Anticipation is half the fun, so I worked out a playlist in advance. I didn't have a mixer, so the transitions were all going to stink, but I wanted to be prepared. Besides bringing almost all of the 60 songs on vinyl, I also burned CD-Rs of the playlist and borrowed my wife's laptop + iTunes to play music too. I don't remember exactly how closely we stuck to the playlist, so I've edited the list below to reflect as many of the changes as I can recall.
Fifteen songs per hour is average, but many of these are extended remixes from 12-inch singles, so these 60 songs are closer to 5 hours of music.
I have learned the hard way not to start off too big. At the beginning of a party, no one's dancing yet anyway. The first half hour at least should be mood-setting, almost background music.
- Is It Love • Mr. Mister: Not many people give a crap about Mr. Mister, and I must be the only person on Earth who still remembers this song. I got the LP from the RCA Record & Tape Club. That's how old school I am.
- You Might Think • The Cars
- Sanctify Yourself • Simple Minds
- Raspberry Beret • Prince & The Revolution: Midtempo and not really danceable, but everyone loves Prince.
- Sussudio • Phil Collins
- Sledgehammer (extended dance remix) • Peter Gabriel: Petey was my first concert (the tour for this album in 1987) and I bought all the 12" singles for the So LP.
- We Close Our Eyes (club mix) • Go West: File next to Mr Mister under "Bands Only I Remember Anymore"
- Say Say Say • Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson
- Like a Virgin (extended dance remix) • Madonna: There's lots of Madonna on this playlist. She never fails!
- Be Near Me (munich mix) • ABC
- Too Shy • Kajagoogoo
- Dancing In The Dark (blaster mix) • Bruce Springsteen released three 12 inch singles from the album Born In The U.S.A. comprised of disco-fied remixes by dance producer Arthur Baker. This is the best of the bunch.
- Freeway of Love (Extended Remix) • Aretha Franklin
- Two Hearts (club mix) • I was totally surprised to find a 12 inch single of U2 remixes from so early in their career. I own several remixes of songs from Rattle & Hum and Achtung Baby, but finding this vinyl was a total surprise. The remix is tasteful, and seems to preserve Larry Mullen's original drum track.
- Love Bites • Def Leppard
- Why Can't I Be You? • The Cure
- Kiss Me On The Bus • The Replacements
- This Charming Man • The Smiths
- Just Can't Get Enough • Depeche Mode
- Bizarre Love Triangle • New Order
- New Sensation (nicks mix) • INXS
- I Cant Wait (dutch mix) • Nu Shooz
- I'll Tumble 4 Ya (12" remix) • Culture Club
- Borderline (new mix) • Madonna
- Drive • The Cars: A note on ballads. Only play 1 at a time, and space them out, every 20 or 30 minutes max.
- Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go • Wham!
- Hey Ladies • Beastie Boys
- Bust a Move • Young MC
- Me Myself And I • De La Soul
- Wild Wild Life (extended mix) • Talking Heads
- Escapade • Janet Jackson
- Big Time • Peter Gabriel
- Something About You • Level 42
- Poison Arrow (remix) • ABC
- Angel (extended dance remix) • Madonna
- Hello • Lionel Richie
- Rio • Duran Duran
- Tenderness • General Public: Nobody knows this band, but everyone loves the song.
- Steppin' Out • Joe Jackson
- True • Spandau Ballet
- Don't You Want Me • The Human League
- The Safety Dance • Men Without Hats: People LOVE dancing to this song. Any dance song which is also a novelty hit song works great.
- I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) • Whitney Houston
- Billie Jean • Michael Jackson
- Heaven • Bryan Adams
- I Feel For You • Chaka Khan
- Material Girl (extended dance remix) • Madonna
- Things Can Only Get Better • Howard Jones
- Take On Me • A-Ha
- That's Why They Call It the Blues • Elton John
- Come On Eileen • Dexy's Midnight Runners: Another must-have.
- Angel • Aerosmith
- Hungry Like The Wolf • Duran Duran
- Girls Just Want To Have Fun • Cyndi Lauper
- When I Think Of You • Janet Jackson
- Relax • Frankie Goes To Hollywood
- Dancing With Myself • Billy Idol: People literally rushed to the dance floor like someone threw hundred-dollar bills everywhere.
- Let's Go Crazy • Prince & The Revolution: The ideal last-song capper.
- People like to dance to novelty hits from their youth.
- People like to dance to songs they know already. I tried playing some very danceable Style Council ("My Ever-Changing Moods"), and nobody danced. "But this song shows how cool I am!" I thought to myself. On the flip side (not literally), I didn't want to play "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" because it is hopelessly uncool. My wife forced me to play it AND SHE WAS RIGHT. The whole crowd danced their asses off.
- Don't blow your wad right away. I hosted a dance party once where the first five songs were super hot and danceable, yet everyone was still saying "hi" and settling in, so no one danced.
- I didn't think anyone would dance to "Dancing With Myself", but it really worked.
- If you want to rock the "jacket with the sleeves pushed up" look (see my photo, top), you have to roll them up BEFORE you put the jacket on.
The Cover: Quite uninspired, actually. Just some mucking about with Photoshop. I do like the font choice.
The Tracks: This is the first mix I composed after purchasing a "USB" turntable. A miracle of modern technology, a "USB" turntable is simply a record player with both traditional "RCA" output wires 
The title was inspired by a monologue we heard at the comedic showcase Mortified- the woman was reading from her teenage diary, an entry about summer camp and the so-called "food" the campers were fed.