Ballroom Dancing At Events

Ballroom dancing is by definition a style of dancing that confirm to certain steps or a step pattern (called Syllabus) that is approved by the National Dance Council Of America (NCDA) governing body. It is to be performed on a floor that is a minimum of 45 feet wide by 84 feet long. Songs with the approved Beats Per Minute are to be played. Get real…we are not looking to DJ a competition, we just want to have some fun.Unfortunately, you will find that some of the serious Ballroom Dancers expect the above treatment. If you get one of these, tell them you have no strict tempo music and that will keep stop the requests. What a DJ can do for Ballroom dancing is play some songs that have the right beat or very close to what the “Social Ballroom Dancer” can enjoy and dance to without throwing off the rest of the crowd. Many people, and more every day, are taking beginning Ballroom lessons and want to find a variety of music they can dance to. At the bottom of this article you will find a list of songs that have the Ballroom Beat. Copy it and keep it with you. When people come up and ask, “Do you have any Ballroom?”, you can tell them that although you don’t have strict tempo music but if they tell you what dance they want to do you can play something with the proper beat. Some current popular dance styles include Ballroom Waltz (slow), Viennese Waltz (fast), Foxtrot, Swing, Rhumba, Cha Cha Cha, Mambo, Merengue, West Coast Swing, Quickstep, and theTango. Most Ballroom dancers also like the Greek Dance (Never on Sunday – Instrumental for a line dance).

I do many weddings and find more and more people are coming up and asking for “Ballroom Music.” I developed this list so that you, as the DJ, could just smile and say you have songs to match Ballroom Beats, put them on and the “non-dancing” public will never know they are listening to a Ballroom tune.

I also would recommend to any DJ that he/she take a few Ballroom lessons. One of my most popular acts at weddings is to get some of the older, single Aunts, Grandmothers etc. out on the dance floor doing a Foxtrot. The B&G love it and that is who you want impress. I would recommend one CD called Superior Dancing Vol 2. Any music store can order it for you and it is a great compilation. This CD will fit into most any request category as well.

I hope this article and list helps you DJ more comfortably, it really is fun to have a stranger come up and think they are going to be educating the DJ only to find the DJ knows just what they want. It will raise your image in their eyes and enhance your reputation.

Waltz

A House with No Curtains – Alan Jackson
Could I Have This Dance – Ann Murray
I’s Love Her All Over Again – Alan Jackson
Lonely Waltz – Mavericks
Pocket Full of Gold – Vince Gill
A Lover’s Prayer – Dion & Belmonts
Burning Bridges – Jack Scott
Disney Girls – Captain & Tennille
Funny Familiar Forgotten Feelings – Engelbert Humperdinck
I Can’t See Me Without You – Conway Twitty
I Went To Your Wedding – Patti Page
Love Letters – Ketty Lester
My True Love – Jack Scott
Pretty Paper – Roy Orbinson
Rock & Roll Waltz – Kay Starr
There Goes My Everything – Engelbert Humperdinck
Everybody has a Dream – Billy Joel
Take It To The Limit – Eagles (Great one)

Viennese Waltz

Strawberry Wine Dena Carter
El Paso Marty Robbins
Husbands & Wives Roger Miller
Promise Her Anything Tom Jones
Beautiful Story Sonny & Cher
Catch The Wind Donovan
Delilah Tom Jones
Games People Play Joe South
I Cried A Tear LaVern Baker (a Great One with strong beat)
If You Gotta Make A Fool of Someone Heuy Lewis & The News
Norwegin Wood Beatles
Scarborough Fair Simon & Garfunkel

Foxtrot

King Of The Road Roger Miller
Stay Out of My Arms George Strait
Sunday Morning Coming Down Johnny Cash
Beyond The Sea Bobby Darin
Circulate Neil Sedaka
Get Your Kicks on Route 66 Four Freshmen
Grapefruit-Jucyfruit Jimmy Buffett
Just Friends Ace Cannon
Last Song Edward Bear
Just Walkin’ In The Rain Johnny Ray (George Benson’s Version is better if you can get away with it)
Little children Billy Cramer
Mack The Knife Bobby Darin
NObody But You Dee Clark
Red Roses for A Blue Lady Vic Dana
There Goes My Baby Drifters
White Sportcoat Marty Robbins (Good One)
You Always Hurt The One You Love Henry Frogman
Oh Babe What Would You Say Hurricane Smith
Release Me Engelbert Humperdinck
A Wink and A smile Harry Connick Jr.

Quickstep

Crazy baby Rodney Crowell
The Race Is On Sawyer Brown
Mr Sandman Cordettes
Summer In the City Lovin Spoonful

Rumba

How Was I to Know John Michael Montgomery
My Girl Alabama
Sunshine Kenny Rogers
The Chair George Strait
There Goes My Baby Trisha Yearwood
To Be With You Mavericks
A groovy Kind Of Love Wayne Fontana
A Summer Song Chad & Jeremy
And I Love Her Beatles
Baby It’s You Shirelles
As Tears Go By Rolling Stones
Blue Bayou Roy Orbinson
Drift Away Dobie Gray
Goin Out Of My HEad Little Anthony
I Want you Near Me Tina Turner
It’s Now Or Never Elvis (Good One)
Let’s Get It On Marvin Gaye
My Cherie Amour Steve Wonder
Rain Drops Dee Clark (good one)
Stormy Dennis Yost
Under The Boardwalk Drifters
Young Girl Gary Puckett
Come Monday Jimmy Buffett
Beat Of My Love Eagles
Declaration Of Love Celiene Dion
Slow Hand Pointer Sisters
To The Moon & Back Savage Garden
Waiting For A Girl Like You Foreigner

Cha Cha

Brand New Man Brooks & Dunn
Five OClock World Hal Ketchum
Friends In Low Places Garth Brooks
That Don’t Impress Me Much Shania Twain
A Hard Days Night Beatles
Ain’t To Proud To Beg Temptations
Chain Of fools Aretha franklin
Dance With Me Drifters
Deep Purple Nino Tempo
Do Wah Diddy Diddy Manfried Mann
Everybody Loves To Cha Cha Cha Sam Cooke
Gimme Little Sign Brenton Wood
I Know Barbara George
Knock Three Times Tony Orlando
Loco Motion Little Eva
Oh Carol Neil Sedaka
You Have Your Troubles Fortunes

West Coast Swing

In the Midnight Hour Razzy Bailey
I Feel Lucky Mary Chapin Carpenter
One Night At A Time Geroge Strait
Mother In Law Heuy Lewis or Ernie K Doe
Blue Monday Fats Domino
Duke Of Earl Gene Chandler
Game Of Love Wayne fontana
Mustang Sally Wilson Pickett
Joy To the World Three Dog Night
Maggie May Rod Stewart
Searching For My Love Huey Lewis & News
Wishlist Pearl Jam
I’m Not Made of Steel Michael Bolton
Let Me Down Easy Cher

Mambo

Melbourne Mambo Mavericks
Papa Loves Mambo Perru Como
Tequilla Champs
Bolero (this is a slow rumba)
Lasso The Moon Gary Morris
Nobody Knows Kevin Sharp
Cryin In The Rain Everly Brothers
Heaven On Earth Platters
Because You Loved Me Celine Dion
Said I Loved You I Lied Michael Bolton

Samba

In the Summer Time Mongo Jerry
Concrete & Clay Unit 4+2
The young New Mexican Puppeteer Tom Jones

Merengue

Hot Hot Hot Xaviar Cougat
Wolly Bully Sam The Sham & Pharohs
You Can Call Me Al Paul Simon
La Bamba Los Lobos

Music Library Essentials

Your music library is one of the most important elements of being a disc jockey. Sure, you need equipment, good personality and the ability to motivate a group of people on the dance floor. However, without music, we wouldn’t be in business. With that in mind, I think it is fair to say that your music library is the foundation of your business.If you were to compare 20 disc jockeys from a variety of geographic areas, I think you will find drastic differences in the size and type of music each DJ carries. Geographic culture dictates a lot of the basic requirements. DJs in Texas probably carry loads of country, whereas DJs in New York probably carry very little country music, and carry lots of ethnic music.

