September 27, 2008

Sharon's Birthday Dance Party

Here's a playlist I assembled in preparation for a four-hour birthday dance party for my friends Sharon and Marc. Of course, there's no way to play 100 songs in four hours, so many of these songs didn't get played that night, but this was my roadmap for the night's voyage.

Instrumental Background Music: these ten instrumentals were set aside for the first hour when the guests were arriving.

  1. Groove Holmes • Beastie Boys
  2. Mick's Up • Style Council
  3. Cantaloupe Island
  4. Guero Canelo • Calexico
  5. The Staunton Lick • Lemon Jelly
  6. Untitled Instrumental • Bo Diddley
  7. Flying • The Beatles
  8. Homage to Patagonia • Lemon Jelly
  9. S'il vous Plait • Fantastic Plastic Machine
  10. Rodney Yates • David Holmes
Swing & Soul: It's important to play some golden oldies at the outset, to give the older early birds (parents, grandparents) something easy to dance to before they split.
  1. A String of Pearls • Glenn Miller
  2. Flip, Flop, and Fly • Big Joe Turner
  3. Jump, Jive, and Wail • Louis Prima
  4. Rock Around The Clock • Bill Haley & His Comets
  5. Mustang Sally • Wilson Pickett
  6. Lonely Teardrops • Jackie Wilson
  7. Tequila • The Champs
  8. Diner • Martin Sexton
  9. Little Bitty Pretty One • Clyde McPhatter
  10. Let's Stay Together • Al Green
  11. Mr. Big Stuff • Jean Knight
  12. Ruby Baby • The Drifters
  13. Sweet Soul Music • Arthur Conley
  14. Tears Dry on Their Own • Amy Winehouse

  15. Birthday • The Beatles
  16. Let's Get This Party Started • Black-Eyed Peas
  17. Mr. Blue Sky • ELO
  18. History Repeating • The Propellerheads featuring Shirley Bassey
  19. My Sharona • The Knack
  20. You Dropped a Bomb On Me • The Gap Band
  21. Best of My Love • Emotions
  22. I'm Coming Out • Diana Ross
  23. What I Like About You • The Romantics
  24. September • Earth, Wind, and Fire
  25. Atomic Dog • George Clinton
  26. If You Don't Know Me By Now • Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
  27. Take a Chance On Me • ABBA
  28. Like A Virgin [ext dance mix] • Madonna
  29. Faith • George Michael
Totally Eighties: Alternative & New Wave
  1. Kiss Me On The Bus • The Replacements
  2. This Charming Man • Smiths
  3. Just Can't Get Enough • Depeche Mode
  4. Bizarre Love Triangle • New Order
  5. Tainted Love • Soft Cell
  6. Don't You Want Me • Human League
  7. The Safety Dance • Men Without Hats
  8. Don't Bring Me Down • ELO
  9. Borderline [new mix] • Madonna
  10. Don't Stop Til You Get Enough • Michael Jackson
  11. Wake Me Up Before You Go Go • Wham!
  12. Love Shack • The B-52's
Hip Hop
  1. Hey Ladies • The Beastie Boys
  2. Bust A Move • Young MC
  3. Me Myself and I • De La Soul
  4. Fantastic Voyage • Coolio
  5. Cantaloop • US3
  6. Connected • Stereo MC's
Soul
  1. Dashboard • Modest Mouse
  2. Jackie Wilson Said • Van Morrison
  3. The Underdog • Spoon
  4. Everyday People • Sly & The Family Stone
  5. Sly • The Cat Empire
  6. Short Skirt, Long Jacket • Cake
  7. Tenderness • General Public
  8. Close To Me • The Cure
  9. When The Stars Go Blue • Blake Lewis
  10. Sexx Laws • Beck

  11. Groove Is In The Heart • Deeee-Lite
  12. Shotgun • Junior Walker & The All-Stars
  13. Do You Love Me? • The Contours
  14. Good Times • Chic
  15. Come On Eileen • Dexy's Midnight Runners
  16. Private Eyes • Hall & Oates
  17. Soul Finger • The Bar-Kays
  18. Night Fever • The Bee Gees
  19. Waterloo • ABBA
  20. Signed, Sealed, Delivered • Stevie Wonder
  21. Hey Ya! • Outkast
  22. Raspberry Beret • Prince & The Revolution
  23. I Wanna Dance With Somebody • Whitney Houston
  24. Machine Gun • Kool & The Gang
  25. Superstition • Stevie Wonder
  26. It Wouldnt Have Made Any Difference • Todd Rundgren
  27. Ain't Too Proud To Beg • The Temptations
  28. I Got Ants In My Pants • James Brown
  29. Tears of A Clown • Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
  30. Good Lovin' • The Rascals
  31. You Can Call Me Al/Late In The Evening • Paul Simon
  32. Suspicious Minds • Elvis Presley
  33. Poison • Bel Biv Devoe
  34. Creep • TLC
Last Call: The Party Wraps Up. Because I knew that I had over-scheduled the playlist, I set aside 10 songs for the end of the night. I went to this section when I discovered the "last gasp" of the party about to arrive.
  1. Been Caught Stealing [12" remix] • Jane's Addiction
  2. Love Rollercoaster • The Ohio Players
  3. Rock Your Body • Justin Timberlake
  4. Smile • Lily Allen
  5. The Sweet Escape • Gwen Stefani
  6. Music Is My Hot, Hot Sex • CSS
  7. Get Ur Freak On • Missy Elliott
  8. Dancing Queen • ABBA
  9. Dancing With Myself • Billy Idol
  10. Let's Go Crazy • Prince & The Revolution