| Some of those over played wedding songs that | | | | |
| you love to hate, do have some trivial back | | | | Strangely enough, despite it's enormous |
| stories that may interest you. They may or | | | | international popularity, the song never |
| may not change your mind to add them to your | | | | cracked the Top 40 charts. Steps to the dance |
| wedding song list: | | | | can be found here. |
| | | | |
| The Chicken Dance: | | | | Da Butt: |
| | | | |
| This unique Polka is often considered an | | | | Sung and performed by E.U (Experience |
| Oktoberfest standard. Stories claim that the | | | | Unlimited) from the 1988 Spike Lee movie |
| song was written in the 50's by Swiss | | | | "School Daze". The song has it's own dance, |
| Accordion player Werner Thomas in Davos, | | | | which involves simply shaking your butt when |
| Switzerland while tending a flock of Ducks | | | | instructed by the lyrics. Spike Lee directed |
| and Geese. Originally entitled "Der | | | | the video for this, and even appeared in it, |
| Ententanz" (The Duck Dance), the tune crossed | | | | shaking his butt. |
| the Atlantic via traveling Polka bands and | | | | |
| became "The Chicken Dance". | | | | This is one of the biggest hits with the |
| | | | "go-go" sound - a fun mixture of dance, rap, |
| The dance was popularized in the United | | | | and funk. "Go-go" has been popular in the |
| States in 1981 during the Tulsa, Oklahoma, | | | | Washington, DC area since the '70's. |
| Oktoberfest by the Heilbronn Band from | | | | |
| Germany. They wanted to demonstrate the dance | | | | The Achy Breaky Heart: |
| in costume but there were no duck costumes | | | | |
| available anywhere near Tulsa. At a local | | | | Sung by Billy Ray Cyrus from Flatwoods, Ky, |
| television station, however, a chicken | | | | who bought a guitar at age 20, then played in |
| costume was available which was donated for | | | | local bands named Sly Dog and the Breeze. He |
| use at the festival. And that is how the | | | | spent 1984 to 1986 in Los Angeles, looking |
| "Chicken Dance" got its name. | | | | for a recording contract and supporting |
| | | | himself by selling cars. Next he lived in |
| There are many versions of the poultry theme | | | | Huntington, W.Va., and traveled regularly to |
| song also known as "Vogeltanz" (Dance Little | | | | Nashville in search of the elusive recording |
| Bird), "Dance de Canards" and "The Bird's | | | | deal. Finally, Cyrus was signed to Mercury |
| Dance". Steps to the dance can be found | | | | Records in 1990 |
| here. | | | | |
| | | | Although the song has an amusing title and |
| The Hokey Pokey: | | | | upscale rhythm, it tells a sad story: a |
| | | | couple are breaking up, and Cyrus asks that |
| The song is said to have originated in | | | | his heart be spared the pain because his |
| England as "the Okey Cokey" and popularized | | | | heart `might blow up and kill this man.' |
| by G.I's in England during World War 2. Bob | | | | This was a remake of a 1991 song by the |
| Degen of Lexington, KY owns a 1944 copyright | | | | Country act The Marcy Brothers, titled "Don't |
| of the song "The Hokey-Pokey Dance" but Larry | | | | Tell My Heart." |
| LaPrise, legend has it, "invented" the song | | | | |
| for ski crowd at a Sun Valley, Idaho resort | | | | In 1992 the "Achy Breaky Heart" spawned dance |
| in the 1940's and recorded it in 1949 with | | | | contests held in dance clubs across the |
| the Ram Trio. The rights were bought by Ray | | | | country.Steps to the dance can be found here. |
| Anthony who recorded it as the 'B' side to | | | | |
| "The Bunny Hop" in 1953. Larry LaPrise, died | | | | The Macarena: |
| April 13, 1996 in Boise, Idaho, at the age of | | | | |
| 83. Steps to the dance can be found here. | | | | "Macarena" is a song by Los del Rio (Rafael |
| | | | Ruiz and Romero Monge) about a woman of the |
| The Time Warp: | | | | same name. Diana Patricia, the Venezuelan |
| | | | flamenco dancer inspired the song. It was |
| "The Time Warp" is without a doubt the most | | | | originally released in 1993, as a new |
| popular song from The Rocky Horror Picture | | | | flamenco rumba pop fusion theme with Spanish |
| Show movie released in 1975 and starring Tim | | | | lyrics, with a significant success in Spain. |
| Curry & Susan Sarandon. The original 1973 | | | | "La Macarena" is one of 8 sections (known as |
| London Theater Company production written by | | | | "quarters") of Seville, Spain. That's where |
| Richard O'Brien was only meant to run for 6 | | | | they got the name. The song originally had no |
| weeks. | | | | dance. |
| | | | |
| The movie musical was a flop but went onto | | | | After being remixed by the Bayside Boys and |
