145 Songs About Dancing

Got Rhythm? Me Neither

When they were passing out dance talent, I was skipped right over. My mother always told me, however, that what I lacked in rhythm I more than made up for with grace. Over the years, I've had more than one DJ call attention to my unique sense of rhythm. Yep, I keep time to my own beat.

If you enjoy getting out on the dance floor and busting a move as much as I do, why not make a playlist of pop, rock, country, and hip hop songs about dancing? We have a long list of favorites to start you out. Who cares if you have no rhythm and your footwork is all wrong? You have plenty of company.

Reader Perspective

1. "Can't Stop The Feeling!" by Justin Timberlake

Justin Timberlake is high on life in this uplifting 2016 rock song. Wouldn't you feel that way with sunshine in your pocket, an electric feeling in your bones, and a good song in your feet? With all those positive vibes, he just wants to dance the night away, so why not join him?

2. "Shut Up and Dance" by Walk the Moon

Meeting on the dance floor, these two strangers instantly feel a chemistry and somehow know they were destined for one another. Rather than talk through awkward introductions, the woman tells her new beau to "shut up and dance with me."

This fun 2014 in-your-face pop ditty is based on the singer's own experience in meeting his girlfriend in an LA nightclub.

3. "Let's Dance" by David Bowie

The narrator in this 1983 new wave chart-topper invites his partner to put on their dancing shoes and sway with him over to an area where they can be alone together under the moonlight. His expression of love and devotion is pure poetry:

And if you say run, I'll run with you
And if you say hide, we'll hide
Because my love for you
Would break my heart in two
If you should fall into my arms
And tremble like a flower.

4. "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)" by Silentó

Focus now. I hope you're watching because the protagonist in this 2015 hip hop song demands your attention.

Silentó takes listeners through a dance routine involving the whip, nae nae, and stanky leg, and that's just for starters. Some people still won't get it. (You know who you are.) The song was both an international hit and a YouTube viral sensation.

5. "I Don't Dance" by Lee Brice

When you meet the right person, it will change your heart and mind about a lot of things. The man in this 2014 country ditty had been a confirmed bachelor and certified non-dancer previously, as he has two left feet.

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However, he has now found the woman of his dreams, and that changes everything. He confesses to her that "I’d do anything with you anywhere." The Prince Charming with no rhythm is now out on the dance floor, twirling his sweetheart. She's danced circles around his heart. Love changes everything!

6. "The Dance" by Garth Brooks

If you've ever found the love of your life only to have your heart shattered, then this bittersweet country track from 1990 should resonate.

A man looks back upon a dance he once shared with his ex, and he realizes that he wouldn't have done anything differently. Even though he experienced emotional turmoil when their affair ended, the joy of knowing and loving her was worth the pain and heartache.

7. "Moves Like Jagger" by Maroon 5 (Featuring Christina Aguilera)

Some people seem to be born with natural rhythm, and others must be schooled in how to shimmy and shake it on the dance floor.

With all the confidence of a rock star, the narrator in this 2010 hit is naked and ready to show off his dancing ability to his partner. He promises that his moves are so nimble and sexy that they rival Mick Jagger's famous footwork, including the rooster strut, hip shaking, and deep knee bends.

But wait. While Jagger often credits his mother for his dancing ability, he really owes his famous moves to Tina Turner and her backup dancers. The gals gave him lessons when they were on tour with The Stones in the late '60s. Hey, Mick, give credit where it's really due.

8. "Vogue" by Madonna

Strike a pose. This international dance hit from 1990 was inspired by elaborate dances with complex hand gestures; the dance style was popular in underground gay dance clubs at the time. Invoking the names of film and sports legends of a bygone era, Madonna encourages her audience to use their imagination and let their dreams come true.

9. "Heartache on the Dance Floor" by Joe Pardi

A sunburned redhead on the dance floor caught not only this cowboy's eye but also his heart. In this 2016 country tune, a man is vacationing in a west coast town when he falls hard for a girl who's dancing like she just doesn't care. He's so smitten that all he can do is watch and sing along. Then, like Prince Charming searching for Cinderella, he extends his stay to search for the red-haired dancing beauty, hoping to see her again.

Do the Sprinkler like you just don't care!

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10. "Dance with My Father Again" by Luther Vandross

The man in this 2003 R&B song of remembrance looks back fondly on a time in his childhood when all was right with the world. He recalls that as a small boy his father would scoop him up and dance with both him and his mother until he was asleep.

Sadly, tragedy struck their happy little family of three. Even now as an adult, he yearns for those simple times when he felt protected and loved.

11. "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack

What do you wish for on behalf of those you love? This inspirational country track from 2000 features a narrator who wants her loved ones to enjoy the dance of life. She hopes that they:

• never lose their sense of wonder
• give faith a chance
• are unafraid to take risks
• are free to hope and
• are always true to themselves.

12. "Life's a Dance" by John Michael Montgomery

Using the unfamiliar steps of a new dance as a metaphor for life, this perky country release from 1992 provides excellent advice. Learn from your experiences and just keep moving:

Life's a dance you learn as you go
Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow
Don't worry about what you don't know
Life's a dance you learn as you go.

13. "Party in the U.S.A." by Miley Cyrus

This fun, upbeat pop number from 2009 describes the singer's move from Nashville to Los Angeles. (It was only four years later that she went totally off the rails and twerked on the MTV Video Music Awards.)

Although Miley finds herself in unfamiliar territory, music and dancing reassure her that her transition will work out okay. The song became an international hit, then briefly resurged in popularity in 2011, following the death of terrorist Osama Bin Laden.

14. "Private Dancer" by Tina Turner

In this 1984 rock ditty, the narrator is a stripper with dreams of becoming rich and having a family of her own. (Someone please tell her that taking her clothes off and dirty dancing won't get a person where one wants to be.)

The song describes the mind-numbing objectification and loneliness of working as this type of dancer:

All the men come in these places
And the men are all the same
You don't look at their faces
And you don't ask their names
You don't think of them as human
You don't think of them at all
You keep your mind on the money
Keeping your eyes on the wall.

15. "Cheap Thrills" by Sia

When this song first came out, I could've sworn they were singing, "I love cheap girls," but that wouldn't be right would it? It's become an inside joke in my household. What the song is really about is dancing and how you don't always need cash to have a good time.

Putting on her high heels, doing her makeup and her hair, the narrator in this 2016 pop song can't wait to get out on the dance floor with her partner. She admits that she loves cheap thrills. Don't you?