Most weddings have guests from eight to eighty, so the music has to work for everyone. The secret isn’t playing a bit of everything at random. It’s choosing songs that cross generations and reading the dance floor as the night goes on. Here are 40 songs that get every age group dancing.
Songs everyone knows
The safest bets for a full dance floor, whatever the age.
- Dancing Queen – ABBA
- I Wanna Dance with Somebody – Whitney Houston
- Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
- Don’t Stop Me Now – Queen
- Mr. Brightside – The Killers
- September – Earth, Wind & Fire
- Shut Up and Dance – Walk the Moon
- Valerie – Mark Ronson ft. Amy Winehouse
- Can’t Stop the Feeling! – Justin Timberlake
- Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond
60s and 70s
For grandparents and parents, and loved by everyone else too.
- Twist and Shout – The Beatles
- Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
- Superstition – Stevie Wonder
- Le Freak – Chic
- I’m a Believer – The Monkees
- Hi Ho Silver Lining – Jeff Beck
- Dancing in the Street – Martha and the Vandellas
- Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
- Rock the Boat – The Hues Corporation
- Night Fever – Bee Gees
80s and 90s
The songs most of your guests grew up with.
- Come On Eileen – Dexys Midnight Runners
- Livin’ on a Prayer – Bon Jovi
- Footloose – Kenny Loggins
- Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go – Wham!
- Rhythm Is a Dancer – Snap!
- Wannabe – Spice Girls
- Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) – Backstreet Boys
- Don’t Look Back in Anger – Oasis
- Murder on the Dancefloor – Sophie Ellis-Bextor
- Groove Is in the Heart – Deee-Lite
Modern hits
Newer songs that still work for the whole room.
- Levitating – Dua Lipa
- Shake It Off – Taylor Swift
- As It Was – Harry Styles
- Blinding Lights – The Weeknd
- Cake by the Ocean – DNCE
- Happy – Pharrell Williams
- Get Lucky – Daft Punk ft. Pharrell Williams
- Don’t Start Now – Dua Lipa
- Señorita – Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello
- Dance the Night – Dua Lipa
How we plan music for a mixed crowd
- Start broad. The first hour after the first dance is when everyone is on the dance floor, so we lean on songs every generation knows.
- Read the room. We watch who’s dancing and who’s heading for the bar, and adjust as we go.
- Play family favourites early. Older guests often leave earlier, so we make sure their songs come before they go.
- Build to the late-night set. As the night goes on, we follow the energy of the people still dancing.
- Keep it clean. Clean versions where needed, especially with children in the room.
Want a dance floor that works for everyone?
Tell us your date and venue and we’ll check we’re free. We plan every set around your taste and your guests.
Check your dateMixed-age crowd FAQs
How do you keep both older and younger guests dancing?
By mixing eras and reading the room. We play songs that cross generations early on, then follow the dance floor as the night goes on.
Can we include songs for our grandparents?
Of course. Tell us the songs that matter to your family and we’ll play them at the right moment, often earlier in the evening.
Will you play songs with explicit lyrics?
Only if you want us to. We can play clean versions or leave certain songs out completely, which is useful with children in the room.