How did you know dance song

Dance Facts and History

Dance is a form of art that is made by purposefully recreating selected sequences of human motion, which can be imbued with the values of aesthetic and symbolism that are acknowledged by both performers and observers from within the particular culture. The dance itself can be freeform or can have a predefined choreography that may or may not align with traditions of origin or historical period.

The dance can be performed to serve various functions (social, competitive, ceremonial, martial, erotic…) but it also has two distinct forms – theatrical dance in which dancers perform for an audience, and participatory social dance where dancing in a group is encouraged to anyone. Participatory dances are most commonly found at weddings, social gatherings, and festivals, and they can be enjoyed with folk music both alone or in a group (pairs, lines, chains or other forms).

Theatrical dance is known for having more elaborate choreography, planning, costume, scenery and other elements that make the entire production feel more professional. The performers of theatrical dance are usually professional “ virtuoso dancers”, who practice their craft over the years, and are often tasked to interpret the musical accompaniment with advanced dance moves or routines.

Origins and Early History

The dance has always been with us, even before the arrival of written language and modern history, when our earliest cultures evolved utilizing oral and performance methods to pass the stories from one generation to the next. Many historians believe that social, celebratory and ritual dances are one of the essential factors of the development of early human civilizations.

The earliest findings have pinpointed the origins of ancient dances in 9000-year-old India or 5300-year-old Egypt, but the records more common infusion of dance into a modern culture can be found from Ancient Greece, China, and India. All these old dances evolved, eventually morphing into a wide variety of Roman and European medieval dances, traditional Chinese dances, Hindi and other traditional dances, respectively.

After the arrival of European Renaissance, the history of music and dance exploded with the new additions to song and dance. Ease of travel and immigration to the new world brought these dances into the mix with many native cultures of the New World, forging countless new dance types that are still popular to this day.

Do you know these facts about dance?

First archeological proof of dance comes from the 9 thousand year old cave paintings in India.
One of the earliest uses of structured dance was introduced in religious ceremonies that told the stories of ancient myths and gods. Egyptian priests used this kind of visual storytelling in their rituals.
Ancient Egyptians used dancing for both entertainment and religion.
Dance represented important parts of many Greek and Roman religious ceremonies.
Ancient Greeks and Romans annually celebrated their wine gods Dionysus and Bacchus with several days long festivities filled with alcohol, song and dance.
History of European medieval dance is fragmented and limited, but is believed that simple folk dances were widespread among common and wealthy classes.
Modern dance history in Europe started with Renaissance, when many new dances were invented. After that, periods of Baroque, post French Revolution, Elizabethan era, World War 1, Prohibition, Ragtime and pre-WW2 brought many new waves of dance styles.
Waltz, one of the most popular dances today came into popularity in mid-19th century by the efforts of the famous composer Johann Strauss, but its origins can be traced even to the distant 16th century.
At first, waltz was performed with arm's length between male and female dances. The shocking transition to the close embrace happened only after English Queen Victoria fell in love with the dance and forced this change.
Around 30 thousand people are employed in UK dance industry today, maintaining around 200 dance companies.
Even people in wheelchairs can dance! Such dancing is very popular in Europe where there are even competitions in Latin dances with special wheelchair choreographies.
Professional dance is today regarded as one of the most demanding physical abilities and sports. According to studies, 80% of all professional dances have at least one major injury during their career and staggering 93% of all dance teachers were forced into that position after career ending injury.
High amount of injuries in professional dancing is induced by high levels of fatigue, little time for rest, inadequate healing techniques and high stress levels. All those factors can produce burn out periods when dancers have decreased strength, coordination, cognitive and immune functions.
Lion Dance is one of the most popular religious and ceremonious dances in China and surrounding countries of Taiwan, Korea and Japan. This dance can signify bringing of good fortune, ward of evil spirits and be an excellent showcase in martial arts proficiency.

After several thousand years, dancing managed to completely infuse itself into our way of life. Here you can find more information about this fascinating activity and the impact it can have on our lives.

Since the dawn of human civilization, dance remained in close connection with us. Here you can find out more about this fascinating part of our culture, all from its roots in ancient civilizations to the modern times.

Thousand years of innovations and evolution created modern dance that we all enjoy today. Here you can find out more about specific dance styles and the way they are implemented and created.

There are many specific dances which can be sorted into single dance styles or families of related dances. Here you can read more about specific dances and variants of a specific dance.