The important thing to remember, is to properly stock your music library so you can consider yourself a “professional DJ”. Anyone can advertise that they carry a wide variety of music and realistically only have a modest music inventory. So the question I ask is this, “Is your music library properly stocked so that you can play the majority of the requests that you receive at a variety of events?” For a lot of DJ’s that I have seen, the answer is no! Does this mean that I feel that you have to carry around 5000 CD’s to every event you perform? The answer to that is also an emphatic NO!

Not too long ago, a friend who plays in a popular live band stopped by my office. My friend decided that he wanted to go into the DJ business on the days that he wasn’t playing in the band. As we talked, the subject of weddings came up. My friend wanted to do a lot of weddings. I inquired about the quantity of CDs that he had to cover a wedding. His reply was that he had AT LEAST 100 CDs. Now keep in mind, that the CDs he has are not the compilations that DJs use; he was not yet aware of such things. I thought for a moment, and respectfully advised him that perhaps he should wait a while to venture into the wedding arena. “Why”, you ask?? Because in my opinion, a DJ with 100 consumer type CDs that you typically buy in Wal-Mart is not qualified to perform at weddings. Instead, I suggested to my friend that he look for private parties and other low profile events to get his feet wet. Then, if he really liked being a DJ, perhaps he could consider investing in a better music library that is suitable for providing music at a once in a lifetime event.

My suggestion to him wasn’t meant to be discouraging or debasing; it is prudent advice to someone just starting in this business. I believe that if you venture into the wedding arena too soon, you can make a bad name for yourself if you are not properly prepared. In the long run, this could make it more difficult to become known as one of the top professional DJs in your area.

I don’t expect that everyone will start out with an ideal music inventory. I was new once, and fully understand that you can’t assemble a top notched music library overnight. However, I believe that anyone that is serious about being a professional DJ should constantly be striving to improve the content of their music collection so that they can play the majority of danceable request that they receive. For me, I can play approximately 95% of the requests that I typically receive. For the 5% of the requests that I can’t play, I most likely wouldn’t want to play those anyway.

How do you measure up?? Well, take a look at the listing below. This is what I refer to as “The DJ Connection’s Most Requested Songs”. There are approximately 800 songs listed. Keep in mind that the my listing is only updated once a year for printing reasons, so you will not see any of the 1998 songs listed. Most of you probably know the good songs from the last year, and need more help with the older songs. Feel free to use it as a guide on what you need in your music library. Is there a song listed below that you have never heard of before?? If so, ask other DJs about it. You would be amazed at the good quality songs that are out there that you have never heard of before. In fact, I stumble across them all the time!

The DJ Connection’s Most Requested Songs
80′s & 90′s Slow Ballads

Everything I Do, I Do For You – Bryan Adams
Heaven – Bryan Adams
I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing – Aerosmith
I Can Love You Like That – All 4 One
What A Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
Always – Atlantic Star
I’ll Never Break Your Heart – Backstreet Boys
Take My Breath Away – Berlin
Have You Ever – Brandy
That’s What Love Is All About – Michael Bolton
Soul Provider – Michael Bolton
End Of The Road – Boyz II Men
I’ll Make Love To You – Boyz II Men
You Mean The World To Me – Toni Braxton
Valentine – Jim Brickman
A Whole New World – Peabo Bryson/Regina Belle
Hero – Mariah Carey
I’ll Be There – Mariah Carey
I Say a Little Prayer – Cast from My Best Friends Wedding
After All – Cher & Peter Cetera
You’re The Inspiration – Chicago
Tears In Heaven – Eric Clapton
I Love You – Climax Blues Band
Up Where We Belong – Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes
True Companion – Mark Cohen
Unforgettable – Natalie Cole
It Had To Be You – Harry Connick, Jr.
I’ll Always Love You – Taylor Dayne
Lady In Red – Chris DeBurgh
Because You Loved Me – Celine Dion
The Power Of Love – Celine Dion
When I Fall In Love – Celine Dion
My Heart Will Go On(from Titanic) – Celine Dion
Lately – Divine
Tonight I Celebrate My Love – Roberta Flack & Peabo Bryson
Love Will Keep Us Alive – Eagles
I Live My Life For You – Firehouse
Love Of A Lifetime – Firehouse
In Your Eyes – Peter Gabriel
One In A Million – Larry Graham
As I Lay Me Down – Sophie B. Hawkins
Angel Eyes – Jeff Healey Band
Sea Of Love – Honeydrippers
Greatest Love Of All – Whitney Houston
I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston
One Moment In Time – Whitney Houston
Can You Feel The Love Tonight – Elton John
Something About The Way You Look Tonight – Elton John
Faithfully – Journey
Open Arms – Journey
All My Life – K-Ci and Jo Jo
Beautiful In My Eyes – Joshua Kadison
Cherish – Kool And The Gang
Lightning Crashes – Live
My Body – LSG
Into The Night – Benny Mardones
Now And Forever – Richard Marx
Right Here Waiting – Richard Marx
Push – Matchbox 20
I’ll Be – Edwin McCain
Anytime – Brian McKnight
Wind Beneath My WIngs – Bette Midler
For You I Will – Monica
Could I Have This Dance – Anne Murray
God Must Have Spent A Little More Time On You – Nsync
Suddenly – Billy Ocean
On The Wings Of Love – Jeffrey Osbourne
We’re Going All The Way – Jeffrey Osbourne
Just You And I – Eddie Rabbitt & Crystal Gayle
Almost Paradise – Mike Reno & Ann Wilson
Unchained Melody – Righteous Brothers
Truly – Lionel Richie
How Do I Live – LeAnn Rimes
Endless Love – Lionel Richie & Diana Ross
I’m Your Angel – Rkelly and Celine Dion
Lady – Kenny Rogers
Through The Years – Kenny Rogers
Somewhere Out There – Linda Ronstadt & James Ingram
Don’t Know Much – Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville
All My Life – Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville
Truly Madly Deeply – Savage Garden
I Could Fall In Love – Selena
When I’m With You – Sherriff
2 Become 1 – Spice Girls
Have I Told You Lately – Rod Stewart
I Finally Found Someone – Barbra Streisand
Nobody – Keith Sweat
Twisted – Keith Sweat
How’s It Going To Be – Third Eye Blind
Nobody Knows – Tony Rich Project
Here And Now – Luther Vandross
Endless Love – Luther Vandross / Mariah Carey
Say It – Voices of Theory
Hold On – Jamie Walters
Heaven – Warrant
That’s What Friends Are For – Dionne Warwick & Friends
Save The Best For Last – Vanessa Williams
Invisible Man – 98 Degrees

