Destination Weddings and Honeymoons

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Like many people, I am in a state of shock because of Michael Jackson’s death yesterday. I’m an avid music lover (I actually DJ at weddings and clubs in my spare time) and he is one of my all-time favorite artists. The first tape I ever owned was Thriller, and the song Off The Wall still gives me goose bumps. (I even had a few “moments” with the song when I was recently in Fiji.) I know firsthand that no wedding or dance party would be complete without the King of Pop; I’ve witnessed his music bring even the deadest of dance floors to life. In honor of the loss of such a musical inspiration, here are my top 10 Michael Jackson party songs, perfect for a wedding playlist. Have some favorites of your own? Let me know.

10. “Smooth Criminal” Like most of MJ’s songs, the music video, from the movie Moonwalker, is what made this song so great. Most of Justin Timberlake’s career is based it. And the Alien Ant Farm remake doesn’t do the original justice.

9. “Blame It On The Boogie” This song is actually from The Jackson 5’s album Destiny, which was recorded right before Off The Wall and has a similar sound. “Don’t blame it on the sunshine, don’t blame it on the moonlight, don’t blame it on the good times, blame it on the boogie…”

8. “Workin' Day and Night” This song is a little more uptempo and is guaranteed to get the crowd moving. I wish he had made a video for this song – I bet it would have been awesome.

7. “Wanna Be Starting Something” The “Ma Ma Se, Ma Ma Sa, Ma Ma Coo Sa” breakdown makes any dance floor go nuts. That’s probably why Rhianna repurposed it for her song, “Please Don’t Stop the Music.”

6. “Rock With You” A little slower than the other songs on this list, it’s still meaningful and totally danceable. This would be good for the last song of the evening at any party.

5. “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” I have seen people run to the dance floor when this song plays. And the instrumental breakdown in the middle, followed by Jackson’s trademark “ooh,” is enough to get any crowd on their feet.

4. “Shake Your Body Down to the Ground” Yet another Jackson 5 song, the lyrics pretty much say it all: “Let’s dance, let’s shout, shake your body down to the ground.”

3. “Thriller” Even if it’s been dated by technology, this is by far the greatest video of all time. And there’s something to be said for a song that can make an entire dance floor bust out into a zombie dance – even in a prison.

2. “P.Y.T.” I’ve witnessed even the coolest guys who never dance bust a move to this song. “Pretty young things, repeat after me, say nah nah nah nah.”

1. “Off The Wall” In my personal opinion, this is the number-one party song of all time because of these lyrics. “We’re the party people night and day, living crazy that’s the only way. So tonight, we’re gonna leave the 9 to 5 upon the shelf and just enjoy ourselves.”

At your wedding, be sure to have the DJ throw in a few in his memory. We love you, Michael!