Facts about Dancing

Professional dances are today regarded as athletes.
Dancing is very beneficial to your health. It lowers the chances for heart and blood vessel diseases, improves posture and weight, reduces stress and tension, improve brain function because of constant presence of music, and can improve relationship between dance partners.
Because of the need to maintain strict head position while dancing, doctors often prescribe use of dance for those patients that need to develop their peripheral vision.
First balled dancer that used pointe shoes was Marie Taglioni in 1832 ballet "La Sylphide".
One tutu shoe cost up to $2000 dollars to be made, and one ballerina wears between 2 and three pairs per week.
Because of high physical demand on their bodies, most professional dances retire from dancing during their mid-30s.
Famous modern dance Cha-Cha originated from Cuba.
Famous energetic ballroom dance can-can (or cancan), which is performed by the row of female dances in long skirts originated form 1830s Paris ballrooms.
Origin of tap-dancing comes from the tribal dances of African slaves. Their arrival in North America introduced that dance to the western audiences.
Dancing with metal tap shoes became popular in United States during 1920s and 1930s. One of the most famous tap-dancing performers of that time were Nicholas brothers, who were instrumental into bringing that style of dance into Hollywood movies.
Famous movie stars such as Fred Astaire, Ray Bolger and Gene Kelley used tap-dancing to enchant the minds of the worldwide audience with great success.
Hindu religion has very close relationship to dance and music. This connection can most visible be seen in their countless Bollywood movies that all celebrate dancing.
One of the dances that managed to completely change the landscape of dance history is polka! This energetic dance that was focused for young women that liked to jump, hop and turn swept across the world in mid-19th century.
Dancing represent great physical exercise for the people of all age. It can be safely practiced from the age of 2 to 102!
Many historical waves of dances were perceived as the "destructors" of the old way of dance. Examples of that can be found in the 1920's Charleston and the era of Rock music.
First ballroom dance that was ever created is Italian Viennese Waltz.
One of the reason that ballroom dancing is starting to return into popularity is because famous TV competition show "Dancing with the Stars".
African slaves that were brought in Brazil 300-400 years ago were prohibited from practicing martial arts. Therefore, they developed the mix of dancing and fighting that is known today as capoeira.
Breakdancing was first created as a "less lethal" form of fighting between warring African-American street gangs in 1970s Bronx area of New York City. This form of dancing re-emerged into worldwide popularity during 1990s.
Dance marathon competition started as early as 14th century England. They reached height of their popularity in the bloom of US entertainment expansion during 1930s depression era. Some competitions were performed in the 22 day long marathons.
The most sensual dance of modern times is without a doubt a Tango. It originated from 1890s Argentina, but it quickly became very successful in Europe.

75 Best First Dance Songs for Your Wedding

Wedding Ideas & Advice

Part of

Maggie Kreienberg

Maggie Kreienberg is an editor at Brides and has been with the brand since 2019.

Brides's Editorial Guidelines

Updated on 10/17/22

Photo by JFK Imagen

Your first dance on your wedding day is romantic, personal, and unforgettable. So, of course, you need to find the perfect tune to mark the special occasion. Finding the right song to play can be a tough task, though. Do you want to go classic or modern? Slow or fast? With all the love songs out there, the options are practically endless.

A survey conducted by The Black Tux of over 900 married couples from all age groups revealed some of the most requested first dance songs in the industry. The study found that "Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers was the most popular choice overall, with classic love songs by Etta James, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis Presley earning a spot in the top 15.

More contemporary songs from artists like John Legend, Ed Sheeran, and Adele also made the ranks. If the top charts aren't your jam, fear not—we have the best selection of first-dance wedding songs that are anything but ordinary. Whatever your taste, choose something that you and your partner will both love and cherish for years to come.

Ahead, we've rounded up 75 of the best first dance songs for your wedding.

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"All of Me," by John Legend

Lyrics of Love: "Give your all to me/I'll give my all to you/You're my end and my beginning"

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"Like I'm Gonna Lose You," by Jasmine Thompson

Lyrics of Love: "So I'm gonna love you/Like I'm gonna lose you/I'm gonna hold you/Like I'm saying goodbye"

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"500 Miles," by Sleeping at Last

Lyrics of Love: "But I would walk 500 miles/And I would walk 500 more/Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles/To fall down at your door"

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"Unchained Melody," by The Righteous Brothers

Lyrics of Love: "Oh, my love, my darling/I've hungered for your touch"

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"Amazed," by Lonestar

Lyrics of Love: "I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side/Forever and ever"

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"Perfect Duet," by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé

Lyrics of Love: "But darling, just kiss me slow/Your heart is all I own/And in your eyes, you're holding mine"

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"I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," by Aerosmith

Lyrics of Love: "The sweetest dream will never do/I'd still miss you, babe/And I don't want to miss a thing"

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"The Way You Look Tonight," by Frank Sinatra

Lyrics of Love: "There is nothing for me but to love you/And the way you look tonight"

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"At Last," by Etta James

Lyrics of Love: "At last my love has come along/My lonely days are over and life is like a song, oh yeah"

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"Sons and Daughters," by Allman Brown

Lyrics of Love: "And I, I'll wrap myself/Around your heart/I'll be the walls of his heart"

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"Yours," by Russell Dickerson

