Every DJ has songs they’d happily never hear again. These are the songs DJs get tired of playing, and we play them anyway, because they work. Here are the usual suspects. You’ll disagree with at least one.
The group dances
- “Cha Cha Slide” (DJ Casper)
- “Cupid Shuffle” (Cupid)
- “Shout” (The Isley Brothers)
They fill the floor every time. They also have to be played every time.
The sing-alongs
- “Mr. Brightside” (The Killers)
- “Sweet Caroline” (Neil Diamond)
- “Don’t Stop Believin'” (Journey)
The crowd has never been louder. The DJ has never been more tired.
The hits that never leave
- “Uptown Funk” (Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars)
- “I Gotta Feeling” (The Black Eyed Peas)
- “Wagon Wheel”
You’ve heard each one a few hundred times. Somewhere, a bar is playing one right now.
The last-call song
- “Closing Time” (Semisonic)
It has a mission to be the final song at every event, and it keeps succeeding.
Why we play them anyway
You’ve heard it two hundred times. The crowd is hearing it tonight, maybe for the first time this month. That reaction is the job. Playing for the room and not for yourself is the whole point, and when the floor goes quiet, one of these will often fix it. More on that in what to do when the dance floor is dead.
How to make them feel new
- Use an edit or a remix. A different intro, a longer build, a mashup.
- Drop it in late. Start at the chorus and skip straight to the good part.
- Don’t play it too early. Save it for when the room is ready.
- Keep your library fresh. New tracks mean the classics don’t have to carry the whole night.
Your turn
Which song are you done with? Tell us in the comments.
