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Summer 2021 was a fantastically sparkling time for weddings and the rest of 2021 looks set to be just as fantastic! Here at Seventh Second we can’t wait to entertain you and all the other patient wedding couples who’ve had their wedding plans disrupted so much. To celebrate the return of weddings, I’ve handpicked the top 25 first dance songs for 2021 so you can choose the perfect song for you. Enjoy!
Just like my guide on the top 10 wedding songs for 2020, I went the extra mile when handpicking these 25 first dance songs. I don’t just look at other peoples lists and copy them, I don’t just have a quick glance at Spotify or YouTube and be done with it. No, in true Seventh Second fashion, I handpick my wedding music list only after doing some serious research so you get the best list possible. I want you to have the best first dance possible so here’s how I handpicked my 25 stunning wedding songs.
It’s been quite the task compiling all this but I think it’s totally worth it. I hope you find it helpful while you plan your dream wedding!
Most first dance lists out there simply list the songs and leave it that. That’s fine but I thought you might appreciate some fun info along with my 25 handpicked wedding songs. You never know, you might find out something new about some of these songs and even the perfect live band to perform the song for you! This is the information I’ll try and include with every first dance choice.
With my scoring for romance, fun and dance difficulty, 1 represents very easy and 10 very hard, simple!
Hopefully you’re feeling excited about your first dance! It’s a magical moment as I know myself and picking the right song is all part of the fun! As well as this list, you should read our ultimate guide on how to pick a first dance song. It’s packed full of amazing tips, tricks and information. First dance heaven is just around the corner!
Here are my 25 handpicked first dance songs for 2021 in no particular order
Shut Up And Dance – Walk The Moon
Superstition – Stevie Wonder
Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You – Frankie Valli
Better Together – Jack Johnson
The Luckiest – Ben Folds
My Girl – The Temptations
How Long Will I Love You – Ellie Goulding
Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran
All Of Me – John Legend
A Thousand Years – Christina Perri
At Last – Etta James
Can’t Help Falling In Love – Elvis
You Are The Best Thing – Ray Lamontagne
Wonderful Tonight – Eric Clapton
Your Song – Elton John
Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol
The One – Kodaline
Stand By Me – Ben E. King
Perfect – Ed Sheeran
I’m Yours – Jason Mraz
Everything – Michael Bublé
You’ve Got The Love – Florence and the Machine
Signed Sealed Delivered – Stevie Wonder
Iris – Goo Goo Dolls
I do love an infographic and sometimes it’s the only way to look at a great list of first dance songs, isn’t it? If you’d like a copy, just ask!
If you like the look of any of my 25 tunes, why not read a bit more about them? Who knows, it could help you decide on your memorable first dance and the wedding band who can perform it like no other! In no particular order, I start with Shut Up And Dance With Me by Walk The Moon.
Walks The Moons’ 2014 hit has taken off in the world of weddings. With over 340 million YouTube views and counting this is a major hit and becoming ever more popular as a fun, high tempo and happy go lucky first dance.
Romance score
4 out of 10
Fun score
9 out of 10
Dance difficulty
5 out of 10
Our act League of Gentlemen (above) have performed it a lot and it’s tonnes of fun and sounds great live. A fun fact for you, Walk the Moons favourite Disney princess is Belle!
An enduring first dance song, couples love this Stevie classic more and more.
Romance score
5 out of 10
Fun score
7 out of 10
Dance difficulty
6 out of 10
Mr Wonder is very popular during any part of a wedding and as All Night Disco (above) testify, it’s great fun to perform, getting everyone dancing along in no time! 372 million Spotify streams don’t lie so you can’t go wrong with this fun, light-hearted classic! Did you know that this was Stevie’s second No. 1 hit and first under the name of “Stevie Wonder”?
Getting straight 7’s in our scores, Brown Eyed Girl is another sure-fire, reliable and much loved classic first dance tune. We’ve performed it a lot and it’s easy to change the lyrics to “blue-eyed girl” so every bride is catered for!
Romance score
7 out of 10
Fun score
7 out of 10
Dance difficulty
7 out of 10
Over 448 million streams on Spotify is pretty impressive too and it’s why Southside Sparkle (above) always recommend this as a first dance song!
A total classic, and rollercoaster of a first dance, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You is a brilliant song choice if you like romance coupled with big singalong fun!
Romance score
8 out of 10
Fun score
8 out of 10
Dance difficulty
7 out of 10
One of The Motown Boys (above) speciality songs, this one gets everyone singing and dancing during the chorus. This well-loved song always comes as a fun surprise for wedding guests and with a combined 116 million streams on Spotify, it shows no signs of quitting!