Lyrics of Love: "I came to life when I first kissed you/The best me has his arms around you/You make me better than I was before/Thank God I'm yours"

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"Kiss Me," by Ed Sheeran

Lyrics of Love: "And your heart's against my chest, your lips pressed in my neck/I'm falling for your eyes, but they don't know me yet/And with a feeling I'll forget, I'm in love now"

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"Escapade," by Janet Jackson

Lyrics of Love: "Come on baby, let's get away/Let's save our troubles for another day"

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"Sweetest Thing," by Allman Brown

Lyrics of Love: "You're the sweetest thing that I ever did see/Like a bird taking way/Tears that set you free"

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"Speechless," by Dan + Shay

Lyrics of Love: "And I'm speechless/You already know that you're my weakness/After all this time I'm just as nervous"

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"My Best Friend," by Tim McGraw

Lyrics of Love: "I fall in love all over/Every time I look at you"

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"Give Me Love," Ed Sheeran

Lyrics of Love: "All I want is the taste that your lips allow/My, my, my, my, oh give me love"

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"Your Song," by Elton John

Lyrics of Love: "I hope you don't mind/That I put down in words/How wonderful life is while you're in the world"

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"A Thousand Years," by Christina Perri

Lyrics of Love: "I have died every day, waiting for you/Darling, don't be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years"

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"Marry Me," by Train

Lyrics of Love: "Forever can never be long enough for me/Feel like I've had long enough with you"

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"I Am Yours," by Andy Grammer

Lyrics of Love: "Still can't believe it when you say you're mine and/I am yours, I am yours, I am yours"

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"Back to You," by Twin Forks

Lyrics of Love: "Follow the signs right back to you/Back to you, back to you/I know they wind right back to you"

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"That’s When I Knew," by Alicia Keys

Lyrics of Love: "That's when I knew I fell in love/That's when I knew you were the one"

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"Have You Ever Been in Love," by Céline Dion

Lyrics of Love: "Have you ever been in love/You could touch the moonlight"

25 of 75

"In Case You Didn’t Know," by Brett Young

Lyrics of Love: "In case you didn't know/Baby I'm crazy 'bout you/And I would be lying if I said/That I could live this life without you"

26 of 75

"Falling Like the Stars," by James Arthur

Lyrics of Love: "We're fallin' like the stars, fallin' in love/And I'm not scared to say those words with you, I'm safe"

27 of 75

"Only Wanna Be With You," by Hootie and the Blowfish

Lyrics of Love: "I just want to love you, but you wanna wear my ring/Well there's nothing I can do/I only wanna be with you"

28 of 75

"Thinking Out Loud," by Ed Sheeran

Lyrics of Love: "And darling I will be loving you 'til we're 70/And baby my heart could still fall as hard at 23"

29 of 75

"Can't Take My Eyes off You," by Frankie Valli

Lyrics of Love: "I love you, baby/And if it's quite alright/I need you, baby/To warm the lonely night"

30 of 75

"Can't Help Falling in Love," by Elvis Presley

Lyrics of Love: "Take my hand/Take my whole life too/For I can't help falling in love with you"

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"Work Song," by Hozier

Lyrics of Love: "When my time comes around/Lay me gently in the cold dark earth/No grave can hold my body down/I'll crawl home to her"

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"XO," by John Mayer

Lyrics of Love: "Your heart is glowing/And I'm crashing into you/Baby kiss me, kiss me"

33 of 75

"This Kiss," by Faith Hill

Lyrics of Love: "It's the way you love me/It's a feeling like this"

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"Make You Feel My Love," by Adele

Lyrics of Love: "No, there's nothing that I wouldn't do/To make you feel my love"

35 of 75

"I Won't Give Up," by Jason Mraz

Lyrics of Love: "Well, I won't give up on us/Even if the skies get rough/I'm giving you all my love/I'm still looking up"

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"Hold Me," by Stevie Wonder

Lyrics of Love: "So hold me, baby hold me/Say you'll never let me go"

37 of 75

"Teenage Dream," by Boyce Avenue

Lyrics of Love: "My heart stops when you look at me/Just one touch now baby I believe this is real"

38 of 75

"January Wedding," by The Avett Brothers

Lyrics of Love: "I understand because my heart and hers are the same/And in January we're gettin' married"

39 of 75

"Fresh Eyes," by Andy Grammer

Lyrics of Love: "So suddenly I'm in love with a stranger/I can't believe that she's mine"

40 of 75

"Lay Your Heart Next to Mine," by Steve Azar

Lyrics of Love: "It will be all right/When you hold me tight/And you lay your heart next to mine"

41 of 75

"You Are the Best Thing," by Ray LaMontagne

Lyrics of Love: "Believe me, you don't even have to try/Oh, because/You are the best thing"

42 of 75

"There Will Be Time," by Mumford & Sons feat.