Dance/Rap/R & B

Get Ready For This – 2 Unlimited
Twighlight Zone – 2 Unlimited
Can You Feel It – 3rd Party
Tootsie Roll – 69 Boyz
Cruel Summer – Ace of Bace
Beautiful Life – Ace Of Base
The Sign – Ace Of Base
Are You That Somebody – Aaliyah
This Is Your Night – Amber
Never Gonna Give You Up – Rick Astley
Everybody, Backstreets Back – Backstreet Boys
Quit Playing Games – Backstreet Boys
It Takes Two – Rob Base
Joy And Pain – Rob Base
Intergalactic – Beastie Boys
Still Not A Prayer – Big Punisher
Strike It Up – Black Box
I Like It Like That – Blackout Allstars
My Prerogative – Bobby Brown
Get Ready To Bounce – Brooklyn Bounce
Gonna Make You Sweat – C&C Music Factory
Word Up – Cameo
More And More – Captain Hollywood Project
Flashdance – Irene Cara
Fantasy – Mariah Carey
Strokin’ – Clarence Carter
Buffalo Stance – Neneh Cherry
Atomic Dog – George Clinton
Lean On Me – Club Nouveau
1, 2, 3, 4 – Coolio
Fantastic Voyage – Coolio
Rhythm Of The Night – Corona
Jelly head – Crush
Mr. Vain – Culture Beat
Take Me Away – Culture Beat
Superhero – Daze
Groove Is In The Heart – Dee Lite
Humpty Dance – Digital Underground
Rhythym of Love – DJ Company
Let Me Clear My Throat – DJ Kool
Whats Up – DJ Miko
My Lovin’ – En Vogue
Gimmie Some Love – Gina G.
Ooh Aah… Just a Little Bit – Gina G.
Gloria Estefan Medley Dance Mix – Gloria Estefan
Turn The Beat Around – Gloria Estefan
DaButt – E.U.
Oh What A NIght – The Four Seasons
Freeway Of Love – Aretha Franklin
You Dropped A Bomb On Me – Gap Band
Party Train – Gap Band
My Boo – Ghost Town DJ’s
Stomp – God’s Property
Electric Slide – Marcie Griffith
What Is Love – Hadaway
U Can’t Touch This – M.C. Hammer
Now That We Found Love – Heavy D
Doo Wop – Lauryn Hill
Jump Around – House of Pain
How Will I Know – Whitney Houston
Want To Dance With Somebody Who Loves Me – Whitney Houston
What Have You Done For Me Lately – Janet Jackson
Billie Jean – Michael Jackson
Give It To Me Baby – Rick James
Superfreak – Rick James
This Is How We Do It – Montel Jordan
Come Baby Come – K7
Here Comes The Hotstepper – Ini Kamoze
Give It Up – K.C.
Celebration – Kool and The Gang
Get Down On It – Kool and The Gang
Ladies Night – Kool and The Gang
Be My Lover – La Bouche
Sweet Dreams – La Bouche
Tonight Is The Night – Le Click
Not Tonight – Lil Kim
Dreamer – Livin Joy
déjà vu, Uptown Baby – Lord Tarif
Macarena – Los Del Rio
Raise the Roof – Luke
Sexual Healing – Max-A-Million
Holiday – Madonna
Into The Groove – Madonna
Lucky Star – Madonna
Vogue – Madonna
Good Vibrations – Marky Mark
Top of The World – Mase
Feels So Good – Mase
Another Night – Real McCoy
Run Away – Real McCoy
Ghetto Supastar – Pras Michel
Freakazoid – Midnight Star
No Parking On The Dance Floor – Midnight Star
The Locomotion – Kylie Minogue
Touch It – Monifah
Return of The Mack – Mark Morrison
Coco Jamboo – Mr. President
Stayin’ Alive – N-Trance
Too Close – Next
Grease Mega Mix – Olivia Newton John
Where Do You Go – No Mercy
Goin Back To Cali – Notorious BIG
Mo Money, More Problems – Notorious BIG
I Want You Back – Nsync
Tearin Up My Heart – Nsync
Caribbean Queen – Billy Ocean
How Bizarre – OMC
Boom, Boom, Boom – The Outahere Brothers
Hot Hot Hot!! – Buster Poindexter
I’m So Excited – Pointer Sisters
Jump – Pointer Sisters
DMSR – Prince
1999 – Prince
Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down – Puff Daddy
Been Around The World – Puff Daddy
I’ll Be Missing You – Puff Daddy
Come On-N-Ride It (The Train) – Quad City DJ
Cotton Eyed Joe (Dance version) – Rednex
I Like To Move It – Reel To Reel
Love For Love – Robin S.
Show Me Love – Robin S.
Let’s Talk About Sex – Salt N’ Pepa
Push It – Salt N’ Pepa
Shoop – Salt N’ Pepa
Luv Me Luv Me – Shaggy
Breaking All The Rules – She Moves
Baby Got Back – Sir Mix-A-Lot
Let The Music Play – Shannon
Miami – Will Smith
Getting Jiggy With It – Will Smith
Men In Black – Will Smith
Rhythm Is Dancer – Snapp
The Power – Snapp
What’s My Name – Snoop Doggy Dog
Whomp There It Is – Tag Team
Get Up – Technotronic
Move This (Shake That Body) – Technotronic
Pump Up The Jam – Technotronic
The Bird – Time
Jungle Love – Time
Funky Cold Medina – Tone Loc
Wild Thing – Tone Loc
Cantaloop – US3
100% Pure Love – Crystal Waters
Rock Steady – Whispers
Let’s Hear It For The Boy – Denise Williams
Bust A Move – Young MC

Danceable Rock/Pop From The 80′s & 90′s

You Shook Me All Night Long – AC/DC
Take On Me – Aha
One Week – Barenaked Ladies
Kokomo – Beach Boys
Love Shack – B-52′s
Rock Lobster – B-52′s
Rush – Big Audio Dynamite
Run Around – Blues Traveler
You Give Love A Bad Name – Bon Jovi
Zoot Suit Riot – Cherry Poppin Daddies
Rock The Casbah – Clash
Should I Stay Or Should I Go – Clash
Gel – Collective Soul
Mr. Jones – Counting Crows
All I Wanna Do – Cheryl Crow
Friday I’m In Love – The Cure
Just Like Heaven – The Cure
Amnesia – Chumbawamba
Tubthumping – Chumbawamba
Too Much – Dave Matthews Band
You Spin Me Round (Dance Mix) – Dead Or Alive
Pour Some Sugar On Me – Def Leppard
Whip It – Devo
Money For Nothing – Dire Straits
Unbelievable – E.M.F.
Chains Of Love – Erasure
Inside Out – Eve 6
Missing – Everything But The Girl
The Way – Fastball
Relax – Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Sledgehammer – Peter Gabriel
Stupid Girl – Garbage
Keep Your Hands To Yourself – Georgia Satellites
We’ve Got The Beat – Go Go’s
Iris – Goo Goo Dolls
When I Come Around – Greenday
Welcome To The Jungle – Guns & Roses
All She Wants To Do Is Dance – Don Henley
Only Wanna Be With You……………Hootie And The Blow Fish
Mony Mony – Billy Idol
White Wedding – Billy Idol
What’s On Your Mind – Information Society
Need You Tonight – INXS
What You Need – INXS
I Love Rock N’ Roll – Joan Jett
Right Here, Right Now – Jesus Jones
Walking On Sunshine – Katrina & The Waves
My Sharona – The Knack
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper
I Want A New Drug – Huey Lewis & The News
Power Of Love – Huey Lewis & The News
Danger Zone – Kenny Loggins
Footloose – Kenny Loggins
I’ve Been Thinking About You – Londonbeat
I Knew The Bride – Nick Lowe
3 AM – Matchbox 20
Real World – Matchbox 20
Hurts So Good – John Cougar Mellencamp
R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A. – John Cougar Mellencamp
Wild Night – John Cougar Mellencamp
The Impression I Get – The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
I Melt With You – Modern English
You Outta Know – Alanis Morrisette
Smokin’ In The Boys Room – Motley Crue
Bizzar Love Triangle – New Order
Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
Pretty Fly – Offspring
Crush – Jennifer Page
Bad Case Of Loving You – Robert Palmer
Addicted To Love – Robert Palmer
Simply Irresistible – Robert Palmer
West End Girls – Pet Shop Boys
Nothing But A Good Time – Poison
Another One Bites The Dust – Queen
Cum On Feel The Noise – Quiot Riot
Love Rollercoaster – Red Hot Chillipeppers
It’s The End Of The World As We Know It – R.E.M.
I’ll Be There For You – Rembrandts
Ready To Go – Republica
Start Me Up – Rolling Stones
Talking In Your Sleep – Romantics
What I Like About You – Romantics
The Look – Roxette
Bang The Drum All Day – Todd Rundgren
Jump Jive and Wail – Brian Setzer
Closing Time – Semisonic
Walking On The Sun – Smash Mouth
2 Princes – Spin Doctor
Dancing In The Dark – Bruce Springsteen
Interstate Love Song – Stone Temple Pilots
Fly – Sugar Ray
Burning Down The House – Talking Heads
Semi-Charmed Life – Third Eye Blind
We’re Not Gonna Take It – Twisted Sister
Red Red Wine – UB40
Pride – U2
Jump – Van Halen
Dance Hall Days – Wang Chung
Everybody Have Fun Tonight – Wang Chung
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go – Wham
Roll With It – Steve Winwood
Legs – ZZ Top
Gimme All Your Loving – ZZ Top
Sharp Dressed Man – ZZ Top

