I know you have spent countless hours surfing through lists jam-pack loaded with Huey Lewis and Bob Seger, but you have finally found the right list. Know this.
FINALLY! A modern First Dance Wedding Song List!
NO OLD FART WEDDING MUSIC PLEASE!
There are a whole lot of “Old Fart Wedding DJ Song Lists” littering our internet, written by semi-retired, gray-bearded, Grateful Dead Jerry Garcia-look-alike disc jockeys. These DJs get one gig a month and therefore had plenty of time to flood the web with their power-ballad favorites! Do you really want Dirty Dancing-like smarmy smash Delilah Show hits at your wedding?
Until now, in order to find good modern first dance songs ideas on the net, you had to weed through a whole host of artists with sweet mullets who are no longer relevant today. Most brides and grooms have no idea who these singers were and probably weren’t even alive yet when they were popular. This list concentrates on newer music of today. Here is my list:
TOP 100 MODERN FIRST DANCE WEDDING SONGS – NEW/ALTERNATIVE LIST, by Albany Wedding DJ Kenny Casanova, 2017
Adele – Make you feel my Love
Adele – Someone Like You
Alanis Morissette – Head Over Feet
Alicia Keys – Fallin’
Alicia Keys – If I Ain’t Got You
All 4 One – I Swear
Ashlee Simpson – Pieces Of Me
Avril Lavigne – I’m With You
Ben Folds – The Luckiest
Barenaked Ladies – It’s All Been Done
Beyoncé – At Last (Remake of Etta James)
Brad Paisley – Then
Bright Eyes – First Day of My Life
Bruno Mars – Just The Way You Are
Bruno Mars – Marry You
Carrie Underwood – Look At Me
Charlotte Church – Crazy Chick
Christina Aguilera – Beautiful
Christina Perry – A Thousand Years
Creed – With Arms Wide Open
Colbie Caillat – Bubbly
Colbie Caillat – I Do
Coldplay – Green Eyes
Coldplay – In My Place
Corrs – All The Love In The World
Counting Crows – Accidentally In Love
Dave Matthews Band – You and Me
Delta Goodrem – Out Of The Blue
Dido – Thank You
Dixie Chicks – Cowboy Take Me Away
Edwin McCain – I’ll Be
Edwin McCain – I could not ask for more
Ed Sheeran – Castle on The Hill
Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud
Ed Sheeran – Perfect
Ellie Goulding – Love Me Like You do
Enrique Iglesias – Hero
Frankie J with Baby Bash – Obsession (No Es Amor)
Frankie J – More Than Words
Foo Fighters – Everlong
Ginuwine – Differences
Goo Goo Dolls – Iris
Guy Sebastian – Angles Brought Me Here
Howie Day – Collide
Idena Menzel – Perfect Story
Ingrid Michaelson – I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You
IZ Isreal Kamakawiwoʻole – Somewhere over The Rainbow
Jack Johnson -Banana Pancakes
Jack Johnson – Better Together
James Blunt – You’re Beautiful
Jason Mraz and Colbie Callait – Lucky
Jason Mraz – I’m Yours
Jennifer Lopez – Baby I Love You
John Michael Montgomery – I Swear
John Legend – All of Me
John Legend – Love Me Now
Josh Groban – You Raise Me Up
Katy Perry – Thinking Of You
K-Ci & JoJo – All My Life
Kelly Clarkson – A Moment Like This
Kelly Clarkson – Before Your Love
Kelly Clarkson – Thankful
Leane Womack – I Hope You Dance
Lonestar – Amazed
MAGIC! – No Regrets
Maroon 5 – She Will Be Loved
Marc Broussard – Lucky
Michelle Branch – Game Of Love
Michael Buble – Everything
Mika – Love Today Miley Cyrus – The Climb
Monica and Usher – Slow Jam
Newton Faulkner – Dream Catch Me
Norah Jones- Those Sweet Words
Ne-Yo – Sexy Love
O-Town – Always
One Direction – What Makes You Beautiful
One Direction – Little Things
OneRepublic – Stop and Stare
Owl City – If My Heart Was A House
Plain White T’s – 1 2 3 4
Plain White T’s – Rhythm of Love
Paulini – Angel Eyes
Rascal Flats – My Wish
Ray LaMontagne – Hold You In My Arms
Ricki Lee – Love Is All Around
Rihanna – Umbrella
Rob Thomas – Little Wonders
Runner Runner – Can’t Hardly Wait
Sam Smith – How Will I Know (cover)
Santana & Chad Croeger – Into The Night
Sara Evans – I could not ask for more
Secondhand Serenade – Fall For You
Shakira – Underneath Your Clothes
Shania Twain – Always and Forever
Sixpence None The Richer – Kiss Me
Snow Patrol – Chasing Cars
Stickwitu – Pussycat Dolls
Taylor Swift – Today Was a Fairytale
Taylor Swift – Ours
Train – Marry Me
Train – Play That Song
The Cure – Just Like Heaven
Toploader – Dancing in the Moonlight
Uncle Kracker – Smile
Usher – U Got It Bad
U2 – Beautiful Day
Vanessa Amorosi – Perfect
Van Morrison – Days like This
Van Morrison – Faith in Me
Vanassa Carlton – A Thousand Miles
Westlife – Swear It Again
If your wedding is coming up you know that making everything just right is a daunting task. There are countless things to look at, and with so many options out there, it can truly be overwhelming. Hall location, center pieces, floral arrangements, which DJ and catering company to select, entry selections & appetizers; the list goes on and on.
