What works for one DJ may not work for another. Remember every crowd/event is different. But there are few songs that usually get people going the Cupid Shuffle, Cotton Eyed Joe, Cha Cha Slide, Macarena, Electric Boogie, YMCA, and now Mambo Number 5 is making a comeback. I don’t play them consecutively I mix them in with other song. To finish you have to throw some songs out there that clear 80 to 90%% so the guest can take a break for a drink, remember the more they Drink the more they Dance!! Great Video @briansredd
This is great advice, I am just starting to get into the wedding DJ business after being the guy who would DJ at friends parties for 100 bucks. These videos are quite helpful!
There are more than 200 good songs, to be sure. I have been building a crate with the Top 200 list for almost 25 years. I keep track of the songs that fall off the list too. I have about 300 tracks that have come and gone. Most are still good dance tracks - and a bit of a surprise for young(er) audiences. I have never gone wrong playing Top40 tracks from the years when the B&G were 15-25 years old. There is a LOT of good music in any decade. I certainly have my favorites…and I do tend to play those tracks if left to my own devices.
Nice discussion Brian - one of the methods I use to be unique on the private party circuit is by playing selective remixes and mashups, sprinkling them in with original tracks.
Nailed it!!! Take a chance, and find some gems that are forgotten and throw them on and be amazed. Keep the energy up there and they will enjoy the dance. I love remixed music with a great beat that people have never heard that version. Great Work, Brian!!!
Your comment is absolutly correct. As a former mobile DJ , i loved throwing the long forgotten tunes of the past.Especially the AM gold of the seventies
I have crate called "curve ball". It consist of many genres of generally remixes of bangers. I'll throw out a curve ball here and there and get a good crowd response.
It’s about timing more than anything. If you play music and genres in sets you’ll have success, you can’t bounce around and keep things happening on the dance floor
I've never considered what I play as a factor in separating myself from the pack since everyone has access to the same songs. I do mostly weddings, and the clients provide me with a playlist. Not much room for me to take risks & be musically creative.
Spot on Brian. Spoken from experience. Some of these younger Djs make it more about them rather than the client and the people in front of them. Sure, in a club, be as risqué as you want, try things, new mixes & combo’s and yes at private events too ONCE you’ve given them their songs and hits early on. It means they know YOU know what you’re doing. 🙌
Great advice. I also think that beatmixing style has a lot to do with how your dance floors react and opens up more opportunities for those 'chance' songs you throw in. If I couldn't mix, I'd have to completely rethink how to be creative. Mixing samples, choruses, looping, slamming, beat drops, using stems, remixes, sound effects, so many things you can do to get creative. That's how I do it. It also allows me to save the best songs for later in the night. I have a lot of bride & grooms that request for me to play the good stuff late, as they can be doing pictures, desserts, faux exits and such. Just my take, but good advice all around.
I don't use any kind of lists, DJ'ing and playing the right tracks at the right time just cones with experience, if you do not get a ton of requests you are doing something right ! We are all different DJ's in our own style and microphone techniques working the room reading the crowd I guess
Hey DJs, get away from using the same crates and playlists. Just get their are play from track to track: you’ll enjoy it so much more. You’ll enjoy the forgotten gene that will pop into your mind at the right point.
If a Dj is doing through job right, they will notice the differences between 1 ev not to the next. But the problem is that DJs have gotten lazy and depend on crates way too much. You should see how some lose their minds when they get a DO NOT PLAY list of a dozen or 2 of their Go2 songs. You’d sweat that the bride has chopped off their nuts and taken away their manhood. DJs need to start looking at the vibe that the clients are trying to create. If a client wants to not hear the chicken dance, YMCA and the Cupid shuffle, we can take away the fact that line dances are off for the night.
Dance music hasn’t changed in the last 30 years . There’s way too much quantity from the likes of Juno download and Trax source and it’s all the same. I’ve been a D. J since 1977 when I was 15 and been with dance music all my life but seriously there needs to be a dance music revolution. Producers that aren’t afraid to be more experimental and talented in the song writing area.
What works for one DJ may not work for another. Remember every crowd/event is different. But there are few songs that usually get people going the Cupid Shuffle, Cotton Eyed Joe, Cha Cha Slide, Macarena, Electric Boogie, YMCA, and now Mambo Number 5 is making a comeback. I don’t play them consecutively I mix them in with other song. To finish you have to throw some songs out there that clear 80 to 90%% so the guest can take a break for a drink, remember the more they Drink the more they Dance!! Great Video @briansredd
This is great advice, I am just starting to get into the wedding DJ business after being the guy who would DJ at friends parties for 100 bucks. These videos are quite helpful!
