Best Disco Songs For Weddings

Last updated Jan 19, 2024

ListCaboodle is proud to present this playlist of the best disco songs for weddings and receptions.

Take a spin through this list to find your favorite dance selections for your event. These songs are guaranteed to get your guests up and grooving on the dance floor!

Get down tonight: The best dance songs for weddings, receptions

The disco era began in the early 1970s and lasted until the early 1980s when its mainstream popularity began to fade. Its name derives from ‘discotheque’ which is a dance club.

Many popular artists of the time dipped their toes into the disco pool, resulting in some of their biggest hits and best dance songs. Here are some of our favorites.

1. “Hot Stuff” by Donna Summer

Album: Bad Girls
Year: 1979

Donna Summer is known as “The Queen of Disco” for her significant contributions to the disco era. During the 1970s and ‘80s, she scored 42 hit singles, 14 of which reached the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100.

Summer pulled off the steamy lyrics of her hit song “Hot Stuff” by pretending to be something she was not — a bad girl. According to her husband, she drew on her acting abilities to play the role and bring the song to life.

“Hot Stuff” became Summer’s second #1 hit after “MacArthur Park.”

2. “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees

Album: Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack
Year: 1977

The epitome of disco cool is expressed in the falsetto vibe of the Brothers Gibb—the Bee Gees. And more than any Bee Gee’s song, “Stayin’ Alive” is sure to get people up out of their seats and moving on the dance floor.

The song provides the disco vibe to the opening scene of the blockbuster movie “Saturday Night Fever,” with John Travolta confidently walking down New York City’s 86th Street. With 1970s swagger, he struts to the immediately recognizable guitar riff and dance beat that is repeated throughout the song.

“Stayin’ Alive” is one of four #1 hits from the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack. The record also won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

3. “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire

Album: September
Year: 1978

If your wedding is in the month of September, this song is a no-brainer selection for your playlist! (Especially if the wedding falls on the 21st of the month, as the opening lyrics sung by Maurice White include the date, the “21st night of September”.)

Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September” is full of the positive energy and a catchy groove that makes people happy when they hear it — always a good choice for wedding receptions.

The group’s signature disco song reached #1 on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart in the U.S.

4. “Get Down Tonight” by KC and the Sunshine Band

Album: KC and the Sunshine Band
Year: 1975

In the 1970s a KC and the Sunshine Band record on the turntable elevated any party to a discotheque. To millions of fans, their iconic songs represent the disco era of the 1970s.

By 1975 the band’s funky sound became popular in dance clubs and on the radio, featuring a heavy dose of their signature keyboard sound and vocals by Harry Wayne Casey. (The band’s name comes from Casey’s last name “KC” and the Sunshine State of Florida, their home state.)

“Get Down Tonight” is the band’s first #1 hit (along with four others) on the Billboard Hot 100.

5. “Le Freak” by Chic

Album: C’est Chic
Year: 1978

As the story goes, this song is inspired by its songwriters’ experience of being rejected from entering Studio 54 on New Year’s Eve in 1977.

Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards were about to enter the exclusive New York City club when a bouncer turned them away, not believing who they claimed to be.

Rightfully ticked off, the two proceeded to write this song, “Le Freak,” with the original opening line “aaa (bleep) off!” as an angry retort to the doorman. When cooler heads prevailed, the line became “aaa freak out!” in final production.

“Le Freak” sold more than six million copies and landed in the #1 spot on the U.S. charts.

6. “Celebration” by Kool & the Gang

Album: Celebrate!
Year: 1981

Kool & the Gang’s good-times anthem “Celebration” is an excellent choice for any dance party, including weddings to graduations.

The band’s sax player Ronald Bell (a.k.a. Khalis Bayyan) explained the song’s origin in a Billboard interview. “The initial idea came from reading the Q’uran,” he said. “I was reading the passage where God was creating Adam, and the angels were celebrating and singing praises. That inspired me to write the basic chords and the line, ‘Everyone around the world, come on, let’s celebrate.’”

“Celebration” is Kool & the Gang’s only #1 single in the U.S.

Check out the top ten best wedding songs.

7. “Funkytown” by Lipps Inc

Album: Mouth to Mouth
Year: 1979

The one-hit-wonder “Funkytown” was written by songwriter and producer Steven Greenberg as an homage to New York City (at the time he was living in Minneapolis and was longing for the excitement and energy of the Big Apple).

Cynthia Johnson (Miss Black Minnesota from 1976) sings the vocals in this catchy tune from the late disco era.

Lipps Inc’s later releases never matched the popularity of their first hit single, while the band’s lineup changed frequently over the years.

“Funkytown” reached the #1 spot on the U. S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

8. “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough” by Michael Jackson

Album: Off The Wall
Year: 1979

Michael Jackson forged his own sound with this breakout hit. He can even be heard delivering some of his signature squeals throughout the vocals for the first time in a recording.

Producer Quincy Jones enhanced Jackson’s vocal range (nearing a falsetto at times) by overdubbing tracks to create a smooth harmony throughout the song.