Slow Ballads From The 70′s
70′s Disco/Dance Music

Feelings – Morris Albert
Times of Your Life – Paul Anka
Too Much Heaven – Bee Gees
How Deep Is Your Love – Bee Gees
Make it With You – Bread
If – Bread
You’ve Got a friend – James Taylor
We’ve Only Just Begun – Carpenters
Color My World – Chicago
Wonderful Tonight – Eric Clapton
You Are So Beautiful – Joe Cocker
Easy – Commodores
3 Times A Lady – Commodores
Best of My Love – Eagles
Desperado – Eagles
Lets Get It On – Marvin Gaye
Sara Smile – Hall and Oates
Always and Forever – Heatwave
After The Lovin – Englebert Humperdink
She’s Got A Way – Billy Joel
Just The Way You Are – Billy Joel
Kiss and Say Goodbye – Manhattans
My Love – Paul McCartney and Wings
2 out of 3 Ain’t Bad – Meatloaf
Hopelessly Devoted To You – Olivia Newton John
I Pledge My Love – Peaches and Herb
Mainstreet – Bob Seeger
Tonight’s The Night – Rod Stewart
Evergreen – Barbra Streisand
The Way We Were – Barbra Streisand
Dancing Queen – Abba
Night Fever – Bee Gees
Stayin Alive – Bee Gees
You Should Be Dancin’ – Bee Gees
Call Me – Blondie
Heart of Glass – Blondie
Le Freak – Chic
Brick House – Commodores
Boogie Wonderland – Earth, Wind & Fire
Oh What A Night – Four Seasons
I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor
Grease Mega Mix – Grease Soundtrack
Born To Hand Jive – Grease Soundtrack
Born To Be Alive – Patrick Hernandez
Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough – Michael Jackson
Get Down Tonight – KC and the Sunshine Band
That’s The Way I Like It – KC and the Sunshine Band
Shake Your Booty – KC and the Sunshine Band
Funkytown – Lipps Inc
Copacabana – Barry Manilow
You’re the One That I Want – Olivia Newton John
Shake Your Groove Thing – Peaches and Herb
We Are Family – Sister Sledge
Do You Think I’m Sexy – Rod Stewart
Bad Girls – Donna Summer
Hot Stuff – Donna Summer
Last Dance – Donna Summer
Boogie Oogie Oogie – Taste of Honey
Disco Inferno – Tramps
Grease – Frankie Valley
YMCA – Village People
Macho Man – Village People
Play That Funky Music – Wild Cherry

70′s Rock

Walk This Way – Aerosmith
Louie Louie – Animal House Soundtrack
Shout – Animal House Soundtrack
Saturday Night – Bay City Rollers
Soul Man – Blues Brothers
Takin’ Care of Business – BTO
Cheeseburger In Paradise – Jimmy Buffet
Volcano – Jimmy Buffet
Fins – Jimmy Buffet
Margaritaville – Jimmy Buffet
China Grove – Doobie Brothers
Oh What A Night – Four Seasons
Locomotion – Grand Funk
Some Kind of Wonderful – Grand Funk
Grease Mega Mix – Grease Soundtrack
Crocodile Rock – Elton John
Stairway To Heaven – Led Zeppelin
Free Bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd
Gimmie Three Steps – Lynyrd Skynyrd
Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd
American Pie – Don McLean
Paradise By The Dashboard Light – Meatloaf
Black Betty – Ram Jam
Time Warp – Rocky Horror Picture Show
Miss You – Rolling Stones
Brown Sugar – Rolling Stones
Beast of Burden – Rolling Stones
Old Time Rock and Roll – Bob Seger
Bad To The Bone – George Thoroughgood
Joy To The World – Three Dog Night
Dance The Night Away – Van Halen
Tush – ZZ Top

Lively Uptempo Hits From The 50s

Johnny B. Goode – Chuck Berry
Sweet Little Sixteen – Check Berry
Chantilly Lace – Big Bopper
Tequila – Champs
That’ll Be The Day – Crickets
Charlie Brown – Coasters
Yakety Yak – Coasters
Twistin’ The Night Away – Sam Cooke
At The Hop – Danny and The Juniors
Rock N’ Roll Is Here To Stay – Danny and The Juniors
Mack The Knife – Bobby Darin
Splish Splash – Bobby Darin
Come Go With Me – Del Vikings
Little Darlin’ – Diamonds
Stroll – Diamonds
I’m Walkin’ – Fats Domino
Bye Bye Love – Everly Brothers
Wake Up Little Suzie – Everly Brothers
Rock Around The Clock – Bill Haley and The Comets
Peggy Sue – Buddy Holly
Great Balls Of Fire – Jerry Lee Lewis
Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On – Jerry Lee Lewis
Why Do Fools Fall In Love – Frankie Lyman and The Teenagers
Blue Suede Shoes – Carl Perkins
All Shook Up – Elvis Presley
Don’t Be Cruel – Elvis Presley
Hound Dog – Elvis Presley
Jailhouse Rock – Elvis Presley
Good Golly Miss Molly – Little Richard
Tutti Frutti – Little Richard
Let The Good Times Roll – Shirley and Lee

Fast Danceable Hits Of The 60s

My Boyfriend Is Back – Angels
Sugar Sugar – Archies
Barbara Ann – Beach Boys
Get Around – Beach Boys
Surfing U.S.A. – Beach Boys
Birthday – Beatles
I Saw Her Standing There – Beatles
I Want To Hold Your Hand – Beatles
Love Me Do – Beatles
She Loves You – Beatles
Twist And Shout – Beatles
Tighten Up – Archie Bell & the Drells
I Got You – James Brown
Let’s Twist Again – Chubby Checker
Limbo Rock – Chubby Checker
Twist – Chubby Checker
Do You Love Me – Contours
Twisting The Night Away – Sam Cooke
Bad Moon Rising – Creedence Clearwater Revival
Proud Mary – Creedence Clearwater Revival
Then He Kissed Me – Crystals
Peppermint Twist – Joey Dee and The Starlighters
Runaround Sue – Dion
Wanderer – Dion
Light My Fire – Doors
Under The Boardwalk – Drifters
Build Me A Buttercup – Foundations
Big Girls Don’t Cry – Four Seasons
Sherry – Four Seasons
Walk Like A Man – Four Seasons
Baby I Need Your Loving – Four Tops
I Can’t Help Myself – Four Tops
It’s The Same Old Song – Four Tops
Reach Out I’ll Be There – Four Tops
Respect – Aretha Franklin
I Fought The Law – Bobby Fuller Four
I Heard It Through The Grapevine – Marvin Gaye
It’s My Party – Leslie Gore
Shout – Isley Brothers
ABC – Jackson Five
I Want You Back – Jackson Five
Mony Mony – Tommy James and The Shondells
Surf City – Jan and Dean
Louie Louie – Kingsmen
You Really Got Me – Kinks
Locomotion – Little Eva
Tossing And Turning – Bobby Lewis
Blue Moon – Marcels
Heatwave – Martha and The Vandellas
Dancing in The Street – Martha and The Vandellas
Tears Of A Clown – Miracles
Shop Around – Miracles
Daydream Believer – Monkees
I’m A Believer – Monkees
Brown-Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
Pretty Woman – Roy Orbison
In The Midnight Hour – Wilson Pickett
Mustang Sally – Wilson Pickett
Jumpin’ Jack Flash – Rolling Stones
Satisfaction – Rolling Stones
Be My Baby – Ronettes
Devil With The Blue Dress On – Mitch Ryder
Woolly Bully – Sam The Sham and The Pharoahs
Gloria – Shadows Of The Night
Runaway – Del Shannon
Mashed Potato Time – Dee Dee Sharp
When A Man Loves A Woman – Percy Sledge
I Got You Babe – Sonny and Cher
Born To Be Wild – Steppenwolf
Magic Carpet Ride – Steppenwolf
Baby Love – Supremes
Back In My Arms Again – Supremes
Stop In The Name Of Love – Supremes
Where Did Our Love Go – Supremes
Wipeout – Surfaris
Ain’t Too Proud To Beg – Temptations
The Way You Do The Things You Do – Temptations
Wild Thing – Troggs
Shotgun – Jr. Walker and The All Stars
Good Lovin’ – Youg Rascals
My Guy – Mary Wells

