When speaking with Brides and Grooms while helping coordinate and plan their weddings, the professional Wedding DJ knows a good fun wedding in advance. The professional Wedding DJ will see certain songs on the Bride and Groom’s playlist that clue the Wedding DJ that it will be a fun wedding. Of course there are the ones that are obvious like Prince “Kiss”, Michael Jackson “Wanna Be Startin’ Something”, Beatles and Rolling Stones classics, a host of Motown party songs, B-52s, Barry White, Cyndi Lauper, Bob Marley and some recent dance songs that will surely be classics someday by LMFAO, Beyonce, Usher, Daddy Yankee, Elvis Crespo and other Salsa classics. But I am starting to notice another clue to a fun wedding for a professional Wedding DJ in Garth Brooks “Friends In Low Places”.
Every fun wedding I am the professional Wedding DJ, I perform that has this song is always a good time. You know there will be dancing, singing and a filled dance floor of the whole group shouting along with Garth. I know that Rednex “Cotton Eyed Joe” made a big splash but it is not true Country as Garth, more of a Country song for crossover listeners. Garth is an established Country star that has been producing hits for several decades.
I hear folks complaining about the Country crossover movement and how they believe it produces a watered-down Country sound. This may or may not be true but as a professional fun Wedding DJ, I appreciate how Country music has made it into the weddings of Brides and Grooms that are not Country listeners. They choose the songs that they enjoy and everyone can join in without alienating wedding guests. I assume some of this is due to the major success of the movie I Walk The Line about Johnny Cash and the subsequent resurgence of his music. I can play “I Walk The Line” and “Ring of Fire” at all kinds of places now and see the dance floor fill with many happy wedding guests. This past Saturday night was not exception.
I still don’t completely get how Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” has become a party song, maybe it is my being a Yankee fan and knowing it started its current popularity from Red Sox fans at Fenway Park. Growing up “Sweet Caroline” was not a party song; more of a vocal sing along, but certainly no fist pumping or group chorus type of thing. It too has become a wedding classic, strangely enough about a photo of Caroline Kennedy.
Me, I’ll stick to my list above and include “Friends In low Places” and some Johnny Cash to add to my Rock, R&B, Soul, and Pop classic that are sure-fire winners for the professional fun Wedding DJ.