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The lists are now dated, but there’s some great scoop here. Enjoy.While radio DJs get their music playlists handed to them with zero tolerance for variation, club and mobile DJs must spend countless hours going through piles of music looking for current hot songs (usually decided by the radio stations) while trying to predict the next big hit. Once you do find those songs, you then have to listen to them over and over again to learn them inside and out. You need to know which versions work for you, how each of them begin, where they kick in, where they drop out, where the breaks are, and how to avoid the stupid elongated crap that some remixers add to a song that can completely kill a dance floor.As a mobile or club DJ who’s primary responsibility is to make people dance, your music decision is always based on the response of your audience. So let’s look at who influences your audience.Here in the states, it seems a few purely money-motivated radio company and television network executives determine what’s going to be hot. I’ve always imagined four or five pot bellied billionaires sitting on a golf course going through a pile of music they all hate in an effort to decide what they think should be the next big hit. They then do a secret handshake and create a marketing conspiracy so they’ll all make even more money and effectively kill any notion of free will. This has to be the way these decisions are made because there’s no rational explanation why people like Eminem, Puff Daddy, or Britney Spears become superstars.Fortunately, Europe and other parts of the world are still fairly open minded when it comes to music. Some of their influence spills over to the states and creates what record executives darkly refer to as “The Underground.” Most worthwhile DJ dance music begins in the underground, then gets sucked into the marketing vacuum where it gets commercialized and played to death. This cycle begins and ends hundreds of times a year. Your challenge is to stay on top of it. That in itself is a full time job.It’s much easier to maintain your music library as a mobile DJ. Since weddings and other private parties have a wider assortment of ages and music tastes, your music selection must be varied with respect to era and genre. These people want to hear what they know, and you’ve only got a few hours to cover it all. In most cases, mobile DJs can get away with a collection of proven hits without taking chances on new music.Some older mobile jocks I know rarely purchase new music. These guys are pompous individuals who consistently play the same exact music at each affair regardless of their audience’s requests or tastes. This is not recommended for several reasons. First, anyone who becomes too complacent with any job risks obsolescence. Eventually, you’ll develop a bad customer service reputation. Secondly, doing the same exact thing over and over causes burnout. When this job begins to seem like a job, you become a liability. You’ll become short tempered and may risk ruining some bride’s wedding reception with an attitude problem. At best you will get a bad reputation that’ll kill your business. At worst, you could get your butt kicked and equipment smashed in the parking lot after the wedding by an angry groom and five of his best friends from his college football team.On the other hand, nightclub and bar DJs must delve into the new music bins at record stores and on the internet. Nightclubs and bars have a younger and more hip audience that demand a mixture of recurrent (older) dance hits, the latest dance hits, and an infusion of new music. But there are several variations that will drive you crazy. Typically, big city nightclub audiences enjoy music they’ve never heard before, while smaller suburban and hotel bars won’t respond to music they don’t know. Throw in the exception to every rule, and you’ve got a puzzle you’ll need to solve yourself in each situation.Are you playing for swing dancers or snotty Millennials? Do you have roots in hip-hop but your crowd is begging for dance rock? Is some guy in a cowboy hat sucking down a Pabst Blue Ribbon giving you an evil eye because you’re playing Eminem? Does the girl with the pierced eyelids truly appreciate the Mozart you’re bustin out? (Can she even see?) This might seem far-fetched but you’ll run into similar situations at many mobile parties. The key to success as a mobile or club DJ is timing combined with effective and relevant music programming. You’ve got to know your audience and what they’ll respond to. Hopefully, you’ll have a clue before you get tossed into the situation, but you’ll often walk in blind. Even the best prepared mobile DJs with all of their forms and music lists submitted before the affair can run into unexpected surprises that find them unprepared.I had that experience at a wedding reception. I wasn’t aware that the bride’s mother had filled out the song request sheet in advance because the bride assured me that she and her fiancé worked on it together. Obviously, mom’s tastes were a little different than her daughter’s. I was prepared for this big elegant affair with lots of disco and traditional dance rock. The bride and groom had recently come back from an early honeymoon cruise to the islands where all they danced to was reggae, and naturally, they wanted major reggae at their wedding reception. The problem was that no one told me this, so I was short on reggae that day. Fortunately, I brought my cell phone and arranged to have someone bring my reggae collection to the affair.I constantly had to remind myself that I was buying this music specifically for DJ use. I didn’t necessarily like the songs I bought, but I knew that a majority of my mobile and club customers would respond to it. Unless you’re becoming a DJ as a hobby and just making mix CDs or tapes for your friends, it’s important to remember that you’re usually not playing for yourself. You’ll need to open your mind play a lot of music you’ll probably hate.Most situations a beginner DJ will face involve familiar music rather than non-familiar music. Mobile DJs and mainstream club DJs are limited to playing music everyone already knows. Big city club audiences tend to be trendier, always looking for the next big thing. So big city club DJs can get away with breaking new records no one has ever heard. Fortunately, this is a good thing for new DJs. You’ll have the luxury of time to learn the classics you’ll need to learn before you’ll get a job at the big city club. By that time, you’ll have a large knowledge of music, and a better sense of which new or non-familiar records will generate a positive response.Another thing about big city clubs that should be mentioned is the level of artificial and illegal substance usage as it relates to music tastes. People who are drug induced couldn’t care less what they’re dancing to, as long as it’s fast. Techno and trance sets in this environment can range up to 160 beats per minute, well over what a sober and traditional crowd would dance to. Unfortunately, recreational drug usage seems to be popular in big club situations. You don’t have to judge this behavior, but you should know about it so you can program accordingly.Depending on where you’re working, you’ll need the most appropriate version of a dance song. For instance, if you’re working in a big city cutting-edge dance club, you’ll need the hottest energy-packed remix that’s available. You may have to purchase an imported mix that’ll run you a few extra dollars. On the other hand, if you’re working a private party, a smaller bar or a