Weddings are an absolute blast – especially later in the evening when the “real” party begins! Once the couple has said their “I Dos”, some tears of joy have been shed and the guests have been fed, it’s time to get down on the dance floor to party the night away!
Everyone knows that good music is key to keep the night flowing. All good bands/DJs will be sure to play most of the songs you’d expect to hear but what about those songs you didn’t know you needed to hear?! The ones that you weren’t expecting, and quite possibly have forgotten all about, but as soon as you hear those first couple chords, you’re sent into a trance?
Playing one of these under the radar songs can be a little bit risky for the band/DJ, but the greater the risk, the greater the reward! In fact, picking the perfect under the radar song might just be exactly what the crowd needs! That being said, we wanted to know what ‘risky’ songs work time and time again for a handful of the GTA’s top wedding bands/DJs! Here’s what they came up with.
“Build Me Up Buttercup” – The Foundations
“This song has been used in multiple movies and just gets people up, dancing, and singing along with the band. It definitely has a cross generational appeal. People of all ages enjoy it. That’s what makes it a classic!”
– Sandy, Soular
“Danza Kudro” – Don Omar ft. Lucenzo
“This is one of the most versatile songs in our portfolio. We find it works because it reminds people of vacations, it’s been on plenty of movie soundtracks and people from all over the world recognize the beat as soon as it starts playing!”
– Herbert, DJ Emporium
“Bang Bang” – Jessie J ft. Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj
“Our favourite under the radar song to play these days is this one! Even though this song was released back in 2014 and never charted higher than #3 in Canada, it always gets the crowd going crazy on the dance floor! It has a sparse yet funky groove that gets people to pay attention during the verses before the rock and roll chorus kicks in. I’m calling it the Lady Marmalade of the millennial generation!”
– RJ, StereoFlavour Entertainment
“I Want You” – Savage Garden
“This one gets all the ’90s kids into a frenzy! That ‘chica cherry cola’ hook still grabs people’s ears 20 years later. With a heavy beat and a catchy, sing-a-long chorus, it’s a sure way to get everyone together on the dance floor!”
– Dev, Impact DJ
“You Can Call Me Al” – Paul Simon
“One of our favourite under the radar songs that comes up year after year is curiously Paul Simon’s 1986 exploitative release You Can Call Me Al. It features fun, happy African rhythms, trumpeting synth-horns and a fairly complex story about a bodyguard named Betty helping Simon escape everyday life. Singing these clever words is always a blast and the dancing it invokes is nothing short of inspirational (much like the living-room conga-lines this song has inspired since the late 80s).
Sidenote: Be sure to watch the video featuring Simon and Chevy Chase sitting in a small pink room together. Incredibly fun”
– Brent, Brent Miller LIVE
“I Was Made To Love Her” – Stevie Wonder
“People always want to hear songs from the incomparable Stevie Wonder and his top hits are usually the ones that get requested. Our under the radar song is one of his lesser known, titled I Was Made To Love Her. We love to play this tune and it really gets the crowd going. It’s a high energy song with fantastic lyrics and with a bit of our own twist on it, it’s become one of our top songs!”
– Tim, The Sound Parade
“Little Bones” – Tragically Hip
“We have had some awesome moments later on in the evening dropping a Tragically Hip classic like Little Bones. We have had multiple grooms grab the mic for a full on rockin’ performance. Not necessarily a big ‘dance’ song, but it gets the crowd connected for a big party moment! Of course there are so many directions that we could go!”
– Marc, Main Event Music
“I Say a Little Prayer” – Dionne Warwick
“We don’t often get requests for this song – but everyone remembers that scene from My Best Friend’s Wedding! You can see it in the eyes of guests from the first few bars, they are READY to sing-along on the dance floor. It may be from the ’60s, but with memorable verses and a total bop of a chorus it’s still a surefire hit!”
– Kat, Lady Be Good