Slow Hits From The 50s & 60s

Pledging My Love – Johnny Ace
Put Your Head On My Shoulder – Paul Anka
Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
Cherish – Association
Venus – Frankie Avalon
Let it Be – Beatles
Yesterday – Beatles
I Left My Heart In San Francisco – Tony Bennett
Love Letters In The Sand – Pat Boone
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me – Mel Carter
Duke Of Earl – Gene Chandler
I Can’t Stop Loving You – Ray Charles
You Send Me – Sam Cooke
Sixteen Candles – Crests
Sh Boom – Crewcuts
One Summer Night – Danleers
Beyond The Sea – Bobby Darin
The End of The World – Skeeter Davis
Chapel Of Love – Dixie Cups
Blueberry Hill – Fats Domino
There Goes My Baby – Drifters
It’s All In The Game – Tommy Edwards
Little Star – Elegants
All I Have To Do Is Dream – Everly Brothers
Theme From A Summer Place – Percy Faith
In The Still Of The Night – Five Satins
I Only Have Eyes For You – Flamingoes
Come Softly To Me – Fleetwoods
Love Is A Many Splendid Thing – Four Aces
Where The Boys Are – Connie Frances
Release Me – Engelbert Humperdinck
Stand By Me – Ben E. King
Tears On My Pillow – Little Anthony and The Imperials
Those Oldies But Goodies – Little Ceaser
Memories Are Made Of This – Dean Martin
Chances Are – Johnny Mathis
Misty – Johnny Mathis
Knights In White Satin – Moody Blues
Sincerely – Moonglows
Have I Told You Lately – Van Morrison
Someone Like You – Van Morrison
I Love How You Love Me – Paris Sisters
Hey Paula – Paul & Paula
Earth Angel – Penguins
My Prayer – Platters
Only You – Platters
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes – Platters
The Great Pretender – Platters
Twilight Time – Platters
Are You Lonesome Tonight – Elvis Presley
I Want You, I Need You, I Love You – Elvis Presley
Can’t Help Falling In Love – Elvis Presley
Love Me Tender – Elvis Presley
A Whiter Shade of Pale – Procol Harum
Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay – Otis Redding
You Lost That Loving Feeling – Righteous Brothers
Unchained Melody – Righteous Brothers
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow – Shirelles
All The Way – Frank Sinatra
My Way – Frank Sinatra
When A Man Loves A Woman – Percy Sledge
Since I Don’t Have You – Skyliners
Goodnight Sweetheart, Goodnight – Spaniels
To Know Him Is To Love Him – Teddy Bears
My Girl – Temptations
Donna – Richie Valens
Take Good Care Of My Baby – Bobby Vee
Blue Velvet – Bobby Vinton
Mr. Lonely – Bobby Vinton
Hawaiian Love Song – Andy Williams
May Each Day – Andy Williams

Country

Dancin’ Shaggin on The Boulevard – Alabama
Feels So Right – Alabama
Mountain Music – Alabama
Your Love Amazes Me – John Berry
Big Guitar – Blackhawk
I Do – Paul Brandt
The Dance – Garth Brooks
To Make You Feel My Love – Garth Brooks
Friends In Low Places – Garth Brooks
Unanswered Prayers – Garth Brooks
The Keeper Of The Stars – Tracy Byrd
I’m From The Country – Tracy Byrd
Watermelon Crawl – Tracy Byrd
Boot Scootin Boogie – Brooks & Dunn
My Maria – Brooks & Dunn
Me And You – Kenny Chesney
Crazy – Patsy Cline
I FallTo Pieces – Patsy Cline
Queen Of Memphis – Confederate Railroad
If There Hadn’t Been You – Billy Dean
There’s Your Trouble – Dixie Chicks
Daddy’s Hands – Holly Dunn
Foggy Mountain Breakdown – Flatt & Scruggs
Look At Us – Vince Gill
I.O.U. – Lee Greenwood
This Kiss – Faith Hill
Just To Hear You Say That You Love Me – Faith Hill/Tim McGraw
Chattahoochee – Alan Jackson
Who’s Cheatin Who – Alan Jackson
He Stopped Loving Her Today – George Jones
Love Can Build A Bridge – The Judds
Love of My Life – Sammy Kershaw
When You Say Nothing At All – Allison Krause
God Bless Texas – Little Texas
Can I Count On You – McBride And The Ride
The Shake – Neil McCoy
Guys Do It All The Time – Mindy McCready
I Like It, I Love It – Tim McGraw
Indian Outlaw – Tim McGraw
It’s Your Love – Tim McGraw
I Can Love You Like That – John Michael Montgomery
I Swear – John Michael Montgomery
I Love The Way You Love Me – John Michael Montgomery
Sold – John Michael Montgomery
Dust On The Bottle – David Lee Murphy
Could I Have This Dance – Anne Murray
Nobody Loves Me Like You Do – Anne Murray/Dave Loggins
Rocky Top – Osbourne Brothers
From Here To Eternity – Michael Peterson
For The Good Times – Ray Price
I’ll Still Be Loving You – Restless Heart
You & I – Eddie Rabbitt/Crystal Gayle
Little Red Rodeo – Collin Raye
Blue – Le Ann Rimes
Another Me, Another You – Brady Seals
Thanks Again – Ricky Skaggs
My Only Love – Statler Brothers
Carrying Your Love With Me – George Strait
I Cross My Heart – George Strait
Baby Likes To Rock It – Tractors
Anymore – Travis Tritt
Can I Trust you With My Heart – Travis Tritt
Any Man Of Mine – Shania Twain
Your Still The One – Shania Twain
If Your Not In It For Love – Shania Twain
From This Moment On – Shania Twain w/ Bryan White
Hello Darlin’ – Conway Twitty
When You Say Nothing At All – Keith Whitley
I Do Cherish You – Mark Wills
All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over – Hank Williams Jr.
Born To Boogie – Hank Williams Jr.
Family Tradition – Hank Williams Jr.
How Do I Live – Trisha Yearwood
Guitars And Cadillacs – Dwight Yoakam

90′s Swing & 40s Big Band

You and Me and a Bottle Makes Three – Big Bad Voodoo Daddies
Sentimental Journey – Les Brown
Brown Derby Jump – Cherry Poppin Daddies
Zoot Suit Riot – Cherry Poppin Daddies
King of Swing – Clark Eno Orchestra
Mona Lisa – Nat King Cole
Too Young – Nat King Cole
Unforgettable – Nat King Cole
Tangerine – Jimmy Dorsey
Marie – Tommy Dorsey
Stardust – Tommy Dorsey
Satin Doll – Duke Ellington
Take The A Train – Duke Ellington
Where Is Your Heart – Percy Faith
Let’s Dance – Benny Goodman
Sing, Sing, Sing – Benny Goodman
If I Didn’t Care – The Ink Spots
I’ve Heard That Song Before – Harry James
You Made Me Love You – Harry James
Harbor Lights – Sammy Kaye
Chatanooga Choo Choo – Glenn Miller
In The Mood – Glenn Miller
Moonlight Serenade – Glenn Miller
String Of Pearls – Glenn Miller
Tuxedo Junction – Glenn Miller
Paper Doll – Mills Brothers
Til Then – Mills Brothers
Fascination – Jane Morgan
Allegheny Moon – Patty Paige
Tennessee Waltz – Patty Paige
Jump Jive and Wail – Brian Setzer Orchestra
All The Way – Frank Sinatra
My Way – Frank Sinatra
New York, New York – Frank Sinatra
The Way You Look Tonight – Frank Sinatra
Hell – Squirrel Nut Zippers

Miscellaneous/Novelty

Hokey Pokey – Ray Anthony
Bunny Hop – Ray Anthony
Limbo Rock – Chubby Checker
Christmas Song – Nat King Cole
When Irish Eyes Are Smiling – Bing Crosby
White Christmas – Bing Crosby
Blue Christmas – Elvis Presley
Alley Cat – Bent Fabric
Jingle Bell Rock – Bobby Helms
Anniversary Waltz – Eddie Howard
Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee
Daddy’s Little Girl – Mills Brothers
Monster Mash – Bobby Boris Pickett
Stripper – David Rose
Auld Lang Syne – Various Artists
Cha Cha – Various Artists
Chicken Dance – Various Artists
Fox Trot – Various Artists
Happy Birthday – Various Artists
Polkas – Various Artists
Tango – Various Artists
Waltz – Various Artists
Wedding March (Processional) – Various Artists
Wedding March (Recessional) – Various Artists

Reggae
Carolina Beach Music

Reggae Night – Jimmy Cliff
Dollar Wine Dance – Byron Lee
Could You Be Loved – Bob Marley
One Love / People Get Ready – Bob Marley
Jammin’ – Bob Marley
Shaggin’ – Band of Oz
Summertime’s Calling Me – Catalina’s
Give Me Just a Little More Time – Chairman of The Board
I Love Beach Music – The Embers
With This Ring – The Platters
Hold Back The Night – The Tramps

Dinner/Background Music

Light Classical Music, such as Vivaldi’s Four Seasons or Handel’s Water Music
Light Jazz Artists such as Kenny G. and Grover Washington JR.
Instrumental Love Songs

 

Quality Control for Music Selection

I would like to start this article out with a story. One Saturday in 1987, I was making my “rounds” by checking in on several events that my company was providing entertainment for. I do this as a measure of quality control and to evaluate the skills and abilities of my staff. The guests were all finishing up dinner, and it was time to start the dancing. My disc-jockey started the first dance, and the parents dances, everything was going just fine. Once the bridal party dance was complete, it was now time to start the uptempo music and get the party rolling. My disc-jockey chose to get the party rolling with “65 Love Affair” by Paul Davis. I was horrified at his choice of songs!!As most of you know, your first selections of the reception can make or break the reception, so it is critical to select the proven motivators that inspire dancing. This is a pretty basic concept that most experienced disc-jockey’s will agree with. The song that the disc jockey chose was obviously not a proven motivator. The song was five years old, and was not that popular when it was new in 1982, let alone in 1987! The disc-jockey couldn’t understand why he cleared the floor, after having so many people up dancing just prior to playing 65 Love Affair. When I questioned him as to why he chose to play that as his first song, he said “Paul, it’s in the music library!”. I will never forget that response, as long as I live.