corporate club, you’ll need something more along the lines of the popular radio version, or your customers may yell at you.Club versions often include longer introductions and breaks that make a DJ’s job easier by allowing pre-determined points where the mix will start or end. Be careful with certain club versions and remixes. Many times these remixes are done by a producer who’s not familiar with the dynamics of dance floors rather than a working DJ. The producer types often change the song so it’s virtually unrecognizable rendering it useless in most mainstream clubs, bars, and mobile parties. I imagine some of the non-DJ friendly remixes may be intended to be listening rather than dancing. While they may be great for car stereos, they can be disastrous on a dance floor.The music in a bar or club can help set the mood for the entire night. In most small to medium sized clubs, music that seems too similar blends in to itself and gets lost, causing the room to become stale. But if the DJ throws an effective change-up in there somewhere, people take notice. A DJ has the power to turn a somber room into a massive party with nothing more than his or her music mix.A private affair typically demands a fairly standard program of well known rock, disco, oldies, and current dance music. The timing of your selections is the key to mobile DJ programming success. Playing the right well known party song at the right time can make a party legendary. Playing the right songs too early or too late, or playing the wrong songs can create a lame atmosphere leading to a poor reputation for your business.Anyone can say they're a DJ and play records or CDs. But what most people fail to understand is in order to be an effective DJ, you’ve got to be a smart music programmer. To achieve this, you've got to be a very aware person. In clubs and bars, you've got to consider the desired clientele the owners and managers are looking for. Hopefully they've already discussed and agreed on this, because many times there is massive confusion. You've got to know what kinds of music (genre, artists, and songs) their target clientele would desire. You've got to have a keen eye to determine which songs are working for that audience. You should always be watching the crowd looking for hints, such as people lip singing, tapping their hands on their chairs or the bar, swaying their feet to the beat of the music, humping their friends, etc. At mobile affairs, you've got to have impeccable timing. You’ve got to know exactly when to play what. You’ve got to learn how to recognize blood-alcohol levels so you’ll know when you can change gears and take chances to create a frenzy of excitement. And you've got to have the confidence to try something different and ride it out even if it doesn't work, so you can figure out just how far you can push the limit on any given night.Dance music fans are extremely fickle. I remember the first time I played Crystal Waters’ “100% True Love,” one of my most requested dance songs of all time. It cleared the dance floor. I let the song play out and announced that I would never play that song in that club again. Two weeks later, people were begging me for it. If a song is hot this week, it may be cold next week for no apparent reason. If a record is tearing up clubs and charts all over the world, but that same record hasn’t made its MTV debut in America you may lose your dance floor when you play that record. It makes no sense! This is the most frustrating aspect of being a mainstream club DJ. As you gain more experience, you’ll learn to gauge your record buying by your budget. If you’re short on cash, don’t take as many chances and wait for the record to prove itself. If you’re working in the hottest progressive club in your area, you’ll have to keep up on the music no matter what. Hopefully you’re making enough money to support your habit.Being a DJ can be a very stressful job, especially when you've got some drunken fool yelling at you because you didn't play that Led Zepplin song in your dance club. But it can be so rewarding when you're pushing that edge; hearing people scream when you spin a certain song that no one expected you to play. You're king of the world for that brief moment. And then that drunk sprays you in the face again, effectively grounding you in reality.As I got bored with the same old club thing night after night, I devised several experiments to see if the music really mattered. I love to mess with people and see if I can predict their reaction. One of my favorite tests was where I displayed a glowing personality but purposely played a monotonous house music mix for three straight hours. At one point, I mixed out of a house song and started tapping a house beat on the microphone with my finger to see what people would do. They kept dancing! As my friend managed to collect his dropped jaw, I managed to mix another house song one-handed while still tapping. No one left the dance floor. It was freaky.Personality does go a long way, but the room was stale after a few hours. The dance floor was fairly consistent, but I could tell they were waiting for something else. The bar was sluggish and there were people just standing around blankly staring at things. So I shifted gears and threw on some "fun" music (i.e. classic disco, fun songs, etc.), and the place went nuts. The bar started moving, and the dance floor regained its energy. Personality alone wasn't enough to carry me through the night. In this case, the music did matter.And I've done tests where I've said as little as possible during the night, but played the most killer music sets of my life. The mixes were flawless and the programming was perfect. The music took on its own persona and become the voice of the room. But there was something missing. Again, there were parts of the room that were stale and bored.I learned that great nights need a well-balanced combination of the right music for your audience, and a personality that guides them through the night. The music definitely does matter, but the human element is still important. Unless you’re working in an all house-music club in the basement of some factory in New York City, you’ll need a good combination of music programming and personality to get things going, especially in the mobile DJ trade.You can save thousands of dollars while building your collection by purchasing compilation CDs from almost any record store or online retailer. Since many CDs only have one song you’ll need, it makes more sense to purchase a CD that has that one song along with at least one or two others you’ll need for the same price. Compilation CDs contain several hits by various artists, and are usually arranged by genre or year. Occasionally, movie soundtracks can have multiple songs you can use. Try to get dance music compilation CDs that aren’t already pre-mixed. The problem with pre-mixed discs is that you’ll have a hard time using these mixes since someone’s already mixing on the breaks. Plus, many people own the mixed CDs, so they’ll know if you’re trying to get over and pretend you’re doing it yourself.TIP: Good Compilation CDs1. The Source Presents Hip Hop Hits series. A series produced by The Source magazine that’s a good starter collection of all the big names in Hip Hop including Jay Z, Eminem, Nas, Missy Elliott, Ludacris, and more. All these discs have at least three or four mainstream hits you can use.2. Now That’s What I Call Music series. It began in Europe back in the late 1990s as a comprehensive top-40 compilation series that wasn’t available here in the states. Well, now it is! Lots of great hits by big names