Buzz
It’s highly likely that Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” will be a hit at the next wedding reception you attend. According to an analysis by Givetastic, it holds the title of the most popular wedding song at the moment.
Givetastic shared in a blog post, 'We analyzed 100,000 Spotify playlists with various wedding-related terms such as ‘wedding,’ ‘first dance,’ ‘wedding party,’ ‘wedding music,’ ‘just married,’ and more.' Houston’s iconic dance anthem appeared on nearly 11,000 playlists, surpassing the competition by over 3,000 entries. The second-place track was Bruno Mars’s “Marry You.”
Because the search terms spanned a wide variety of wedding moments, the list doesn’t pinpoint a specific part of the celebration. However, it’s safe to guess that songs like The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside” or Usher’s “Yeah!” are unlikely choices for a couple’s first dance.
Discover some interesting details about the top 10 tracks, and get more insights from Givetastic’s survey, including the most popular songs for bachelor and bachelorette parties—click here for more.
1. “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” // Whitney Houston
Number of wedding-related Spotify playlists it appears on: 10,933
Producer Narada Michael Walden initially thought the demo sounded 'too country and western,' like 'a rodeo song with Olivia Newton-John singing.' To make it fit better, he gave it a 'funkier feel.'
2. “Marry You” // Bruno Mars
Number of wedding-related Spotify playlists it appears on: 7805
In “Marry You,” Bruno Mars and his co-writers aimed to capture the essence of a spontaneous, alcohol-infused Las Vegas wedding. When Idolator interviewed him in 2010 about any personal 'crazy Vegas stories' influencing the song, he responded, 'Yeah, I don’t wanna talk about that,' with a laugh.
3. “Yeah!” // Usher feat. Lil Jon and Ludacris
Number of wedding-related Spotify playlists it appears on: 7550
The beat Lil Jon originally intended for Usher’s 'Yeah!' ended up being used in Petey Pablo’s 'Freek-A-Leek.' Jive Records chose to go with Pablo, forcing Lil Jon to come up with a new beat for Usher.
4. “Shut Up and Dance” // WALK THE MOON
Number of wedding-related Spotify playlists it appears on: 6362
WALK THE MOON’s hit song is inspired by a true event. Lead singer Nicholas Petricca recalled being at a club in Echo Park, Los Angeles, when one of his closest friends, clad in a backless dress and worn-out sneakers, told him, 'Shut up and dance with me,' as he shared with American Songwriter.
5. “Perfect” // Ed Sheeran
Number of wedding-related Spotify playlists it appears on: 6358
The lyric 'Barefoot on the grass / Listening to our favorite song' captures a real-life moment Ed Sheeran shared with his now-wife, Cherry Seaborn. They were relaxing on James Blunt’s lawn, listening to “March Madness” by Future.
6. “Thinking Out Loud” // Ed Sheeran
Number of wedding-related Spotify playlists it appears on: 6141
Before Ed Sheeran and co-writer Amy Wadge settled on 'I’m thinking out loud,' the original lyric was 'I’m singing out now.'
7. “Crazy In Love” // Beyoncé feat. Jay-Z
Number of wedding-related Spotify playlists it appears on: 6113
Beyoncé came up with the hook for “Crazy In Love” almost by chance. While she was working with producer/co-writer Rich Harrison, Beyoncé was in a mismatched outfit with messy hair and kept saying, 'I’m looking crazy right now.' Harrison thought it was an excellent line.
8. “Mr. Brightside” // The Killers
Number of wedding-related Spotify playlists it appears on: 5927
The Killers’ lead singer, Brandon Flowers, wrote 'Mr. Brightside' after an encounter with his unfaithful girlfriend. 'I was asleep, and I knew something was wrong,' he shared with Q magazine in 2009. 'I went to the Crown & Anchor [a Las Vegas pub], and my girlfriend was there with another guy.'
9. “Wannabe” // Spice Girls
Number of wedding-related Spotify playlists it appears on: 5904
Melanie Chisholm (also known as Sporty Spice or Mel C) revealed the backstory of the lyric 'zig-a-zig-ah' during a 2017 interview with Billboard. 'You know when you're with your friends, joking around, and you come up with silly words?' she explained. 'We were just laughing and made up this silly word.' In 2015, an anonymous co-writer of the track shared with The Daily Star that the phrase could have been inspired by a nickname the group gave to an '80s pop guy' who was a bit snobby: 'sh*t and cigars.'
10. “Dancing Queen” // ABBA
Number of wedding-related Spotify playlists it appears on: 5770
The second verse of ABBA’s legendary dance anthem was initially longer. The missing first half, which is available in footage from the recording session, can still be seen today.
“Baby, baby, you’re out of sightHey, you’re looking all right tonightWhen you come to the partyListen to the guysThey got the look in their eyes”
