Building A Repertoire
SONGS THAT WORK
These songs are jumping off points for you to create your own.
Try swapping in an out songs from the same artist, and song with the same feel.
All of these songs work and are “battle-tested” and have been found to work with most crowds. The most important thing to remember is that playing to a bar-crowd or wedding crowd is no time to try to impress people with your musical depth.
Remember that slow dances are essential for weddings and private events, but for clubs, keep the tempo up.
MODERN POP/DANCE
Adventure of a Lifetime - Coldplay
Ain't It Fun - Paramore
All About That Bass - Meghan Trainor
Blurred Lines - Robin Thicke
Call Me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen
California Girls - Katy Perry
Can't Stop The Feeling - Justin Timberlake
Counting Stars - OneRepublic
Dear Future Husband - Meghan Trainor
Don't - Ed Sheeran
Everybody Talks - Neon Trees
Exes & Ohs - Elle King
Forget You - CeeLo Green
Get Lucky - Daft Punk
Just The Way You Are - Bruno Mars
Lips Are Movin' - Meghan Trainor
Locked Out Of Heaven - Bruno Mars
Love Yourself - Justin Bieber
Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5
Part Of Me - Katy Perry
Raise Your Glass - Pink
Rehab - Amy Winehouse
Rolling In The Deep - Adele
Shake It Off - Taylor Swift
Sugar - Maroon 5
Shut Up & Dance - Walk The Moon
Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran
Treasure - Bruno Mars
Uptown Funk - Bruno Mars
Umbrella - Rihanna
Want To Want Me - Jason DeRulo
MODERN ROCK/90's
3 AM - Matchbox 20
All Summer Long - Kid Rock
Fly - Sugar Ray
Hard To Handle - The Black Crowes
Harder To Breathe - Maroon 5
Hey Jealousy - Gin Blossoms
I'm The Only One - Melissa Etheridge
Jealous Again - The Black Crowes
Kryptonite - 3 Doors Down
Laid - James
Love Song - 311
My Own Worst Enemy - Lit
Possum Kingdom - Toadies
Santeria - Sublime
Sex On Fire - Kings of Leon
Shipping Up To Boston - Dropkick Murphys
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
What I Got - Sublime
Wonderwall - Oasis
You Oughta Know - Alanis Morrissette
80's
500 Miles - The Proclaimers
867-5309 (Jenny, Jenny) - Tommy Tutone
Blister In The Sun - Violent Femmes
Dancing In The Dark - Bruce Springsteen
Don't Stop Believing - Journey
Every Rose Has It's Thorn - Poison
Footloose - Kenny Loggins
Glory Days - Bruce Springsteen
Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Pat Benatar
Hurt So Good - John Mellencamp
Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield
Like A Prayer - Madonna
Love Shack - B52's
My Sharona - The Knack
Patience - Guns N Roses
Separate Ways - Journey
Sharp Dressed Man – ZZ Top
Summer of 69 - Bryan Adams
Take Me Home Tonight - Eddie Money
Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper
Walkin' On Sunshine - Katrina & The Waves
Your Love - The Outfield
You May Be Right - Billy Joel
You Shook Me (All Night Long) - AC/DC
70's
American Girl - Tom Petty
American Pie - Don McLean
Bad Case of Lovin' You - Robert Palmer
Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin
Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen
Can't You See - The Marshall Tucker Band
December 1963 (Oh What A Night) - Four Seasons
Fat Bottomed Girls - Queen
Feel Like Makin' Love - Bad Company
I Want You To Want Me - Cheap Trick
I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
The Joker - Steve Miller Band
La Grange - ZZTop
Long Train Runnin' - The Doobie Brothers
Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry
Roadhouse Blues - The Doors
Rosalita - Bruce Springsteen
Some Kind of Wonderful - Grand Funk Railroad
Simple Man - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Sweet Emotion - Aerosmith
Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Sweet Melissa - The Allman Brothers
Superstition - Stevie Wonder
Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton
Walk This Way - Aerosmith
COUNTRY
Automatic - Miranda Lambert
Ain't Goin' Down (Til The Sun Comes Up) - Garth Brooks
Chicken Fried - Zac Brown Band
Country Girl (Shake It For Me) - Luke Bryan
Cruise - Florida Georgia Line
Folsum Prison Blues - Johnny Cash
Gunpowder & Lead - Miranda Lambert
Highway Don't Care - Tim McGraw
Keep Your Hands To Yourself - Georgia Satellites
My Kinda Night - Luke Bryan
Need You Now - Lady Antebellum
Pride & Joy - Stevie Ray Vaughan
Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy) - Big & Rich
Something Like That - Tim McGraw
She's Country - Jason Aldean
She's Every Woman - Garth Brooks
Wagon Wheel - Darius Rucker
We Own The Night - Lady Antebellum
You & Tequila - Kenny Chesney
HARD ROCK/HAIR METAL
Ain't Talkin' Bout Love - Van Halen
Crazy Bitch - Buckcherry
Enter Sandman - Metallica
Livin' On A Prayer - Bon Jovi
Nothin' But A Good Time - Poison
Pour Some Sugar On Me - Def Leppard
Sweet Child of Mine - Guns N Roses
Talk Dirty To Me - Poison
Wanted Dead or Alive - Bon Jovi
Welcome To The Jungle - Guns N Roses
You Give Love (A Bad Name) - Bon Jovi
CLASSIC ROCK/OLDIES
At Last - Etta James
Blue Suede Shoes - Elvis Presley
Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
Can't Get Next To You - The Temptations
Come Together - The Beatles
Crazy Love - Van Morrison
Don't Let Me Down - The Beatles
Get Back - The Beatles
Hard Days Night - The Beatles
Honky Tonk Woman - Rolling Stones
Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry
Mony, Mony - Tommy James
My Girl - The Temptations
Son of A Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield
Shout - Isley Brothers
Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond
That's Alright Mama - Elvis Presley
Twist & Shout - The Beatles
You Can't Always Get What You Want - Rolling Stones
You Really Got Me - The Kinks