After 20 years of performing around the world — from intimate backyard ceremonies to 500-person ballroom receptions to large festival stages — I've learned one undeniable truth: certain songs fill dance floors, and certain songs empty them.
The difference between a wedding where guests dance all night and one where the floor clears by 9pm often comes down to song selection and timing. As an open-format DJ, I play across every genre — Dance, Hip Hop, R&B, Latin, EDM, Pop, Funk, the Classics and everything in between.
As for the below songs — love them or not — I return to them again and again because they work again and again and again.
Here they are — in no particular order and keep in mind — it's not the song but HOW you play it. Many of these songs are remixed, mashed up, edited, re-drummed, all to bring you those moments on the dance floor that HIT:
CLASSICS
For mom and dad- Dancing Queen — ABBA
- September — Earth, Wind & Fire
- Dance with Somebody — Whitney Houston
- Give It To Me Baby — Rick James
- Stayin' Alive — The Bee Gees
- Ain't No Mountain High Enough — Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
POP BANGERS
For the girlies who like to sing the lyrics- Pink Pony Club — Chappell Roan
- Somebody to Love — Justin Bieber
- We Found Love — Rihanna
- Love Story — Taylor Swift
- APT — Rose & Bruno Mars
- Crazy in Love — Beyoncé
PARTY ROCK ANTHEMS
Y2K all the way- Hotel Room Service — Pitbull
- Shots — Lil Jon & LMFAO
- Low — FloRida & T-Pain
- Temperature — Sean Paul
- Let's Get It Started — Black Eyed Peas
- Party Rock Anthem — LMFAO
90s & 00s HIP HOP
For the millennials- Get Low — Lil Jon
- Back That Ass Up — Juvenile
- Yeah — Usher, Ludacris, Lil Jon
- This is How We Do It — Montell Jordan
- California Love — Tupac Shakur
10s & 20s HIP HOP
For Gen-Z- No Hands — Roscoe Dash and Waka Flocka Flame
- Trap Queen — Fetty Wap
- Rich Baby Daddy — Drake ft. Sexyy Red & SZA
- Ayy Ladies — Tyga
- Body — Megan Thee Stallion
- Not Like Us — Kendrick Lamar
- Bottoms Up — Trey Songz ft. Nicki Minaj
R&B & AFRO BEAT JAMS
My personal faves- Pony — Ginuwine
- Move Ya Body — Nina Sky
- Chanel — Tyla
- Yukon — Justin Bieber
- Buy You A Drink — T-Pain
- Nasty — Tinashe
FOR MY LATINAS
Who keep the dance floor bumpin' all night- Tití Me Preguntó — Bad Bunny
- Gasoline — Daddy Yankee
- Suavemente — Elvis Crespo
- La Chona — Los Tucanes de Tijuana
- Danza Kurdura — Don Omar
- The Anthem — Pitbull
EDM FANS
Afters?- Pursuit of Happiness — Steve Aoki
- Clarity — ZEDD
- Levels — Avicii
- The Days — Notion Remix
- No Broke Boys — Disco Lines & Tinashe
- Golden (David Guetta Remix) — K Pop Demon Hunters
COUNTRY & YEEDM
Get them cowgirl boots on and let's go- Country Girl (Shake It For Me) — Luke Bryan
- Tipsy — Shaboozey
- I Had Some Help — Morgan Wallen & Post Malone (YEEDM REMIX)
- Miles On It — Kayne Brown
- Man I Feel Like a Woman — Shania Twain
- Wagon Wheel — Darius Rucker
90s & POP ROCK
For those who rock out- All the Small Things — Blink 182
- Still into You — Paramore
- Sugar, We're Goin Down — Fall Out Boy
- My Own Worst Enemy — Lit
- Stacy's Mom — Fountains of Wayne
CLASSIC ROCK
For Uncle John & Aunt Mary- Don't Stop Believing — Journey
- Sweet Child of Mine — Guns N' Roses
- Livin' on a Prayer — Bon Jovi
- Your Love — The Outfield
- Don't Stop Me Now — Queen
INDIE ROCK & ELECTRO POP
For the cool kids- Mr. Brightside — The Killers
- KIDS — MGMT
- Midnight City — M83
- Walking on a Dream — Empire of the Sun
- Helena Beat — Foster The People
- Tongue Tied — Grouplove
SLOW DANCES
Because every wedding should have at least one slow dance- Ordinary — Alex Warren
- I Only Have Eyes for You — Flamingos
- Until I Found You — Stephen Sanchez
- Tennessee Whiskey — Chris Stapleton
- Lover — Taylor Swift
COCKTAIL & DINNER
Some of my personal favorites- Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You (I Love You Baby) — Lauryn Hill
- Electric Love — BORNS
- Standing Next to You — Jung Kook
- Mutt — Leon Thomas
- Home — Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
- Hey Ya (Vintage Cover) — Post Modern Jukebox
GUEST ARRIVAL
Setting the tone for your ceremony- Can't Help Falling in Love (Mark Ronson Remix) — Elvis Movie
- Best Part — Daniel Caesar ft. H.E.R.
- Risk It All — Bruno Mars
- Better — Khalid
- O I Long to Feel Your Arms Around Me — Father John Misty
Pro Tip
When building your wedding playlist, give your DJ a list of 10–15 must-play songs and 5–10 do-not-play songs. Then trust them to fill in the rest. The best wedding DJs are artists — give them creative freedom within your boundaries and they'll create something magical.
Want a Dance Floor That Stays Packed All Night?
Book DJ LRocktheParty
Serving Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside, Ventura County, and all of Southern California.
Click Here To Book Your EventAbout the Author
Christina LaRocca is an award-winning DJ, MC, and live vocalist based in Orange County, CA. Known professionally as DJ LRocktheParty, she has performed at 150+ events per year for over 20 years, including weddings, corporate events, and nightclub performances across 13 countries and 30 US states.