The charm of a dancefloor classic is its eternal quality. Most pop music get some level of popularity in the danceable arena when they first come out, but they fade away quickly. In terms of genre diversity and long-term acceptability, these songs, on the other hand, thrive.
These songs are appropriate for proms, bar and bat mitzvahs, quinceaneras, and weddings, and they can be enjoyed by young children as well as senior grandparents. Paste’s editors and writers have chosen 60 of the best dancefloor classics from the past.
This is a really simple dance. In only 11 steps, even the most left-footed of dancers can blend in with the crowd. Within this circumstance, the dance is likely to outperform the song in terms of popularity—a clave-led, repeated dance success. Hilary Saunders is a writer from the United Kingdom.
In 2012, PSY’s ‘Gangnam Style‘ ruled the internet, smashing YouTube’s view meter. But I knew the song had gone global and had become far more than a meme when 50 inebriated Iranians danced to it in my living room that Christmas and my uncle Kaveh sung along in a haze. That holiday season, ‘Gangnam Style,’ mixed with an endless supply of alcohol, strengthened the bond between my extended family and me. My friends, it is the power of a true dance floor classic.
The Go-girl Go’s group-invoking, surf-guitar-grazing opening song from Vacation was equal parts caustic and broken-hearted, thanks to Belinda Carlisle’s vocals. With a melody that builds and loads, ‘Vacation’ delivered a boppy slice of fun for spring breakers, college grinders, and anyone in desperate need of a getaway.
You couldn’t go to a party, quince, or Getty in some parts of Miami in the 1980s and 1990s without hearing this song. It’s still one of the most popular singles from Miami’s reigning musical queen, and it’s available almost everywhere.
