Having an arsenal of hits at your fingertips allows you the freedom to change genres on the fly should a particular hit not energize the crowd.

There were so many musical styles in the 90s that it’s almost impossible to pin down one genre that best represents the era. If you say no, have a reason. You can’t be a jukebox so if the request isn’t feasible, decline with an explanation like: “That’s a great tune, but unfortunately, I don’t have it. I’ll keep it in mind for next time.” Or “I’d love to play that one, but it doesn’t fit right now.” The 80s! Maybe you weren’t born yet, but we certainly remember this era! Big hair, parachute pants, and some of the best dance songs for parties! How many people do they expect to attend? Chances are you’re supplying your gear and sound system. If you’re hosting a small event with only a few hundred people, then your small rig will suffice. But if this is a big club with many people, you’d better know in advance if your system will work or if it can integrate with the house gear.We won’t go into too much detail (you guessed it! We’ll discuss this in upcoming posts!), but here are some basics to consider. We’ve listed our party songs chronologically and by era, so without further ado, here’s our list of the best party songs of all time: What is the general age of the crowd? DJing a college-age rave will require a playlist different from that of entertaining the Class Reunion of 1984.

The buzzword amongst top DJs is “restraint.” You may be tempted to melt the faces of your first dancers with top party dance songs—bad idea. One reason for its popularity is DJs can create seamless playlists utilizing EDM styles like techno, electro, dance-pop, and house.

On The Go

This skill is a craft that takes time to hone, so be patient. Many pros add that reading a crowd is a gut instinct.

Aside from having the best songs to dance to, DJs must have a sixth sense of what music suits their audience. Now more than ever, we can help this struggling industry by attending concerts, purchasing pre-released albums, and promoting our favorites on social media. What styles of music should you avoid? Certain regions may not respond well to a hit song. Take the United States, for instance. If you’re the DJ for a dance party in Alabama, then “Sweet Home Alabama” would be a good song for your playlist. If you try to spin that in Seattle, chances are no one will dance, plus you may get an earful of expletives! The pandemic wreaked havoc on those in the music industry: music tours were canceled, musicians sought unemployment benefits while others pursued new career paths. We’ll assume that for your wedding playlist, you’ll utilize a majority of the songs listed previously and toss these gems in to appeal to the masses.But of course,the 21st century is a long one, and you've got to make space for the classics too. There arefabulous pop songs from every era, and they all deserve a spot on our ultimate list. Here you'll find everyone from Outkast to MIA, and from Kelis to Harry Styles. The only criteria? It has to be feel good, and it has to make you want to get up and dance. All of these tunes do just that, and then some. Read on for the best pop songs ever made. Use effects for spontaneity. Utilizing loos, effects, EQ, and volume gives you the ability to extend sections the crowd loves. Toss in some echo to create something unique for the evening. If the group appears tired, slow things down, drop the volume until it’s time to get them raising hands and lifting off the roof. Because a wedding has a wide range of ages and musical tastes, we chose a hit from the 70s that is guaranteed to get everyone on their feet.