Songs for a dance band

[logdrum]

Afrobeats and Afrobeat are different, just be clear on that.
If you have a female singer, check out Madame Blanche. Salsa/Cumbia/Merengue -- it's not easy to play even though it sounds easy

 

[KellyC]

A funk band that doesn't play Give Up the Funk should be ashamed of themselves.

 

[nickpc]

"ROCK in the USA" and "What I Like About You" (Mellencamp and The Romantics) both work, and can be mixed if you really want to have some fun with it.

"Love Song" and "Friday I'm In Love" from The Cure also seem to get a great response.

 

[pbass2]

You could get some ska-flavored stuff in there. Maybe pull out some familiar tunes from the 80's Two Tone bands like The Specials. People love their version of "Message to Rudy". You can replace the horns with keys. Maybe something by The English Beat too, like "Save it for Later" (more new wave but gets people going).
I'd say also get some classic hip hop in there but the vocals could be a challenge.

 

[Plectrum72]

I'll add a couple to the more recent (last 5 years) music list. Both went over well in my last dance/pop band. Currently is a straight rock band and most of those dance songs have been mentioned.

Levitating - Dua Lipa
Dance Monkey - Tones & I

 

[AceOfBassFace]

Sister Sledge
Donna Summer
Earth Wind & Fire
The Trammps
Bony M
Jamiroquai
Kool & The Gang
Thelma Houston
Teddy Pendergrass
Gloria Gaynor
Amy Winehouse
Steely Dan
Sade

 

[SDC1-ClickClack]

It looks like no-one has mentioned it yet, so allow me to submit a song that is over 20 years old, but has recently gotten a LOT of renewed attention due to it being featured at the end of the movie Saltburn. The lyrics don't make much sense to me, but it is annoyingly catchy:

 

[Pocket Dave]

Wanna mix things up with a smattering of dance styles that might make you stand out from the typical "Brick House" dance band?

 

[Pocket Dave]

Another couple from the same guy:

 

[fishdude101101]

Ask your non musician friends. Musicians tend to cook what they like to eat rather than what customers want. We take requests via social media, and we learn them, especially if the people requesting actually come to shows.

 

[Holdsg]

Don't forget some Jamiroquai for dance-floor filler.

 

[richntiff]

Ask your non musician friends. Musicians tend to cook what they like to eat rather than what customers want. We take requests via social media, and we learn them, especially if the people requesting actually come to shows.

musicians generally are amazing at identifying songs they would love to be a dance floor filler, that they imagine ARE a dance floor filler, but in reality, are most definitely not. Entire GENRES come to mind here...

 

[basted]

Talking Heads - Life during wartime, Ceelo Green and Darryl Hall- I can't go for that.

 

[Gervais Cote]

Among the songs I play, these ones bring people on the dance floor immediately when we start :

Girls got the rythme by AC/DC
Don’t it make you feel like dancing by Headpins
September by Earth Wind and Fire
Play that funky music by White Cherry
Upside down by Diana Ross
Beat it by Michael Jackson
Blue jeans and let’s dance from David Bowie
Rock the casbah by The Clash
White wedding and Rebel yell by Billy Idol
Don’t you forget about me by Simple Minds

You should give them a try !

 

[Snarf]

• Mr Brightside

You're killing me. You are correct, but you're still killing me.

 

[brianrost]

Locate some promoters who put on dance events in your area and pick their brains on what sort of bands they are looking for. Better yet, go to some dance events and listen to what the bands are playing. I know one promoter who can determine whether a band would suit his events after hearing two or three songs. He could care less about the actual songs, he just cares about how danceable they are.

I spent years playing in dance bands that covered very specific niches…contradances, swing dances, Texas two-step dances, cajun and zydeco dances, even some European folk dances. All of those bands played regional circuits of dance events including some dance festivals.

Ironically, although the funk band I'm currently in plays danceable songs almost nobody ever dances. On the other hand, I’m also in a blues band that plays three venues where lots of dancers show up (yes, you can dance to the blues) but far more where nobody dances.

 

[Snarf]

Another couple from the same guy:

In the NY metro those songs would have the opposite of the desired effect.

 

[LiptonJigglers]

I don’t know a lot about either genre actually, except that I have loved a lot of what I have heard without knowing the names of the artists.

I like Sly and Robbie and I had a Black Uhuru album years ago and thought they were great. But we are probably going to lean towards stuff people know and already like, so obviously Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, and, I don’t know, Peter Tosh? Who would you suggest?

Afrobeat - I saw King Sunny Ade long ago and loved it. Fela Kuti is awesome, and I assume Femi is good too. I’ve heard about Afrofunk but I haven’t delved into it yet. I love African-influenced rock like some Eno, Talking Heads’ Remain in Light, and some of Peter Gabriel’s stuff.

But please, educate me. What is musically good, what is popular among Americans, and what lies in the intersection?

Don't forget ska which is on its 3rd incarnation now.
Madness, Specials, Selector, Smashmouth, the Beat, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Bad Manners, Area 7 and so on.
Sly and Robbie did some excellent work with Grace Jones that's worth checking out.

Just a few other suggestions.
ACDC, T-Rex, Blondie, Joe Jackson (chicken in my head hahaha), Buzzcocks, Joan Armatrading, Led Zep, Bondi Cigars, Patti Smith.... the list is long and possibly endless.
Good luck with it all.

 

[Snarf]

Taylor Swift is something you need to do. Love Story, Shake It Off, 22, all those songs kill. Love Story is not dance tempo, but it's a universal anthem that people lose their minds over.

 

[5StringBlues]

I make a living playing in these types of bands. Be very careful about doing Bee Gees. If you don't have multiple people in the band that can crush the falsetto, it will fall flat. When you're not absolutely nailing those vocals, it ends up sounding try-hard.

Someone mentioned Al Greene in the thread. I play that stuff, but it's mainly used when slower background music is required. It's not for the high-energy part of the night.

who says its all got to be high energy? do three uptemp, then lets stay together. every couple hits the floor. this worked every gig for 5 years. that said, we were usually playing for dance groups where the youngest dancers were late 30s