Jack Johnson was a sensation when he arrived on the music scene. This is one of his biggest tunes and with almost 400 million streams on Spotify it’s massive! A slow and very romantic song that’s nice for us to perform and pretty easy to dance along to, Better Together will start your wedding party off with intimate and romantic vibes.
Romance score
8 out of 10
Fun score
5 out of 10
Dance difficulty
5 out of 10
It’s very popular with our couples as Paper Boats (above) would attest and did you know that Jack was a professional surfer before giving it all up for music?
Ben Fold’s song may not be one that you’ve considered but it has become ever more popular over the years and sounds great live if your band has a pianist. Incredibly romantic the Luckiest is a pretty easy song to shuffle to whilst your wedding party looks on adoringly.
Romance score
9 out of 10
Fun score
4 out of 10
Dance difficulty
5 out of 10
A great song for your first dance photos as Acoustic Captain (above) would agree, Ben wrote this song about his one and only soul mate so it’s perfect for a first dance. 13 million streams on Spotify isn’t bad going either.
400 million Spotify streams and counting says it all for another romantic classic. It’s a beautiful, delicate song to perform for couples and should always be on your shortlist if you want some light-hearted romance.
Romance score
9 out of 10
Fun score
6 out of 10
Dance difficulty
5 out of 10
Our acoustic trio Cadence (above) love performing this as a first dance and did you know that this was the first of four number one hits the Temptations would have? That’s some success!
Bringing us a bit more up to date, Ellie Goulding’s slow, romantic and gentle cover is incredibly popular with couples year after year. The lyrics speak to everyone and the romance is off the scale especially if you hire a wedding band with a pianist and female singer who can perform it for you.
Romance score
10 out of 10
Fun score
4 out of 10
Dance difficulty
4 out of 10
The video for this huge hit was filmed exclusively on a mobile phone and the award-winning wedding band Party Republic (above) have a particularly epic live version of this for first dances!
Not much needs to be said about Ed’s biggest hit. 2.9 billion streams on YouTube is just insane and this song will go down as a first dance legend for years to come.
Romance score
10 out of 10
Fun score
4 out of 10
Dance difficulty
4 out of 10
Easy to dance to and sounding great performed by a live band such as Good Fellas, (above) everyone loves its mellow feel and super romantic lyrics. Interestingly, Marvin Gaye’s family estate won a copyright lawsuit against Ed’s song in 2018 so if you love Thinking Out Loud but are worried it’s been overplayed at weddings, we’d strongly suggest Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Stay Together as a very worthy replacement.
Another huge first dance tune with over a billion streams on Spotify, you simply can’t go wrong with Mr Legends stunning tune. Preferably with a vocalist/pianist performing it, this very popular song sounds beautiful and you won’t regret picking it.
Romance score
10 out of 10
Fun score
4 out of 10
Dance difficulty
5 out of 10
Did you know John wrote this song for his wife and Kim and Kanye chose it for their first dance and Carolina (above) performs a pretty romantic version of it if I do say so myself!
1.5 billion streams on YouTube has this Twilight movie-inspired song right up there in the first dance hall of fame. With a live female vocalist and piano performing it, they don’t get much more romantic or memorable than Christina Perri’s a Thousand Years.
Romance score
10 out of 10
Fun score
4 out of 10
Dance difficulty
5 out of 10
The raw emotion of this song probably stems partly from Christina’s huge love of the movie franchise she wrote it for with Encore (above) trying and replicate that whenever they get to perform this as a first dance.
A true classic that never fails to impress, At Last ticks all the boxes for a beautiful first dance song.
Romance score
9 out of 10
Fun score
4 out of 10
Dance difficulty
3 out of 10
Being epic, romantic and musically stunning a female-fronted live wedding band like Flair Six can bring this song to life for you and your guests. With 177 million streams on Spotify, At Last is an enduring classic. Originally written in 1941, Etta James only recorded her famous version in 1961!
Elvis is the king and with 297 million streams and counting on Spotify, Can’t Help Falling In Love is up there as one of his biggest hits. This is a lovely song to perform live and your whole wedding will love this emotional classic.
Romance score
9 out of 10
Fun score
6 out of 10
Dance difficulty
3 out of 10
Slow and sultry, Blue Eclectic (above) love to perform this song which Elvis noticed the potential of early on, even performing a unique version for his grandma on her birthday. What a lovely king he was!