Baaba Maal

Lyrics of Love: "And in the cold light, I live to love and adore you/It's all that I am, it's all that I have"

43 of 75

"Come Rain or Come Shine," by Ray Charles

Lyrics of Love: "I'm gonna love you/Like no one's loved you/Come rain or come shine"

44 of 75

"You Are," by Lionel Richie

Lyrics of Love: "And my love you'll see/We'll stay together, just you and me/I've got so much love"

45 of 75

"Dreams Are More Precious," by Enya

Lyrics of Love: "Come see, close your eyes/Come see, give me your sorrow/And I keep watch for you"

46 of 75

"Faster," by Matt Nathanson

Lyrics of Love: "Yeah you own me/And you make my heart beat faster, faster"

47 of 75

"First Day of My Life," by Bright Eyes

Lyrics of Love: "This is the first day of my life/I'm glad I didn't die before I met you/But now I don't care, I could go anywhere with you"

The Ultimate Guide to Wedding Music

48 of 75

"Crush," by Dave Matthews Band

Lyrics of Love: "Just as long as you're around/And here I'll be dancing on the ground"

49 of 75

"Home," by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Lyrics of Love: "Ah, home, let me come home/Home is wherever I'm with you"

50 of 75

"Latch," by Sam Smith

Lyrics of Love: "How do you do it, you got me losing every breath/What did you give me to make my heart beat out my chest"

51 of 75

"You and Me," by the Wannadies

Lyrics of Love: "But it's you and me/And we'll always be together/You and me, always, and forever"

52 of 75

"Happy," by Pharrell

Lyrics of Love: "Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth/Because I'm happy"

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"Waste," by Phish

Lyrics of Love: "A dream it's true/But I'd see it through/If I could be/Wasting my time with you"

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"We Will Dance," by Steven Curtis Chapman

Lyrics of Love: "Sometimes we dance as one/And feel the beating of each other's hearts"

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"The Luckiest," by Ben Folds Five

Lyrics of Love: "And in a white sea of eyes/I see one pair that I recognize/And I know/That I am/I am/I am/The luckiest"

56 of 75

"Better Together," by Jack Johnson

Lyrics of Love: "Yeah, we'll look at the stars when we're together/Well, it's always better when we're together"

57 of 75

"Spend My Life With You," by Tamia & Eric Benet

Lyrics of Love: "Can we just feel this way together 'til the end of all time/Can I just spend my life with you"

58 of 75

"I'm Gonna Make You My Wife," by the Whispers

Lyrics of Love: "I'm gonna make you my world/You be my morning light/The star at night/Or the air I breathe"

59 of 75

"Man on Fire," by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Lyrics of Love: "Only one desire/That's left in me/I want the whole damn world/To come dance with me"

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"Lucky," by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat

Lyrics of Love: "I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend/Lucky to have been where I have been/Lucky to be coming home again"

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"Never Let Me Go," by Florence + The Machine

Lyrics of Love: "Never let me go, never let me go/And the arms of the ocean are carrying me/And all this devotion was rushing over me"

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"Love You Like I Used To," by Russell Dickerson

Lyrics of Love: "Didn't know I could ever love you more than I did/But baby I do, I don't love you like I used to, no"

63 of 75

"Girl You're Alright," by Paul Otten

Lyrics of Love: "All her friends tell me she's got a halo/I think I knew that right from the get-go"

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"Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," by Sleeping at Last

Lyrics of Love: "Every little thing she does is magic/Everything she does just turns me on/Even though my life before was tragic/Now, I know my love for her goes on"

65 of 75

"You & I (Nobody in the World)," by John Legend

Lyrics of Love: "All of the stars, you make them shine like they were ours/Ain't nobody in the world but you and I/You and I"

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"Say You Won't Let Go," by James Arthur

Lyrics of Love: "I know I needed you/But I never showed/But I wanna stay with you until we're grey and old"

67 of 75

"You're Still the One," by Shania Twain

Lyrics of Love: "You're still the one I run to/The one that I belong to/You're still the one I want for life"

68 of 75

"Mine Would Be You," by Blake Shelton

Lyrics of Love: "Baby, if I had to choose/My best day ever/My finest hour, my wildest dream come true/Mine would be you"

69 of 75

"Who Would Have Thought," by Dylan Dunlap

Lyrics of Love: "Who would have thought that you'd make me love California?/And that's saying a lot, 'cause I hated it here before ya"

70 of 75

"You Are My Sunshine," by Jasmine Thompson

Lyrics of Love: "You are my sunshine/My only sunshine/You make me happy/When skies are gray"

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"From the Ground Up," by Dan + Shay

Lyrics of Love: "And we'll build this love from the ground up/Now 'til forever it's all of me, all of you/Just take my hand"

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"Celestial," by Ed Sheeran

Lyrics of Love: "You make me feel/Like my troubled heart is a million miles away/You make me feel/Like I'm drunk on stars and we're dancing out into space"