Some nervous grooms and brides alike get sweaty palms at the mere mention of having to step up to the spotlight and face “The Dreaded First Dance.” But if you choose a song that is meaningful to you, and makes you happy, that first dance will set the tone and break the ice for everyone.
If you have no clue what to pick for the first dance, here is a great list to look at at some popular hip songs, as well as some great classics that many couples have used in the Upstate New York area for their first dance.
FIRST DANCE SONGS (Traditional / classics)
First, My Last, My Everything – Barry White
Take My Breath Away – Berlin
The Rose – Bette Midler
Our Love Is Here To Stay – Billie Holiday
Just The Way You Are – Billy Joel
She’s Got A Way – Billy Joel
We’ve Got Tonight – Bob Seger
You Are My Special Angel – Bob- Helms
If – Bread
Everything I Own – Bread
Heaven – Bryan Adams
True Love Ways – Buddy Holly
Tonight And Forever – Carly Simon
You’re The Inspiration – Chicago
Lady In Red – Chris DeBurgh
Longer – Dan Fogelberg
Endless Love – Diana Ross & Lionel Richie
Can You Feel the Love Tonight – Elton John
Friends – Elton John
The One – Elton John
Your Song – Elton John
Can’t Help Falling In Love – Elvis Presley
Always – Erasure
At Last – Etta James
Let It Be Me – Everly Brothers
Songbird – Fleetwood Mac
The Best Is Yet To Come – Frank Sinatra
The Way You Look Tonight – Frank Sinatra
If I Loved You – from Carousel
As Time Goes – – from Casablanca
Some Enchanted Evening – from South Pacific
Somewhere – from West Side Story
Love Theme – Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet
Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love For You – Glenn Medeiros
Here We Are – Gloria Estefan
Beautiful – Gordon Lightfoot
It Had To Be You – Harry Connick, Jr.
So This Is Love – James Ingram
Up Where We Belong – Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warrens
You Are So Beautiful – Joe Cocker
Woman – John Lennon
I Swear – John Michael Montgomery
Chances Are – Johnny Mathis
Beautiful In My Eyes – Joshua Kadison
So In Love – K.D. lang
Don’t Know Much – Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville
Amazed – Lonestar
What A Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
Here And Now – Luther Vandross
Dream A Little Dream – Mamas & the Papas
Hero – Mariah Carey
Grow Old With Me – Mary Chapin Carpenter
Embraceable You – Nat King Cole
Unforgettable – Nat King Cole
When I Fall In Love – Nat King Cole
Marry Me – Train
Marry Me – Neil Diamond & Buffy Lawson
When A Man Loves A Woman – Percy Sledge
After All – Peter Cetera & Cher
Glory Of Love – Peter Cetera
Perhaps Love – Placido Domingo & John Denver
Forever and Ever, Amen – Randy Travis
You Are the Everything – R.E.M.
