'90s & '00s party song suggestions?

[Vito Corleone]

I play in a corporate/wedding gig band that makes good money serving up the 70s and 80s "party rock" classics. Especially the songs the chicks dig. I'm sure you all know the set list: "Brown Eyed Girl" "Jenny Jenny" "Jessie's Girl" "Pour Song Sugar On Me", anything by Journey or AC/DC, etc.

 

We've been thinking about updating the setlist with some more current numbers that work as well in the same manner. We already do "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" by Jet that goes over well. As does "My Own Worst Enemy" by Lit and "All Summer Long" by Kid Rock. "When I Come Around" by Green Day and "Are You Gonna Go My Way" by Lenny Kravitz work most of the time. "Basket Case" only works sometimes as it's hard to dance to.

 

I'm thinking "Semi Charmed Life" might work well? Any other suggestions for 90s and 00s party rock "standards" that are sure-fire to get-the-girls-shaking-the-booty?

[ChordGirl]

Spin Doctors "Two princes" ?

[dk123123dk]

Kings of Leon is going over great for me, not really danceable party stuff tho.

 

Sublime - Santeria, Badfish, 5446 Thats My Number/Ball N Chain, Smoke 2 Joints, Date Rape, etc.

 

Violent Femmes - Blister in the Sun

 

Harvey Danger - Flagpole Sitta

 

Buckcherry - Crazy Bitch

 

Thats all I can think of right now off the top of my head.

 

dk

[cooterbrown]

^^ "Crazy Bitch" ...yes, definitely.^^

 

Trying to think what worked with my old "college crowd" band...

 

"Hella Good"

"Song #2"

"Come Out and Play" - usually they just went nuts at the end of the night when we played this.

"Give It Away", which we segued into "Down"

"Hash Pipe"

[tlbonehead]

CLOSER TO FREE-BoDeans

CLOSING TIME-Semisonic

LONG WAY DOWN-GooGoo Dolls

MAN IN A BOX-AIC

JANE SAYS-Jane's Addiction

GOT CAUGHT STEALIN'-Jane's Addiction

HEY JEALOUSY-Gin Blossoms

FOLLOW YOU DOWN-Gin Blossoms

MR. JONES-Counting Crows

HANGIN' AROUND-Counting Crows

HARD TO HANDLE-Black Crowes

ALL OVER YOU-Live

{censored} TOWN-Live

WHAT I GOT-Sublime

SANTERIA-Sublime

HARD TO SAY-Sister Hazel

RUNAROUND-Blues Traveler

SO MUCH TO SAY-Dave Matthews

TOO MUCH-Dave Matthews

SHINE-Collective Soul

GEL-Collective Soul

BETTER NOW-Collective Soul

BIG BANG BABY-STP

INTERSTATE LOVE SONG-STP

ALIVE-Pearl Jam

EVEN FLOW-Pearl Jam

TEEN SPIRIT-Nirvana

COWBOY SONG-Kid Rock

GIVE IT AWAY-RHCP

CALIFORNICATION-RHCP

SAVE TONIGHT-Eagle Eyed Cherry

MALIBU-Hole

BITCH-Meredith Brooks

STUPID GIRL-Garbage

THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD-Sheryl

STEVE McQueen-Sheryl

KEROSENE-Miranda Lambert

BEFORE HE CHEATS-Carrie Underwood

[DevilRaysFan]

Party Songs that Worked For Me

 

 

Golddigger - Kanye West ( I changed the line to 'broke fella'..or sometimes I hung on the word 'broke' and said 'guy', 'dude', etc)

 

Hot In Heere - Nelly

 

Get This Party Started - Pink (I sang it )

 

One Week - Barenaked Ladies

 

What I Got? - Sublime

 

Daft Punk Is Playing At My House - LCD Soundsystem

 

The Middle - Jimmy Eat World

 

All The Small Things - Blink 182

 

Beverly Hills - Weezer

 

The Real World - Matchbox 20

 

This Love - Maroon 5

 

Mr Brightside - The Killers

 

Heavy - Collective Soul

 

Precious Declaration - Collective Soul

 

Gel - Collective Soul

 

...and, yes, 'Semi Charmed Life' worked great as well

 

EDIT: (Somehow I missed that you do this one) and, although its 80s, you should do "Pour Some Sugar On Me" by Def Leppard: Nothing gets a lot of girls of any age to go pole-dancing faster than this song...................

 

Lot of good ones in the tlbonehead's post above mine that I did that worked great

[tlbonehead]

how many farging words are there to ONE WEEK???? IF I HAD A MILLION DALLARS can be a good sing along with certain crowds.

[DevilRaysFan]

how many farging words are there to ONE WEEK???? IF I HAD A MILLION DALLARS can be a good sing along with certain crowds.

 

 

Not only is it hard as hell to memorize, but its a fast beyotch to sing ....There were times that I just mumbled/blah-blah something whern I would get a brain-fart : the crowd was none the wiser

[tlbonehead]

Not only is it hard as hell to memorize, but its a fast beyotch to sing ....There were times that I just mumbled/blah-blah something whern I would get a brain-fart : the crowd was none the wiser

kinda like trying to sing "with my mind on my money and my money on my mind"!