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"Lover," by Taylor Swift

Lyrics of Love: "Can I go where you go?/Can we always be this close forever and ever?/And ah, take me out, and take me home (forever and ever)"

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"Anyone," by Justin Bieber

Lyrics of Love: "Dance with me under the diamonds/See me like breath in the cold/Sleep with me here in the silence/Come kiss me, silver and gold"

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"this is how you fall in love," by Chelsea Cutler and Jeremy Zucker

Lyrics of Love: "Wherever we go/What glitters is gold/You'll be my best friend/Until we grow old"

FAQ

Traditionally, the first dance kicks off the dancing portion of the reception, so it occurs after the meal. Many couples, however, choose to do the first dance at the beginning of the reception during their grand entrance, or even after the cake cutting.
Your first dance should be around two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half minutes long. Longer can feel awkward, but too short and your videographer and photographer won't be able to properly capture the moment.
There's no one way to choose a first dance song, but to help you and your partner decide, you can look to your birth years for inspiration, narrow it down to a specific genre, and look carefully at lyrics of popular first dance songs to find what resonates. Consider things like the pace of the song and your ability to dance to it.
There are a few ways you can do your first dance, and it will depend on the song you choose and your skill level. "The sway" is the classic first dance style, along with the Waltz and the Foxtrot. You can also opt for an original choreographed dance.

The 80 Most Romantic Wedding Songs of All Time

11 popular songs that everyone has heard but can't remember their names

There are hits that everyone loves and knows. And there are such compositions that they recognize, but do not know. Most people have heard these melodies many times, but they cannot remember their names or the names of the authors. Most often these are instrumental pieces, but there are others. Some gained popularity thanks to a catchy melody, others - because of a vivid phrase, others - because of the movie in which they sounded, fourth - because of an Internet meme ... Soyuz.Ru decided to compile a selection of songs that you definitely heard, but, You probably don't know their names.

Vaya Con Dios - "Nah Neh Nah" (1990)

"Nah-na-na-na!"

This Belgian band has been in existence for a total of 20 years and has released six albums, selling a total of 7 million copies. But for those who are not fond of jazz, soul and blues, its name will not say anything - unlike the line "na-na-na-na".

She was so remembered by people that once she was even put on the poster of the group's Moscow concert.

Curious fact: the video for the song was filmed in one take.

C+C Music Factory - "Gonna Make You Sweat" (1990)

Everybody Dance Now!

The second and much more title of the song is “Everybody Dance Now”. The vocal part was performed by Martha Walsh, formerly of The Weather Girls, known for the hit "It's Raining Men".

In 2006, Bob Sinclair released the track "Rock This Party (Everybody Dance Now)" with a sample from "Gonna Make You Sweat" - it also became quite popular. And in 2012, a video with dances of 12-year-old Ryan Gosling and his sister got into the network - they danced to “Everybody Dance Now”. It got over 2 million views.

Darude - "Sandstorm" (1999)

Song name?

The term "Finnish music" is most often associated with rock bands. But none of HIM's or The Rasmus' songs can match the recognizability of the dance track "Sandstorm", recorded by their compatriot Darude.

The composition was quite famous in the year of its release, but received a new surge in popularity in 2013, when it turned into a meme after one of the broadcasts on Twitch. A common Internet joke - in response to any question "What song?" answer "Sandstorm".

Gershon Kingsley - "Popcorn" (1969)

Looks like the one from Just You Wait!

Russians associate this melody, first of all, with the cartoon “Well, you wait!” and a scene at a construction site, as well as the "Sportloto" screensaver. But in fact, it came out seven years before the release of this episode - it was written in 1969 by the German-American composer and one of the pioneers of electronic music Gershon Kingsley.

"Popcorn" is considered one of the first works in the synth-pop genre. However, the composition gained worldwide fame a little later - in 1972, when Hot Butter recorded their version of "Popcorn".

Blur - "Song 2" (1997)

"Whoo!" - some words - "Whoo!" - some words...

Fans of British rock, of course, know the song, but the majority of listeners don't call it anything other than "woo-hoo" or "woo-fu". In Russia, "Song 2" gained recognition thanks to the advertising of Tuborg beer. Interestingly, the song lasts exactly two minutes and two seconds and consists of two verses and two choruses.

But in Britain everyone knows it for sure: listeners of BBC Radio 1 put "Song 2" in 15th place in the list of the best tracks of all time.

By the way, "Song 2" was its working title, but in the end the musicians decided to make it final, as they got used to it during rehearsals.

Suzanna Vega - "Tom's Diner" (1989)

"Tu-tu-tu-ru"

Another song, the name of which is well known to music connoisseurs and little known to everyone else (unlike the motive " tu-tu-tu-ru"). Tom's diner, which gave the name to the song, is real: scenes from the Seinfeld series were even filmed in it. Tom's Diner's road to fame has been a long one: it first came out at 1984 as a supplement to Fast Folk magazine, was officially released as a single in 1989, and the DNA remix, released a year later, brought her popularity.

