Best Dancing Kick-Off Songs

Kick your dance party off right with one of these songs! (expert advice)

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photo by: Punam Bean

An empty dance floor can bring an abrupt ending to an almost-perfect wedding reception. You’ve carefully chosen the best first dance song, a sentimental tune for you and your dad, and have hand-selected something memorable for the cake cutting – take just as much time deciding on the best dancing kick off song to guarantee a reception that keeps your guests entertained from beginning to end.

What Song Will Get Your Guests Dancing?

The perfect song to make toes start tapping at your reception will depend greatly on your guests. More than likely, your guest list includes a broad range of ages and interests. Unless you’ve selected reception music to suit a theme or have chosen a particular type - like big band or 80’s music, your play list probably includes an assortment of tunes from various eras and genres.

With so many different songs, how can you decide which one will fill the dance floor? If you’ve hired a DJ or a band, turn to them first. Experienced musicians and wedding DJs attend plenty of weddings so they’ll have a good idea of songs that really get people moving. Also consider the tastes of the most outgoing guests on your lists – those that are the most likely to hit an empty dance floor and get others dancing.

Reception Dancing Kick Off Song No-No’s

The latest dance hits are usually not the best choices for your wedding reception. There will be a variety of people attending your event, possibly including children, so stay away from songs with suggestive lyrics or offensive language as you plan your entire play list. Line dances and other overplayed songs tend to find their way to the no-play-list of most modern couples as well.

Top 10 Dancing Kick Off Songs

Finally by Ce Ce Peniston
1999 by Prince
Get the Party Started by Pink
Get Down Tonight by KC and the Sunshine Band
I Wanna Dance with Somebody by Whitney Houston
Let’s Get it Started by The Black Eyed Peas
The Twist by Chubby Checker
Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley
Old Time Rock n Roll by Bob Seger
Twist and Shout by The Beatles

To keep things lively until the party’s over, choose plenty of upbeat dance hits like these to play throughout your reception.

Member Comments

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mikekazis

11/15/2009 at 07:45 am

I often wonder what the sources are when I see Top Ten lists for music. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with this list but I don't know where they come from.

I love all of the songs listed on the above Top Ten List but as a DJ, I probably play 50% of the songs at almost every wedding and I've only used two of them as a kick-off song ("Get the Party Started" & "Let’s Get it Started"), which have now been replaced by more current songs. The other songs in the above list I'll play for other sets later in the evening.

The author of this article is right is saying that it's best to consult with your DJ or band about songs they use to open up the dance floor. As a DJ, I keep a small list of songs reserved as the "ice-breaker" set. This way, when brides and grooms don't have a specific song to request and leave it in our hands, we have it covered. The list is a collection of songs that are a proven to get the guests dancing. It ranges from big band to current hits and changes as new music hits the radio stations or when something else is recommended. The song we play at that moment depends upon how we "read" the crowd. We ask questions like:

How many guests are there?
What is the majority age range of the guests?
Are they loud and rowdy or quiet and reserved?

A few other additional songs from my list, for example are "Move This" byTechnotronic and "Celebration" by Kool and the Gang and "Hot Hot Hot" by Arrow (not Buster).