Let’s look at some foot-stomping, festival-style music. You Are The Best Thing by Mr Lamontagne isn’t your typical first dance but with high scores below, it’s one for your list.
Romance score
7 out of 10
Fun score
8 out of 10
Dance difficulty
6 out of 10
Our act Electric Jukebox (above) are big fans of performing this wedding song and you are sure to have some happy dancing feet around you while you dance away to this easy-going, happy tune. 91 million streams on Spotify is impressive especially when you consider Ray was essentially homeless before he hit the big time with this tune.
Wedding couples simply love their timeless first dance tunes and Wonderful Tonight fits that bill year after year. The supremely talented Eric Clapton wrote and performed this song and it’s certainly popular with over 100 million views on YouTube!
Romance score
9 out of 10
Fun score
5 out of 10
Dance difficulty
5 out of 10
Our act Royal Flush (above) love to perform this song but did you know that Eric wrote this song while waiting for his future wife to pick out an outfit for a charity evening they were going to?
Our most popular song with wedding couples by some way, Your Song has to be on your radar if you love a bit of romantic, intimate and passionate dancing.
Romance score
8 out of 10
Fun score
4 out of 10
Dance difficulty
6 out of 10
Talking with Fireworks (above) have performed this song many times and highly recommend it and did you know that the original lyrics have coffee stains all over them as the song was written while eating breakfast at Elton’s parents’ house. Close to 400 million streams on Spotify is impressive too!
Chasing Cars is one in-demand wedding song and whether performed as a first dance or during live sets, it’s always very popular and fun for us to play. Slow dancing followed by an up-tempo rock ending is pretty unique for a first dance so if this sounds up your street, you’re in good company with almost 240 million views on YouTube alone for this indie classic.
Romance score
6 out of 10
Fun score
8 out of 10
Dance difficulty
7 out of 10
Both TV shows One Tree Hill and Grey’s Anatomy used this song extensively so you can see why our indie wedding band Acrylic (above) love playing it at weddings!
Not always on everyone’s list, The One by Kodaline has been super popular for years and every wedding band at Seventh Second including Flair Four (below) performs it at least once a year for a happy couple. Romantic, anthemic and fairly easy to dance to makes this a great first dance pick.
Romance score
8 out of 10
Fun score
5 out of 10
Dance difficulty
6 out of 10
Kodaline first performed this song at their friend’s wedding and it now boasts over 81 million streams on Spotify. Wow!
One of the most relaxed and timeless songs on our list, Stand By Me is a legendary wedding song.
Romance score
6 out of 10
Fun score
5 out of 10
Dance difficulty
5 out of 10
With a live wedding band such as Meraki Jazz Collective (above) performing it, your wedding will be off to a seriously classy and romantic start. This was Ben E. Kings first solo hit and with 445 million views on YouTube, we’re sure it will leave you with memories for years to come.
Mr Sheeran is one popular guy when it comes to first dances and Perfect is right up there as one of his best.
Romance score
9 out of 10
Fun score
4 out of 10
Dance difficulty
3 out of 10
Our act The Avengers have a specially recorded version of this song which you can see above and they will be the first ones to say it’s ideal as anyone’s first dance. 2.4 billion YouTube views are insane but Ed is the first dance songwriting master as he wrote this song all on his own. Impressive.
I can’t count the number of times we’ve performed this reggae-inspired love song!
Romance score
9 out of 10
Fun score
7 out of 10
Dance difficulty
7 out of 10
If you love to dance this could be a great song choice and with The Emmet Scanlan Collective (above) having performed it many times, it’s a sure-fire first dance winner! Jason didn’t think the song would actually be popular or go anywhere but almost a billion streams on Spotify would disagree!
Written for his then-girlfriend Emily Blunt, Michael Bublé’s music is perfect for weddings with his song Everything super popular as a first dance with our couples. 181 million streams on Spotify is no mean feat so make sure you consider this as a possible first dance song.
Romance score
7 out of 10
Fun score
7 out of 10
Dance difficulty
6 out of 10
Upbeat, fun and totally romantic, get it on our first dance shortlist! Night and Day (above) especially love to perform it as a first dance.
If you love a bit of folk-pop inspired music for your first dance, You’ve Got The Love has to be considered. A load of fun and great for everyone to dance to, it’s a very popular song with our wedding couples.
Romance score
7 out of 10
Fun score
8 out of 10
Dance difficulty
6 out of 10
Just ask From the Top who perform it regularly! 271 million streams on Spotify for a song Florence herself wasn’t sure would be very popular is pretty handy too.