In recent years, interest in it has increased: in 2014, Fall Out Boy sampled "Tom's Diner" in the hit "Centuries", and a year later, a Giorgio Moroder cover was released with vocals by Britney Spears.

Francisco Tarrega - "Gran Vals" (1902)

The same Nokia ringtone

Better known as "Nokia ringtone". 10-15 years ago, each of us heard this melody at least once a day. Of course, not the whole song was included in the ringtone, but only a fragment of it - "Gran Vals" lasts almost three minutes.

The Spanish composer wrote this guitar work at the beginning of the 20th century, and they decided to make it a ringtone in 1993 (although then there was not even such a word). The choice of "Gran Vals" was a joint decision of the Vice President of Nokia and the head of the company's corporate communications department.

The Righteous Brothers - "Unchained Melody" (1965)

Elvis?..

"Oh, my love, my darling...". An inexperienced listener may mistake "Unchained Melody" for the creation of Elvis Presley. And he will be partly right, because he also has it in his repertoire. But the most famous version still belongs to the duo The Righteous Brothers. But producer Phil Spector did not believe in her, seeing in "Unchained Melody" an exclusively album song. It even originally came out as a b-side to another single.

The composition was written in 1955 by Alex North and Hy Zareth for the little-known film about the prison "Unchained" - hence the name. Its first performer was Todd Duncan.

Dave Brubeck - "Take Five" (1959)

Over 40 covers

One of the most famous compositions in jazz history and the most commercially successful jazz single in history. Over 40 covers have been made of it, including versions by Stevie Wonder and George Benson. The author of "Take Five", however, was not Dave Brubeck at all, but the saxophonist of his group Paul Desmond.

According to Dave, he asked Paul to write a song in 5/4 - at first Desmond did not succeed, and he even wanted to quit this idea. "Take Five" was one of the first jazz pieces not written in ¾ and 4/4 time signatures.

Boots Randolph - "Yakety Sax" (1963)

Funny video classic

This composition is often used as a musical accompaniment to funny and funny videos. Initially, "Yakety Sax" showed modest success (#35 in the UK). But later she began to sound in the "Benny Hill Show" and gained popularity.

Yakety Sax artist Boots Randolph was a Nashville saxophonist who collaborated with Roy Orbison. The original version of the song was written by James Q "Spider" Rich. On "Yakety Sax" you can hear excerpts from Julius Fucik's "March of the Gladiators" and the English folk song "The Girl I Left Behind".

The Alan Parsons Project - "Sirius" (1982)

For those who know who Michael Jordan is

This composition has gained popularity through sporting events. Basketball teams, in particular, fell in love with her - in particular, the Chicago Bulls, who used "Sirius" as music for entering the field. Then Michael Jordan played in the team. When the British Parsons learned about this from his American friend, he asked who Michael Jordan was - Alan was far from sports.

"Sirius" got so hooked on basketball that it was included in the soundtrack for an advertisement for the video game NBA 2K11. And samples from it can be heard in the songs of Tupac and P Diddy.

Songs of the 90s | Colta.ru

April 18, 2016 Island of the 90s

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On April 24, the Yeltsin Center in Yekaterinburg will host the Island of the 90s festival, a large part of which is dedicated to famous songs of the 1990s. On this occasion, we publish a hit parade of 1990s, compiled by the editors of the Silver Rain radio as part of the 100 Best Songs in 100 Years project. Here is the result of this musical research: the main hits of the 1990s with comments by Mikhail Kozyrev.

1. No Doubt - "Don't Speak"

In the early 90s I worked at an alternative student radio station in California, and I must say that we played tail and mane the works of this achieved worldwide success. Then it was a punk band, a real Californian. Absolutely all the students adored her, but then a terrible thing happened - a poignant ballad was written about a girl who breaks up with her boyfriend. The girl's name was Gwen Stefani, and the boyfriend's name was Tony Kanal, and this tragic story of theirs formed the basis of composition Don ' t Speak

2. Scatman John - "Scatman"

John Paul Larkin - this name says something to few people even today, but the pseudonym will definitely remind you of the most amazing story when an artist managed to turn his disadvantage into his main advantage and do dizzying career in stuttering. I'm talking about Scatman John, aka John Paul Larkin. And I think without it 90 is simply unimaginable. That's all Ski-pa-pa-para-pam. I remember how we practiced on the air, who can copy it very accurately. So, Scatman John .

