If you’re planning your wedding reception, you’ve probably already discovered one thing: there are A LOT of songs to choose from.
And while creating your wedding playlist can be fun, it can also become overwhelming…pretty quick.
As wedding DJs, we’re constantly asked:
- “What songs get people dancing?”
- “What should we play for our parents?”
- “What songs you typically play?”
The truth is, there isn’t one perfect wedding playlist. The best music depends on YOU, your guests and the kind of party you want to have.
One of our favorite ways to build a great wedding playlist is to pull some of the biggest party songs from different decades. That way, everyone, from your parents and grandparents to your friends and bridal party, gets a chance to hear something they love.
So, let’s take a trip through some of our favorite wedding reception songs by decade!
Best Wedding Reception Songs by Decade
1970’s Wedding Reception Songs
The 70’s gave us disco, funk, soul, Motown and some seriously incredible dance music. And here’s the thing about 70s music at weddings: you don’t have to be from the 70s to love it.
These songs have stood the test of time and continue to fill dance floors.
- September – Earth, Wind & Fire
- Dancing Queen – ABBA
- Stayin’ Alive – Bee Gees
- Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough – Michael Jackson
- I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor
- We Are Family – Sister Sledge
- Play That Funky Music – Wild Cherry
And yes…September still absolutely crushes a wedding dance floor.
THE 1980’s Wedding Reception Songs
If there’s one decade that seems to have a permanent place at wedding receptions, it’s the 80’s. Huge sing-alongs, rock anthems, pop classics and songs that practically everyone knows.
- Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey
- I Wanna Dance with Somebody – Whitney Houston
- Livin’ on a Prayer – Bon Jovi
- Billie Jean – Michael Jackson
- Footloose – Kenny Loggins
- Love Shack – The B-52’s
- You Shook Me All Night Long – AC/DC
The best part about 80’s music?
People don’t just dance to it…they SING it.
And when an entire wedding reception is screaming the words to “Livin’ On A Prayer” together, that’s a pretty good indication that you’ve got the right song playing.
1990’s Wedding Reception Songs
The 90’s gave us EVERYTHING. Pop. Hip-hop. R&B. Country. Boy bands. Girl groups. Dance music.
It’s also a decade where knowing your crowd becomes really important. The right 90’s song can absolutely explode a dance floor.
- This Is How We Do It – Montell Jordan
- Wannabe – Spice Girls
- Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) – Backstreet Boys
- No Scrubs – TLC
- Gettin’ Jiggy wit It – Will Smith
- Baby Got Back – Sir Mix-A-Lot
- Friends in Low Places – Garth Brooks
The 90’s are especially fun because you can go in SO many different directions depending on the crowd.
2000’s Wedding Reception Songs
Okay, Millennials…This is your time.
Although we’re still trying to figure out how the 2000’s became “throwback music.”
The 2000’s are packed with high-energy party songs that work incredibly well at wedding receptions.
- Yeah! – Usher ft. Lil Jon & Ludacris
- Mr. Brightside – The Killers
- Low – Flo Rida ft. T-Pain
- I Gotta Feeling – The Black Eyed Peas
- Temperature – Sean Paul
- Hot in Herre – Nelly
- Get Low – Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz
- Party in the U.S.A. – Miley Cyrus
This is also a great decade for getting your younger guests onto the dance floor while still playing songs that many of your older guests recognize.
2010’s Wedding Reception Songs
Somehow, the 2010s are now wedding throwbacks. We’re not sure how that happened.
But there’s no denying that this decade gave us some MASSIVE wedding-party songs.
- Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
- Shut Up and Dance – WALK THE MOON
- 24K Magic – Bruno Mars
- Party Rock Anthem – LMFAO
- Timber – Pitbull ft. Kesha
- Cake by the Ocean – DNCE
- Yeah 3x – Chris Brown
These songs are especially great for keeping the energy high without relying entirely on traditional “wedding songs.”
2020’s Wedding Reception Songs
Now we’re getting into the interesting part.
Because we’re still living through this decade, the list is constantly changing!
Some of these songs may feel played out because they’re so recent, while others still get a pop on the floor.
A few current songs that can work REALLY well at wedding receptions include:
- NOKIA – Drake
- A Bar Song (Tipsy) – Shaboozey
- NUEVAYol – Bad Bunny
- Pink Pony Club – Chappell Roan
- APT. – ROSÉ & Bruno Mars
- Not Like Us – Kendrick Lamar
- I Had Some Help – Post Malone ft. Morgan Wallen
Here’s something we tell couples all the time:
You don’t HAVE to play current music just because it’s current.
If you love 80s music, play 80’s music!
If your friends grew up on 90’s and 2000’s music, lean into it!
If you want today’s biggest hits mixed with classics from the last 50 years, that’s what we do.
So, What’s the Best Decade for a Wedding Reception?
There isn’t one. And that’s actually the point.
A great wedding reception playlist isn’t about playing the “best” songs from one particular decade. It’s about creating a mix that sounds like you and keeps your guests engaged.
Maybe your parents want Motown.
Your friends want 2000’s throwbacks.
Your bridal party wants today’s hits.
And your uncle REALLY wants Don’t Stop Believin’.
That’s okay!
That’s where having an experienced wedding DJ makes a difference.
Give us the songs that are important to you. Tell us the few songs you absolutely DON’T want played. Tell us about your guests, your favorite artists and the type of atmosphere you’re trying to create.
Then let us do what we do best:
Read the room, watch the dance floor and know what song should come next.
Because the goal isn’t to create the perfect playlist on paper.
The goal is to create an incredible party that you and your guests will remember long after the last song plays.
Planning your Tampa Bay wedding? We’d love to talk music with you!
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