Stevie’s back with this fun and vibrant first dance song. Great for people who like to dance away, Signed Sealed Delivered is Stevie at his best and we never tire of performing this classic week in week out.
Romance score
7 out of 10
Fun score
8 out of 10
Dance difficulty
7 out of 10
It’s got 237 million streams on Spotify and counting and it’s a song that Elton John said he struggled to sing as well as Mr Wonder could. Ignition Showband (above) still do a pretty amazing version when they perform it for first dances
Written for the movie City of Angels, enduring first dance song Iris is an easy-going, epic first dance choice.
Romance score
8 out of 10
Fun score
5 out of 10
Dance difficulty
7 out of 10
Popular for years with The Usual Suspects (above) having performed it many times, it’s a great choice for the romantics out there. This love-soaked 90’s ballad has over 226 million views on Youtube too!
My initial list of top first dance tunes was massive and although the songs below didn’t make the 25 most popular they would all still be fantastic choices for any first dance. I’ve performed all of these live and they work really well. So many great tunes to choose from!
Marry You – Bruno Mars
Grow Old With Me – Tom Odell
Johnny Be Goode – Chuck Berry
Pencil Full Of Lead – Paolo Nutini
Make You Feel My Love – Adele
Valerie – Amy Winehouse
Let’s Stay Together – Al Green
I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing – Aerosmith
The Way You Look Tonight – Frank Sinatra
Amazed – Lonestar
You And Me Song – The Wannadies
Happy – Pharrell Williams
Everything I Do (I Do It For You) – Bryan Adams
Truly Madly Deeply – Savage Garden
Ho Hey – The Lumineers
Tenerife Sea – Ed Sheeran
Drops Of Jupiter – Train
Crazy Little Thing Called Love – Queen
Wonderwall – Oasis
You Do Something To Me – Paul Weller
I Will Wait – Mumford and Sons
Just The Way You Are – Bruno Mars
Shallow – Lady Gaga/Bradley Cooper
Going the extra mile and helping wedding couples in every way we can is the way we do it here so below I’ve taken all the first dance songs mentioned (including the ones above) and categorised them by genre or era. Whether you want to dance to something rocky or something vintage my list covers it!
Johnny Be Goode – Chuck Berry
Let’s Stay Together – Al Green
The Way You Look Tonight – Frank Sinatra
Superstition – Stevie Wonder
Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You – Frankie Valli
My Girl – The Temptations
At Last – Etta James
Can’t Help Falling In Love – Elvis
Stand By Me – Ben E. King
Signed Sealed Delivered – Stevie Wonder
Wonderful Tonight – Eric Clapton
I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing – Aerosmith
You And Me Song – The Wannadies
Crazy Little Thing Called Love – Queen
Wonderwall – Oasis
Shut Up And Dance – Walk the Moon
Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol
Amazed – Lonestar
Everything I Do (I Do It For You) – Bryan Adams
Truly Madly Deeply – Savage Garden
Drops Of Jupiter – Train
Shallow – Lady Gaga/Bradley Cooper
The One – Kodaline
Iris – Goo Goo Dolls
You Do Something To Me – Paul Weller
Ho Hey – The Lumineers
I Will Wait – Mumford and Sons
You Are The Best Thing – Ray Lamontagne
Tenerife Sea – Ed Sheeran
Better Together – Jack Johnson
The Luckiest – Ben Folds
Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran
All Of Me – John Legend
A Thousand Years – Christina Perri
Your Song – Elton John
Perfect – Ed Sheeran
I’m Yours – Jason Mraz
How Long Will I Love You – Ellie Goulding
You’ve Got The Love – Florence and the Machine
Just The Way You Are – Bruno Mars
Everything – Michael Bublé
I hope that after reading through this and checking out our other guide on picking a first dance here you’ve narrowed down or even picked that special song for you and your partner. 2021 weddings have been so much fun and first dances have been a big part of that! If you still need a fantastic wedding band for your big day why not have a look at ours here? Ours acts like DJ Republic above are loving every first dance they are getting to perform and love to deliver that perfect moment for you. We’re also offering 15% off all prices right now to help everyone since you know what happened.
If you have any comments, questions or queries, I’d love to hear from you so get in touch! We’re 7 days a week, 10 am to 10 pm via the usual socials, text, email, phone and live chat. Lastly, we spend a lot of time making our blog posts the best we can for you so if you liked what you read please consider sharing it with others.
Seeya!
Oana and the Seventh Second Family
