Where My Party People At?! An All-Star House Party Music Mix!

by Kari Tervo

Hey Pop Culture Beasties! Who wants to party?! I want to party! You want to party! We want to party! Let's party!

To party, we need a great house party music mix!

I tend towards EDM events these days for my music enjoyment, but I threw a certified bash for the Fourth of July in 2008. Well, by my standards. I invited 20 people, and 50 showed up. There were fireworks from a cool vantage point (accompanied by the Kiss version of the national anthem), many foods and drinks, unexpected actors passed out on the floor, and grown men throwing Pop Its in each others' faces! I even had a freaking pinata.

Photo Credit: Matt Carpenter

But what's all of that without a great soundtrack? Would any awesome even happen without one? When I go to a party, I love party music. You know, those songs pretty much everyone loves and can sing along to, or get a good groove going on. So when it came time to decide on music for my party, I thought about all the songs I love to sing along and dance to when I'm in a party mood.

People loved the mix! Walking through the room, I'd be hearing, "omg! I love this song!" People were dancing on the patio. But this was 2008! Would my mix stand the test of time? I recently unearthed those party mix CDs, and was really excited to find they're still mostly great. So, I want to share my list with you as inspiration for your own party mixes! 

CLICK RAWR TO UNLOCK A TREASURE CHEST OF AUDITORY PARTY FAVORS!

Here we go! I've picked a few out for you to listen to as you read. Feel that party flavor!

Mr. Brownstone--Guns N Roses

Need You Tonight--INXS
I Kissed A Girl--Katy Perry
One Nation Under A Groove--George Clinton
Suck My Kiss--Red Hot Chili Peppers
Better Faster Stronger—Kanye West/Daft Punk
Tainted Love—Soft Cell
Four Minutes--Madonna
American Boy--Estelle/Kanye West
Boogie Nights--Heatwave

Heatwave: Boogie Nights. 

A great party song, and one of the most 

hilarious and wonderful videos I've seen.

Blister in the Sun--Violent Femmes
Let's Get It Started--Black Eyed Peas
Crazy Little Thing Called Love--Queen
Don't Stop Til You Get Enough—Michael Jackson
Hey Ya!--Outkast
Ignition Remix—R. Kelly
Kickstart My Heart—Motley Crue
Are You Gonna Go My Way—Lenny Kravitz

Love Shack—B52s 

R. Kelly: Ignition Remix. 
Bounce bounce bounce!

Golddigger—Kanye West I'd go with the radio edit, unless you want your party peppered with n-bombs.

Hey Baby—Gwen Stefani

Move Shake Drop—Pitbull/Flo Rida/DJ Laz

Where My Party People At? –Black Eyed Peas We're making a party music mix!

I Wanna Be Sedated—Ramones

Party Like A Rockstar—Party Boyz

Groove Is In The Heart—Deee-Lite

Rock This Town—Stray Cats

Bang on the Drum All Day—Todd Rundgren

Free Fallin’ –Tom Petty

Brown Eyed Girl—Van Morrison

In Da Club—50 Cent

Toxic—Britney Spears

Britney Spears: Toxic. 

Need party favors? Play this, and in 6 years, 

two of your party-goers will have a first grader. 

The ultimate souvenir!

Nobody Walks In LA--Missing Persons A must-have for your Los Angeles house party mix.

Ring of Fire—Johnny Cash

Shake It Up—Cars

Brick House—The Commodores

Drop It Like It’s Hot—Snoop Dogg Again, radio edit suggested. I like to say, "When a scissor get an attitude. . ."

Proud Mary--Creedence Clearwater Revival

100% Pure Love—Crystal Waters

Talk Dirty To Me—Poison

Pump It Up—Elvis Costello

Poison: Talk Dirty To Me.

You know, I never seen you look so good. 
 

Rockafella Skank--Fatboy Slim Get the radio edit--the album version has a repetitive part not good for a house party vibe.

Low--Flo Rida

Crazy--Gnarls Barkley I think this was a bad choice for a party mix, but it was a popular groove at the time

Clint Eastwood--Gorillaz

Barracuda--Heart

Add It Up--Violent Femmes

Don't Stop the Music--Rihanna.

 Rihanna: Don't Stop the Music.

Dance dance dance!

Fantastic Voyage--Coolio

Sweet Home Alabama--Lynyrd Skynryd In retrospect, I think a Black Crowes tune would have done the great bar song duty here.

Real Wild Child--Iggy Pop

Don't Stop Believin'--Journey This was BEFORE Glee

Low Rider--War

Man! I Feel Like A Woman--Shania Twain.

Sexy Back--Justin Timberlake.

Bad to the Bone--George Thorogood

Get Down Tonight--K.C. & The Sunshine Band

Smile--Lily Allen

The Joker--Steve Miller Band

1-2-3-4--Coolio N-word alert! There's a clean edit.

Shania Twain: Man! I Feel Like A Woman

Get a little outta line!

Got to Be Startin' Something--Michael Jackson

Hey Baby--Gwen Stefani

Bust A Move--Young MC

Livin' On A Prayer--Bon Jovi

Push It--Salt N Pepa

This mix lasts approximately five hours, which means you won't have to worry about fussing with the music while you have fun with your guests.

What do you think of this party music mix? Please share what songs you would have on your own party soundtrack!

EDIT: I should have added "Livin' On the Edge" by Aerosmith. It's passionate and party-friendly!

EDIT TWO: At the wind-down, Virtual Insanity by Jamiroquai should be there. But even without, there will be dancing and canoodling and still some kettle chips.