Curating a party playlist that’ll satisfy most people is much harder than it seems: you don’t want to go too mainstream with your music choices–you’ll run the risk of boring everyone–but you also don’t want to go too underground. Otherwise, everyone will just be super confused, and the vibe will be absolutely obliterated (which is a major party foul).
When curating a party playlist, it is absolutely key to try and find that sweet spot in your selections. You want to find songs that are well known enough to vibe to, but not overplayed. Here is my personal ranking of five essential party playlist songs, in order to help you on your path to creating your own party playlist!
Now please, keep in mind that my ranking reflects my personal preferences when it comes to party music. Some of you may not agree with my choices, and that is perfectly okay!
5. “Yeah!” – Usher ft. Lil Jon and Ludacris
“She asks for one more dance, and I’m like, ‘Yeah,’ how the hell am I supposed to leave?”
Starting off at number five, I would have to go with “Yeah!” by Usher. If anyone who knew me from high school is reading this, this should come as no surprise. This song was the unofficial-official anthem of my high school friend group back in the day (we definitely overplayed the heck out of this song, apologies to everyone around us who had to deal with that). We played this song everywhere, even during lunches in our teacher’s classroom (shoutout Mr. Pond for not kicking us out all those times, I apologize for being so obnoxious). Look, what can I say? Usher has, and will always be, an absolute bop. That being said, this song is relatively mainstream. It’s pretty well known, so while it has a good vibe–in my personal opinion–it gets the number five spot.
4. “Cookie Jar” – Gym Class Heroes ft. The-Dream
“Can’t keep my hands, my hands, my hands out the cookie jar”
Taking the fourth spot on my list would have to be “Cookie Jar” by Gym Class Heroes. Okay, listen. LISTEN. I unapologetically love this song with all of my heart. If I ever hear this song play during a party, you best believe that I’ll be front and center screaming every word at the top of my lungs. For me, I associate this song with my absolutely wonderful group of friends in college. They were the first group of people that I ever heard it with, so now it reminds me of them everytime it plays. This song is synonymous with great energy for me. That being said, this song can get overplayed–namely, by me–and its catchy tune can eventually become an annoyance for some. As such, it gets the number four spot on my list.
“And I feel everything, I feel everything from my body to my soul”
You know that music that gives you chills? The music that you can straight up feel reverberating in your bones? Yeah, that’s what this song does to me. I’m on a huge Weeknd kick at the moment (shoutout to my wonderful roommate Katherine for being an influencer, her taste in music is absolutely phenomenal), so this song was absolutely going to make its way onto my playlist recommendations. Something about the lyrics, the beat, and honestly, the overall vibe of the song in itself, appeals to my feral rat energy which I want to let loose. The only reason this song is number three on my list is that it matches a very specific vibe at a party. It’s not just a general consensus song, in my opinion. To truly appreciate it for what it is, you have to be in the specific mood to appreciate the music.
2. “LOKERA” – Rauw Alejandro, Lyanno, Brray
“Ay, ‘toy bien loca, con la nota en high”
Taking the second spot on my list would have to be “LOKERA” by Rauw Alejandro, Lyanno, and Brray. My best friend put me on this song (shoutout Sammie B., I absolutely adore you), and I haven’t looked back since. To be specific, she put me on this song right after I had gone through a rough breakup. This song gave me the exact type of energy I needed at that moment. It immediately made me feel empowered; I felt like the sexiest woman alive, which was an extremely foreign feeling for me at that time. This song is my token “feeling myself” song, so it will always be a necessity for any of my party playlists.
“I’m sorry Ms. Jackson (ooh), I am for real, never meant to make your daughter cry”
Finally, the top spot on my ranking has to go to “Ms. Jackson” by Outkast. I mean, come on now! This song is an absolute classic, an absolute necessity. I have never met one person who doesn’t immediately vibe to this song when it comes on, so it’s a guaranteed people pleaser. As for me personally, I grew up on this type of music. When I was younger, this is what always played on the radio in the car, and in my house on the stereo. I associate this song with dancing around with my family as a kid, so it’ll always hold a special place in my heart. I will never not be happy when I hear “Ms. Jackson”, and that’s just the facts.
I hope my personal party playlist ranking has helped you gain some inspiration for your own party playlist. Good luck on your journey to finding some fun and groovy party tunes!