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Songs for a dance band

#88
I've played in a dance band for 20 years.
The one song that has always worked is My Girl.
Other songs that do well:
Domino - Van Morrison
Get Ready - Temptations
Cupid -The Spinners

Also, with your female lead Try
Im So Excited -Pointer Sisters
He works Hard for the Money -Donna Summers

If you really want variety, try Come Fly With Me - Frank Sinatra. Throw an old swing tune in there. Folks love it.

Congrats. Have fun.
 
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#90
richntiff said:
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...
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Yeah this x 1000. Couple guys in my current band had this problem. One has come to his senses and the other defers to others as he pretty much understands that he lives in his own bubble and has no clue what normal people listen to, or eat, or drink, or how they think.
 
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#93
51PRI said:
Lots of good ideas so far. I'll second "Cake by the Ocean." Some not so good ideas....Steely Dan? Really? For dancing? Well, maybe.

Here are some songs that the dance band I was in played that worked well:
This is How We Do it
Billie Jean
Blurred Lines
Fireball
Get Down on it
Return of the Mac
Santeria
Rock Your Body
Sexyback
Uptown Funk
Treasure
What I Got
Hot in Heere
Sugar

Good luck. How does the drummer feel about play a four on the floor beat?
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Good suggestions. Drummer loves to groove, only plays fills where he should. Great drummer, we lock in well.
 
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#94
smeet said:
afrobeat
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Does bikutsi count as afropop? Probably not outside of Africa generally, or Cameroon specifically. Either way, if you can play it (good luck!), anyone with a pulse will at least try to dance to it.

(Sorry, but recently the YTs were purged of all high resolution videos of Lady Ponce music videos, notably those featuring bikutsi dancing. Thus the low resolution of this one.)

For example:

 
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#97
BTW, don't forget the stage-lights and gels! :smug:


...but seriously, most people are "social animals", so stage-presence is important. Monkey-see, monkey do. Hard to sound like the studio versions everyone has on their phone, but you can "bring the house down".

Like Verdine White:
 
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#98
I'm a big fan of covering a great cover. Some songs you need to stay true to the original to make people happy, especially if you can nail the groove (like Love Shack, for instance), but it can also be fun to hit them with a song they know, just with a little something extra on it.

Never Gonna Give You Up - Scary Pockets
I Will Survive - a little bit of both Gloria Gaynor and Scary Pockets
Need You Tonight - Bonnie Raitt
I Thank You - Bonnie Raitt
Sexual Healing - Ben Harper
Whatever Gets You Through the Night - Los Lonely Boys
Jealous Guy - Donnie Hathaway
Sweet Dreams/7 Nation Army - Pomplamoose
It's Too Late - Isley Brothers
Automatic - Lake Street Dive, with a generous helping of the original Pointer Sisters
The Letter - Joe Cocker
Love the One You're With - The Meters
 
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#100
A few suggestions for your consideration:
  • Dancing in the Street - Martha and the Vandellas
  • Dance the Night Away - Van Halen
  • Let's Dance - Bowie
  • Neutron Dance - Pointers
  • I Could Have Danced All Night - numerous
  • Louie Louie - I just threw that in for a change of pace :)
 
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