After vows have been exchanged and the ceremony has been completed, it’s time to get to what lots of guests are most excited about: food, drinks, and, of course, dancing! Whether you’re hiring a pro to handle the music at your reception or you’re deputizing DJ Spotify for the job, you’ll definitely want to consider the vibe you want. We did some research on wedding reception music to give you some ideas of which songs tend to the most loved and which are the most hated. Keep reading for the most popular and least popular wedding reception music selections.
Most Popular Wedding Reception Music
From classics that have been reception mainstays for decades to new releases that have skyrocketed in popularity over a short period of time, here are some of the most popular wedding reception songs. This information is a mix of data provided by Spotify, as well as survey data collected from professional DJs. Here are 30 popular wedding reception songs for you to consider adding to your playlist.
- “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars
- “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift
- “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon
- “Can’t Stop the Feeling” by Justin Timberlake
- “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” by Whitney Houston
- “September” by Earth, Wind, and Fire
- “Yeah” by Usher feat. Lil Jon and Ludacris
- “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey
- “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” by Michael Jackson
- “Shout Part 1” by the Isley Brothers
- “Cupid Shuffle” by Cupid
- “Hey Ya!” by OutKast
- “Wobble” by V.I.C.
- “Cake” by the Ocean by DNCE
- “Happy” by Pharrell Williams
- “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran
- “Hypnotize” by The Notorious B.I.G.
- “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5
- “I Gotta Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas
- “You Make My Dreams” by Hall & Oates
- “Marry You” by Bruno Mars
- “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran
- “All of Me” by John Legend
- “My Girl” by The Temptations
- “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri
- “Marry Me” by Train
- “Better Together” by Jack Johnson
- “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz
- “Crazy in Love” by Beyonce and Jay-Z
- “At Last” by Etta James
Least Popular Wedding Reception Music
You may be familiar with the concept of a “Do Not Play List,” or any songs that a couple definitely doesn’t want to hear on their special day. FiveThirtyEight surveyed professional DJs to determine which songs are most frequently given the axe by couples. Listed below are 20 of these songs that are commonly banned from wedding receptions. It’s especially interesting to note the love/hate relationship with some of these tunes, like “Cupid Shuffle,” which appears on both the popular and the frequently “banned” lists.
- “Chicken Dance”
- “Cha-Cha Slide” by DJ Casper
- “Macarena” by Los Del Rio
- “Cupid Shuffle” by Cupid
- “YMCA “ by Village People
- “Electric Boogie (Electric Slide)” by Marcia Griffiths
- “Hokey Pokey”
- “Wobble” by V.I.C.
- “Happy “ by Pharrell Williams
- “Shout” by Isley Brothers
Whatever songs you decide to add or ban from your playlist, be sure to shop our large selection of unique wedding reception favors and decorations to make it an occasion to remember for you and all of your beloved guests.