[Kramerguy]

Crazy Bitch, at a wedding or corporate event?? You're all mad lol.

[cooterbrown]

Crazy Bitch, at a wedding or corporate event?? You're all mad lol.

 

I've had requests for it at both...you never know.

[jeff42]

hahah! We were playing an evening gig (6pm-10pm) at a nice restaurant by a lake this past summer & we had a request for Crazy Bitch by a mom who was with her 12 year old daughter. We told her we didn't know it. (no lie... we didn't know it)

 

 

as far as some tunes go... here are my thoughs on some you mentioned that we cover or covered.

 

One Week - Barenaked Ladies- We used to do this one. We are thinking about bringing it back. It's a bitch to sing sure but it's a fun song.

 

What I Got? - Sublime- this is kinda Meh for us. We play it once in awhile but the reaction is never huge.

 

The Middle - Jimmy Eat World- this one is a tried & true. It always gets an OK reaction but it's a "new" standard.

 

All The Small Things - Blink 182- same with this one

 

The Real World - Matchbox 20- we used to cover this all the time I think we learned it like 7 years ago... It always went over well but we only play it for soundcheck.

 

Mr Brightside - The Killers- we never covered it but it works well.

 

"Pour Some Sugar On Me" ALWAYS a big hit. just tell the drummer not to adjust the tempo. it loses the groove if played faster.

[cooterbrown]

"Hey Ya"

"Feelgood, Inc"

Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy" might work for you...never went over for us.

"Bet You Look Good On the Dance Floor"

"Low Self-Esteem"

"Pretty Fly For a White Guy"

"Been Caught Stealing"

"Mary Jane's Last Dance"

"Let's Get It Started"

"Smooth"

"One Headlight"

"Save Tonight"

"Vasoline"

"Trippin' On a Hole"

"Peaches"

"The Way"

"If You Could Only See"

Learn "Billie Jean"...they'll love it.

[TrickyBoy]

Semi Charmed works well

Weezer stuff goes over well - Troublemaker is fun

Sweet Child O' Mine or Paradise City (I know, that's 80's but it goes over great)

Cake's Version of I Will Survive

 

 

If you like lots of words - It's the end of the world as we know it is fun

[dcastar]

For a Wedding / Corporate Party Band.... yeah, probably better to stay away from "Crazy Bitch". Great song to play in the bars though!

 

We recently stopped playing Hella Good altogether. It's played out now...

 

Stuff from the 90's & 00's that we play: ** means they go over GREAT

**1,2,3,4

[Polyphonoise]

Any Gin Blossoms. Banditos by the Refreshments. Plowed by Sponge. Santa Monica by Everclear. Listen to one of the new "we play everything all the time" radio stations for a couple of hours and note every third song.

 

Strangely enough, we've had great dance response with "New Orleans is Sinking" by Tragically Hip. It's got such a great beat ("Song's got hips, I have to remind the rhythm guitar player) that, even if people don't recognize it, they get out on the floor for it and stay. I frequently get extended lead guitar wankage on this one just to stretch out the dancing. Go figure.

[ChordGirl]

 

Crazy Bitch, at a wedding or corporate event?? You're all mad lol.

 

 

That's exactly what I was thinking. There are a lot of songs that have been mentioned that I wouldn't add to the list because I'd consider them too risky, whether they be songs about drugs or sex, or simply not recognizeable to your average corp guy/gal. I've only played a handful 'corporate' gigs, and I have been to some corporate parties/ worked some. Lame. You can't have too much fun in front of the boss, can you? I guess they're less close-minded entities that I thought.

[Vito Corleone]

Some good suggestions! Thanks! I'll listen to all of these and see what might or might not work with what we're doing. Unfortunately, it's hard to tell with almost any song until you play it out live a couple of times.

 

 

Spin Doctors "Two princes" ?

 

 

Thought of this. We were doing "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" for awhile but it didn't work for us. Maybe this one will work better?

 

FOLLOW YOU DOWN-Gin Blossoms SO MUCH TO SAY-Dave Matthews TOO MUCH-Dave Matthews

 

 

These were on our list about 4-5 years ago. They went over OK but were never huge crowd/dance floor pleasers. Maybe they've become more "classic rock" now and it could be time to bring them back?

 

EDIT: (Somehow I missed that you do this one) and, although its 80s, you should do "Pour Some Sugar On Me" by Def Leppard: Nothing gets a lot of girls of any age to go pole-dancing faster than this song...................

 

 

Yes. The all-time #1 stripper-rock song, isn't it? (We often refer to ourselves as a "Stripper-Rock Band") Also works great as a garter-toss song when we play weddings.

 

Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy" might work for you...never went over for us.

 

 

Really? Not sure it's a song that fits our band, but I always thought it would be a sure-fire winner. I'm surprised it didn't work.

