Songs about dancing

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This is my absolute favourite song subject. Genres that do it best: disco, early 80s electro-funk post-disco (also including Freestyle here), and some Motown/N.Soul acts.

Best songs:

Komio - 'Feel Alright' [those 'everywhere I look around / I see everybody getting down' & 'I may as well get on the floor / til my body won't do no more' lines are *so* sampleable/spine-tingling]
Claudia T. - 'Dance With Me' [when I'm old and decaying, this song will remind me of every great Saturday night ever. Despite never hearing it outside of my bedroom]
Sunbelt - 'Spin It' [see above]
Bobby Orlando - 'How To Pick Up Girls' [one day I will say to someone 'Dollar sign baby...' but I will look stupid because I'm in Manchester, England. Less stupid than saying 'quids' though]
Bombers - 'Everybody Get Dancin' [probably my all-time favourite]
Chic - 'Everybody Dance'
Vicki Sue Robinson - 'Turn The Beat Around'
Chic - 'Le Freak'
Weeks & Co - 'Rock Your World'
Yarbrough & Peoples - 'Dont Stop The Music'
Carrie Lucas - 'Let's Keep Dancing'
Debbie Deb - 'I Wanna Dance'
Vicki D - 'This Beat Is Mine'
Debbie Deb - 'When I Hear Music'
Connie Case - 'Get Down' [hey, one line is enough]
Flirts - 'Dancing Madly Backwards' [as above]
Waterfront Home - 'Dancing In Heaven'
Connie - 'Funky Little Beat'
Suzy Q - 'Get On Up'
Connie - 'Rock Me'
Jellybean - 'Dancing On The Fire'
Lighter Shade Of Brown - 'Hey Dj (Old School Mix)'
Shannon - 'Let The Music Play'
Madonna - 'Into The Groove'
Jc Chasez - 'Shake It'
Sister Sledge - 'He's The Greatest Dancer'
Sister Sledge - 'Lost In Music'
Oliver Cheatham - 'Get Down Saturday Night'
Stacy Lattisaw - 'Jump To The Beat'
Malcolm Mcclaren & The Rock Steady Crew - 'Buffalo Gals'
Whitney Houston - 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody'
Peter Brown - 'Dance With Me' [not the greatest example but it does the job]
K.c. And The Sunshine Band - 'Boogie Shoes'
Sophie Ellis-Bextor - 'Murder On The Dancefloor'
Zapp & Roger - 'Dancefloor'
Silver Convention - 'Get Up And Boogie'
C&C Music Factory - 'Everybody Dance Now'
The Miracles - 'I gotta dance to keep from crying'

― Affectian (Affectian), Thursday, 5 May 2005 20:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Has anyone done a song about dancing to a song about dancing? Let me know and I'll dance to it.

― Affectian (Affectian), Thursday, 5 May 2005 20:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Wot? No Bee Gees?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 5 May 2005 20:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Disco Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes - Get Dancin'
(I always think this should be a Muppets music number)

― PappaWheelie (PappaWheelie), Thursday, 5 May 2005 20:41 (twenty-one years ago)

It's not a definitive list! Please add whatever you think. But yeah, I'll put 'You should be dancing' in there too.

― Affectian (Affectian), Thursday, 5 May 2005 20:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually the first 2/3 of my list are what I intend to DJ out when my clubnight starts up. I'm expecting blank looks, turning to anger then turning to delight when JC Chasez slams on.

― Affectian (Affectian), Thursday, 5 May 2005 20:44 (twenty-one years ago)

XTC - "Mekkanik Dancing"

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 5 May 2005 20:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Get dancin' is fantastic, yeah. To my shame I forgot to put 'Last night a DJ saved my life' by Indeep in the above list.

― Affectian (Affectian), Thursday, 5 May 2005 20:48 (twenty-one years ago)

For some reason people on this board don't seem to like it much, but I still think that Madonna's "Music" is a great song about dancing. Then again, I also think that M & Britney's "Me Against The Music" is pretty good...

Others:
Nacht Und Nebel - "Ready For Dancing"
Kat Mandu - "I Wanna Dance"
Q-Feel - "Dancing In Heaven(Orbital Be-Bop)"
Peaches and Herb - "Shake Your Groove Thing"
KC & The Sunshine Band - "Shake Your Booty"
Michael Zager Band - "Let's All Chant"
No Doubt - "Hella Good"

― Seb (Seb), Thursday, 5 May 2005 21:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Madonna's Get Into the Groove is another obv.

― PappaWheelie (PappaWheelie), Thursday, 5 May 2005 21:52 (twenty-one years ago)

It doesn't fit well with the others but how about Leonard Cohen's "Dance me to the end of love" (it gets extra points for the horrifying music video starring a young Quentin Tarantino which I think has him waltzing if i recall correctly)

― jacobo g, Friday, 6 May 2005 00:35 (twenty-one years ago)

shame, shame, shame on you for not including Shirley and Company.

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 6 May 2005 00:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Out on the Floor - Dobie Gray
yeah, Northern Soul is full of songs about dancing. but that's the one I think of off the top of my head.

― gspm (gspm), Friday, 6 May 2005 01:02 (twenty-one years ago)

ESG - Dance

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Friday, 6 May 2005 08:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Who was it who did "Dancing With Tears in My Eyes"?

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Friday, 6 May 2005 08:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Then there's "Somebody Dance With Me", but I can't remember the artist who did that either... Damn!

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Friday, 6 May 2005 08:46 (twenty-one years ago)

king harvest - dancing in the moonlight

― jake b. (cerybut), Friday, 6 May 2005 08:57 (twenty-one years ago)

SAFETY FUCKING DANCE

― shine headlights on me (electricsound), Friday, 6 May 2005 09:02 (twenty-one years ago)

(sorry)

― shine headlights on me (electricsound), Friday, 6 May 2005 09:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Tuomas: DwTiME -> Ultravox, wasn't it?