It was after this event that I did some soul searching on where I went wrong. I thought I had properly trained the disc-jockey prior to sending him out to represent me, but obviously, I failed in some way. In hindsight, the training and preparation that I provided this disc-jockey was grossly inadequate.

My company training manual had been in place for three years at the time. Since then, I have made hundreds of revisions to it. One of the revisions that I made was to implement a quick reference system for my staff to play from. We usually carry about 8000 selections in our music library. How is a new disc-jockey to know which ones to play? Better yet, how many times have you(an experienced DJ) left a gig, and on the way home, a song popped into your head and you told yourself “I should have played that song!!” It happened to me more times that I care to mention.

I developed a categorized “Quick Reference” system that is placed in the front of a three-ring binder for each of the systems that I have. This served two purposes:

Improved the quality of the selection of music played by my staff

Gave the staff a more user friendly system for finding the songs, since each song title and artist gave the CD number, making it very easy to find.

I took it one step further, and mandated that my disc-jockey’s play 80 percent of their music selection from the quick references, and the remaining 20 percent of their selection can be requests from the guests that are not listed in the quick references. My bottom line was to improve the quality of the music selection that my staff was playing.

The quick references greatly assisted newer staff members, however, it is also a great tool for your more experience DJ’s. With sixteen years experience, I still use the music quick references to assist me in my decisions on what music to play. I am constantly scanning through the listing, and grouping my sets from the quick references. Very rarely do I think of a song that I should have played after the event was over. One other idea that I have used to assist the newer disc-jockey’s is to actually give them a listing in sets. This is great for the training mode, especially, so they can practice mixing music. I hesitate to mandate specific sets to a disc-jockey when they are actually turned loose to do a job on their own. It would seem to be too programmed, and go too far in trying to completely control what your DJ plays.

We have used quick references for ten years now, with a lot of success. I have listed my quick references to assist anyone who wishes to utilize that system. Give it a try, I think you will like it!  

Music Selection: The Basics

Your music selection is the most important aspect of your performance. In a nut-shell, the customer and guests at a given event will decide whether you were a good disc jockey or a poor one based primarily on the music that you play at their event. For newer DJ’s who have not yet mastered their interactive and MC skills, it is even more important that you quickly learn how to choose and mix GOOD music.The first suggestion I have, especially for newer DJs, is the use of a “Quick Reference” system. The Quick Reference system that I use for my company is basically a “cheat sheet” with all of the good songs listed. This way, I generally don’t leave a gig, and on the drive home, think of a song that I should have played! I know we have all done that at one time or another. Even after 17 years of experience, I still use my Quick References to choose my music. (See the article on Quick References for more information and a listing of my company Quick References.)

Since most of my company’s events are weddings, or other events that require a broad variety of music, most of the concepts and ideas that I teach my staff are based on the “variety gig”. Use common sense, and deviate from my suggested concepts for events that do not require this variety (such as clubs).

Basic Principles

A “set” is a group of two to six fast songs that go well together for varied reasons, such as genre, era, or bpms. The length of your set should vary according to the type of event you are playing, and how the people are reacting on the dance floor. At weddings, and other similar events that require a variety of music, it is generally accepted that you should keep your sets short in the early stages of the event. As the night wears on, you can lengthen the set, provided that the dance response warrants it.

Generally speaking, you should organize your sets beginning with the slower BPM’s, and gradually increasing in speed. This strategy typically generates excitement on the dance floor.
Don’t let your personal preferences in music influence your decisions on what to play. This is one of the most frequent mistakes made by “rookie” DJ’s. Newer DJ’s show up at an event all hyped up to play their favorite kind of music, only to turn people off, and make a bad name for themselves.

One of the first signs of a DJ who has matured into a professional, is that he or she can almost totally put aside personal preferences in music, and play what is necessary to make the event a success.

Another sign of a mature DJ, is one who aquires a taste for music that he or she previously disliked. Generally, this comes about when you receive a request for a type of music that you do not usually play. There is something about seeing people enjoying themselves on the dance floor that allows you to acquire a taste for a type of music that you previously hated! Experienced DJ’s know EXACTLY what I am talking about here.

I teach my staff to think of their music library like an auto mechanic thinks of their tools. Each song is like a tool, and certain tools work well for some jobs, and not so well for others. When you learn what tools to use with your music selection, you will quickly become in hot demand for your services.
Play a selection of music that will appeal to as many people as possible. It is never possible to satisfy everyone, but you should attempt to play a variety that will please the majority of people, most of the time.
It is easy to forget the older people in a crowd when top 40/dance music is working well at an event. However, you should constantly be asking yourself, “when was the last time I played country, or oldies, etc” to satisfy the older people. If you wait too long to play a given music group, you will get complaints from guests. When a variety of music is necessary, your main objective is to prevent someone from coming up to your table asking, “When are you going to play some country (or oldies)?” Keep in mind what you have been playing and making sure that you blend in the necessary variety of music in your rotations.
The larger the variety of people and music tastes, the shorter the sets you should play, and the more frequently you should rotate the variety of music necessary. EXAMPLE: If you have a large group of people and you are getting requests for country, oldies, top 40/dance music, you should keep your sets shorter (three to four songs typically) so that each type of music will be heard more frequently. You would not want to play 7 songs of urban-dance music in a row in this situation. This will surely draw complaints from the older people who want to hear a different type of music.

Let’s look at this a little more in depth. For those of you who say “I play 7 fast songs in a row on a regular basis!”…….I am simply looking at the length of time you are devoting to one type of music. In the above example, with such a variety of taste in dance music, seven fast dance songs in a row translates into 28 solid minutes of one kind of music(based on 4 minutes per song). This gives the majority of the guests far too much time in which to conclude that you aren’t going to play what they want for dancing.

In my experience, you will typically draw complaints from the people that dance to other kinds of music. This does not mean that I NEVER play seven fast songs in a row; I am speaking in general terms here. However, at weddings, I feel that there typically isn’t time to be playing seven fast dance songs in a row.

One other factor to consider, is how long people have been dancing. People tend to wear out, and get a little tired after fifteen or twenty minutes of fast dancing; don’t forget to give them a break!
A common situation occurs when the older people want to dance to the slow songs, and the younger people will dance to the top 40/dance music. In this event, choose two slow songs in a row to cover two different music groups, such as country and oldies. This will accommodate the older people, and allows you to jump back into the top 40/dance music for the younger crowd. It should be emphasized however, that you cannot do this for the entire night!

Two slow songs in a row are strongly suggested in other situations also. If you are having success with all types of up-tempo music, your second slow song should be from the same music group as the next fast set you intend to play. EXAMPLE: If you are going to play a fast Motown set, the slow song you play just prior to starting the fast set could be “When a Man Loves a Women” by Percy Sledge. Of course this is a slow Motown song, and will likely draw the “Motown crowd” to the dance floor. In turn, you can then hit the Motown crowd with the fast Motown set, because they are already on the dance floor. The same method of strategically playing a slow song prior to a fast set can be used for any type of music.
Play the basics; the dance floor is not the place to educate the public on the latest and hottest new music. More often than not, you will clear the dance floor with a new song. The exception to this principle would be for school dances.
“Two and Out” Rule – Don’t beat a dead horse………if you start a set of up-tempo songs and get little or no dance response after two songs, it is time to slow things down and try something else. The key is to play no more than two fast songs of any given music group if you are getting little or no dance response.