that you’ll find useful at mobile events, and some lesser known filler songs just for laughs.3. Totally Hits series. It’s similar to the Now That’s What I Call Music series that may fills in some of the holes in your popular music collection.4. Time Life’s Rock N’ Roll Era, 1954-1961. Knock out about 90% of all the dance rock oldies you’ll ever need with this series I wish I had so I wouldn’t have had to buy hundreds of 45 RPM vinyl singles! Includes 16 Candles, Johnny B Goode, The Lion Sleeps Tonight, Rock Around The Clock, and scores more.5. Time Life’s Classic Rhythm and Blues Collection, 1955-1969. A compilation series with huge R&B hits from the likes of James Brown, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Ben E. King, The Supremes, and many more.6. Rasta Jamz, single CD. Finally, a reggae CD with more than two hit songs! Razor and Tie music hits gold with huge hits like Boombastic, Murder She Wrote, Action, Hotstepper, Informer, Move It, and Sweat. Fun songs that most reggae fanatics and wannabes will all love. Ya mon.7. Pulse, two disc set. Most of the big 90s house and techno dance jams your 30+ crowd will scream for.8. Fired Up, two disc set, as seen on TV. Late 90s and early 2000 well known house, trance and techno jams that’ll bring you into the current decade and make even the most irrelevant DJ seem halfway phat.9. Non-Stop Hip Hop, yet another double disc. Fill in the holes with this killer hip-hop compilation from the 90s. I saw at least 14 smash hits that are guaranteed to pack most mobile or small bar dance floors.10. Monster Booty, single disc. I liked the name of this collection, and then I saw eleven solid booty call jams that no DJ should be without.Another economical way to build you collection is to search your local used CD or record store. You can find compilations and full CDs here in great shape for the fraction of the price of new ones. Make sure you check the CDs and records for any surface scratches or warping. Most used music stores will let you listen to the CDs or records before you buy them. Take them up on their offer.I do recommend dropping a substantial amount of money at your local specialty DJ store so they’ll get to know you and like you. Their advice and special favors (like saving copies of a limited release for their favorite customers) can help in a pinch.There is a basic group of dance songs you’ll definitely need to get started listed later in this chapter. Another great source for figuring out what’s what is Mobile Beat Magazine’s annual Top 200 list. They survey mobile DJs all over the country to see what their most requested songs are. My personal top 200 has never matched the order of theirs, but it’s a great place to start regardless.For many years there’s been a secret battle brewing between CD DJs and vinyl DJs. When CDs emerged as the dominant consumer format in the early 90s, many DJs shunned them. DJs were used to the physical feel and control of the vinyl record, a feel that couldn’t be duplicated or replaced with the hardware available at that time. And there were no DJ CD players that offered a pitch control, so beatmixing was impossible unless you were mixing from a CD to a turntable. There was also a huge cost involved in replacing perfectly good vinyl with CDs. Since there was no trade in option, DJs had to repurchase their entire music libraries. It took me two full years to complete my conversion.The battle lines used to be drawn specifically by the DJ’s year of origin, but that’s no longer the case. Now that vinyl production has been ramped up to pre-CD days, the battle is more fierce than ever. And there’s a new competitor, the “Digital DJ” who uses a compressed computer file rather than vinyl or CDs. It’s a bigger mess than ever.My favorite part of working with vinyl was the visual bonus. You can actually see where the breaks are because the grooves look wider apart where there’s only bass and drums. With a CD, you have to know the song by heart to know when the break is coming. You can cue up drop-ins easily on vinyl. It’s much quicker to physically plop the needle down on the area of the record than it is to fast-search with a CD player. Sometimes this quickness factor comes in handy. Backspins (spinning the record backwards for a special transition effect), scratching, and power-downs (turning the power off so the song gradually slows to a stop), aren't readily available on CD players or with digital DJ systems. Some new DJ CD player products do include similar effects that are pretty darn close to the real thing, but the performance just doesn’t look as cool with vinyl substitutes. The famous look of two or three turntables with vinyl spinning can add entertainment to some shows. Some people are just mesmerized by the whole vinyl process.Many DJs simply prefer the perceived control and feel of a vinyl record. The ability to physically see and control a song with your hand rather than with a remote control appeals to a lot of people. Pushing a record to make it faster and slowing it with your fingers offers a physical control that can’t easily be duplicated digitally.Audio enthusiasts insist that vinyl reproduces music with much more accuracy than any digital means ever will. That’s just dang foolish, especially with innovations like Super Audio CDs and variable bitrate lossless compression, but whatever. The question is where you draw the line of aural perception, meaning how many normal humans using non-audiophile equipment can tell the difference and actually hear a more accurate reproduction. I’ve tried to tell the difference several times, but I just can’t do it. It’s like Coke and Pepsi - you’ll get a caffeine and sugar boost with both, but which one gets you higher? For arguments’ sake, score a point for the vinyl people.Finally, carrying heavy wood or plastic crates of vinyl for long periods of time is great cardiovascular exercise. I remember the days of climbing 3 flights of stairs six times carrying six heavy crates of vinyl during my early days at Club Atlantis, as the evil manager sat in front of the elevator and smiled. My back doesn’t miss those days.Vinyl cueing must be done manually over and over again, and you’ve got to physically hold it or you’ll lose your place. And once you let it go to do something else, you’ve got to cue it up again. There’s nothing like cueing a CD up to the exact millisecond of the beat where you want to bring a song in, then having it wait for you indefinitely at that same exact point without ever worrying about it drifting. Go grab a drink, chat with your friends, have a nap, and it’ll still be cued up waiting for you at the same exact spot. It’s perfect.CD players hold perfect time. Even the best turntables have a small degree of speed shifting. Better CD players allow you to sample and loop segments of a song over and over again, which can give you some pretty neat control over a mix. Plus, the loop will be consistently perfect (if you programmed it correctly). You can loop with vinyl too, but you’ll need two copies of the same record and a third turntable to mix out.Many record labels are releasing multiple mixes on CDs, including “bonus” mixes that may not be offered on vinyl. Vinyl has a limitation in terms of the amount of time you can physically record on a 12” disc without losing volume and sound quality.Finally, I could fit 152 CDs into my Case Logic CD book and bring my whole night’s playlist with me in one hand with a big old Dunkin Donuts coffee in the other. My record crates at home took up the length of the entire basement wall, while my entire CD collection fit comfortably in a single