10 Classic Rock Songs That Make You Want To Dance

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Our “10 Best Classic Rock Songs That Make You Want to Dance” article defines a list of songs that make you want to jump on the dance floor the second you hear the opening beat. That’s the power of a great dance song—you know it instantly. There’s no hesitation, no doubt; if you’re a person who likes to dance, these are 10 songs that will get your juices flowing instantly. Of course, there are hundreds of them, but we tried to stick with the rockers, and these 10 never fail.

# 10 – Dancing With Myself – Billy Idol

We start off this classic rock songs dance list with a great one from Billy Idol. The song “Dancing with Myself” was originally a Gen X song, which was Billy Idol’s first band. However, after he left the group, he remixed the song himself and had a big hit single with it. It would eventually find its way onto his debut album, although it was left off the early issues of the record and then eventually replaced “Congo Man.” “Dancing with Myself” became a big hit for Billy Idol and pretty much introduced him to the rest of the world in 1981.

Read More: Top 10 Billy Idol Songs

# 9 – Footloose – Kenny Loggins

By the early eighties, the disco craze of the mid-70s had faded away, replaced by punk, new wave, and early 80s techno music. However, in 1983, there was a renewed interest in dance music due to movies like Flashdance. Although this was a different style of dance music—more pop-oriented and heavily keyboard-oriented—it wasn’t just dance songs that became very popular; it was also movies about dance. Footloose took it into the mainstream, starring a young Kevin Bacon. Kenny Loggins’ title track song became a massive hit, endearing him to a whole new set of fans that were unfamiliar with his 70s music that he released with his partner, Jim Messina.

Read More: Top 10 Kenny Loggins Songs

# 8 – Old Time Rock And Roll – Bob Seger

Ask anyone who’s ever played in a wedding band or cover band to name one song that always gets the crowd up and dancing, and nine times out of ten, they’ll mention Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock and Roll.” I saw it firsthand myself at all the gigs I played. The crowd would go crazy whenever we played this song, and they wanted us to keep playing it nonstop. Of course, a whole new set of fans became infatuated with this song after Tom Cruise’s appearance singing it in Risky Business. Everyone remembers that scene.

Read More: Our Ten Favorite Bob Seger Albums

# 7 – What I Like About You – The Romantics

Most great rock and roll dance songs consist of only three chords, and The Romantics’ “What I Like About You” is no exception. This fun, happy dance song was released in 1980 on the band’s debut album. The song lit up television on MTV, where it went into heavy rotation, helping the band become a household name for a couple of years. Jimmy Marinos, the band’s drummer, took lead vocals on this one.

Read More: Top 10 Songs From The Romantics

# 6 – Mony Mony – Tommy James and the Shondells

At first, we were going to showcase the Billy Idol version of this classic song. However, since Billy Idol opened up this list with his own classic song “Dancing by Myself,” we decided that the right thing to do would be to showcase Tommy James and the Shondells’ original version of this rip-roaring rock and roll dance tune called “Mony Mony.” The song was originally released in 1968 by Tommy James and his band and went straight to number one on the UK singles charts and number three on the US Billboard Hot 100. Interestingly, Billy Idol’s live version that he released in 1987 went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. But hey, that meant more money for Tommy James who composed the song.

# 5 – Rock And Roll – Led Zeppelin

Most people probably wouldn’t associate Led Zeppelin with dance music. However, Zeppelin’s song “Rock and Roll” is a tribute to all the dance bands of the 1960s—not just the ’60s but also the ’50s, and you can hear it in that opening drum beat that John Bonham paid tribute to from Little Richard’s famous song “Keep a Knocking.” This is pure, basic rock and roll Led Zeppelin style: three chords that get you up on your feet and push you into serious dance mode while playing some air guitar at the same time.

# 4 – Let’s Go Crazy – Prince

There were a lot of Prince songs that we could have put on this list. Prince has delivered some really exceptional, pumping dance music songs throughout his career. “1999” was one that we almost went with, but since we’re trying to aim more toward the rock stuff, we thought “Let’s Go Crazy” was definitely more geared toward that style. Is there any better opening to a rock concert than Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy”? I saw him do it live, and the place just went ballistic. There are people who compare him to James Brown, but I always thought that Prince was in a league of his own. Most people should be compared to Prince, not the other way around.

# 3 – Paradise By The Dashboard Light – Meat Loaf

“This one isn’t just a dance song; it’s an epic, cinematic dance extravaganza. There’s a lot that goes on in this one, and if you’re willing to go along for the ride, you’re going to have a good time—and probably the people watching will too. ‘Paradise by the Dashboard Light’ from Meat Loaf was the highlight of the Bat Out of Hell album. Holy cow, if Phil Rizzuto only knew what he was getting into! Ellen Foley was perfect for this. We wish she had accompanied him on tour, but Karla DeVito did a really nice job on stage. We miss Meat Loaf; he was one of the best.”

Read More: Top 10 Meat Loaf Songs

# 2 – Twist And Shout – The Beatles

As we begin to wind down this classic rock songs dance list, we go all the way back to 1961 with a song written by Phil Medley and Bert Berns called “Twist and Shout.” The song was originally released by a band called The Top Notes that you’ve probably never heard of before. However, just a year later, The Isley Brothers recorded the song, and it became a pretty big hit.

The Isley Brothers’ version would become a top 20 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, which became their first big hit. However, just a couple of years later, in 1963, The Beatles recorded their own version of the song, which became an even bigger hit, reaching number two on the US Billboard Hot 100. Both versions are fantastic, but The Beatles’ rendition is especially compelling, often bringing people to their feet with its infectious energy. John Lennon’s iconic “Twist and Shout” delivery is unmatched, capturing a raw, visceral excitement that few have ever replicated.

# 1 – Tie – Do You Wanna Dance / I Wanna Be Sedated – Ramones

While many people might not associate The Ramones with dance music, the fact is, if you ever saw them in concert and looked around the room, not one person was standing still. Dancing to The Ramones’ music wasn’t your typical type of dancing; it was more about jumping up and down and shaking your head, but that’s what dancing is all about—it’s about movement, joy, and having a good time. Seeing The Ramones in concert was just a phenomenal experience. These guys brought as much high energy as I’ve ever seen.

Two of their most popular songs that got the crowds crazy were “Do You Wanna Dance” and “I Wanna Be Sedated.” Sure, there were so many other great Ramones songs like “Blitzkrieg Bop,” “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School,” and many more, but these two songs were a little extra special and fit so perfectly on this list of the best classic rock dance songs of all time. This is the way to do it, baby—this is the way to end it. Gabba Gabba Hey!

Read More: 11 Essential Ramones Songs