― OleM (OleM), Friday, 6 May 2005 09:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Jimmy Cliff - "Let's Dance".

I win.

― John 2, Friday, 6 May 2005 16:08 (twenty-one years ago)

The Hooters - "And We Danced"
The Kinks - "Come Dancing"
Wang Chung - "Dancehall Days"

― ken taylrr (ken taylrr), Friday, 6 May 2005 19:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Suzy Q - 'Get On Up'

has anyone sampled this yet? fantastic tune, but i feel like it could use a re-edit and a little more bump. my version is on the LP; is there a different 12" mix?

― one time gaffled 'em up, Friday, 6 May 2005 20:02 (twenty-one years ago)

all those others are great as well (the ones i know, at least)

― one time gaffled 'em up, Friday, 6 May 2005 20:03 (twenty-one years ago)

otgeu, not sure if 'Get on up' has ever been sampled but it certainly should be. The version I have is from the Greatest Hits and 5 mins 11 seconds long. It seems bumpy enough to me but I dunno. Probably better is 'Get on up and do it again', this has more bump and a beefier bassline. I would've put it in the above list but I think it is about erections rather than bum-shaking. (and sticking with Suzy Q, I also adore 'With your love' and 'Can't live without your love', but they're not about dancing. Any other Suzy Q recommendations would be most welcome.)

― Affectian (Affectian), Saturday, 7 May 2005 14:39 (twenty-one years ago)

A subcategory for this would be the songs where the vocalist actually gives you instructions how to dance to the song, such as "Do the Locomotion", Fela Kuti's "Open and Close", etc.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Saturday, 7 May 2005 14:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Haha, I just remembered "Somebody Dance With Me" is DJ Bobo's cover version of Rockwell's "Somebody's Watching Me". I guess you wouldn't dig that...

Another very obvious song choice is Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough".

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Saturday, 7 May 2005 14:54 (twenty-one years ago)

From my memories of primary school discos...

"Dance Yourself Dizzy" by Liquid Gold
"I'm In The Mood For Dancing" - The Nolans

― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 7 May 2005 15:25 (twenty-one years ago)

mm, that Nolans is a cracker. On a similar tip I'll add 'Hands Up' by Ottowan.

― Affectian (Affectian), Saturday, 7 May 2005 15:38 (twenty-one years ago)

A Taste Of Honey - "Boogie Oogie Oogie"
Alicia Bridges - "I love the nightlife (Disco round)"
Chic - "Dance Dance Dance"
Earth Wind & Fire - "Boogie wonderland"
Earth Wind & Fire - "Let's Groove"
Grace Jones - "Nightclubbing"
Heatwave - "Boogie Night"
Madonna - "Everybody"
The Jacksons - "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)"
The Trampps - "Disco inferno"

― Seb (Seb), Saturday, 7 May 2005 15:39 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost to one time, I've just located a Ben Liebrand mix of 'Get On Up'. It's pretty great and might be just what you're looking for.

― Affectian (Affectian), Saturday, 7 May 2005 16:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Joy Division - Transmission
Annie - Heartbeat
Bowie- Let's Dance
Vitalic - You Prefer Cocaine ("you prefer cocaine, dance like a machine")

― Fergal (Ferg), Saturday, 7 May 2005 16:44 (twenty-one years ago)

What a great list to start off this thread! I haven't heard of a ton of those songs.. thanks Affectian.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Saturday, 7 May 2005 16:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Thanks Tracer, I'm sharing all these on Ssk so you (and anyone else interested) should message me Ian SPACK to get on my list and hoover up the goodness.

― Affectian (Affectian), Saturday, 7 May 2005 16:52 (twenty-one years ago)

So if you feel that you can take no more,
and your feet are headed for the door --

Just keep on dancin
and prancin!

Groovin, while you're movin..
Flyin, stop your cryin..
Crusin, while you're choosin..

Music is the answer to your problems.
Keep on movin, and you can solve them..

xpost: why it's biffordy spacktroll! No soulseek for me unfortunately... :( But thank you very much for your offer!

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Saturday, 7 May 2005 16:55 (twenty-one years ago)

I know perhaps one of the few songs about dancing, that isn't a dance song whatsoever....it's a cure for insomnia.....

"Don't Come to Stay" by Hothouse (this band name is VERY misleading)

Don't need you all the time, understand
Just need a man to take my hand
Take me dancin' on a Saturday night, that's right
You won't expect nothing else from me
Maybe some light hearted company
Then, uh, leave me be

Ya gotta love the unbridled passion in those lyrics.

― JTS, Saturday, 7 May 2005 22:26 (twenty-one years ago)

XTC's "War Dance" is great. Particularly because it isn't really about dancing :-)

Also, The Smiths, "Panic" had a great lyric about DJs

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 8 May 2005 00:28 (twenty-one years ago)

You Make Me Feel Like Dancin' - Leo Sayer
Rhythm Is A Dancer - Snap
Pump Up the Jam - Technotronic

― VegemiteGrrl (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 8 May 2005 06:04 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd like to add the cheesiest song about dancing...Careless Whisper by Wham!..For those who've suppressed the memory, it's the song that goes: OOO I never wanna dance again/Guilty feet have got no rhythm :P

― Eva van Rein (Gaia1981), Sunday, 8 May 2005 11:24 (twenty-one years ago)

David Bowie - John, I'm Only Dancing

― AdrianB (AdrianB), Sunday, 8 May 2005 11:33 (twenty-one years ago)

How about "Blame It on the Boogie" by The Jackson 5?

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Sunday, 8 May 2005 14:02 (twenty-one years ago)

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