 

"Mary Jane's Last Dance"

 

 

That's been in-and-out of our setlist for years. We're tired of it, but it always works. Hard to beat songs about pot-smoking and girls standing in their underwear to get people to sing along.

 

Learn "Billie Jean"...they'll love it.

 

 

Yes. Already on my list of songs to learn. One of those we've always wanted to avoid but one I also know that as soon as you start the opening groove, the dance floor will fill.

 

Sweet Child O' Mine or Paradise City (I know, that's 80's but it goes over great)

 

Yeah. We already do "Sweet Child". Like giving candy to a baby as far as getting the crowd excited goes.

 

Cake's Version of I Will Survive

 

Never heard this. Sounds fun though. I'll definiately check it out.

 

 

I've only played a handful 'corporate' gigs, and I have been to some corporate parties/ worked some. Lame. You can't have too much fun in front of the boss, can you? I guess they're less close-minded entities that I thought.

 

 

Corporate gigs are hit-and-miss. Sometimes it is nothing but work where nothing we try seems to work. Other times they are an instant party and we can just walk through the gig. The parties where it's a convention and all the attendees are from out-of-town and spending the night seem to be best, because then they aren't afraid to drink too much.

[Vito Corleone]

No one has mentioned anything by Smashmouth. Their hits seem up-beat and dancable to me. Do their songs not go over well, though?

[tlbonehead]

Listen to one of the new "we play everything all the time" radio stations for a couple of hours and note every third song. Strangely enough, we've had great dance response with "New Orleans is Sinking" by Tragically Hip. It's got such a great beat ("Song's got hips, I have to remind the rhythm guitar player) that, even if people don't recognize it, they get out on the floor for it and stay. I frequently get extended lead guitar wankage on this one just to stretch out the dancing. Go figure.

DOWN TOGETHER is another one that still goes over well. Maybe some Offspring for the wilder, punkier crowds.

[cooterbrown]

 

No one has mentioned anything by Smashmouth. Their hits seem up-beat and dancable to me. Do their songs not go over well, though?

 

 

We used to play "All-Star" or "Walking On the Sun", very early in the night, if they weren't ready to dance. I don't remember either of those songs lighting up people's faces, much.

[cooterbrown]

 

That's exactly what I was thinking. There are a lot of songs that have been mentioned that I wouldn't add to the list because I'd consider them too risky, whether they be songs about drugs or sex, or simply not recognizeable to your average corp guy/gal. I've only played a handful 'corporate' gigs, and I have been to some corporate parties/ worked some. Lame. You can't have too much fun in front of the boss, can you? I guess they're less close-minded entities that I thought.

 

 

Like I said - you never know.

We've played one reception and one corporate where it was requested.

You can tell by the crowd if they'll be okay with it (later in the night when all the old-timers and/or kids are gone).

At the reception, it was requested by the bride, and we got an extra $100 for playing it.

So I say it might be a good song to have in your back pocket.

[cooterbrown]

Really? Not sure it's a song that fits our band, but I always thought it would be a sure-fire winner. I'm surprised it didn't work.

 

You would think so...but I could tell even when we were rehearsing it, that it was too ...I don't know..."Crazy" is very minor-key...brooding, and droning/repetitive, despite the great singing.

It made it past the 3-strikes and your out phase, because the guitarist loved the song and figured if we played it enough, people would come around to it. But they never did. After about eight times, one night the guitarist called it out, and we totally shut him down...we told him to put that bitch to bed.

[SpaceNorman]

 

I have been to some corporate parties/ worked some. Lame. You can't have too much fun in front of the boss, can you? I guess they're less close-minded entities that I thought.

 

 

It all depends on the company ... BIG corporate stuff (Fortune 500 type places) IS stuffy - and likely very sensitive to songs that a blatantly sex, drugs, mysogenistic (Crazy Bitch-esque). Smaller companies, companies with a young staff, those that are a bit more blue collar - can be alot more relaxed in terms of what you play and how hard the partying goes.

 

There aren't any hard and fast rules - you just gotta be able to read your host and the crowd. (Note: Remember that your host may have VERY different ideas of what's acceptable than your crowd. The host is who's paying you - they trump the crowd when it comes to being kept happy!)

[Vito Corleone]

 

The host is who's paying you - they trump the crowd when it comes to being kept happy!)

 

 

To a point. There's also the factor that as long as the crowd is happy the host is happy. I find this more an issue at weddings than corporate gigs. We're usually hired by the bride, and we go out of our way to accomodate her wants and needs including specific songs she wants for specific parts of the reception. But I've found that often the professionals (re: the band) know best. Sometimes the bride will say something like "don't play any old (50s, 60s) music, everyone just wants to rock out!" Then we show up and see that 50% of the crowd is over 60. So we pull out some old standards anyway and the crowd loves them. Ultimately the bride is happiest when her reception is a party rather than a succession of songs she loves.

 

There aren't any hard and fast rules - you just gotta be able to read your host and the crowd.

Yep! Gotta play these things by ear, for sure.