No matter your mood – whether you prefer dancing, jiving or simply bobbing your head – this playlist has everything from an R&B singer with ramen-noodle haird rappers and Mariah Carey’s holiday classics that are guaranteed to get you into the Christmas spirit.
Mellow Latin tunes make excellent quickstep songs, even if they are on the slow side at 46 bars per minute. Music conversion apps may help speed things up a couple of bars.
Run DMC
At first it appeared Mimi’s infectious Christmas tune would fade into obscurity after its mid-1990s peak, but its cultural value has quickly grown over time. Today it serves as a reliable indicator that December has arrived; furthermore it helped inspire an ABBA revival and gave rise to Meghan Trainor’s fun alternative, “All I Want For Christmas Is You”, which will get your hips moving!
Louis Armstrong and the Commanders’ “Cool Yule” is an invigorating, jazz rendition of this timeless Christmas tune that will get your hips swinging along to it. We have seen various versions, from Justin Bieber to Buble remixing it; but our favorite rendition is by Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas combining Armstrong’s vocals with new wave elements in an unforgettable mix that keeps you dancing to its rhythm.
The original UK version of this uplifting and festive tune by the band starts off a bit slowly at 46 bars per minute, but you can quickly speed it up using an app such as Amazing Slow Downer without changing its character. We especially love how Alicia Keys uses the piano’s upper register for added height and space in this version!
Run DMC remains one of the premier dance music bands despite their tragic early deaths, and their track “Kids Who Don’t Like Santa” provides a hilarious piece of Christmas counterprogramming by one of rock’s premier acts. We love how its chorus moves seamlessly from melancholic balladry to an enormous wall of sound; that really adds some great dynamics!
Kelly Clarkson
After winning American Idol’s inaugural season in 2002, Kelly Clarkson has gone on to release 12 studio albums and earn several Grammy awards. She has appeared in two animated movies and published children’s books while hosting her own daytime talk show. Clarkson serves as coach on hit singing competition The Voice as well as producing her own special Christmas special; additionally her 2013 release Wrapped Up in Red featured chart-topper “Underneath the Tree,” while 2021 release When Christmas Comes Around featured duet with fellow former The Voice coach Ariana Grande on their 2021 release When Christmas Comes Around release which features popular duet with former The Voice coach Ariana Grande who herself previously served as coach on that competition!
Her new song Glow featuring Chris Stapleton is sure to get people moving! Kelly Clarkson’s vocals will undoubtedly get everyone on their feet. Recently she performed the track at a family celebration where she performed it alongside both of her mother and daughter – creating yet another heartwarming memory between Clarkson and her mother.
Clarkson has experienced unparalleled musical success as well as an extremely difficult divorce and her first pregnancy since becoming an icon. Born and raised in Burleson, Texas – with both parents being engineers while her mother managing multiple professions – Clarkson became a household name overnight when her music hit its stride.
Clarkson has always had an affinity for helping others and has dedicated much of her career to charity work, including supporting veterans and young women in entertainment. Additionally, she has served as spokesperson for Neutrogena and Covergirl products; additionally she has written two cookbooks as well as children’s books. Clarkson and husband Brandon Blackstock share two children.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Kelly Clarkson’s rendition of this timeless holiday tune provides a beautiful example of how to combine schmaltz with Spector-esque sass in a dance music Christmas playlist. The result is irresistibly playful!
Frankie Goes To Hollywood may be best-known for their 1984 hit singles, but their legacy also includes an impressive amount of album material. Their debut album proved both critically and commercially successful thanks to slick production and an aggressive marketing campaign – boasting sloganed T-shirts and homoerotic videos which helped define British pop culture at that time.
Frankie Knuckles drew influence from both hi-NRG and reggae music styles, but their style was entirely their own. Their members shared great chemistry and talent as an amazing team; designer Katharine Hamnett had also had an influence in shaping their look.
Trevor Horn first became aware of Two Tribes when they performed “Relax” and “Two Tribes” on TV’s The Tube, then signed them to his label ZTT and produced their first album. Horn is known for being an accomplished producer, working with many high-profile acts over his lengthy career.
Frankie featured a range of talented singers during their peak, such as Holly Johnson, Paul Rutherford, Peter Gill and Mark O’Toole. Members often donned different personas for various songs in order to keep listeners interested. Frankie were renowned for their unusual packaging – Paul Morley even created their signature form of Design Student Orgasm!
Frankie Goes To Hollywood initially enjoyed immense success; however, their star began to diminish by the time of their second album’s release in 1987 due to poor reception from Liverpool audiences. A subsequent fractious split occurred the following year before Frankie Goes To Hollywood reformed without Johnson in 2004 for some concerts before disbanding once more.
LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem made a successful comeback nearly 10 years after disbanding with their album America Dream in 2015. This marked their comeback to form, featuring their signature sound and James Murphy’s introspective lyrics as well as adding new elements like string sections for a more expansive feel in their music.
LCD Soundsystem’s most iconic song is undoubtedly “All My Friends,” an ode to Christmas in the city with hilarious, biting lyrics written by James Murphy that shows just how amazing their band could be – an essential listening for fans of LCD Soundsystem!
LCD’s rendition of “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” remains one of the band’s hallmark tracks, featuring festive imagery as well as deeper meaning thanks to lyrics that represent how much LCD cared about their fans and showed their affection during these difficult years.
LCD Soundsystem’s live performances continue to impress even though they reunited almost a year after this special, making this live rendition of their holiday anthem essential viewing. Fans should never miss the chance to witness these phenomenal artists perform it live for themselves!
Chris Rea
If you’re planning on hitting the dance floor this Christmas, it may be beneficial to opt for slower tempos. Jive is an excellent example, though there are other classic songs you could get your groove on to like Carrie Underwood’s “Favorite Time of Year”, with its 35bpm tempo that might suit you better; try using a magic app like Beatport to speed it up even more if need be!
Christmas songs don’t often get people dancing like crazy, but this infectious track from RuPaul’s festive album by is guaranteed to make you move your body like never before. Its catchy beat and mix of old-school hip hop elements is truly infectious; just listen to her rapping: “Hey sis it’s Christmas time/You can cross me off your list!” is surefire way to keep them moving along!
Lightfoot’s 1967 folk ballad “Christmas is for Lovers” remains hard to resist; its lyrics express our longing to be with those we care for during Christmastime. Immediately a huge success, its lyrics have inspired numerous Christmas films and TV shows alike.
Brenda Lee first recorded this festive party anthem when she was only thirteen years old in 1958 – it has remained popular worldwide ever since and returns to charts everywhere every December.
Even after suffering from a stroke in 2016, iconic crooner Michael Buble remains prolific, touring and creating music despite slurred speech and physical limitations. You can catch him this winter at London O2 Arena!