Everybody Dance Now

Earlier this week, a co-worker got a song stuck in my head. Actually, just a chorus, since that’s all I could remember. The resulting resurgence of mid-to-late-80s hip-hop memories has been disturbing, on one hand, but a hell of a lot of fun on the other.

Last night, I fired up Ye Olde SoulSeek P2P client to see what I could find. Amongst other gems of non-hip-hop-ness, I gathered enough songs to combine with the few staples already in my library in order to start the following “Hip-Hop / Dance” playlist:

hip-hop playlist

Granted, the list is still small, and a couple of the songs are from the 2000’s, and one or two of them are more dance than hip-hop. I’m still working on it, though, and I need your assistance.

I’m working on locating I’ve downloaded “Pump Up The Jam” by Technotronic tonight — after that, though, I’ll need to sift through the Billboard Top 100 from 1986 to 1991 or so to find the songs I need. I’d rather have your suggestions first. I’m trying to focus on hip-hop and dance-pop music from 1986 or 1987 through 1991 or 1992. (That’s when I finally found friends who helped me hone my musical taste from the standard Top 40 to “progressive alternative,” like The Cure and Depeche Mode and their ilk.)

So, think back to the all-night skate, or the junior-high dance, Dance Party USA, or the clock-radio in your room, and hit me with some good hip-hop tunes that I’ll be almost embarrassed to admit that I used to totally love.

4 thoughts on Everybody Dance Now

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  1. omg. 2 tunes from jr high that come to mind:
    If I Had No Loot – Tony! Toni! Tone!

    All 4 Love – Color Me Badd

    the latter of which is on a mix cd in my car and it’s my guiltiest pleasure to crank it with my windows *up* because i’m secretly shamed that i love it so much 😛

    O GIRL I THINK I LOVE YA
    I’M ALWAYS THINKIN OF YA.
    ‘N I WANT YOU TO KNOW I DO IT
    AAALL FOR LOOOVE.

    😀

  2. Tell It To My Heart – Taylor Dayne
    Let The Music Play – Shannon
    My Prerogative – Bobby Brown
    If I Ever Fall In Love – Shai (maybe 1992-ish)
    Humpty Dance – Digital Underground
    Buffalo Stance – Neneh Cherry
    Naughty Girls (Need Love Too) – Samantha Fox

    Some of those are more on the dancier side. I’ll try to think of some more (and thank Fries for introducing me to bands with guitars).

  3. Hi Di,

    Man, some of those songs have me cracking up. What about ‘Just a Friend’ by Biz Markie (Oh baby u, u got what I need, but you say he’s just a friend…). Or, maybe Busta Move (artist escapes me now)…(This here’s a cheer for all the fellas try to do what those ladies tell us, get shot down cuz u over zealous, play hard to get females get jealous… Ok, I admit that I know this by heart because I got just a bit drunk at a work Christmas party and sang it. 🙂

  4. Awesome suggestions! I’ll go find those on the magical intarwebs and post an updated playlist later on. Thanks!

    Heather – Wow. I don’t think I *ever* knew all the words to Bust a Move. That’s impressive. 😀