Ce Ce Peniston scored a top five smash hit
with this debut single. It is an upbeat,
celebratory song about love. The infectious
dance beat underscores "Finally's" effectiveness
as a great party song.
Atlanta based hip hop group Shop Boyz mashed
hard rock and hip hop together for this big hit
debut single. The song went to #2 on the pop
singles chart while referencing a wide range of
mainstream rock figures.
This unique new wave disco hit has proven one
of the most durable dance songs of the 1980s. It
includes strings based on Richard Wagner's
classical piece Ride Of the Valkyries.
The song was introduced to a new generation of
fans by Adam Sandler in the Wedding Singer.
It became the inspiration for
Flo Rida's #1 hit
"Right Round," and the inclusion of Dead Or
Alive's lead singer Pete Burns on Celebrity
Big Brother brought the song back to the
pop top 5 in the UK in 2006.
Jennifer Lopez joins forces with RedOne and
Pitbull for an instant party classic that
sparked a major comeback for her.
Jennifer Lopez invites you to the floor as
your party director.
This Elvis Presley classic details a party in
the jailhouse cellblock. It was performed in the
movie of the same name with a celebrated dance
sequence. "Jailhouse Rock" spent seven weeks at
#1 on the pop singles chart and also topped the
R&B and Country charts.
KC and the Sunshine Band introduced a horn-spiked
variety of disco to the pop charts with this #1
pop hit. It also includes a distinctive double
speed guitar solo creating the run that opens
the song. Use the song for a retro moment in the
party to, as the song says, encourage dancing
and making love.
Used in the opening credits sequence of the
movie Saturday Night Fever, "Stayin'
Alive" has forever been identified as a theme
song for disco. That also means it is a very
durable dance and party hit. The appeal of "Stayin'
Alive" seems to fluctuate somewhat with the
fortunes of disco and dance music with pop
audiences.
The distinctive handclap intro of "Car
Wash" has been widely sampled in other R&B
and hip hop songs. Former Motown producer
and songwriter Norman Whitfield was
commissioned to write the title song for the
movie Car Wash. Reportedly,
inspiration came suddenly and his ideas were
handwritten on a wrapper for fried chicken.
This funk-disco classic went to #1 on the
pop charts and sold two million copies.
Huge diva vocals from Martha Wash issue the
instruction here, "Everybody dance now!" Throw
in a strong rap from Freedom Williams and this
was an instant club and party classic. It
reached #1 on the pop singles chart.
"Dancing With Myself" was originally recorded
by Billy Idol with his group Generation X.
However, he re-recorded it in a slightly more
pop vein as a solo artist. The guitar solo is
played by Steve Jones of the
Sex Pistols. Some believe the song is about
masturbation, but Billy Idol has confirmed it is
literally about dancing on your own. Either way
it is a party and sports event classic.
The fusion of hip hop and pop in
Flo Rida's smash debut hit sounds
effortless. The song expresses appreciation for
a stripper's dance, but for most listeners it is
simply the ultra-catchy, danceable sound that
draws them in. Next thing you know, everyone in
the room will be singing along.
Originally popular as a college radio and
alternative club hit in the early 1980s, the
Violent Femmes "Blister In the Sun" spread to a
larger audience when included on the soundtrack
to the 1997 movie Grosse Pointe Blank.
Controversy remains over the true meaning of the
song's lryics, but that doesn't stop it from
being a party favorite and an alternative rock
classic.
This Grammy Award winning top 10 pop hit
helped introduced mainstream pop audiences to
hip hop. In another cross over of genres it
features
Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea on bass. "Bust a
Move" contains all the instruction you need for
success with women at a dance, just, "bust a
move."
This breakthrough hit by rapper Tone Loc is
built around a euphemism for sex. It went to #2
on the pop singles chart. "Wild Thing" includes
an uncredited Van Halen sample from the song
"Jamie's Cryin'."
"Conga" brought Cuban rhythm structures to
the US pop charts in a celebration of dance and
life. It landed at #10 on the Billboard
Hot 100 making Miami Sound Machine and their
lead vocalist Gloria Estefan pop stars. The song
single-handedly brought conga lines back to
prominence at party celebrations of all kinds.
Although the instrumental track sounds
futuristic it is rooted in 1980s electro. The
song was
Ciara's second consecutive platinum single
to kick off her career. Her invitation may be
just what is needed to get everyone on the dance
floor.
"Funkytown" was one of the last major hits of
the peak years of disco. It went to #1 on the
pop singles chart. It is loaded with electronic
effects that lend a slightly futuristic feel to
the recording. The "Funkytown" in question is
New York City. Songwriter Steven Greenberg wrote
the song when he was bored with his home city of
Minneapolis and dreaming about a better place.
Alicia Bridges' classic disco hit has an
elegant, sophisticated sound that fits the
nightlife theme perfectly. Following its
original #5 pop chart peak, the song has been
given a boost twice from films. It was included
in a key dance scene for the 1979 hit movie
Love At First Bite. In 1994, "I Love the
Nightlife" was part of the soundtrack for
The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of the Desert.
It is now part of the Broadway musical version
of that film.
Van Morrison's first solo hit single only
reached #10 on the pop chart when it was
originally released, but its reputation has
spread much further in subsequent years. The
song is about sex, youth, and growing up which
makes it a perfect party song. "Brown Eyed Girl"
has been inducted into the Grammy Awards Hall of
Fame.
"Tequila" was a chart-topping party classic
when initially released. It then gained new fame
for its use in a scene in the 1985 movie Pee
Wee's Big Adventure. It was the soundtrack
for what became known as "The Pee Wee Dance."