3. Ace of Base — "All That She Wants"

There was no hiding from this band, no hiding in the first half of the 90s. She even, according to experts, has become perhaps the best-selling non-American team on the globe. I'm talking about Ace of Base . And now we will listen to one of the songs. I must say that the group owes the success of this song to the magician-producer Dennis Pope. I discovered such a curious detail: one of the members of this group, Ulf Ekberg, was fascinated by the ideas of racism and even neo-Nazism as a teenager. And this information was published in Sweden just in the wake of the success of Ace of Base . I must say that the guy denied everything, said that when he was a teenager, he was just an idiot, and this did not hurt in any way Ace of Base . It is amazing that even after this information became public, Ace of Base played a concert in Tel Aviv in front of the largest audience that ever gathered for their concert - 55 thousand human.

4. Bruce Springsteen - "Streets of Philadelphia"

1993 Philadelphia was released this year on the screens of the entire globe. It was an event because it was the first monumental Hollywood statement about the problem of AIDS and HIV. You remember Tom Hanks in the role of a lawyer of a large office, who has the so-called lysia, which clearly means that he is sick. And the whole tragedy that unfolds later is, of course, inextricably linked in my memory with the next song. This song is by the great artist, Bruce Springsteen. The video was filmed by the same director, Jonathan Demme, on the streets of Philadelphia, and it is curious that the soundtrack sounded, and all of Bruce Springsteen's vocals were recorded on a hidden microphone that was hidden under his jacket. And it seems to me that this video is absolutely powerful, it was some kind of strong emotional period for me. This song definitely refers to him every time I hear it.

5. Cher — «Believe»

No matter what happens on the globe, Cher has always been there. Once again, she invented a new career path for herself in 1998, using a curious effect on the voice that you now clearly hear. After this song was released and entered the popularity ratings around the globe, this effect was called the “Aunt Cher effect”.

6.
Everything but the Girl - "Missing"
No one could have guessed that a band with such a complicated name could ever succeed. Calling your team “Anything but a girl” was, of course, a very bold step. But the song that you are about to hear brought the band incredible success, not in its original performance, but in a remix of the cult, of course, DJ Todd Terry. The song is tragic, about love for a person who is seriously ill, but this combination of dance rhythm and some hidden sadness in the vocals is the seed of success Everything but the Girl .

7. Enigma — «Principles of Lust»

This band can rightfully bear the title of “Russian national”, because Enigma influenced everything. This is the most favorite music in any bars, well, I don’t want to go deep into where else it could be heard often.

8. Fatboy Slim - "Praise You"

I don't know any other artist who has so many stage names. He first started playing in a band called
Many years have passed since we first heard this group, and since then they often come to us. Many have probably already seen the concert of a group with a garbage name. It must be said that, of course, the producer of this band, Bucci Vig, who is also a drummer, did not fail by choosing the fiery red Scotch Shirley Manson as a soloist.

10. Los del Río - "Macarena"

Well, now, on the count of three, you will need to remember how to dance correctly to this composition. It's 19It was 94 when it came out, and this is the very rare case in the history of music, when a fashion was created not only for a track, but also for a dance. So, feet shoulder width apart.

11. Moby - "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?"

There is no sadder story in the world than the story of a musician's work Moby . These wonderful cartoons ... By the way, the cartoon that was filmed for this song was inspired by the work of Antoine de Saint-Exupery "The Little Prince".

12. R.E.M. - "Losing My Religion"

At the very beginning, in the 91st year, the group R . E . M . released the album " Out of Time " . There was a song on it, the riff of which, that is, the melodic consonance, was born on the mandolin. Do you remember this clip? It was an absolutely amazing, revolutionary video, which, as I unexpectedly found out many years later, was inspired by the works of the Italian artist Caravaggio and our great director Andrei Tarkovsky.

13. Sheryl Crow - "All I Wanna Do"

1994 The little-known Los Angeles artist shoots a video and writes a song that is included in her debut album « Tuesday Night Music Club . Note that the first line will be " This Ain ' t No Disco » - "This is definitely not a disco." Her name was Sheryl Crow. All she wanted was just to have fun.

14. Sinéad O'Connor - "Nothing Compares 2 U"

No one in the world could tear himself away from this clip. Moreover, it was filmed in the simplest way - it was just a close-up of the artist. The song, by the way, was not written by her. This is a song by a great artist named Prince, and it became famous thanks to the performance of Sinead O'Connor, an absolutely crazy, beautiful Irish woman. She sat in this very Silver Rain studio and even sang a couple of songs at our request. 90's would be incomplete without it.

15. The Cure - "Friday I'm in Love"

When Robert Smith composed the melody that is about to sound, he, being an emotionally unstable and prone to depression, suddenly decided that this was not his original melody that he slammed her from somewhere. And so he tortured himself and everyone else that he just brought it to some kind of absolute insanity, before the rest of the band, having tried a bunch of songs similar to this melody, convinced: no, this is your original melody. She was released and became perhaps the main hit of the group.

16.

