Music has this strange way of sneaking into your head and influencing your moods and behaviors. Music is an important aspect of a family reunion, and can really help keep people from sitting on their bums in a state of boredom. You can even get your 80 year old grandmother up and doing the twist is you play the right songs!
Tips for Selecting Songs
What songs are the right songs to play? Here are some tips for selecting family reunion music:
- Age groups: Remember how we talked about grandma? Well, you really should consider playing at least a couple of songs from when they were youngins! Be sure to play an even mix of songs for all ages.
- Genres: Don’t be afraid to mix the playlist up with different genres. There is bound to be a fan somewhere in the crowd, right? Right.
- Activities: Play songs during activities that are appropriate for that activity or game. If you were planning on doing the Hokey Pokey with the kids, better not try it acapella! Well, unless you want to do the Hokey Pokey by yourself…
- Popular hits: Play popular hit songs from all different eras; everyone will be familiar with these timeless songs no matter how old or young they are.
If you need some example playlists, I can help with that! Here are some songs that you might not want to miss in your family reunion music, categorized:
Classic Favorites:
Who doesn’t love some good classic rock and roll!
- Lynyrd Skynyrd – Gimme Three Steps
- Lynyrd Skynyrd – Free Bird
- Lynyrd Skynyrd – Simple man
- Journey – Anyway You Want It
- Journey – Don’t Stop Believin’
- The Eagles – Take It to the Limit
- The Eagles – Take It Easy
- The Eagles – Hotel California
- The Doors – Light My Fire
- The Doors – Break on Through
Children’s Favorites:
Since there is so many variations of each song, it’s up to you to choose the ones you like the most for your playlist.
- BINGO song
- The Wheels on the Bus
- Hokey Pokey
- The Chicken Dance
- This Little Light of Mine
- Jesus Loves Me
- If You’re Happy and You Know It
- On Top of Old Smokey
- The Farmer in the Dell
- London Bridge is Falling Down
Fun Dance Favorites:
Like the children’s favorites, some of these have many versions to choose from.
- Mark Ronson – Uptown Funk
- Daft Punk – One More Time
- Deee-Lite – Groove is in the Heart
- Madonna – Vogue
- DJ Casper – Cha Cha Slide
- Marcia Griffiths – Electric Boogie (Electric Slide)
- Michael Jackson – Thriller
- The Beatles – Twist and Shout
- C&C Music Factory – Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)
- Chic – Le Freak
Favorite Country Songs:
Gotta Country-lovin’ Southern family? This is the perfect playlist for your honky-tonk hoedown!
- Garth Brooks – Two Pina Coladas
- Garth Brooks – The Dance
- Shania Twain – Honey, I’m Home!
- Billy Ray Cyrus – Achy Breaky Heart
- Faith Hill – Breathe
- Charlie Daniels – Devil Went Down to Georgia
- Reba McEntire – Fancy
- Lonestar – Amazed
- Johnny Cash – Ring of Fire
- Dixie Chicks – Wide Open Spaces
With these sample playlists of family reunion music, your family will definitely have a great time. The best part is, they will tie memories to the songs you choose, so when they hear them later on, they will reminisce of the great time they had at the family reunion!
