10 Fav Rockin' Dance Songs

You better just push that chair away because you'll want to get on your feet and DANCE to some of the best songs in the Land of 1000 Dances. So turn on your speakers, kick off your shoes and get ready to Roll With It because you're gonna Feel Like Dancing.

These are our 10 favorite rockin' dance tunes. The ones that make us want to Hustle to go Dancing in the Streets and Celebrate with My Girl while we Have the Time of My Life. If you're a Senior Squid, never fear because we know that you and I Will Survive because That's the Way (you and) I Like It. Are You Ready to Rock?

We'll start our dance with three dynamite songs from the 1980s. The first one is to remember the great dancer and actor that we just lost, Patrick Swayze. Who could ever forget the last song in the movie, Dirty Dancing? How many of us imagined being in Jennifer Gray's place in that scene?

You'll probably want to sing along to this one, too, so here are the lyrics to help us seniors along.

Boy: Now I've had the time of my life

No I never felt like this before

Yes I swear it's the truth

and I owe it all to you

Girl: 'Cause I've had the time of my life

and I owe it all to you

Boy: I've been waiting for so long

Now I've finally found someone

To stand by me

Girl: We saw the writing on the wall

As we felt this magical fantasy

Both: Now with passion in our eyes

There's no way we could disguise it secretly

So we take each other's hand

'Cause we seem to understand the urgency

Boy: just remember

Girl: You're the one thing

Boy: I can't get enough of

Girl: So I'll tell you something

Both:This could be love because

(CHORUS)

Both: I've had the time of my life

No I never felt this way before

Yes I swear it's the truth

And I owe it all to you

'Cause I've had the time of my life

And I've searched through every open door

'Til I found the truth

And I owe it all to you

Girl: With my body and soul

I want you more than you'll ever know

Boy: So we'll just let it go

Don't be afraid to lose control

Girl: Yes I know what's on your mind

When you say:

"Stay with me tonight."

Boy: Just remember

You're the one thing

Girl: I can't get enough of

Boy: So I'll tell you something

Both: This could be love because

(CHORUS)

Both: 'Cause I had the time of my life

No I've never felt this way before

Yes I swear it's the truth

And I owe it all to you

'Cause I've had the time of my life

And I've searched through every open door

Till I found the truth

and I owe it all to you

*Instrumental*

Boy: Now I've had the time of my life

No I never felt this way before

(Girl: Never Felt this way)

Boy: Yes I swear it's the truth

and I owe it all to you

Both: 'Cause I had the time of my life

And I've searched through every open door

Till I've found the truth

and I owe it all to you

Both: "cause I've had the time of my life

No I've never felt this way before

Yes I swear it's the truth

And I owe it all to you

Roll With It came out the next year and takes Dirty Dancing to the next level. It really makes you want to move and shake the night away.

Roll With It Album and first track hit #1 on both charts in the summer of 1988. Steve Winwood began his solo career in 1977. In addition to his solo career, he was a member of the bands the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, Blind Faith, and Go. Recently he and Eric Clapton performed at Madison Square Gardens.

Celebration reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in February of 1981 and the song dominated the radio for nearly the entire year, becoming an almost worldwide hit. We still love it today and it's the anthem for various sporting events and other celebrations.

You'll have to view this one in YouTube, so be sure to get it started, then come back to enjoy the rest of the music.

Rockin' Dance Music of the '70's

In 1977, English born, Leo Sayer had a number one hit in the U. S. with "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing", which also won a Grammy Award for the year's best Rhythm and Blues Song.

I Will Survive was all over the airwaves in 1979, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100, also reaching number one in the UK the next day. It was Gaynor's biggest hit and is probably the most famous of all the disco songs. It's funny that it was first released on the B side of a 45, but as its popularity increased, it was soon moved to the A side.

The song, "The Hustle" was created by Van McCoy to go along with the "couples" dancing that was making a comeback in the disco clubs during the 1970s. It reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot Soul Singles chart during the summer of 1975.

The first vid shows the dancers that Van McCoy used when he introduced his new song. The second vid shows you How to do all the steps of the Hustle. Both have that great music, but with the "How to", you can dance along.

That's the Way I Like It was considered very risque when it was published, but soon became one of the most popular songs of the disco era. It was K C & the Sunshine Band's second number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100, and is one of the few chart-toppers in history to hit number one on more than one occasion during a one month period.

1960's Rhythm & Blues

Land of a Thousand Dances was first recorded by Chris Kenner in 1962. Kenner's version had 16 dances including: the Pony, the Chicken, the Mashed Potato, the Alligator, the Watusi, the Twist, the Fly, the Jerk, the Tango, the Yo-Yo, the Sweet Pea, the Hand jive, the Slop, the Bop, the Fish and the Popeye.

In 1965, Cannibal & the Headhunters recorded their version. The "na na na na na" verses were added by Cannibal, when he forgot the lyrics of the song.

Wilson Pickett recorded the best-known version of the song in 1966 on his album, The Exciting Wilson Pickett. This was his third Rhythm and Blues #1 and his biggest pop hit.

Wilson Pickett's version goes like this:

1-2-3

1-2-3

Ow! Uh! Alright! Uh!

Got to know how to pony

Like Bony Maronie

Mash potato, do the alligator

Put your hand on your hips, yeah

Let your backbone slip

Do the Watusi

Like my little Lucy

Hey! Uh!

Na na-na-na-na na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na na-na-na-na

I need somebody to help me say it one time

(Na na-na-na-na na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na na-na-na-na)

Wo--ow!

[Saxophone solo]

Wow! Uh! You know I feel alright! Huh! I feel pretty good y'all

Uh! Huh!

Na na-na-na-na na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na na-na-na-na

Come on y'all, let's say it one more time

(Na na-na-na-na na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na na-na-na-na)

Ooow!

Playing, it is a habit

With long tall Sally

Twistin' with Lucy

Doin' the Watusi

Roll over on your back

I like it like that

Do that Jerk-uh

Watch me work y'all

Ow! Do it!

Wow! Do it!

Just watch me do it

Aah help me

Aah help me

Aah help me

Aah help me

Here are two of the versions. The one by Cannibal & the Headhunters and by Wilson Pickett.

Dancing in the Street was produced by William "Mickey" Stevenson and written by Stevenson and Marvin Gaye. It was one of Martha Reeves and the Vandellas first songs released after coming to Mowtown. Being a "party song" it was considered a precursor of disco. Many young black demonstrators used it as a Civil rights anthem and it received some negative connotations and was pulled by some radio stations during the time of the Chicago riots. "Dancing in the Street" peaked at number two on the U.S. Billboard Pop Singles chart when it was originally released in 1964, as the group's third album first single.

Now for a slower one, so we can catch our breath. If you like to Cha Cha, then My Girl is the perfect song for you.

"My Girl" is a 1964 song recorded by The Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label which became a number one hit in 1965. Written and produced by The Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Ronald White, the song became the Temptations' first U.S. number-one single, and is today their signature song. Robinson's inspiration for writing this song was his wife, Miracles member Claudette Rogers Robinson. The song was featured on the Temptations album The Temptations Sing Smokey.

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