A good song never dies

Modern couples love vintage songs. The Knot said Elvis Presley’s 1961 hit, “Can’t Help Falling in Love” was the most popular wedding song of 2023, knocking off Ed Sheeren’s “Perfect” which had been number one for 7 consecutive years. But now another online wedding search tool, Breezit, says “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” is the top song by a different metric.

“I Wanna Dance With Somebody” (above) is the late, great Whitney Houston’s #1 hit song from 1987. Songwriting credits go to George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam.

Ms. Houston exploded onto the music scene in 1985 with such force, that she became the only artist to produce 7 consecutive #1 hit singles since 1988. Impressive. Dig that hair style!

“I Wanna Dance With Somebody” features that distinct 80s sound that some love … and some loathe. That’s music! The thing is, Whitney Houston’s voice is sooo good, that it rises above the quirky arrangements of any era. That’s why Rolling Stone Magazine ranked her as one of the greatest voices of all time. That’s why her nickname was simply “The Voice.”

So how did Breezit come up with Whitney’s song as the #1 dance song at weddings? They parsed 2000 Spotify playlists identified as ‘wedding-themed.’ Then they looked at which of the 50,000 total songs on all of these lists was played the most. The winner: “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” which showed up on 24% of these playlists.

“Dancing Queen”

Number two was the Abba 1976 classic, “Dancing Queen,” which showed up on 20% of the playlists. Another timeless song!

Good songs are written today, just as they were yesteryear. Columbus Pro DJs plays the songs you love, whatever the era, on high-end equipment that saturates the dance floor with beautiful music without overwhelming conversation. Looking for wedding entertainment professionals? You’ve found us! Check us out.