cabinet. My wife and mother in law did a dance of joy the day I dumped all my vinyl behind Pat’s Music in Bensalem PA. To this day, no one has a clue where those 2,000+ records went.I had the pleasure of working with the creator of the DJ RAK digital DJ system, Todd Sun. His system is amazing! He controlled lights, sound, and was able to pack over 20,000 CD-quality songs in a system that would completely and easily fit in the back seat of a Mini Cooper. He didn’t have to worry about lost, stolen, or scratched CDs, since perfect digital copies were available for immediate usage. And no more fuddling around looking in CD books or record crates for a song; all he had to do was type in the first few letters of the song title or artist and the song instantly came up ready to play. For the smallest, lightest and most efficient DJ system, digital is the way to go.Wedding and private party DJs spend a lot of time playing filler music while guests are arriving or stuffing their faces. In most cases, these are rare times when you don’t want people to dance, so it’s time to dig out some special listening music. I’ve always had success with a nice mix of smooth jazz and classy traditional music. What you don’t want to do is put people to sleep! If you’ve decided to pursue mobile DJ affairs, here are a few discs you might want to pick up. Club DJs should never need this type of music.1. Greatest Hits of All, George Benson. “Turn Your Love Around” sounds impressive on pro DJ systems no matter where you’re playing. Also includes the very classy “This Masquerade” and one of my favorite songs, “I Just Wanna Hang Around You.”2. The Best of Earl Klugh, Earl Klugh. “Midnight in San Juan” is the perfect opening song for any affair anywhere. “Kissin’ on the Beach” is a good choice to liven things up if the room appears to be stale. Klugh’s classy guitar could class up a greasy garage.3. The Best of Al Jarreau, Al Jarreau. Smoother than a chocolate bar on a hot summer day. It’s one of the few discs you could pop your player and walk away for a half hour without feeling guilty. “We’re In This Love Together” and “Moonlighting” are two very memorable songs that are guaranteed to get smiles and thumbs up from your clients.4. Ultimate Kenny G, Kenny G. Sure, it’s overplayed, but you’d better have this disc! “Silhouette,” “Forever In Love,” and “The Wedding Song” are standards that will be expected from most normal people. Grandma and grandpa will appreciate the break from beats. There’s nothing like a little good sax to get the blood flowing.5. The Best of Anita Baker, Anita Baker. “Sweet Love” and “Caught Up in The Rapture” are very popular smooth grooves for a loose mood.6. The Best of Sade, Sade. The definition of smooth jazz! “Smooth Operator” was the first cocktail hour song I ever played as a professional DJ, and I played it at every wedding I ever did. Other great hits include Sade’s “No Ordinary Love,” “Your Love Is King,” “The Sweetest Taboo,” and just about every other track on this CD.7. Collection, Larry Carlton. Check out “Sleepwalker” and you’ll know why Carlton is a classic. Some guy gave me a $50 tip for playing that song.8. Michael Buble, Michael Buble. Our era’s Frank Sinatra. Seventeen completely useable classic wedding standards.9. The Look of Love, Diana Krall. I don’t get it, but this chick is insanely popular in this genre. Get it because someone will ask for it eventually, and you’ll look great for having it.10. When Harry Met Sally (Soundtrack), Harry Connick Jr. Two charming must have songs that’ll win over the older crowd, including “It Had to Be You” and “Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off.” Warning: the volume on this CD is all over the place! The music is excessively low in places, and Harry’s butter voice kicks in massively by surprise, so be ready for it.11. Clear Horizon: The Best of Basia, Basia. For a while, I swore every wedding band in the world performed her hit “New Day for You.” Seventeen powerful and engaging songs perfect for chewing to the beat.If you’re doing mobile DJ work, you’ll definitely need some bump and grind material. Many smaller bars and mainstream clubs like to hear a few slow jams once in a while to break things up. Slow songs have a way of pulling people who don’t usually dance on a dance floor, and it’s a great way for guys to break the ice and meet a woman for the first time. Remember to keep in mind that you want happy slow jams to keep your crowd happy.Here are my top 40 must-have slow jams, based solely on audience response. Feel free to add new hits and your personal favorites to the list. You can never have too many slow songs in your collection because you never know what someone will request.1. Anne Murray - Can I Have This Dance2. Atlantic Starr - Always3. Ben E. King - Stand By Me4. Bette Midler - Wind Beneath My Wings5. Billy Joel - Just The Way You Are6. Boyz II Men - On Bended Knee7. Bryan Adams - Everything I Do, I Do It For You8. Celine Dion - Because You Loved Me9. Climax Blues Band - I Love You10. Commodores - Three Times A Lady11. Elvis Presley - Can’t Help Falling In Love12. Eric Clapton - Wonderful Tonight13. Etta James - At Last14. Faith Hill - Breathe15. Flamingos - I Only Have Eyes For You16. Four Tops - I Believe In You And Me17. Hall and Oates - You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling (original by the Righteous Brothers)18. Heatwave (or Luther Vandross) - Always and Forever19. Honeydrippers - Sea Of Love (original by Phil Phillips)20. Jackson 5 - I’ll Be There21. Joe Cocker - You Are So Beautiful22. Joshua Kadison - Beautiful In My Eyes23. Journey - Faithfully24. KC & JoJo - All My Life25. Kenny Rogers - Through The Years26. Larry Graham - One In A Million27. Lionel Richie/Diana Ross - Endless Love28. Lonestar - Amazed29. Louis Armstrong - What A Wonderful World30. Luther Vandross - Here and Now31. Mel Carter - Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me32. Michael Bolton - When A Man Loves A Woman (original by Percy Sledge)33. Nat King Cole - Unforgettable34. Olivia Newton John - I Honestly Love You35. Patsy Cline - Crazy36. Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody37. Shania Twain - From This Moment38. Van Morrison (or Rod Stewart) - Have I Told You Lately39. Vanessa Williams - Save The Best for Last40. Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love YouHouse music started somewhere in Chicago in the 1980s. House is identified by an easily recognizable bass drum that beats about once for every beat per minute. It’s that fast “thump, thump, thump” that you hear in most clubs. This music is usually very melodic with some chick belting out vocals about love. House and techno songs typically range from 116 through about 140 beats per minute. House music was the most popular club music during the late 80s and early 90s, before being booted by the hip-hop movement. House is still popular because it’s easily recognized and its tempo is easy to dance to.Techno, also formerly known as “Rave,” is an offshoot of house that incorporates a more mechanical or digital sound with wild synthesizers filling in the melody. Techno is a little faster than traditional house, beginning at about 124 BPM and going all the way up to 160 BPM. Techno is basically dead today and has been replaced by the trance movement.Here are my top house and techno records for mobile DJs. These are not the hottest house and techno songs out today, so you’ll have to do your homework to find more current house hits. Do realize that since most wedding and private party guests tend to be a little older, many folks will know and respond to these songs and generate referral business because you played the music they really wanted to hear.1. 