Franz Ferdinand’s toe tapper will get even the most reluctant dancer up on their feet! With its catchy hooks and infectious groove, it will bring any crowd alive with dancing joy.
Anyone who grew up during the 90s will recognize this video instantly, with its simple but iconic choreography and hilarious horror parody making it an instant classic.
1. Everybody Everybody by Black Box
At the turn of the millennium and into the 1990s, dance music enjoyed an exciting renaissance. Cameo returned, Nintendo launched Game Boy, and dance music gained mainstream exposure thanks to hits like Black Box’s “Ride On Time”. Their debut album Dreamland premiered with two top-10 singles – including its title track which reached number eight on Billboard Hot 100 while simultaneously topping Dance Club Songs chart for 19 weeks – making this period in dance music history truly groundbreaking.
Martha Wash, an accomplished soul singer known for her tenure with Weather Girls, provided this song’s seductive vocals. She was hired to record demos for three Italian house producers (Daniele Davoli, Valerio Semplici and Mirko Limoni) who were showing them to other singers; they agreed to pay her a flat fee per demo recorded; songwriting duties would then be shared among all involved parties.
Black Box then took an underhanded approach that mirrored Milli Vanilli, keeping Quinol’s demo recordings without crediting her and releasing them as new singles and albums with her uncredited. Additionally, their accompanying single video featured footage of Quinol squatting in an undergarment while lip-synching to Wash’s powerful lunged vocal runs.
Black Box Records and its other labels (such as C+C Music Factory), which included another house hitmaker C+C Music Factory), were sued, leading Congress to pass legislation mandating vocal credit on records and videos. Yet despite these thorny beginnings, “Everybody Everybody” became an international dance crossover classic that has made appearances on Family Guy, The People V. O.J Simpson: American Crime Story and Master of None TV series as well as in commercials by Downy for instance.
2. Everybody by Leslie Feist
Feist’s voice has earned her comparisons with Ella Fitzgerald or Norah Jones; her full and soothing range enables her to turn melodies into something mesmerizing. While her first three albums sold well and earned Juno awards, 2007’s The Reminder truly catapulted her career onto an upward path: it became a massive international success that earned a Grammy nomination and soundtracked what is still one of the most famous iPod commercials ever.
Feist first began singing as a young girl growing up in Amherst, New Brunswick. Her brother gave her small cassette recorders which enabled her to record stream-of-consciousness melodies into. Soon enough her father encouraged her to form a choir when she entered elementary school.
She settled into Calgary and then Toronto, trying out various music groups until finally finding her voice with Broken Social Scene – an award-winning, sprawling Toronto collective that allowed her to explore all facets of playing music. At once comfortable blending into its group dynamic and shining bright solo performances alike – this is how she found herself playing Broken Social Scene: as an integral member.
Feist stands out among her peers with her ability to explore new sonic avenues. On Multitudes, Feist recorded in Northern California using a nylon string guitar and digital eight-track recorder to craft layers of harmony with “that ASMR amount of proximity”. The result is an intimate album that puts Feist back in the spotlight.
3. The Closer I Get To You by Luther Vandross
This classic funk hit may be older than you are, but it still packs a punch. With laser stabs, handclaps and quick cymbal beats it’s easy to dance the night away! Not to mention its all-white cast of beautiful women. Director Roman Pope shot it all throughout British countryside including Medival dancers, Punch & Judy sideshow and maypole (another way Devo distinguish themselves from pointy-shoe New Wave peers).
‘I don’t dance’ friends will be sure to respond positively to this power-pop lame-up from Franz Ferdinand. With its stomping drumbeats and angular guitars that give it postpunk roots while maintaining its pop sensibilities. This tune won’t fail to win anyone over!
4. Only Wanna Dance by The Backstreet Boys
The Backstreet Boys were one of the most prolific boy bands of the 1990s, producing chart-topping songs and iconic dance moves while performing concerts, music videos, merchandise sales, and marketing efforts that reached preteens and teenagers who may not have realized some lyrics were sexual in nature or that this band wasn’t simply another typical wholesome boy group.
Backstreet Boys were at their peak when they released Millennium. Not only was the song an immense success, but its accompanying video also propelled them into global stardom that, at least for a time, had no equal.
I Want It That Way was the first single to feature an engaging dance sequence, but it wasn’t intended as a full-fledged music video. Instead, its intention was simply to highlight their dancing abilities and athleticism; as a result, its message has remained timeless, instantly recognisable, and has even inspired parodies throughout its existence.
I Want It That Way is an exquisite production, which showcases both the group’s harmonies and strength of group vocals with subtly shifting mixing levels ensuring no single member can ever dominate – with particularly noteworthy transitions between AJ and Brian in the second chorus.
Backstreet Boys recently kicked off their DNA World Tour with four shows in Las Vegas and AJ McLean told PEOPLE it felt like it was their debut performance of their brand new show. Additionally, The Backstreet Boys will also be performing dates in Europe; you can stay informed of any upcoming tour dates here.
5. She Can Dance by Sia
Maddie Ziegler responded immediately when Sia invited her to dance in her Chandelier music video and has since featured in two additional Sia videos, Big Girls Cry and Cheap Thrills, although Dance Moms is no longer part of her life. Maddie’s work with this electropop singer continues even after leaving Dance Moms behind.
Daniel Askill’s music video for this song takes place in a dystopian future where homeless children inhabit an isolated building until Ziegler comes along and rallies them up against oppression to rise up for freedom. It features impressive artistic movement both awe-inspiring and creepy alike.
Sia and Ryan Heffington share an affinity for pushing boundaries. Heffington created an intricate dance for Sia’s viral Chandelier video, drawing inspiration from downtown New York’s Yvonne Rainer (postmodern movement with pedestrian movements) and Darcel Leonard Wynne (Solid Gold dancer who became an international star). Their aesthetic would feel right at home in any modern dance class setting.
Heffington has made it his mission to elevate dance for young women. He’s created videos to foster female empowerment, such as Lizzo’s “Blow Out Your Candle,” in which she encourages her classmates to embrace themselves through movement. Additionally, Heffington produced “Motivation,” featuring Missy Elliott’s electrifying acrobatic performance at last month’s MTV VMAs.