Here is our top 40 dance song list that is guaranteed to get you up on the dance floor: from Franz Ferdinand’s first hit and Rod Stewart’s funk anthems, these top 40 hits are sure to get your body moving!
No early 2000s song can top this lavish rendition by Gwen Stefani and her falsetto voice with its seductive falsetto notes and retro synth groove.
Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand was an Archduke (similar to a prince) and, from 1896 until his assassination by Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, next in line to become Emperor of Austria-Hungary. This event precipitated World War One.
Franz was an ambitious man with ambitious plans for his empire. His goal was to establish 16 member states each with its own government; additionally he wanted to give ethnic Slavs more influence within it.
However, like all royalty he was often considered proud and stubborn with an unpredictable temper – traits which frustrated both his father and uncle as well as straining his relationship with Sophie, who eventually divorced him.
Franz Ferdinand and his wife were murdered by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb from Sarajevo. A bomb thrown by Nedeljko Cabrinovic bounced off their open convertible car before exploding near them instead of killing both of them instantly.
Princip’s second attempt proved more successful. While waiting for Franz Ferdinand and Sophie to arrive at Town Hall, Princip jumped from his hiding place, aimed and fired two shots that instantly killed both Franz and Sophie – marking the beginning of World War 1. For more information or activities related to Franz Ferdinand please see his fact file and download his full 11 page study pack (both linked below).
Frankie Knuckles
Frankie Knuckles, who passed away after an extended illness aged 59 on Tuesday night after years of struggle, is widely revered as one of the pioneers of house music – an electronic dance genre born out of Chicago in the 1980s – as well as having helped revamp many songs by Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston artists such as Rework.
Knuckles was trained alongside future Paradise Garage resident DJ Larry Levan at Continental Baths during the 70s. When Levan declined an opportunity to work at Warehouse Club Chicago, he took over his post and quickly transformed it into an iconic music venue that quickly became a hot ticket ticket in town.
Knuckles’ insistent drum machine pulses and cover versions of classic disco tracks helped define early Chicago house music, an influence many young local producers began adopting into their studios by 1985.
After 10 years of DJing clubs, Knuckles began producing his own tracks as well as remixing existing ones. His first attempt at production came when he released a bootleg edit of First Choice’s Let No Man Put Asunder as a bootleg edit that proved immensely popular among DJs – leading them to create what would later become known as House. Subsequently he went on to collaborate with local Chicago vocalists in creating hits such as Baby Wants to Ride and Your Love that were equally successful with audiences worldwide.
Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson is one of the most revered musicians in pop history. Though she initially languished under her brother Michael’s shadow, when she began recording solo albums beginning in 1982 she surprised everyone in the industry by becoming a superstar worldwide. While her first and second albums “Janet Jackson” did relatively poorly on charts; her third release “Control” reached number one and became an international superstar.
In the early ’90s, Janet transformed into an independent figure by teaming with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis on two albums entitled “Control” and “Rhythm Nation 1814,” both selling over one million copies each. Both albums abandoned synthesized funk in favor of warm grooves; Jackson took credit for all lyrics written by these producers.
Jackson then made her big break through Eddie Murphy comedy “Nutty Professor II”, before landing her first lead movie role opposite Tupac Shakur in Poetic Justice, co-starring Tupac Shakur. Unfortunately, Jackson’s career took an unexpected detour when Justin Timberlake tore off her clothing at the Superbowl halftime show to expose her breast in front of a national television audience – leading to new rules regarding explicit content on television and radio stations – however soon afterwards Jackson rebounded with her next album release and first world tour since 2004!
Major Lazer
Major Lazer has quickly become an international musical phenomenon since their formation in 2009. Their music fuses reggae and electronic dance music, taking inspiration from different cultures around the globe to produce hit singles and albums that top charts worldwide.
Major Lazer remains one of the most influential dance music artists of all time, as his genre-bending sounds continue to inspire new generations of listeners. This can be seen in their critically-acclaimed album Peace Is The Mission which broke the record for most-streamed song on Spotify.
Though their first two albums showcased their freeform sound, ‘Peace Is The Mission’ achieved the delicate balance between radio-ready pop and dancefloor authenticity. Led by international hit ‘Lean On,’ this album led to high-profile collaborations with mainstream artists like Ellie Goulding and Ariana Grande.
Major Lazer may be best known for Diplo, but their roster is truly diverse. From Jamaican producer Walshy Fire and Trinidadian singer Jillionaire – to Trinidadian producer RJ and Venezuelan singer Vj. This multicultural team’s diverse perspective has enabled Major Lazer to bridge dancehall and hip-hop genres with an essential blend of global bass, baile funk and electro music.
Real McCoy
Real McCoy made a lasting impactful mark on early 90s clubs and radio, permanently embedded into your hippocampus along with other iconic pump-up tracks of that era. Although its lineup varied before reaching worldwide success, Olaf Jeglitza remained as their constant presence.
Initially formed in 1989 and enjoying initial success with their debut album Space Invaders in Germany, when their song Another Night reached #1 on Canada’s dance/urban chart Clive Davis of Arista Records took notice and expressed his interest.
While they would go on to release many more hits – from upbeat anthem Operator and Sleeping with an Angel to emotional ballad Sleeping with an Angel – Run Away was their breakout hit that put them on the international scene. Pulsing beats, captivating synth hooks, and lively exchange of male/female vocals turned this song into an instant classic.
The Real McCoy continued releasing hits throughout the ’90s, though their commercial and critical success couldn’t match that of their initial releases. By late ’90s, however, the group disbanded; although Jeglitza and original studio vocalist Karin Kasar later reunited to perform at festival circuit performances (in 2016 performing as Jeglitza and Karin Kasar respectively). (Its precise origin remains unknown but may refer to Elijah McCoy who invented an oiler to lubricate locomotive wheels). (Elijah McCoy may refer to an engineer named Elijah McCoy who invented an oiler machine in 1844).
Village People
The Village People quickly rose to become one of disco’s premier boy bands thanks to their suggestive lyrics and foot-tapping rhythms, but their most iconic hit remains 1978’s Y.M.C.A, an anthem for men’s cruiseys that continues to leave gay audiences cheering with its coded sexual references.
Although “YMCA” stands for Young Men’s Christian Association, most gay people understand its meaning to refer to gyms where men meet in private to engage in sexual acts – thus becoming a classic gay anthem during the 1970s even if most straight people were unaware of its existence.
Village People was popular due to its campy characters: a police officer, admiral, construction worker, cowboy and Native American. These cartoonish versions reflected those who would frequent gay bars during disco’s glory days.
Macho Man was The Village People’s follow-up album to Cruisin, and both did extremely well on charts and in clubs. But 1981’s Renaissance saw them trying to break free of their 1970s image to reach mainstream audiences more successfully; to varying degrees this worked; three more albums would follow before disbandment (lead singer Victor Willis eventually recorded solo material and struggled with substance abuse issues). Additionally, Renaissance marked an aesthetic shift as its cover art featured vintage gay pornographic images while members donned black leather clothes and makeup for performances at venues.