to do so.

The trick is to stick to classics. Yes, you’d think “Single Ladies” would’ve worked for a rehearsal dinner after-party, but everyone over 30 fled the floors. The misstep into Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” had the menfolk hitting the alcohol hard, and the college crowd burned out on Rick James super-fast. But as the night progressed, we hit our flow by aiming for songs that simultaneously make you shake your booty and sing at the top of your lungs—no matter how old you are.

“Don’t Stop Believin’”—Journey

“Billie Jean”—Michael Jackson

“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”—Marvin Gaye

“Bennie and the Jets”—Elton John

“Respect”—Aretha Franklin

“Give it to Me Baby”—Rick James

“Crazy Little Thing Called Love”—Queen

“Boogie Shoes”—KC & The Sunshine Band

“Golden Years”—David Bowie

“Valerie”—Mark Ronson & Amy Winehouse

“Jailhouse Rock”—Elvis

“You Make My Dreams”—Hall & Oates

“Spirit in the Sky”—Norman Greenbaum

“I Want You Back”—Jackson 5