2 In A Room - Wiggle It2. Amber - One More Night3. Amber - Sexual4. Bizarre Inc - I’m Gonna Get You Baby5. Black Box - Everybody Everybody6. Black Box - Strike It Up7. Blackout All Stars - I Like It Like That (X-Mix remix)8. CeCe Peniston - Finally9. Crystal Waters - 100% True Love10. Funky Green Dogs - Fired Up11. Haddaway - What Is Love12. Livin Joy - Dreamer13. Marky Mark - Good Vibrations14. Maximillion - Fatboy15. Reel to Real - I Like To Move It16. Robin S - Show Me Love17. Rupaul - Supermodel18. Snap - Rhythm Is A Dancer19. Technotronic - Move This20. Technotronic - Pump Up The JamTechno:1. 2 Unlimited - Get Ready For This2. 2 Unlimited - Twilight Zone3. AB Logic - The Hitman4. Apotheosis - O Fortuna (hard to find)5. Culture Beat - Mr. Vain6. Faithless - Insomnia7. Lords of Acid - Take Control8. Real McCoy - Another Night9. Real McCoy - Runaway10. The Movement - JumpTrance/Progressive HouseOver the past few years, techno and house have evolved into a new genre known as “trance” featuring a more melodic but repetitive and often psychedelic, addictive, soothing, and sometimes monotonous electronic beat. Trance is a hybrid of new-age, techno and house music that surfaced in the late 1990s in Europe. Most trance songs have few, if any, words, which are usually sampled and repeated rather than continuously sung. Most hard-core trance fans won’t settle for anything less than their favorite hard-core trance music.Progressive house is similar to trance, only that it’s got more vocals along the lines of a house song. It’s not as “harsh” as techno music, meaning the chords and beats are more subtle and melodic. Techno, progressive house and trance are often confused.For most of your purposes, the following popular trance songs should get you through a trance request situation and help you understand what trance is. The typical club-goer or party person will probably refer to this music as “techno.” The more popular songs are easily findable on most mainstream trance mixes, compilations and collections, such as the Trance Party series, available at any large music retailer. To get a feel for some more underground trance mixes, check out mix CDs by DJ Tiesto.1. Alice Deejay - Better Off Alone2. ATB - 9 PM (Til I Come)3. Azzido Da Bass - Dooms Night4. BT - Dreaming5. Chicane - Saltwater6. Darude - Sandstorm7. Dirty Vegas - Days Go By8. DJ Sammy - Heaven9. Ian Van Dahl - Castles in the Sky10. Iio - Rapture11. Kernkraft 400 - Zombie Nation12. Paul van Dyk - For an Angel13. PPK - Resurrection14. Robert Miles - Children15. Sash - Encore une FoisFreestyle or Club MusicThis music is hard to explain in terms of its beat - you’ve just got to hear it. Some people call this music “freestyle,” and others call it “club.” This genre was huge in New York, Philly, Miami and Texas probably due to its close relation to Latin music rhythms. The freestyle heyday was in the late 1980s and early 1990s while I was spinning at Club Atlantis just outside of Philly. I’d do hour sets of this music and people couldn’t get enough! It’s surprisingly still popular in some areas, like New York City. DJ Bad Boy Joe spins freestyle mixes for WKTU in NYC, and he’s got a few killer freestyle mix CDs in his “Best of Freestyle Megamix” series you can pick up at any big music retailer to really get the flavor of freestyle. Many of your customers will appreciate this music and request it at clubs, bars and private parties, so you should have a few of the classics in your collection. Here are my top freestyle records:1. Afrika Bambatta - Planet Rock2. Corina - Temptation3. Coro - Where Are You Tonight4. Cover Girls - Show Me5. Cynthia & Johnny O - Dreamboy & Dreamgirl6. Debbie Deb - When I Hear Music7. George LaMond - Without You8. Information Society - Running9. Johnny O - Fantasy Girl10. Judy Torres - No Reason To Cry11. Lil’ Suzy - Take Me in Your Arms12. Lissette Melendez - Together Forever13. Nayobe - Please Don’t Go14. Nice and Wild - Diamond Girl15. Noel - Silent Morning16. Stevie B - Party Your Body17. Stevie B - Spring Love18. Suave - Crying Over You19. TKA - Louder Than Love20. TKA - MariaDiscoThis should technically be called “Oldies” in today’s time, but this music was so big, it’s got a genre all to itself! I’m not really sure exactly when it started or where the cutoff point was, but neither is anyone else. Some folks say disco evolved into house at some point. But everyone knows what disco is, and you absolutely have to have a strong disco collection if you’re a mobile DJ. Here’s my all-time top-25 most requested disco song list.1. Abba - Dancin’ Queen2. Anita Ward - Ring My Bell3. Bee Gees - Stayin Alive4. Bee Gees - You Should be Dancin5. Donna Summer - Bad Girls6. Donna Summer - Heaven Knows7. Donna Summer - Last Dance8. Evelyn Champagne King - Shame9. Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive10. Hues Corporation - Rock The Boat11. KC and the Sunshine Band - Get Down Tonight12. KC and the Sunshine Band - That’s The Way I Like It13. Kelly Marie - Feels Like I’m In Love14. Kool and the Gang - Celebration15. Lime - Babe We’re Gonna Love Tonight16. Lipps Inc. - Funkytown17. Michael Jackson - Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough18. Miquel Brown - So Many Men, So Little Time19. Rick James - Superfreak20. Sister Sledge - We Are Family21. SOS Band - Take Your Time22. Sylvester - Do Ya Wanna Funk23. Village People - Macho Man24. Village People - YMCA25. Weather Girls - It’s Raining MenHip Hop and RapBelieve it or not, hip-hop has been around since the mid 1970s, with the 1979 Sugar Hill Gang hit “Rappers Delight” firmly entrenching it as part of mainstream music. Thanks to MTV and your local Top-40 radio stations, hip-hop is now THE mainstream. By definition, you really can't call yourself a club that plays Top-40 without playing any hip-hop. Just one look at current music charts or a ride to any suburban mall will tell you that people of various colors and income levels have firmly embraced hip-hop as today’s mainstream music and culture.Hip-hop, often called “Rap Music,” is loosely defined as a collection of slower tempo music with urban-inspired lyrics, which are either rapped or sung over very heavy bass lines. There are several different types of hip-hop including old school, hardcore, gangsta rap, east coast rap, west coast rap, and other fragmented forms that seem to be created daily in the back of a Cadillac with the boomin’ system. Billboard Magazine wraps hip-hop and R&B into one single chart, and so do most DJs.Nothing has caused more controversy in the DJ field than the emergence of hip-hop music. The main issue is that many narrow-minded people immediately associate hip-hop music with trouble. Due to inherent social prejudice by certain groups, many DJs face the constant struggle of working the “right" hip-hop music into their playlists. Here's how I solved this dilemma.Back in the early 1990s, I was DJing at three separate large suburban clubs. My playlists were mostly comprised of house, techno, freestyle, 80s top-40 dance, modern rock, and a lot of recurrent disco music. In all three clubs, managers made it insanely clear that I was to try and avoid playing any type of “rap” music, because this was surely the “kiss of death” according to these club owners. While always clearly explaining to me that their decision was not racially motivated (most of these clubs had a nice mix of white, black, Asian and Hispanic people already), these owners and managers thought that rap music would bring the wrong type of customers to their clubs. They cited stories of fighting, weapons, and generally bad behavior as portrayed in the lyrics and videos of many rap songs.As rap music began to morph into the hip-hop fold, and the genre began to solidify its roots in American pop culture, I had no choice but to slowly infuse this music into my playlists. The requests for hip-hop were overwhelming, and the response on the dance floor was always phenomenal. When challenged by managers, I would bring out a copy of my latest Billboard Magazine Top-40 charts and show them that this music was indeed considered “mainstream pop.” Sometimes they agreed, sometimes they didn't. As I gained more and more experience with these challenges, I began to develop my own sub-groupings of hip-hop, and played them as short sets in between the disco, rock and house songs that management was used to. This worked perfectly!My hip-hop classifications are as follows.