School dances are a rite of passage for high schoolers. However, this is the 21st century and things have changed. What used to be just awkward slow dancing in the corner has now become an epic night out with your squad where you can show off all your moves on the dance floor! We’ve compiled our list of favorite songs that will make any DJ proud at school dances from here until 2021.
In the first place, we’ve got Ariana Grande’s “No Tears Left To Cry.”
In the second place, we’ve got Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect.”
And in third, “I Like It” by Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin. This song has been all over high school parties for a while now due to its catchy lyrics and beats that will have you dancing like nobody is watching!
6 Best Songs for High School Dances
- “I Gotta Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas
- “Can’t Stop The Feeling!” by Justin Timberlake
- “Lean On” by Major Lazer and DJ Snake ft. MO
- “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson ft Bruno Mars
- “Don’t Stop Believin'” by Journey
- “Happy” by Pharrell Williams
7 New School Dance Songs 2021
- “I’m In Love” by Chris Brown ft. Jhene Aiko
- “No More Tears” by Lil Wayne ft. Nicki Minaj
- “Work It Out” by Drake ft. Rihanna
- “This Is What You Came For” by Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna
- “Don’t Wanna Know” by Maroon 5, Kendrick Lamar
- “Hands to Myself” by Selena Gomez
- “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” Justin Timberlake
6 New Slow Songs for DJs 2021
- “I’m the One” – DJ Khaled
- “Slow Hands” – Niall Horan
- “Slow Dance” – John Legend
- “Ain’t Nobody (Loves Me Better)” – Felix Jaehn feat. Jasmine Thompson
- “Love Slow Down” – Lenny Kravitz
- “Sober Up” – Justin Timberlake
6 Fresh Dance Songs for A Party
- “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” by Whitney Houston
- “I Gotta Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas
- “The Time of My Life” by David Cook
- “Don’t Stop Believin'” by Journey
- “Proud Mary” by Tina Turner
- “The Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)” By Los Del Rio
Classic School Dance Songs
- “Started from the Bottom” by Drake
- “Hotline Bling” by Drake
- “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
- “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Theme Song” by Will Smith
- “I’m Too Sexy (For My Love)” by Right Said Fred
- “Take On Me” by Aha
High School and Middle School Parties are all about music and dance! What songs will make your party a total blast?
- Lenny Kravitz – “Sober Up”
- Justin Timberlake-“Sober Up”
- David Cook – “The Time of My Life” (with Seacrest)
Students want to dance. They listen to music and then they get happy and want to dance.
In the first place, the most important thing is to provide students with a safe space in which they can have fun, and dance. This means that any school dances should be alcohol-free events where responsible behavior is expected of attendees at all times.
In addition, music – and more specifically DJs (disc jockeys) – are key when it comes to creating an inviting atmosphere for high school or middle school dances. Consider mixing this with neon parties (we’ve got a complete guide).
The best songs lend themselves well to dancing but also match the age group’s taste preferences while complementing other aspects such as theme and dress code! DJ song lists include popular party tunes from genres ranging from pop, hip hop, rock, country, and EDM/electronic dance music among others.
Students like the feeling of nostalgia. They want to remember old things, not just new things.
Not to mention that the best school dance songs and music come from the past.
The best way to get students pumped up for a party is with tunes they know well – like popular oldies, top 40 hits that are now considered classics, or current day versions of those timeless tracks.
For example: “Macarena,” “Thriller” (Michael Jackson), “Jump Around” (House Of Pain)
These nostalgic favorites sound fresh when remixed by today’s DJs!?+?
So what would your list include? Songs such as…
- “Pumped Up Kicks” (Bruno Mars)
- “Sweet Caroline” (Neil Diamond)
Students want to sing. They want to show their voices.
In the same way, as they wanted to dance they want to sing.
They want the power, they want their voices heard and acknowledged in a time when most kids can’t even pick up a phone or get on social media without being scolded by parents for doing so. They want that release from all of those pressures.
For many young people, today singing is not just an outlet but also their means of expression, which makes it worth your while as DJs to make sure you have songs with lyrics on hand in order to satisfy those needs.
Here is a popular example:
- “If I Die Young” (The Band Perry)
Know your students
To say nothing of the age of the students at your school, it is important to know their preferred music.
For example: If you have a majority of country-loving kids and are not one yourself, it may be wise to invest in some new songs that will please them but also keep them happy with the quality of the volume levels they prefer (low).
Alternatively, if you have an urban or hip hop-loving student body with high expectations for hearing explicit lyrics then having those on hand might be a great idea as well.
Knowing what speaks most to each person individually makes all the difference when trying to decide which song list would work best for this year’s dance. You got ’em coming back every year by making sure you can meet their needs!
In Conclusion
As you can see, there are a lot of songs that will make your next school dance an unforgettable night. Don’t forget to include the best school dance song lists for each decade in order to be sure you don’t miss anything! If you want more help planning out what music should play at your event, let us know. Our team is ready and waiting to partner with you on creating a stellar playlist or DJ plan for any type of party imaginable. Which decades did we miss? What’s the top song from this era?