There are more than 200 good songs, to be sure. I have been building a crate with the Top 200 list for almost 25 years. I keep track of the songs that fall off the list too. I have about 300 tracks that have come and gone. Most are still good dance tracks - and a bit of a surprise for young(er) audiences.
I have never gone wrong playing Top40 tracks from the years when the B&G were 15-25 years old. There is a LOT of good music in any decade. I certainly have my favorites…and I do tend to play those tracks if left to my own devices.
Great advice! It was great running into you at Marquee in the Blizzard Lighting Showroom.
Nice discussion Brian - one of the methods I use to be unique on the private party circuit is by playing selective remixes and mashups, sprinkling them in with original tracks.
Nailed it!!! Take a chance, and find some gems that are forgotten and throw them on and be amazed. Keep the energy up there and they will enjoy the dance. I love remixed music with a great beat that people have never heard that version. Great Work, Brian!!!
Your comment is absolutly correct. As a former mobile DJ , i loved throwing the long forgotten tunes of the past.Especially the AM gold of the seventies
I’ve cleared so many dance floors in the past haha but man if I didn’t drop that odd track I would never know.
I remember the school dance you did and packed the floor with “Shannon” by Henry Gross!
I have crate called "curve ball". It consist of many genres of generally remixes of bangers. I'll throw out a curve ball here and there and get a good crowd response.
It’s about timing more than anything. If you play music and genres in sets you’ll have success, you can’t bounce around and keep things happening on the dance floor
I've never considered what I play as a factor in separating myself from the pack since everyone has access to the same songs. I do mostly weddings, and the clients provide me with a playlist. Not much room for me to take risks & be musically creative.
I've got a great list this evening of some tracks I haven't played for so long, be refreshing to play different stuff tonight. 🙌🏼
Spot on Brian. Spoken from experience. Some of these younger Djs make it more about them rather than the client and the people in front of them.
Sure, in a club, be as risqué as you want, try things, new mixes & combo’s and yes at private events too ONCE you’ve given them their songs and hits early on. It means they know YOU know what you’re doing. 🙌
Great advice Brian
You always make sense, Brian! Great advice!
Great advice. I also think that beatmixing style has a lot to do with how your dance floors react and opens up more opportunities for those 'chance' songs you throw in. If I couldn't mix, I'd have to completely rethink how to be creative. Mixing samples, choruses, looping, slamming, beat drops, using stems, remixes, sound effects, so many things you can do to get creative. That's how I do it. It also allows me to save the best songs for later in the night. I have a lot of bride & grooms that request for me to play the good stuff late, as they can be doing pictures, desserts, faux exits and such. Just my take, but good advice all around.
lol me too. Mocking the open mouth thumbnails
I did a gig log on this topic but I think you articulated it better.
I don't use any kind of lists, DJ'ing and playing the right tracks at the right time just cones with experience, if you do not get a ton of requests you are doing something right !
We are all different DJ's in our own style and microphone techniques working the room reading the crowd I guess
Hey DJs, get away from using the same crates and playlists. Just get their are play from track to track: you’ll enjoy it so much more. You’ll enjoy the forgotten gene that will pop into your mind at the right point.
If a Dj is doing through job right, they will notice the differences between 1 ev not to the next. But the problem is that DJs have gotten lazy and depend on crates way too much.
You should see how some lose their minds when they get a DO NOT PLAY list of a dozen or 2 of their Go2 songs. You’d sweat that the bride has chopped off their nuts and taken away their manhood.
DJs need to start looking at the vibe that the clients are trying to create. If a client wants to not hear the chicken dance, YMCA and the Cupid shuffle, we can take away the fact that line dances are off for the night.
I like to make my own remixes but I don’t share or put them up anywhere it’s my work
Dance music hasn’t changed in the last 30 years . There’s way too much quantity from the likes of Juno download and Trax source and it’s all the same. I’ve been a D. J since 1977 when I was 15 and been with dance music all my life but seriously there needs to be a dance music revolution. Producers that aren’t afraid to be more experimental and talented in the song writing area.
All DJs ARE NOT playing the same 200 songs...but lazy, poser, bottom feeder hacks are!