I Can’t Fight This Feeling Anymore – R.E.O. Speedwagon
Unchained Melody – Righteous Brothers
Tonight I Celebrate My Love For You – Roberta Flack & Peabo Bryson
Kiss From A Rose – Seal
Dreaming Of You – Selena
From This Moment – Shania Twain & Brian White
You’re Still The One – Shania Twain
If I Never Knew You – Shanice Wilson & John Secada
You Are The Sunshine Of My Life – Stevie Wonder
I Believe – When I Fall in Love – Stevie Wonder
Ma Cherie Amour – Stevie Wonder
Give a Little Bit – Supertramp
Eternal Flame – The Bangles
I Will – The Beatles
In My Life – The Beatles
Something – The Beatles
We’ve Only Just Begun – The Carpenters
In The Still of the Night – The Five Satins
I Only Have Eyes For You – The Flamingos
A Groovy Kind Of Love – The Mindbenders
Oh, How The Years Go – – Vanessa Williams
Will You Marry Me? – Vonda Shepard
FIRST DANCE SONGS –
NEW/ALTERNATIVE LIST
Adele – Make you feel my Love
Alanis Morissette – Head Over Feet
Alicia Keys – Fallin’
Alicia Keys – If I Ain’t Got You
All 4 One – I Swear
Ashlee Simpson – Pieces Of Me
Avril Lavigne – I’m With You
Ben Folds – The Luckiest
Barenaked Ladies – It’s All Been Done
Beyoncé – At Last (Remake of Etta James)
Brad Paisley – Then
Bright Eyes – First Day of My Life
Bruno Mars – Just The Way You Are
Bruno Mars – Marry You
Carrie Underwood – Look At Me
Charlotte Church – Crazy Chick
Christina Aguilera – Beautiful
Christina Aguilera – I Turn To You
Creed – With Arms Wide Open
Colbie Caillat – Bubbly
Colbie Caillat – I Do
Coldplay – Green Eyes
Coldplay – In My Place
Corrs – All The Love In The World
Counting Crows – Accidentally In Love
Dave Matthews Band – You and Me
Delta Goodrem – Out Of The Blue
Dido – Thank You
Dixie Chicks – Cowboy Take Me Away
Edwin McCain – I’ll Be, I could not ask for more
Ed Sheeran – A-team
Enrique Iglesias – Hero
Frankie J with Baby Bash – Obsession (No Es Amor)
Frankie J – More Than Words
Foo Fighters – Everlong
Ginuwine – Differences
Goo Goo Dolls – Iris
Guy Sebastian – Angles Brought Me Here
Howie Day – Collide
IZ Isreal Kamakawiwoʻole – Somewhere over The Rainbow
Jack Johnson -Banana Pancakes
Jack Johnson – Better Together
James Blunt – You’re Beautiful
Jason Derulo – Watcha Say
Jason Mraz and Colbie Callait Lucky
Jason Mraz – I’m Yours
Jennifer Lopez – Baby I Love You
John Michael Montgomery – I Swear
Josh Groban – You Raise Me Up
Katy Perry – Thinking Of You
K-Ci & JoJo – All My Life
K-Ci & JoJo – Crazy
Kelly Clarkson – A Moment Like This
Kelly Clarkson – Before Your Love
Kelly Clarkson – Thankful
Leane Womack – I Hope You Dance
Lonestar – Amazed
Lumineers – Ho Hey
Maroon 5 – She Will Be Loved
Marc Broussard – Lucky
Michelle Branch – Game Of Love
Michael Buble – Everything
Mika – Love Today Miley Cyrus – The Climb
Monica and Usher – Slow Jam
Newton Faulkner – Dream Catch Me
Norah Jones- Those Sweet Words
Ne-Yo – Sexy Love
O-Town – Always
OneRepublic – Apologize
OneRepublic – Stop and Stare
Owl City – If My Heart Was A House
Plain White T’s – 1 2 3 4
Plain White T’s – Rhythm of Love
Paulini – Angel Eyes
Rascal Flats – My Wish
Ray LaMontagne – Hold You In My Arms
Ricki Lee – Love Is All Around
Rihanna – Umbrella
Rob Thomas – Little Wonders
Runner Runner – Can’t Hardly Wait
Santana & Chad Croeger – Into The Night
Sara Evans – I could not ask for more
Sarah McLachlan – I Will Remember You
Secondhand Serenade – Fall For You
Shakira – Underneath Your Clothes
Shania Twain – Always and Forever
Sixpence None The Richer – Kiss Me
Smashing Pumpkins – Today
Snow Patrol – Chasing Cars
Stickwitu – Pussycat Dolls
Taylor Swift – Today Was a Fairytale
Train – Marry Me
The Cure – Just Like Heaven
Toploader – Dancing in the Moonlight
Uncle Kracker – Smile
Usher – U Got It Bad
U2 – Beautiful Day
Vanessa Amorosi – Perfect
Van Morrison – Days like This
Van Morrison – Faith in Me
Vanassa Carlton – A Thousand Miles
Westlife – Swear It Again
