Oldies But Goodies: Songs That Guests of All Ages Will Love

Each week, we feature wedding music recommendations from Scratch Weddings, the nation's leader with the best wedding DJs at affordable prices. This week's post comes from DJ Dos, a bi-coastal success and is in demand from corporate clients like Macy's and celebrity clients Jennifer Lopez and Tony Hawk. Dos-A's professionalism and unique style help his parties transcend cookie-cutter standards, and bring every event that he touches to the next level. "At weddings, I am channeling the couple's and guests' tastes and feeding it back to them with music they love." And clients love Dos-A's style and selections. He always delivers on his promise to keep his crowd smiling and feet moving all night long.

bride and groom dancing


Photo Credit: Allyson Wiley Photography

As much as I love hearing (and playing) the hottest tracks of today, there’s a timeless element to the classic songs that came out in the 1950s & '60s that a lot of modern music lacks. Growing up as an 80s baby, I was exposed to a lot of this older music when they were reprised in movies and TV shows that I enjoyed as a kid. I had no idea who Tom Jones was until Carlton Banks broke out his now infamous “Carlton Dance” to “It’s Not Unusual” on “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air”. Nor did I know at the time that Eddie Murphy’s Prince Akeem character in “Coming to America” was singing a real song as he roamed the streets of New York madly in love. My inner music nerd later did some research and found out that there was a guy named Jackie Wilson who sang that same awesome song “To Be Loved” in the 1950s.

My appreciation for these older classics can add a nice touch to any wedding, for young and old alike. With these classic retro songs, the older guests can reminisce to when they were attending sock hops at school, while the younger guests might recognize a how an older song like “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” by Etta James is sampled by Avicii in the modern dance hit “Levels.”

Ultimately, these retro songs are a great bridge to bring all generations together to celebrate the wedding couple’s love for each other. And each time this happens when I DJ a wedding, I really believe I have the best job in the world.

Cocktail
► “Come Fly with Me” - Frank Sinatra
► “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” - Etta James
► “To Be Loved” - Jackie Wilson
► “Under the Boardwalk” - The Drifters

Slow
► “Unforgettable” - Nat King Cole
► “The Way You Look Tonight” - Tony Bennett
► “Stand By Me” - Ben E. King
► “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” - Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons

Dance Songs
► “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” – Four Tops
► "It’s Not Unusual” – Tom Jones
► “Shout” – Isley Brothers
► “I’m a Believer” – The Monkees