“The Slow Song Is Your Crutch” – At most events, there will be approximately twice as many people willing to dance to a slow song as a fast song. If you recognize this, you will learn that when nothing else works, the slow song will normally draw people on the dance floor. This concept ties in with the “two and out” rule listed above.
If you try a particular type of music at the beginning of an event, and it doesn’t work, you should stay away from that type of music for a while. However, just because something doesn’t work in the early stages of the event does not mean that it won’t work later on. Remember that the guests might not have been ready to dance at the time you tried this type of music at the beginning. Often, later in the event, the guests will pack the dance floor to a type of music that didn’t work in the beginning of the event.
If you have a group that requires a variety (this is the situation 90% of the time), play the variety quickly in the event so that you “send an unspoken message” to everyone that you have a variety of music. This will help prevent people from leaving(very typical at holiday parties).

The following is an example:
1. I Swear – John Michael Montgomery

2. That’s What I Like – Jive Bunny (a five minute oldies medley)

3. Crazy – Patsy Cline

4. Unforgettable – Natalie Cole

5. Gonna Make You Sweat – C & C Music Factory

6. Move This – Technotronic

7. Show Me Love – Robin S.

8. Moonlight Serenade – Glenn Miller

9. Unchained Melody – The Righteous Brothers
In the first 9 songs of the dance, you have played country, oldies, big bands/40′s, basic top 40 and urban dance music. You have “sent a message” to your audience that you do, in fact, have a variety of music for everyone, and that you intend to play it. This will put people at ease, especially the older people who thought that you might play music for the younger people only.

When playing for a party or dance, if you notice that there are not many people there yet, and more are expected, you might not want to play many of your “absolute best” songs that are your best tools to motivate people to dance. In this event, you should wait thirty to forty-five minutes prior to playing the best that you have. You should, however, be careful not to delay playing your best music for too long of a time frame; you may lose the people that are present!
If you are playing for a wedding, you should play only the best songs that you have, because all of the people that are coming to the event are already there.
If you play a particular song that packs the dance floor, you should attempt to play another song that is very similar to it. For instance, if you play “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg” and pack the floor, you should play a similar song such as “I Can’t Help Myself”. Another example: If you play “Shout”, a logical follow-up would be “What I like About You”, and so on. IMPORTANT!! When something works, keep them going!!

It is important to stress, however, that you cannot play one type of music all night. You may be justified in adjusting your music rotation to play one type of music more than another. However, if Top 40/dance music is working well with the younger crowd, you cannot play that type of music for the rest of the night. You must still provide a variety of music.
Oldies are an important part of your music selection at most events. There have been many movies and TV commercials that have included songs from the 40′s to the 80′s. This makes these songs familiar to the young and old alike. When playing for a variety of age ranges, try to select songs that appeal to two different generations. You can use these songs to appeal to two different generations, thereby attracting more people to the dance floor. Some suggestions are: Unforgettable – Natalie Cole, Unchained Melody – The Righteous Brothers, Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong, and Do You Love Me – The Contours. These are only a few suggestions. New movies that come out will continue to introduce old songs to a new generation. You should be observant of this and take advantage of those songs when they come out.
If country is a category of music that is needed, but only in small quantities, play popular slow country songs to cover this need. I have found that uptempo country songs do not usually go over very well for the “upscale business professional” type of crowd. This may vary, depending on geographic region.
One frequent mistake by inexperienced DJ’s is to apply the ingredients for success from the last gig that they performed. What works at one event, may not necessarily work at the next. This is why you must always go through an “assessment” phase for each event that you perform.

Reading the crowd is an important aspect of your job. You must observe the people that you have on hand. Look at the ages of the people and check out what they are wearing. Are most people dressed like “business professionals”, or are they wearing informal clothing such as cowboy boots, that suggest that they may enjoy country music. Be observant!! You should assess each crowd by ages and observe how many people there are of each age range. Your music selection should be based on the percentages of the ages you have in the crowd.

The following illustration can be used to assess your music rotation:

Out of 100 people at an event, the make-up of the crowd is:
• ages 20 to 30 there are 25 people

• ages 30 to 40 there are 40 people

• ages 40 to 60 there are 25 people

• ages 60 and up there are 10 people
With the audience listed above, you should be playing a mix of oldies, country and a little top 40/urban-dance music for the younger people. The key is: Your music selection should be proportionate to the age ranges of your audience.

The rotation of music is a very important part of your job as a disc jockey. If the function that you are playing for requires 50% Top 40 and 50% of oldies, you certainly wouldn’t play top 40 for the first two hours and oldies for the last two hours. While this is an exaggeration, it demonstrates the need to think about how to play and proportion your selection of music.
Music knowledge is an important aspect of your job. The people that attend the events in which we are hired expect the DJ to be an “expert” in music. We obviously do not expect you to be an expert, but you do need to be knowledgeable in all types of music. You should constantly strive to improve your music knowledge.
At weddings, there are always a few older people in their 60′s and 70′s. It is very easy to forget these people in your selection of music. For this reason, you should play a minimum of one song from the 40′s era at every wedding reception, without exception. This is an easy principle to carry out in today’s trends in music, since “swing” music has made a comeback.
As a general rule, you should not play the same song more than once per event. There are some exceptions to this rule, but you should try to avoid repeating a song. Sometimes a song is extraordinary, and will be requested twice, such as when the Macarena was new and hot. Make exceptions only in this case.

If you know that a song is so popular that you will have to play it twice, make sure that you space it out.

This means that you shouldn’t play a “really hot” song early in the event, because then you may be asked to play it three times!!!! Don’t repeat the same song within one hour. It is unprofessional, and you may get pressure from the guests to play the song a third or fourth time (absolutely do not!!). However, use common sense. If there is a great demand and interest from several people for a song to be played more than once, than play it.

There are so many factors that go into how you select and group your music. I have listed a number of ideas and concepts that I teach my staff. These concepts have proven useful over the years for me. Something that I missed??? Please feel free to email me and let me know! We are very open to suggestions for future revisions!

Latin Music

INTRODUCTION

Over the past several years, Latin music has become increasingly popular not only in the United States but also around the world. It is not uncommon to hear Salsa or Merengue in a small café in Italy or France or in an upscale restaurant in Germany or Japan. With the rise of popular artists like Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, and Elvis Crespo, DJs have been getting more requests for Latin music. Thus, it is becoming important for DJs to include Latin music in their arsenal of music.

Recently, we asked DJs who performed regularly for non-Latin parties to ask anyone who made a request for Latin music to actually write down the names of songs, or artists on a request list. We then asked those DJs to write down what they would play if someone in a non-specific way requested “Latin music”. Although the DJs response was widespread and varied, interestingly enough the same responses kept coming up. These included:

La Bamba
Oye Como Va
Gloria Estefan
Ricky Martin
Tito Puente
Santana

What was interesting was that not one of the above names were mentioned in the list of Latin music requested by the guests. This discrepancy meant that many DJs are confused about what they think Latin music is.

This lesson will help DJs fill those requests appropriately and avoid making the same mistake the DJs we questioned made. We will review what Latin music is and what it’s not. You’ll be introduced to the subcategories or genre of Latin music and popular artists. Lastly, we’ll give you some hints and tips on how to stay on top of the fast moving Latin music scene.

WHAT LATIN MUSIC IS and IS NOT.

In the above study it is likely that DJs were unable to fill requests due to unfamiliarity with the music, limited library, or both. It also meant that DJs were not asking the guest the right questions.

If someone asks you to play a dance song – what would you do? As a DJ you would probably need some clarification. “What type of music or what artist?”

This same clarification must be made when someone asks you for Latin music. Keep in mind that just because a song is performed by an artist with a Latin background, does not make that song a Latin song or even the performer a Latin Artist. Recently, much press has been given to artists such as Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez and others. However, their current music is primarily in English and therefore is not considered Latin dance music at least when a request is made for “Latin music”.

HANDLING REQUESTS

For the most part when someone asks for Latin music they are asking for some type of popular dance music. What they actually mean will depend in part on their nationality or region of the country. Of course the best way to find out is to ask them “What type of music or artist are you interested in?” But there are some basic guidelines you can follow.

