Top 10 Songs To Leave Out Of Your Wedding Reception

By Neph Basedow Fri., Jun. 24 2011 at 3:05 PM

'Tis the summer season for tying the knot. But curse the occasion for creating the ultimate breeding ground for bad music - wedding receptions. It's one thing to unplug the jukebox in an act of defiance or flee a venue playing bad songs (I've done all of the above), but one doesn't exactly have those options when attending your friends' formal celebration of their love.

Unless you don't mind being the reception's token drunk asshole. Every wedding has one.

While I maintain the soundtrack to my wedding reception will be as simply orchestrated as: "Step 1. Connect iPod; Step 2. Choose 'Shuffle,'" there are some songs that should be filed under "wedding no-nos." Future brides and grooms, for the sake of your wedding guests, please 86 these ten tracks from your reception playlist.

10. "John Mayer, "Daughters": While I (sort of) understand the initial, on-paper appeal of this song for a father-daughter dance (by someone who actually likes John Mayer), please consider the creepiness of its lyrics before choosing it.

9. Katy Perry, "I Kissed a Girl": For obvious reasons. I mean, have you considered what your brand-new in-laws are thinking come chorus-time?

8. Wilson Pickett, "Mustang Sally": I don't really understand why this song is played at so many weddings, but it seems to be. This song only belongs on jukeboxes in bars I hope to never be in.

7. Van Morrison, "Brown Eyed Girl": It's a good, fun song, and I myself have brown eyes, but so do half of the women in the world; I wouldn't expect blue-eyed brides to play Velvet Underground's "Pale Blue Eyes." It loses novelty when played ad nauseum. Plus, it's too literal-- and not in a Billy Idol "White Wedding" kind of way, because that song was actually written for his sister.

Tags:

Beyonce, Eric Clapton, Katy Perry, Marvin Gaye, weddings

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Jeff

1 Like

A good friend of mine has DJ'ed weddings for years. I even filled in for him a number of times. He had a list of what he referred to as "big guns" because of their ability to liven up even the most uninterested crowd and #1 on that list was YMCA. People, for some God-awful reason, love it and they will dance to it every time.

Worse than typically lame choices, however, is when a bride and groom are insistant that you only play the music they want and the playlist is filled with obscure music they love but no one else has ever heard of. Those receptions are over within 20 minutes of dinner being eaten.

Neph Basedow

Maybe "YMCA" is a big-gun because it's always played near the end of the reception, and we're all nice and drunk by then.

christinalynnhildebr

I would also add on there "Ready to run" by the dixie chicks

Evan

Luckily, my own wedding will be nothing but Rush.Spoiler alert: I will never get married.

Neph Basedow

It seems my Facebook commenters have elected Kool & the Gang's "Celebrate Good Times" as an honorable mention to the list.

Andrea

Someone I may or may not be married to requested Wasted Days & Wasted Nights during a friend's wedding reception. Yeah, it would have been awkward no matter what, but when the DJ selected it for the last song ... Sadly, my friend's marriage did not last. I still have the totebag from the wedding weekend, however, and use it for groceries.

Stephen D. Hagdorn Jr.

"You Look So Good In Love" by George Strait. Unless you invited your ex to your wedding, there is no need to play this song.

BucketofStars

"No One's Gonna Love You" by Band of Horses. Yes, chorus is fitting, sounds pretty. Have you listened to the rest of the lyrics, people? Whoops. Yes, let's have our first dance to the words "But someone,They could have warned you/ when things start splitting at the seams and now/ the whole thing's tumbling down..."

AlexanderF

1 Like

Never understood selecting The Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody", it just brings to mind their bigger hit "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"

And those that add Green Day's "Time of Your Life" to the playlist don't seem to understand the lyrics. Why not just play Madonna's "Till Death Do Us Part" or Talking Heads "Once In A Lifetime" if going by titles?

Neph Basedow

Good call/s, Alex. I think Chris mentioned "Unchained Melody" as well. I, however, have no beef with that song, so long as there's a pottery wheel nearby...

seckybott

"Not to mention, it's just a terrible song." AGREED.

JensenLee

Maybe “Mustang Sally” is so popular at weddings because it was written and first recorded in 1965 by R&B great Sir Mack Rice (sorry). The song does have an interesting history. Its title was “Mustang Mama” until Rice played it for Aretha Franklin, who suggested “Mustang Sally.” On Rockaeology at http://bit.ly/gMVk6t Rice says that Pickett, a last-minute replacement for Clyde McPhatter, covered the song after hearing Rice sing it at the Apollo theater.