Harry BurgessSongs that are guaranteed to keep your wedding guests on their feet need to be special. But in what way? They need that special quality that makes moving to them simply irresistible!
However, not every song is going to want to make both granny and the flower girl want to get up and dance, right? Wrong. These songs have been hand-chosen for their ability to set the dance floor on fire, no matter who you are! You can find our Spotify wedding dance playlist with all these songs at the bottom too.
We’ve talked about unique first dance songs before, but now it’s time for songs that are a little more popular! Going through a bunch of different genres and styles, this is your one-stop starting point for choosing songs guaranteed to keep wedding guests on their feet.
Need advice on planning your wedding music? Read our Ultimate Guide to Hiring Wedding Musicians
I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) by Whitney Houston
- Most famous cover version: Fall Out Boy
- Style: Dance-pop, disco
- Perfect act: 1980s era tribute band
Shannon Rubicam, the writer of I Wanna Dance With Somebody, once explained the idea behind the song, saying that it isn’t just a song to go to the disco to. It’s a song that makes you ‘do that dance of life with somebody.’ Isn’t that what dancing at a wedding is all about after all! The driving rhythm and chirpy synth hits are enough to make even the most taciturn get up and feel the disco magic. A great one to start the night with.
You Make My Dreams by Hall & Oates
- Most famous cover version: Pentatonix
- Style: Pop-rock
- Perfect act: Function band
Ooh, ooh. You, you! From the starting notes of this song, to the last brilliantly harmonised lines, this is will get your guests dancing—hook, line, and sinker. The oom-pah rhythm is perfect for bopping around with friends and loved ones. The kids in the crowd will also be having just as much fun, as it’s just the right tempo to jump around to after having a bit too much red cordial!
Shout by The Isley Brothers
- Most famous cover version: The Beatles
- Style: Rock and roll
- Perfect act: Rock n roll band
The ultimate crowd rousing number. It was a massive inspiration for Beatles, who would go on to cover it, as well as The Isley Brothers other famous tune, Twist and Shout (Ferris Bueller anyone?). The highs and lows of this song are perfect for dance floor antics, getting everybody crouching down, then shouting along in unison. It’s now wonder that so many bands have covered it.
Get Down Tonight by KC and the Sunshine Band
- Most famous cover version: Shriekback
- Style: Disco, funk
- Perfect act: Soul & Motown band
It’s all in the title isn’t it? From that opening shrill guitar solo, to the syncopated bass pop and locking around the beat, you can bet your guests will be getting down with the best of them. This was KC and the Sunshine Band’s calling card, and we just can’t get enough of this most funky of tunes. This will break any tired dancers out of their mid-set lull, that much you can be sure of!
U Can’t Touch This by MC Hammer
- Most famous cover version: Kanye West remix
- Style: Hip-hop, pop-rap
- Perfect act: DJ
Stanley Kirk Burrell, better known as the incomparable MC Hammer, couldn’t have known just how iconic this song would become. It’s a staple of dance floors everywhere, and is heard wherever Hammer pants are to be found. If you’ve got a few flashy dance moves to try out, this is the song to do it to. Wedding dance songs don’t get more fun than this. Bonus points if you can rap along.
Billie Jean by Michael Jackson
- Most famous cover version: Kanye West remix
- Style: Hip-hop, pop-rap
- Perfect act: Function band
From the best-selling album of all time, Billie Jean shows Michael Jackson’s musical genius at the height of its power. Every element of this track is built for the dance floor. That steady drum beat, the Nile Rodger-esque guitar strumming, the sleek string stings—it’s about as close as you can get to the perfect pop song. A good one for your guests to test their moonwalk out on too.
Let’s Dance by David Bowie
- Most famous cover version: Jimmy Fallon (who knew!)
- Style: Funk-rock, post-disco
- Perfect act: Pop band
David Bowie was always an artist that danced to the beat of his own drum. This song, however, will have your guests all dancing to the beat of one drum—an immaculately crafted dance classic. Produced by Chic guitarist Nile Rodgers, himself a veteran dance floor connoisseur, this tune channels all the best bits of disco, but with that distinctive Bowie glam. The Stevie Ray Vaughan solo at the end should also provide the perfect excuse to bust out the air guitar.
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) by ABBA
- Most famous cover version: Madonna (sampling it in Hung Up)
- Style: Disco
- Perfect act: ABBA tribute band
I was once at the bar of a club when this song started playing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like what happened next—I was lucky not to get trampled by the mass rush onto the dancefloor. Everyone was dancing, and there wasn’t a seated person in sight. If we could choose only one song that is guaranteed to keep wedding guests on their feet, it’s this one. Disco at its absolute finest.
Boogie Wonderland by Earth, Wind & Fire with The Emotions
- Most famous cover version: Brittany Murphy (in Happy Feet)
- Style: Disco
- Perfect act: Soul & Motown band
Hints of latin jazz, a capella melodies, slap bass, and an unforgettable vocal line. If these aren’t enough reason to get up and dance, I don’t know what is. This song was a smash hit when it first came out, and has been covered, remixed, and used in movies without restraint ever since. Another dance floor classic that will leave the whole room wanting more.
Hey Ya! by OutKast
- Most famous cover version: Postmodern Jukebox
- Style: Soul, funk
- Perfect act: Cover band
This one is in a class of its own when it comes to dance floor songs. The lyrics are almost poetic in some sections, and will definitely have you and your guests shaking it—shaking it like a polaroid picture. Jokes aside, some of the lines aren’t for the faint of heart, but the sheepish enjoyment is part of the fun. Inspired by bands like the Ramones and the Buzzcocks, its mix of funk, acoustic, and soul is unlike anything else.