“Whitebread” Hip-Hop.Most of these are popular crossover hip-hop songs that have remained hot over the years. The magic of this category is that many managers don’t consider these songs to be hip-hop! You’ll hear these songs in suburban clubs regularly. Some may now qualify as “oldies!” This category includes songs like “It Takes Two” by Rob Base, “Ice Ice Baby” by Vanilla Ice, “White Lines” by Grandmaster Melle Mel, and “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugar Hill Gang, and virtually anything by Will Smith. For some reason, Will's music never qualifies as hip-hop in the manager’s eyes. I don't get it, but I never complained because he had some of the hottest stuff out there. True hip-hop fanatics and youngins’ will consider Whitebread Hip-Hop as lame.No or Low-Rap Hip-Hop.These songs have the traditional hip-hop beat and feel, but most of the lyrics are sung and not rapped. These are usually stories about sex and love, with lyrics (but not concepts) most English speaking people can actually understand. This category includes songs like “Return of the Mack” by Mark Morrison, “Rock Wit U” by Ashanti, and almost anything by Beyonce, Nelly, and TLC. These songs are very popular and safe just about anywhere. And even youngins will feel your flava.Fast Rap.Although these songs are all rap, these songs always slipped under the “Rap Detector” probably because they were faster than traditional hip-hop beats. These songs are wildly popular among all crowds. For examples of fast rap songs, check out “The Thong Song” by Sisqo, “Da Dip” by Freak Nasty, “C’mon Ride The Train” by The Quad City DJs, “The Cha Cha Slide” by Casper, or almost anything by OutKast.Possible Trouble.These songs are the hottest songs anywhere. Everyone requests these, but I always get the evil eye from my suburban club owners when I play them. This is the stuff you hear on your local dance stations and all over MTV, like Missy Elliott, Lil Kim, AZ, Chingy, DMX and Eminem. In most mainstream clubs, you can get away with playing maybe one or two of these an hour without being branded as a hip-hop club. This should keep your crowd happy.You can classify most hip-hop into one of the above categories. If you’re working the mainstream club or bar scene, make a list for your managers and go over it with them. Watch how the crowd responds to each of these subcategories. And make sure your request sheets are written down so you can show your managers what people are asking for. If you’re doing mobile parties, simply play whatever the person who’s paying you wants!Here’s a list of my most-requested hip-hop and rap songs over the years. I’ve included some old-school classics that will never die. But hip-hop changes more frequently than most people change their underwear, so these songs may be irrelevant by the time you read this. Just turn on your local top-40 radio station to catch the latest jams.1. 50 Cent - In Da Club (Clean radio version!)2. Big Pun - Still Not A Playa3. Busta Rhymes - Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See4. CC Music Factory - Gonna Make You Sweat5. DMX - Party Up (In Here)6. DJ Kool - Let Me Clear My Throat7. Fabolous - Young’n (Holla Back)8. Grandmaster Melle Mel - White Lines9. House of Pain - Jump Around10. Ja Rule/Ashanti - Mesmerize11. Missy Elliott - Work It12. Montell Jordan - This Is How We Do It13. Mya - Ghetto Supastar14. Naughty By Nature - Hip Hop Hooray15. Naughty By Nature - OPP16. Newcleus - Jam On It17. Nelly - Hot in Herre18. Notorious BIG - Mo Money Mo Problems19. Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock - It Takes Two20. Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock - Joy and Pain21. Salt n Peppa - Let’s Talk About Sex22. Sean Paul - Get Busy23. Sugarhill Gang - Rappers’ Delight24. Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby25. Will Smith - Getting Jiggy With ItAlternative or Modern RockBack in the late 1970s, rock music took a strange twist in an effort to become different. It started with Punk Rock, then evolved into a genre all its own, sometimes called “Post Modern.” I built a sold-out Tuesday night at the legendary M-Street Nightclub in Voorhees, New Jersey in the early 1990s with this music. Anyone who knows anything about the club business will tell you it’s darn near impossible to get anyone to go out on Tuesday nights! Modern Rock finally peaked sometime around 1994 before fading into oblivion and yielding the stage to Alternative Rock where everything began to sound like Pearl Jam.This music still has a very strong following. Beware, much of this genre is limited to listening music. Its enthusiasts are very opinionated, and aren’t afraid to share exactly what’s on their mind. If you’re playing the wrong alternative or modern rock songs, they’ll yell at you.Here are my top 20 most requested alternative dance rock songs.1. Adam Ant - Goody Two Shoes2. Alice In Chains - Man In A Box3. Billy Idol - Dancing With Myself4. Deee-Lite - Groove Is In The Heart5. Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus6. Erasure - A Little Respect7. Gary Numan - Cars8. Men Without Hats - Safety Dance9. Modern English - Melt With You10. Morrissey - Suedehead11. New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle12. R.E.M. - End of the World13. Rage Against The Machine - Killing In The Name14. Soft Cell - Tainted Love15. Talk Talk - It’s My Life16. The B-52s - Rock Lobster17. The Cure - Just Like Heaven18. The Ramones - I Wanna Be Sedated19. Violent Femmes - Add It Up20. Violent Femmes - Blister In The SunDance RockMany tattooed mullet-headed pickup truck driving men will approach you and ask you to “Play some Rock N’ Roll, man!” So you’ve got to have something for them too, especially at mobile DJ gigs. The important thing to consider is that you can’t dance to many rock songs! So here’s a few danceable rock n’ roll songs that I’ve used over the past years to keep those drunk rock n’ rollers happy. There are hundreds more, but these are guaranteed to cover your butt in a tight spot.1. AC/DC - Shook Me All Night Long2. Aerosmith - Walk This Way3. Billy Idol - Mony Mony4. Billy Joel - Only The Good Die Young5. Lynryd Skynrd - Sweet Home Alabama6. Meatloaf - Paradise By The Dashboard Light7. Neil Diamond - Sweet Caroline8. Rolling Stones - Honky Tonk Woman9. Rolling Stones - Satisfaction10. Rolling Stones - Start Me Up11. Sly and the Family Stone - Dance to the Music12. Steve Miller - Jungle Love13. The Beatles - I Saw Her Standing There14. The McCoys - Hang On Sloopy15. The Romantics - What I Like About You16. Three Dog Night - Joy To The World17. U2 - I Will Follow18. Van Halen - Dance The Night Away19. Van Morrison - Brown Eyed Girl20. ZZ Top - Sharp