| cult status when on April 1st, 1976, it was | | | | having English lyrics added, it became a |
| played at the Waverly theatre at midnight. It | | | | worldwide summer hit in 1996. The single |
| was a success, and rapidly developed a large | | | | spent 14 weeks at number 1 on the U.S. |
| following. The regulars started dressing up | | | | Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. |
| as characters from the movie and even started | | | | |
| yelling things back at the screen. This | | | | In the original version, Macarena (which |
| escalated to the audience participation we | | | | means "Mother of God.") is upset because her |
| have today. | | | | boyfriend, Vitorino, has joined the army. She |
| | | | retaliates by going out on the town and |
| The song is played on the radio, at clubs, at | | | | carousing with other men. In the Bayside Boys |
| school dances, and even by marching bands. | | | | mix, Macarena gets mad at her boyfriend and |
| People who have never seen the movie often | | | | goes out to shake it while he's out of town. |
| know how to do The Time Warp. Steps to the | | | | |
| dance can be found here. | | | | During its heyday, it was played incessantly |
| | | | at professional athletic games, rallies, the |
| The YMCA: | | | | United States Democratic Party's National |
| | | | Convention, and other places. The Israeli |
| The Village People was created in 1977 by | | | | national radio station "Galatz", chose "The |
| French record producer and composer, Jacques | | | | Macarena" as the worst song of the 1990s. As |
| Morali. The group was named after New Yorks | | | | for the dance credit can be assigned to Mia |
| gay district in Greenwich Village. It is | | | | Frye, the choreographer of "The Macarena" |
| believed that the group was designed to | | | | video. Steps to the dance can be found |
| attract gay audiences while parodying some of | | | | here: |
| the stereotypes found in the gay community. | | | | |
| As everyone knows by now, the group was made | | | | The Cha Cha Slide: |
| up of "macho men," including a cop, a | | | | |
| construction worker, a cowboy, a biker, a | | | | DJ Casper - Cha Cha Slide sometimes called |
| Native American and a soldier. | | | | "The Casper Slide" The Cha Cha Slide is a |
| | | | dance created by Chicago's Willie Perry (DJ |
| The Song "YMCA" was released in 1978 and | | | | Casper, aka Mr. C). It is an update of the |
| reached number 2 on the Billboard Top 40 | | | | Electric Slide, and includes DJ Casper's |
| Charts. Y.M.C.A. stands for "Young Men's | | | | called-out instructions. The rhythm of the |
| Christian Association," which is commonly | | | | Cha-Cha Slide is based on an obscure 1993 |
| associated with the gyms that often provide | | | | dance/club song "Plastic Dreams" by Jaydee |
| temporary housing to men. | | | | (aka Robin Albers). |
| | | | |
| Originally considered an anthem for the gay | | | | DJ Casper developed the Cha Cha Slide in 1996 |
| community, the song has long been popular | | | | for Bally Total Fitness; it became a hit with |
| with people from all walks of life. Its | | | | gym members, and the dance's popularity |
| become the most frequently performed song at | | | | prompted Chicago's WGCI radio station to |
| sporting events in the U.S. with everyone | | | | approach Mr. C to record a song to showcase |
| singing and dancing using the well-known arm | | | | the dance The Cha-Cha Slide in 2000. The |
| movements that spell out the letters Y-M-C-A. | | | | following year, the song and dance caught on |
| | | | around the USA. Steps to the dance can be |
| The Electric Slide: | | | | found here. |
| | | | |
| The Electric Boogie was recorded by Marcia | | | | If you don't like these selections please |
| Griffiths and produced by Bunny Wailer in | | | | advise your DJ entertainer to remove them |
| 1982. Griffiths was one of Bob Marleys backup | | | | from your event playlist. If you like these |
| singers, the iThree's, for nearly a decade, | | | | songs and would like to learn these dances, |
| and Bunny Wailer was a Wailer. | | | | please feel free to contact you DJ |
| | | | entertainer for step-by-step instructions at |
| In 1989, the song exploded into popularity. | | | | your next event. |
| Numerous re-recordings and re-packagings | | | | |
| ensued and The Electric Slide emerged as a | | | | Rob has been a professional mobile DJ since |
| Washington, D.C. and Virginian dance craze | | | | 1983, performing at hundreds of events each |
| which quickly infected the rest of the | | | | year including weddings, corporate events and |
| country. | | | | school functions. |