It baffles me how many professional DJs will not play slow songs at private events when the genre of choice is Rock. This is even true for some professional Wedding DJs! I understand how as a professional DJ you work with the constant tension of not wanting to lose the people on the dance floor. Playing slow songs may facilitate an empty dance floor, a professional DJ’s worst nightmare. Time and experience teaches a professional DJ that if the music is right, people will dance. Knowing what the crowd needs to motivate them onto the dance floor in my opinion is the skill that separates a good professional DJ from the rest of the DJs. I know it is sexier to scratch and make beats but they are not what inspire people to dance till they need to drink a pitcher of water or beer, it is intuitively responding to the crowd and having the right grooves for them to move and have fun.
Learning the correct slow songs for each occasion is a knowledge base by itself. Here are some examples when working an event with a room full of rockers:
Eric Clapton- Wonderful Tonight
Led Zeppelin- Thank You
Aerosmith- I Don’t Want To miss A Thing
The Allman Brothers- Melissa
Billy Joel- She’s Got A Way
Bad Company- Seagull
The Beatles- Something
The Black Crowes- She Talks To Angels
Bon Jovi- I’ll Be There For You
Bruce Springsteen- Secret Garden
Crosby, Stills & Nash- Our House
Dave Mathews Band- Crash Into Me
The Eagles- Desperado
Foreigner- I’ve Been Waiting For A Girl Like You
Guns & Roses- Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Motley Crue- Home Sweet Home
The Rolling Stones- Angie
U2-The Sweetest Thing
Many professional DJs are afraid of playing slow songs for a rock crowd but there are many songs to choose from and let’s face it, rockers love too! This was a just a quick list, I am sure I have left out many of the classics. So break out those classic rock slow songs let the lovers rock on!
