Sunday, October 17, 2010

Top 5s of Partying and Entertaining: Part 3 - Music!

Growing up in a musical household, it's hard to say much else rivals how important a good album is. And when it comes to a party, forget about it. Nick will tell you, I will spend more time making my music mix than I will cooking or cleaning, possibly both combined. A good mix sets the kind of mood you want your party to have. If you want people to dance, be somber (although I don't know why you'd want that), or anywhere in between. So in keeping with the theme of "Top 5," I have some lists of my favorite songs for different kinds of parties.

Top 5 songs to put on a dinner party mix
You have your friends or family over for a nice dinner you slaved all day to make and you want to set the mood for some good laughs with your roast pork and a glass of wine. What kind of music do you play? How about some of these...

1. Everybody Wants to Rule the World - Tears for Fears
2. Oscar Wild - Company of Thieves
3. Keep the Car Running - Arcade Fire
4. The Seed - The Roots
5. Hurricane Drunk - Florence and the Machine

Top 5 songs to put on a summer party mix
You're in the backyard, BBQ is going, Sam Adams in hand. And people need to be pumped up to play some pool volleyball. Why not play some of these?

1. Watch that Man - David Bowie
2. Time to Pretend (the single version - MGMT
3. Sweet Child of Mine - Guns N Roses
4. When You Were Young - The Killers
5. Invisible Touch - Phil Collins

Top 5 songs to put on a mix if "adults" are coming over
In laws! Grandparents! Oh my! Not the same kind of group you can play some Lady Gaga for. These are my go-to songs when I need to play something that won't make my mother say, "it just sounds like they're screaming. I have a headache. Enough already."

1. Something's Gotta Give - Ella Fitzgerald
2. Fairy Tale Song (Cade) - Milton Nascimento
3. Kodachrome - Paul Simon
4. Don't Ask Me Why - Billy Joel
5. Day Tripper - The Beatles

Top 5 songs to put on a girls only mix
Self explanatory, but no Cindy Lauper allowed here.

1. Poker Face - Lady Gaga
2. He's Not a Boy - The Like
3. Mercy - Duffy
4. Silver Lining - Rilo Kiley
5. Tears Dry on their Own - Amy Winehouse

Top 5 songs to put on a party hardy mix
What does party hardy mean? It's my way of saying I couldn't figure out a catchy way to say when your friends come over on a Saturday night and you're all getting wasted and playing beer pong trying to relieve your college glory days.

1. She's Not There - Zombies
2. Where It's At - Beck
3. Song for the Dumped - Ben Folds Five
4. Follow You Down - Gin Blossoms
5. Starlight - Muse

Top 5 songs to put on a dance party mix
Every party is a dance party to me. These always go on there somewhere around hour 3 or 4 when we're wasted and most likely to start randomly dancing to anything. Better to some Michael Jackson, though, than Neil Young.

1. Canned Heat - Jamiroquai
2. Groove is in the Heart - Dee-Lite
3. Murder - The Virgins
4. I Want You Back - Jackson 5
5. I Don't Feel Like Dancing - Scissor Sisters

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