Dressed ManOldiesWhen the world was new and things were simple, the term “oldies” was easy to define. It encompassed the era of the 1950s and 1960s music, which includes rock n’roll oldies and Motown. But now, most folks consider “Disco” and even Old School Hip Hop oldies. And some radio stations have redefined the term to include anything that’s over 10 years old, so technically you can have oldies from the mid-1990s! Yikes! Just make sure you ask your clients what they mean by “oldies” so you won’t disappoint them. Occasionally, a popular movie will come out that features an old song in a new way that’ll generate a strong buzz and lots of requests. Here are my most requested “oldies” songs from the 50s and 60s.1. Beach Boys - Barbara Ann2. Bill Haley and The Comets - Rock Around the Clock3. Chubby Checker - The Twist4. Chuck Berry - Johnny Be Good5. Diana Ross and the Supremes - Stop In The Name of Love6. Dion - Runaround Sue7. Elvis Presley - Jailhouse Rock8. Martha Reeves and the Vandellas - Dancin’ In The Street9. Martha Reeves and the Vandellas - Heatwave10. McCoys - Hang On Sloopy11. Otis Day and the Knights - Shout12. Roy Orbison - Pretty Woman13. Smokey Robinson - Tears Of A Clown14. Surfaris - Wipeout15. Tempations - Ain’t Too Proud To Beg16. Tempations - Get Ready17. The Beatles - I Saw Her Standing There18. The Beatles - Twist and Shout19. The Champs - Tequila20. The Contours - Do You Love MeTop CountryI know next to nothing about Country music. But I always managed to fake it well enough to get by. The country genre is very popular and it’s not going away anytime soon. As a matter of fact, hits by Shania Twain, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw and other country artists are crossing over to the top-40 charts. And country songs have a much longer shelf life, since its fans aren’t as fickle as the pop crowd. Here are twenty classics that’ll save you if you’re as lost in the woods as I am.***begin numbered list***1.Alabama- Mountain Music2. Alan Jackson - Don't Rock the Jukebox3. Anne Murray - Could I Have This Dance4. Billy Ray Cyrus - Achy Breaky Heart5. Brooks & Dunn - Boot Scootin’ Boogie6. Charlie Daniels Band - The Devil Went Down ToGeorgia7. Faith Hill - Breathe8. Garth Brooks - Friends in Low Places9. Garth Brooks - The Dance10. Joe Rednex - Cotton Eyed Joe11. John Denver - Thank God I’m a Country Boy12. John Michael Montgomery - I Swear13. Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire14. Leann Rimes - How Do I Live15. Lee Greenwood - God Bless the USA16. Lonestar - Amazed17. Patsy Cline - Crazy18. Soggy Bottom Boys - I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow (from O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack)19. Tammy Wynette - Stand by Your Man20. Willie Nelson - Always on My MindLatin Music ExplosionAbout 10% of all Americans, over 30 million people, are of Hispanic heritage, and that number is growing faster than any other group in the United States. With numbers like these, Latin Americans and their taste in music are definitely a segment you cannot afford to ignore. The 1980s and 1990s gave us twenty years of partnerless dancing, and people seem to be ready to hook up and get close again. Latin dancing is sexy. It’s entertaining. And it sure looks like a whole lot of fun.As Latin music becomes even more and more popular, more and more people will start to request this music from club and wedding DJs. Before you reach into your collection and play a set of what you think Latin music is, read the following information. We may save you some embarrassment. Most Latin-American customers will laugh at you (or worse, yell at you) if they specifically ask for Latin music and you play any one of the following songs. While shopping some clubs on a consulting gig in a certain southern state, we asked some DJs for “Latin Music” to see which songs they had, and this is what some of them came up with:NOT Latin Music:Any SantanaAny J-LoMost Los LobosAny old freestyle or club music by George Lamond, SaFire or India“La Isla Bonita” by Madonna“To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before” by Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias“La Macarena” by Los Del Rio“Dangerous on the Dance Floor” by Musto and Bones“Livin La Vida Loca” by Ricky Martin“Maria” by TKA“Tequila” by the Champs“Hot Hot Hot” by Buster Poindexter“Tarantella” by Chuck Mangione“Kokomo” by the Beach BoysREAL Latin artists include Marc Anthony, most Ricky Martin, some Enrique Iglesias, Celia Cruz, Frankie Ruiz, Tito Rojas, Frankie Negron, Manny Manuel, most newer Gloria Estefan and Jon Secada, and so many more. It’s all about the beat. Did you know the “The Macarena” was actually a modified rumba beat? And Miami Sound Machine’s “Conga” is a mambo? Latin music has been all around us for years in a subtle manner. Until now in the U.S., it hasn’t pronounced itself as “Latin music.” Record companies have always disguised it as something else as an effort to fit in to the fickle American mainstream.Just like Rock n’ Roll has subcategories such as Grunge, Metal, Alternative, Punk, Classic, Gothic, Light and more, Latin music too has broken off into several subcategories. Here are a few of them for you to digest:MariachiCumbiasTangosBolerosCha ChasBossa NovaBachatasSambaMambosRumbasFlamencoQuebraditasAll these sub-genres have unique origins, and they tend to appeal to the descendants of the countries that spawned the sub-genres. Brazilians who have migrated to America prefer sambas, while Cuban Americans tend to prefer mambos. Mexican Americans dig Tex Mex and quebraditas while Columbian Americans groove to cumbias. Puerto Ricans dance to salsa, merengue and bachatas. Geographically in the US, there are individual areas where some types of Latin music are more popular than others. New York and Miami are known for their salsa influence. Philadelphia pulls more of a merengue and bachata crowd. The west coast tends to prefer Tex Mex and quebraditas because most of their Hispanic heritage hails from Mexico. In the Northeastern United States, there are two main categories of Latin music that account for about 95% of the Latin music DJs play at parties, nightclubs or weddings; Salsa and Merengue.So you’ve got a daunting task in front of you. Don’t worry, it will all start to make sense soon. If you can master the genres that apply to your geographic area, you’ll be ready for almost anything.SalsaUnfortunately, if you some DJs what Salsa is, they’ll reply “isn’t it that stuff that Mexican restaurants give you with nacho chips?” Salsa was the hottest segment of Latin music from our nightclub experience in the Philadelphia area. Today’s hot salsa artists include artists like Marc Anthony and India. Salsa music is rich in layered horns, trombones, keyboards and various types of pronounced Latin percussion. It has an unmistakable beat that you must hear to understand. The smooth rhythms and melodic flow of this music seem to be a prelude to making love on the dance floor.Here’s a list some great Salsa songs compiled by one of Philadelphia’s leading Latin DJs, DJ Jose Miguel. I tried to get him to limit his list to “the top ten songs that he guaranteed would pack any Latin dance floor,” but he found it impossible to do so. Jose Miguel notes that although these are all great songs, some may be classified as Mambos rather than Salsa songs. But you can Salsa to a Mambo, and playing Mambos will score you some major points with your older customers.1. Adolescent's Orquesta - Arrepentida2. Celia Cruz - La Vida Es Un Carnival3. Charlie Cruz - Bombon de Azucar4. El Gran Combo - Me Libre5. El Gran