School dances are all about letting loose and having fun, so jamming out to great music can make or break the dance experience.

With homecoming dances happening across the country, it’s time to take a look at the top 10 songs that must be played at every school dance.

10. Love Sosa (Chief Keef)

When it comes to legendary song intros, Love Sosa is the first song that comes to mind. Despite its legendary intro; however, this song is the perfect choice to end off any dance. Chief Keef does an amazing job captivating listeners as soon as the song begins, before following up with a perfect beat drop. Many students are sure to know the lyrics as well, as Love Sosa has over 600 million total streams on spotify and just shy of 500 thousand every day. The song is considered one of the most influential to the rap community since its release in 2012, as it introduced the “trap” genre to the music community. Since 2012, artists such as Future, Migos, and 21 Savage have taken Chief Keef’s influence to the next level. Overall, this song is the perfect closer to any dance and is sure to get the students dancing one last time. 

9. DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love (USHER ft. Pitbull)

An old school club banger, DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love will attract all ages onto the dance floor to jump up and down to the beat. USHER starts off the song with beautiful and upbeat lyrics before reaching the hook where he sings “Yeah, baby, tonight the DJ got us fallin’ in love again…” Then, Pitbull enters and adds more energy to an already bumping song. This song is also perfect if you and your date looking to dance together as it sings about falling in love. DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love is the perfect double edged sword for any dance as it caters towards people wanting to have fun with their friends or couples looking to enjoy a song together.

8. Family Ties (Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar)

As soon as you hear the trumpets sound in the background, you know Family Ties is being played over the loud speakers. Releasing in 2021, Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar collaborated for the first time, making the biggest hit of either of their careers. They collaborated for four minutes and twelve seconds of pure energy and excitement. In the last five years, there is no better song to jump and scream to than Family Ties. The beat switch in the middle of the song just adds energy and build up for Lamar’s verse. It’s safe to say that if you enjoy rap music, you will enjoy jumping and dancing to Family Ties.

7. Mo Bamba (Sheck Wes)

Releasing in 2018, Mo Bamba may be the most hype and exciting rap song of all time. As soon as students hear the beat, they are sure to get on their feet and start raging to the music. Sheck Wes wrote this song in high school for longtime friend and current NBA player Mohamed Bamba after Bamba asked if his name could be thrown in a verse. A week later, he received the audio file for Mo Bamba which immediately became a massive hit. Bamba did an interview with Bleacher Report not too long after the song was released and said, “I’m known more for that song than my basketball career, which is crazy to me.” To give perspective, Bamba was the sixth pick in the NBA draft, which gives credit to how big the song has become and how well known it is amongst students.

Sheck Wes performing Mo Bamba in 2018 at the Astroworld Festival

6. Beautiful Girls (Sean Kingston)

When it comes to a slow dance song, there is no better choice than Sean Kingston’s Beautiful Girls. The song, which was released in 2007, samples the classic song Stand by Me, and certainly lived up to the standard. It was also the debut single of Kingston’s career, making it one of the most popular debut singles of all time with over 1 billion views on YouTube. Kingston’s unique vocals work perfectly with the vibe of the song, giving it a slow and easy sound. Although the song’s lyrics are sad, the vibe of the song is just the opposite and matches the energy of any dance atmosphere perfectly.

5. Buy U a Drank (T-Pain ft. Yung Joc)

T-Pain’s Buy U a Drank helped introduce a whole new style of rap music, Auto-Tune. This song was first released for the club atmosphere, and peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, but has since become a part of something much greater. Buy U a Drank set the stage for other rappers to embrace the style of Auto-Tune such as Travis Scott and Lil Wayne. Nevertheless, this song is still a beautiful combination of slow melody singing and up tempo rap. This song is perfect for dances because it gives off good vibes and expresses the need to let loose and have fun.

4. Crank Dat (Soulja Boy)

At just 17 years old, Soulja Boy released his hit song Crank Dat, which spent seven weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was the number 21 song on Rolling Stone Magazine’s top 100 songs of 2007. When it comes to songs meant to dance to, there is none better than Crank Dat. After the release of Crank Dat, Soulja Boy reposted a video of three teenagers doing a dance to his new song on his MySpace page, and it became a hit instantly. More than 16 years later, the dance is still one of the most known across the globe. If any school dance is in need of a pure dance song, there is no better choice than Crank Dat.

3. Dreams and Nightmares (Meek Mill)

An anthem for the entire city of Philadelphia, Dreams and Nightmares by Meek Mill adds the perfect amount of rage and thrill that any dance needs. This song also has very well known lyrics, which will add participation from the dancers. The beat and distinct sound of Mill’s voice help build immediate tension and excitement, which is a sign of things to come. His song also speaks of embracing the good with the bad (per the name dreams and nightmares), which is an idea everyone can relate to. This song is perfect to rebuild up energy after a slow dance and is sure to get everyone back on the dance floor.

Meek Mill performing Dreams and Nightmares at the 2013 BET Awards

2. Party in the U.S.A. (Miley Cyrus)

One of the most well known songs in music history with 6.3 million copies sold and 1.1 billion official streams in the United States alone, Party in the U.S.A. is sure to get boys and girls in the dance jumping. Party in the U.S.A is so high on this list because just about everyone knows the lyrics. There is something captivating about the hook, “It’s a party in the U.S.A” that can turn even adults into little kids as they sing at the top of their lungs. Party in the U.S.A. has also made a huge cultural impact in the United States as a comfort song and a reminder of good times. Cyrus herself has spoken about the cultural impacts the song has on all generations of Americans. “I wanted to make a song that would make me and everybody else feel good about where we’re from. I think it’s important when you’re younger to remember where you’re from and appreciate all the things that your town or your city has to offer.” Overall, this song describes perfectly what it means to be American and is an absolute hit for any school dance. 

1. Get Low (Lil Jon & Eastside Boyz ft. Ying Yang Twins)

Get Low, which first released in 2003, is most known for its catchy beat and vibrant energy. The song became a massive hit instantly and is one of the most classic dance anthems. It has since peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The song is all about having a wildly good time, embracing unapologetic behavior, and living life to the fullest. Lil Jon propelled his career thanks to this song and became one of the most prominent rappers of the early 2000s. The features by the Ying Yang Twins and Eastside Boyz also add incredible energy to the song. When this song plays, the masses drop their conversations and flock to the dance floor as an excuse to dance with their date and have a good time. This song is sure to kick off the dance in a thrilling way, as many know the lyrics to this song, or at least the hook “to the window, to the wall…”