Of all the types, “Salsa” is the most widely accepted and most popular worldwide. However, it is also the most difficult to dance to. Thus, people not familiar with dancing salsa may shy away from the dance floor. Merengue is also very popular and is much easier to dance to. Therefore when asked very generally to play “Latin music” the safest bet is to play a Merengue. Usually, more than just those who requested it will likely join in and help keep the dance floor full.

If you want to be able to fulfill some requests, then having a nice mix of Salsa and Merengue is a good place to begin. You can also add some selections from the type of music that may be popular regionally. For example if most of your parties are in the South Western United States, you may be asked to play “Tejano” music. If you live in Florida, “Son cubano” or “Charanga” may be requested.

As you can see, just like American music Latin music has many artists and different categories, genres, and subtypes. Table 1 lists some of the types of Latin music you may encounter.

Salsa
Latin jazz
Aguinaldos

Merengue
Punta
Mariachi/Rancheras

Cumbia
Plenas / Bomba
Quebraditas

Vallenatos
Tango
San Juanitos

Boleros
Pasodobles
Spanish Rock

Perico Ripiao
Cha Cha
Latin Christian

Bachata
Mambo
Danzon

Charanga
Rumba
Bambuco

Tejano
Son Cubano

It is not necessary for you to be familiar with all these types so don’t get overwhelmed. Keep in mind that music such as cha-cha, mambo, rumba are also good to include in a collection but are more popular for ballroom style dancing.

When a request is made, show the requestor the Latin CDs you have and let them pick. You can usually tell by their reaction if they are happy with their choices. If you get a “is that all you have?” or “this won’t do” reaction then you will need to increase your selection of Laitn music.

BUILDING YOUR MUSIC COLLECTION

In a recent conversation, after telling a fellow DJ my specialty was Latin Music he replied “Wow that’s great, it must be very easy for you!” Why?” I asked him, He stated as a matter of factly , “Well because the music and songs rarely change, I’ve been playing the same two CDs for the last two years!” He could not have been more wrong.

Like American music, Latin music is also constantly changing. It may not be necessary to have the very latest music from all artists, but a good DJ will have at least a few songs that are popular that year

How much music to include in your library will of course depend on how often you get requests for it. Ask your guests to write down their requests and don’t be afraid to ask them “What type of music is it.” Armed with this information you’ll be able to tell which artists and type of music are the most popular in your area and add the frequently requested songs/artists to your collection.

THE BASIC LIBRARY

If you only receive an occasional request for Latin music then you obviously will not need to have a large collection of music. If you simply want to play it safe then you can start with the classics. Like American classics, Latin classics are always welcome. Since they never become obsolete, you don’t have to worry about those who may think the song is “too old”. Classics work well with an older crowd as well as the younger audiences. Because Salsa and Merengue are the most popular types of music, then you can begin with songs and artists from these categories.

Table 2 lists the song title, artist and subtype.

SONG TITLE
ARTIST
SUBTYPE

Ya Boy
Africando
Salsa

Rebeleon
Joe Arroyo
Salsa

Lloraras
Oscar DeLeon
Salsa

Vivir Lo Nuestro
India & Marc Anthony
Salsa

La Duena Del Swing
Los Hermanos Rosario
Merengue

Suavemente
Elvis Crespo
Merengue

El Africano
Wilfredo Vargas
Merengue

After you have some of the classics, you can build on this by adding compilations. For example the “Best of” each year e.g. “Salsa Explosion 1999″. Be sure to ask someone at the record store (who is familiar with the music) to suggest a good compilation.

Remember that having the “Best of” yearly compilations will keep you minimally current. By the time many of the compilations are released, the songs are outdated by as much as 6-8 months. But these compilations will be extremely helpful if you only rarely get requests.

TAKING IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

If you get requests at least several times a month or more frequently, you will want to go beyond the basic classics and compilations. Having some albums from the popular artists will make a great impression on your guests. Since we are only building a small collection we have listed a mixture of both current popular and those that have stood the test of time. The advantage of purchasing albums from popular artists is that songs in an album, will be promoted over the course of one to two years, thus extending the usefulness of the album. Having 4 or 5 artists from the Salsa and Merengue categories should be enough to get by. Again keeping a record of which artists and songs are most often requested will help you to know which particular artists to add and play. You can’t go wrong even if you purchase one of these artist’s older albums.

Table 4 SALSA Artists. Not in any particular order

Marc Anthony
Tito Nieves
Tito Rojas

India
Victor Manuelle
El Gran Combo

Hector Lavoe
Jerry Rivera
Frankie Ruiz

Table 5 MERENGUE Artists. Not in any particular order

Oro Solido
Los Hermanos Rosario
Grupo Mania

Olga Tanon
La Banda Loca
Sergio Vargas

Elvis Crespo
Johnny Ventura
La Banda Gorda

Table 6 CUMBIA

Pastor Lopez
Sonora Dinamita
Sonora Tropicana

Ivan y Su Bam Band
Billos Caracas Boys
Lisandro Meza

Table 7 TEJANO

Selena
Emilio Navaira
La Tropa F

Mafia
Los Broncos
Ram Herrera

Table 8 BOLEROS (Ballads)

Luis Miguel
Christian
Julio Iglesias

Jose Jose
Jose Luis Perales
Charlie Zaa

GOING BEYOND THE BASIC COLLECTION

If you want to go beyond the basics and wish to build a large music collection and want to keep current, then you must find resources to help you. A record store specializing in Latin music is of course the best place to go. The sales people hopefully will be very knowledgeable and will direct you towards the most current and recurrent hits. Don’t forget the great classics.

KEEPING YOUR LIBRARY CURRENT

If you want to become familiar with and even add the current music to your collection then music charts are indispensable. Special caution however is needed. Many factors go into preparing music lists, therefore a particular list may not be a direct representation of the songs people will want to dance to. For example, in a magazine such a Billboard, the Latin music chart is compiled based on sales, radio play and a host of other factors. Popularity among dancers is not its only criteria.

The best charts are those created by specialty music magazines. One such magazine is

RADIO Y MUSICA. This is the Latin music industry’s leading charts publication. The online version (www.radidioymusica.com) lists the top ten songs per chart (25-50 songs per chart in the printed version) which for most DJs is more than adequate. The “Panel Tropical” and “Panel Bailable (Danceable)” lists the popular dance music. “Panel Tejano” lists the popular Tejano music as well. Unfortunately, the lists at RADIO y MUSICA do not subdivide the dance music into subcategories such as Salsa and Merengue.

There are also some radio stations that post their lists online. If you have a Latin radio station in your area, a chart of this type can be very valuable, as it will tell you which songs are popular in the areas you service and not just nationally.

Listed below are some URLs . You may find others by doing an internet search for “Latin radio.”

KSOL-FM (www.ksol.com) 98.9/99.1 FM Mexican (San Francisco)
WONQ-AM (www.wonq.com) 1030 Am Salsa/Merengue (Orlando)
WPRD-AM (www.wprd.com) 1440 AM Salsa/Merengue (Orlando)
WRTO-FM (www.wrto.com) 98.3 FM Salsa/Merengue (Miami)
WSKQ-FM (www.lamega.com) 97.9 FM Salsa/Merengue (New York)
WXDJ-FM (www.elzol95.com) 95.7.com Salsa/Merengue (Miami)
WLTN-FM (www.radiolatina.com) 106.9 FM Contemporary/Pop (San Diego)

Many of these radio stations are now offering their programs LIVE over the internet so you can hear what music is popular in a particular city just by listening in.

Another source for Latin music charts and information can be found at

www.lamusica.com. Here they post artist interviews, concerts, charts, and other assorted information that depicts what is happening in the music scene today.

By using the information in charts, helpful personnel at the record stores, and by compiling your own list of music requested by guests, you can build a very good collection of Latin music. Don’t be fooled into thinking that it is not important to keep up with Latin music just because it is not often requested. Being able to show your guests that you are versatile as well as knowledgeable about different types of music will set you apart from the competition. In future articles we’ll discuss how to distinguish between some of the more popular types of Latin music, and will give you some ideas on how to program some great dance sets. In the meanwhile the next time someone asks you “Can you play some Latin music?” you can respond with “Would you like Salsa, Merengue or some other type?” Impress them with your library and they will walk away saying “That is a great DJ!”