Combo - Que Me Lo Den en Bida6. Frankie Negron - Una Gota de Lluvia7. Frankie Ruiz - Mirandote8. George Lamond - Que Te Vas9. Gilberto Santa Rosa - Que Se lo Lleve el Rio10. Gloria Estefan - Mi Tierra11. Hector Lavoe - El Cantante12. India - Ese Hombre13. Kevin Ceballo - Como Fue Capaz14. Luis Damon - Se Nos Acabo el Amor15. Marc Anthony - Nadie Como Ella16. Marc Anthony & Jennifer Lopez - No Me Ames17. Marc Anthony y India - Vivir lo Nuestro18. Oscar D’Leon - Deja Que te Quiera19. Pedro Congo y Su Orquestra - Donde Estas20. Puerto Rican Power - Tu Carinito21. Tito Nieves - Mas22. Victor Manuelle - Volveras23. Willie Colon - Todo Tiene Su Final24. Willie Rosario featuring Gilberto Santa Rosa - El Apartamento25. Willie Rosario featuring Tony Vega - Juntos de NuevoKeep in mind that Salsa dancers get all crazy if you end a song early, before its natural end. They seem to prefer a space between songs so they can finish their dance routines completely. Forget beatmixing your Salsa sets - just enjoy the music.MerengueMerengue is gaining steam in today’s clubs with artists such as Elvis Crespo becoming mainstream. Traditional merengue songs are usually in the neighborhood of about 130-160 beats per minute. People are MOVING when dancing merengue! Today’s merengue has a big-band sound that’s reminiscent of salsa music, using heavy saxophones and horns. It’s got a very fast thumping 1-2-3-4 bass drum beat that you just can’t miss.DJ Jose Miguel says this is a dance that is much easier to learn than a salsa, probably helping to increase its popularity. Here’s a list some great Merengue songs compiled by various Latin DJs:1. Angie Martinez - Live at Jimmy’s2. Elvis Crespo - Suavemente3. Fulanito - Guallando4. Fulantio - El Padrino5. Grupo Mania - Linda Eh6. Grupo Mania - Me Miras y Te Miro7. Los Sabrosos del Merengue - Chiquilla Bonita8. Manny Manuel - En Las Nubes9. Oro Solido - La Merena10. Wilfredo Vargas - El AfricanoOther popular Latin dance music.Boleros are the slower, romantic Latin songs similar to our top-40 ballads. These songs have been rich in guitar and melodies since the 1950s. Popular bolero artists include Luis Miguel, Julio Iglesias, and Jose Feliciano. Boleros are much more popular at weddings, as slow songs are in American weddings.The Cumbia (pronounced “COOM-bee-yah”) comes from Columbia. It is reminiscent of the Lambada type dancing that was popular in the late 1980s. It’s a little slower than salsa and the movements are smooth and rhythmic. The basic step goes from side to side, like a combination of a Lambada and a slow merengue. Cumbias range from 100-120 beats per minute.The Bachata (pronounced “bah-CHA-tah”) is danced almost the same way a merengue is danced, except the bachata is a two-step dance while the merengue is a one step side to side. It’s hard to tell the difference between the beats of a bachata and a merengue song. The distinguishing feature of a bachata is the presence of a certain guitar sound. Bachatas can be fast like merengues, ranging from 130-160 beats per minute.The Rumba started in Cuba in the 19th century. The Rumba came to the US around 1930 as a mix of the original rumba and other Cuban dances popular at that time. The music emphasizes the movement of the bodies rather than the feet, especially the hips. Rumbas are a little more moderately paced, usually from 110 to about 130 beats per minute.The Cha Cha was big in the 1950s with artists like Perez Prado, Bény More, Tito Puentes, and Tito Rodriguez on the charts. These are still huge at weddings! The cha-cha inherited sounds from the Cuban rumba and mambo, but differentiates itself by incorporating a double beat on the three count. Cha Chas run anywhere from about 90 to 120 beats per minute.Mambo was salsa’s predecessor. The Mambo dance originated in Cuba and is attributed to Perez Prado who introduced it at nightclub in Havana somewhere around the early 1940s. Popular Mambo songs include "Guantanamera,” “Cuban Pete,” “Mambo #8,” and “Ran Kan Kan.” Many of these songs can be found on the Mambo Kings soundtrack. At the time of this writing, Lou Bega’s “Mambo No. 5” is screaming up the charts all over the world. A remix of a former classic mambo song, this one’s even got its own line dance. Due to the popularity of mambos in the 1940s and 1950s, you’ll find yourself being asked for mambos at weddings by baby boomers and their parents. Mambos range widely from 110 all the way to 150 beats per minute. Jose Miguel says that the mambo is one of the most difficult dances to learn. One of the other great contributions of the mambo is that it led to the development of the Cha-Cha.Helped in part by the efforts of artists such as Linda Ronstadt, the Mariachi movement in the United States is still strong and growing. You’re most likely to hear Mariachi music at weddings, social functions, and at Mexican restaurants. Mariachi is the national sound of the Mexican cowboy. The music has native roots drawn from Spanish, French, German and African influences. You can hear bits of polka, waltzes and other styles in some of the songs. Mariachi groups feature stringed instruments distinct to the music.The Quebradita (pronounced “Kay-bra-DEET-ah”) is a high energy heavy-duty Spanish rock n’ roll sound with that Mexican type yelling that’s become popular in movies portraying Mexico in the 1960s. This explains its popularity with teenagers, because you need a whole bunch of energy to dance to these. The tempo is way high - anywhere from 150-200 beats per minute. It’s usually done with couples dancing together with a lot of stomping. Quebraditas were formed by mixing the traditional cumbia and mixing break dancing and moves from the some American fifties dances. It’s not uncommon to see very quick and dangerous movements, including flipping the female partner in the air! Quebraditas are very popular in the southern and southwestern parts of the United States.The Tex-Mex Sound hails from the same areas as quebraditas. The music resembles a pop-rock sound with a bit of influence from waltzes and polkas. It’s more of a rhythmic type dance than the quebraditas. People usually dance in groups similar to country line dances. Selena and Los Lobos were instrumental in bringing this type of music to American mainstream audiences.Tangos came from Argentina in about the 1930s. It’s basically a ballroom dance that takes years of practice to learn. Chances are that older people who want to show off may ask you to play a tango at a wedding. One of the most famous tangoes is called “La Cumparsita.”Samba is a musical form that has its origins in Brazil. It’s influenced by rhythms brought over to that country by West African slaves as well as the native rhythms of South American Indians and the Portuguese. “The Lambada” and “Ritmo de la Noche” are two of the more famous sambas. Tempos vary widely, anywhere from 120-180 beats per minute.Latin House is mostly remixes of bolero and merengue songs turned into American house or club music. In the second half of the eighties, many artists released house records both in English and Spanish. "Break 4 Love" by Raze is a good example of this, with both versions appearing on the extended 12” single. In the early 1990s, some dude brought us some killer white label Latin house tracks from Italy called “Sueño Latino” by Sueño Latino and “Hazme Soñar” by Morenas. These two songs tore up the dance floor all over Philly and New Jersey. At about the same time, a remix of Barry Manilow’s “Copacabana” came out and became an instant club classic. The late 1990s saw hits by New York's Proyecto Uno, who combined house and merengue in their songs.