Whitney Houston - "I Will Always Love You"

The 90s was also the age of great soundtracks. Never before have the songs that became soundtracks for Hollywood films conquered the whole world and become so sticky. By the way, I'm talking about the song that will now sound. It is impossible to hide or hide from her even today, although in fact few people in Russia know her author, Dolly Parton, but this is the soundtrack to the film "The Bodyguard", and in it the late Whitney Houston will convince us that she will always be love Kevin Costner.

17. Youssou N'Dour & Neneh Cherry - "7 Seconds"

Now we're going to 1994. I remember it was an important event when this song was heard on the airwaves, we saw the video clip of the wonderful director Stephen Signowi, and another important thing is that it is sung in three languages. Youssou N'Dour sings in Wolof (one of the languages of West Africa), in French, and Nene Cherry in English.

18. The Offsping - "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)"

1998, the album "Americana" - stebalovo in the best punk spirit. You know, when from the first chord, from the first word you recognize the song and make it louder - this is exactly the case. Give it to me, baby, aha-aha .

19. Nirvana - "Smells Like Teen Spirit"

The whole 90s began with this very track, which, in turn, was born from the writing on the wall from a spray can. Caitlin Hannah wrote in the band's lead singer's home, "Kurt smells like teenage deodorant." And for Kurt, it was some kind of revolutionary appeal, although in fact, as it turned out, he really just smelled of his girlfriend's deodorant.

20.

U2 - "One"

In 1990 U 2 were going through hard times: disagreements within the group, misunderstanding of what musical style to move on to, what to use in their music. They flew to Berlin on almost the last flight before all flights were closed (the Berlin Wall was collapsing there). And it was in the old studio Hansa , where David Bowie used to record, they, inspired by how walls are crumbling and people separated for years, stretch out their hands to each other, strummed a few chords on the guitar and wrote a ballad that actually saved their existence .

21. Radiohead - "Creep"

In England, I saw a country club where this band played, composed and rehearsed their songs. The track that I will put to you is, of course, the eternal anthem of all sociopaths and nerds. There is a legend that the song was born because at the concerts of Radiohead some girl appeared all the time, for whom Thom Yorke was very dry, but was always afraid to approach her.

22. Depeche Mode - "Enjoy the Silence"

Of course, you don't have to imagine the next song, we recognize it from the first sound, from the first chord, but nevertheless, the interesting story is how the band filmed the video for this song. According to the concept, it was supposed to be the leader of the group, who travels to different mountains in different countries, on different continents, and, in fact, Dave Gahan had the opportunity to visit the Alps. Initially, when Anton Corbijn, who directed the video, proposed this concept to the band, the band rejected it, but then he pushed the wagon about being a king without a kingdom, looking for the quietest place on earth.

23. Céline Dion - "My Heart Will Go On"

The 90s is the time of soundtracks, you can't get away from them. It is worth playing a major song, a serious masterpiece in one of the Hollywood blockbusters - and all of humanity will begin to shed tears and whine to this song. Initially, Celine Dion categorically refused this, and with some incredible efforts, Walter Afanasieff and Tommy Mottola persuaded her to sing after all. From the first time, Dion sang so that a second take was not required. This recording was included in the movie "Titanic".

24. Aerosmith — "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing"

Once again, Bruce Willis saved humanity in 1998's Armageddon. Remember this video, remember this song? The only detail I'll add is that Steven Tyler injured his knee the day before, and as a result, a lot of close-ups had to be shot, since Tyler was practically immobilized during the filming.

25.

Madonna - "Ray of Light"

In 1998, Madonna, queen of the pop scene, reinvents herself. She releases a song that at first glance seems to be just a dashing dance track, but if you listen closely, the vocal part is extremely complex. She sings it very cool at concerts and rightly considers this song her pride.

26. Pet Shop Boys — “Go West”

I remember that feeling when a world famous band suddenly releases a track in which everything is built on Soviet symbols, and even though this song is deeply ironic and interpretation they have such a cheerful and provocative, all the same, the very fact that all the eyes of the globe are fixed on your country - this made a strong impression on me. You probably already guessed what I'm talking about.

27. Robert Miles - "Children"

This track is probably the highest achievement of the Italian composer Robert Miles. You remember how this song sounded, in my opinion, even from washing machines and coffee pots. It's called " Children " . Robert Miles drew inspiration for this song from the events that took place in Yugoslavia. In addition, he needed some kind of track with which to end his DJ sets, so that the audience would calm down and, inspired, with a bright feeling, would go home.

28. Spice Girls - «Wannabe»

Well, alas! In the 90s, you can not do without five impudent, unbridled girls who drove not only Great Britain, but the entire globe crazy. I remember how they arrived and I even had a chance to record interviews with them. Sitting next to me, this very red-haired "spice" was very flirtatious, and after the interview she came up to me and said that, by the way, she had a Russian boyfriend. But I was a modest young man, not arrogant, and on that they parted.