Jackson’s siblings Randy and Janet helped their famous brother produce his song too. They can be heard at the beginning of the song performing percussion by tapping drumsticks on bottles.

The song hit #1 on the U.S. charts and earned Jackson his first Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male.

9. “Heart of Glass” by Blondie

Album: Parallel Lines
Year: 1978

Debbie Harry and her boyfriend/bandmate Chris Stein originally wrote “Heart of Glass” with the working title “The Disco Song.”

The pop-punk band Blondie departed from their usual sound with this dance song, often to the chagrin of fans. “Chris always wanted to do disco. We used to do ‘Heart of Glass’ to upset people,” keyboardist Jimmy Destri told Rolling Stone.

The “uncool” disco song (as described by lead singer Debby Harry) scored the band the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S.

10. “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge

Album: We Are Family
Year: 1979

The band members of Sister Sledge are really sisters from the same family and their last name really is Sledge. Makes sense, right?

Their 1979 album was their first record and “We Are Family” was their biggest hit.

Since its release, the song has become an anthem for women’s unity and girl power. It created a connection with fans and strengthened the bond between the sisters, who grew up singing together in Philadelphia.

“We Are Family” rose to #2 in the U.S. on the singles charts.

11. “Upside Down” by Diana Ross

Album: Diana
Year: 1980

Diana Ross turned to the songwriting team of Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of the group Chic for this song. The disco sound of Chic was very popular at the time. “That’s what I want my record to sound like,” she told Billboard magazine.

Several members of the band played instruments behind Ross’ lead vocals for the song, including guitar, drums, keyboards, strings, and backing vocals.

It became her biggest hit as a solo artist and topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, R&B, and Dance charts.

List of best disco songs for weddings A to Z

Looking for more disco songs to play at your wedding reception or special event? Check out the tunes in this list. You can’t go wrong with any of these hits!

Aint No Stopping’ Us Now by McFadden & Whitehead
Bad Girls by Donna Summer
Best Of My Love by The Emotions
Boogie Nights by Heatwave
Boogie Oogie Oogie by A Taste of Honey
Boogie Wonderland by Earth, Wind & Fire
Can’t Get Enough of Your Love by Barry White
Car Wash by Rose Royce
Daddy Cool by Boney M.
Dance, Dance, Dance by Chic
Disco Inferno by The Trampps
Disco Nights by GQ
Don’t Leave Me This Way by Thelma Houston

Best disco songs for weddings, continued

Everybody Dance by Chic
Fire by the Ohio Players
Fly Robin Fly by Silver Convention
Get Up and Boogie – That’s Right by Silver Convention
Good Times by Chic
Got To Give It Up by Marvin Gaye
Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel by Tavares
Hot Stuff by Donna Summer
The Hustle by Van McCoy
I Feel Love by Donna Summer
A Fifth of Beethoven by Walter Murphy
The Groove Line by Heatwave
If I Can’t Have You by Yvonne Elliman
I Love the Nightlife (Disco Round) by Alicia Bridges
I’m So Excited by The Pointer Sisters
I’m Your Boogie Man by KC and the Sunshine Band
I Need Your Lovin’ by Teena Marie
It’s Raining Men by the Weather Girls
I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor

Best disco songs for weddings, continued

Jive Talkin’ by The Bee Gees
Knock On Wood Amii Stewart
Ladies Night by Kool and the Gang
Last Dance by Donna Summer
Let’s Groove by Earth, Wind & Fire
Let It Whip by The Dazz Band
Love Come Down by Evelyn King
Love Machine by Supermax
Love to Love You Baby by Donna Summer
Love Train by The O’Jays
Macho Man by The Village People
More, More, More by Andrea True Connection
More Than A Woman by Tavares
Never Can Say Goodbye by Gloria Gaynor
Night Fever by The Bee Gees
Nights on Broadway by The Bee Gees
On The Radio by Donna Summer

Best disco songs for weddings, continued

Pick Up The Pieces by Average White Band
Play That Funky Music by Wild Cherry
Pull Up the the Bumper by Grace Jones
Ring My Bell by Anita Ward
Rock the Boat by Hues Corporation
The Rubberband Man by The Spinners
Second Time Around by Shalamar
Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) by The Jacksons
Shake Your Groove Thing by Peaches and Herb
(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty by KC and the Sunshine Band
Shame by Evelyn “Champagne” King
She’s a Bad Mama Jama by Carl Carlton
Stomp by Brothers Johnson
Super Freak by Rick James
That’s the Way (I Like It) by KC and the Sunshine Band
Turn the Beat Around by Vicki Sue Robinson
Working My Way Back to You by The Spinners
Y.M.C.A. by The Village People
You Know How To Love Me by Phylis Hyman
You Should Be Dancing by The Bee Gees
You’re the First, the Last, My Everything
You Sexy Thing by Hot Chocolate

We hope you have enjoyed this look at the best disco songs for weddings and other special events. Check out these other interesting musical playlists:

Best Songs With Girl Names in the Title

Best Songs With Boy Names in the Title

The Four Tops Best Songs

By Greg Johnson | Published 1/5/2022