Songs with their own dance routine

In 1993, Spanish pop duo Los Del Rio released their smash hit “Macarena.” Thanks to choreographer Mia Frye (who also stars in the music video), the dance is fairly simple and fans tend to perform it in close unison. Even if listeners don’t know the translation of the song, they learn the dance quickly.

“The Twist” was originally released in 1958 by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters, and two years later Chubby Checker released his cover version. Ballard was inspired to write the song after seeing teenagers doing the twist dance, a move in which people rotate their hips and their arms and legs soon follow. Checker’s version of the song reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 2012, you couldn’t get away from PSY’s “Gangnam Style.” People either loved the song for its catchy production or absolutely hated it because it was played too often. The song became popular because of the dance featured in the video, and eventually people all over the world were seen performing the dance, from parties to flash mobs.

In 2007, a new dance trend emerged when Soulja Boy released his debut single, “Crank That (Soulja Boy).” It was around the time that the snap era of Atlanta music was gaining popularity. The “Crank That” dance included everything from footwork to snaps to a Superman pose, so much so that people started uploading their dance videos to YouTube.

One of the most popular songs from the disco era comes from The Village People and their 1978 hit “YMCA.” While the dance mostly consists of cheerleading hand movements that form letters, the routine was not developed by the group. The Village People performed on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand and noticed children doing the hand movements, so they decided to incorporate them into their performance.

In 2008, Beyoncé was ready to unleash her alter ego with her third solo album I am…Sasha Fierce. She teamed up with The-Dream and Christopher “Tricky” Stewart to release the iconic song “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).” The music video may be one of Bey’s simplest visually, but it’s the dance routine that gets people excited when they hear the song. So put on your leotard, grab some friends, and wave your left hand.

In 2007, singer Cupid took dance floors and events by storm with his hit song “Cupid Shuffle.” Because of his simple line dancing instructions, this is the type of dance that people of all ages can participate in. As he says in the verse, “They’ve got a brand new dance / You gotta move your muscles / A brand new dance, it’s called the Cupid Shuffle / It don’t matter if you’re young or old / We’re gonna show you how it’s done.”

Not many artists can claim to have popularized a line dance that is danced to various songs, but Marcia Griffiths can. In 1983, Griffiths released her hit “Electric Boogie,” which popularized the Electric Slide dance. Today, people dance the Electric Slide to various songs, including the hit “Before I Let Go” by Maze and Frankie Beverly.

If there’s one artist who can make zombies look cool while dancing, it’s Michael Jackson. Granted, Jackson has a number of music videos that feature dance routines, but “Thriller” stands out with its iconic horror theme. The video may be a little scary for some viewers, which is probably why the song is popular around Halloween, but people still like to show off how good they are at the zombie dance routine.

Anyone who has ever attended a birthday party or wedding reception knows that guests always love a fun line dance. In 2000, DJ Casper released his hit “Cha Cha Slide,” which became one of the most popular dances at events around the world. In the song, Casper gives everyone instructions on how to spin, and makes the moves a little more fancy.

In 2015, rapper Silento released his hit song “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae).” The music video begins with clips of people dancing before Silento comes into the frame and also raps and dances. He appears in a school gym with people of all ages, especially many children, who are also dancing. It’s no wonder the song was more popular with children’s groups.

When you think of Janet Jackson’s iconic videos, one song tops the list: her 1989 hit “Rhythm Nation.” With the song and video, Jackson wanted to show that people are stronger when they are united. From the black and white shots to the dancers in military fatigues to the dance routine with clean and sharp movements, it’s a routine that many Jackson fans love.

In 2009, Fast Life Yungstaz released their debut single “Swag Surfin’.” The dance routine in the video features additional moves that depict swimming and wave motion. The “Swag Surfin'” dance has also become very popular in the culture of historically black colleges and universities (HBCU).

Sometimes dance moves are named after everyday objects, such as Dee Dee Sharp’s 1962 hit “Mashed Potato Time.” But Sharp wasn’t the only artist whose song was inspired by dance; soul singer James Brown also had a song aptly titled “(Do the) Mashed Potatoes.”

In the 90s and 2000s, the world of boy bands experienced a boom, one of which was *NSYNC. The group released their second album No conditions, led by the hit single “Bye, Bye, Bye.” Although the song is popular because of its lyrics, it is the dance routine choreographed by Darrin Henson that takes it to a whole new level.

In 2008, the hip-hop trio GS Boyz came out with their debut single “Stanky Legg.” One of the things that made the song so popular was the dance that went with it. The “Stanky Legg” dance involves stretching out one leg, turning it in a circle, and then performing the same movement with the other leg.

In 2006, rapper Unk wanted to show his fans a different way of walking with his hit song “Walk It Out.” Unk is from Atlanta and when he released his debut single, it was around the time when several artists were releasing dance-inspired songs. It’s not a line dance per se, but the “Walk It Out” dance is the cooler way of walking that people need to practice before performing it on the dance floor.

Hip-hop group Cali Swag District wanted to show people a new dance with their 2010 debut single, “Teach Me How To Dougie.” Not only is the production enticing to any listener, but as people learn the dance, they realize that much of the movement occurs in their arms and shoulders, while the rest of the body follows.

There is no doubt that “The Hokey Pokey” is probably one of the most popular and simplest line dances ever invented. Thanks to band leader Ray Anthony, he had participants moving their right and left feet back and forth while vigorously shaking their bodies.

In 2008, rapper VIC released his hit song “Wobble.” Over the years, the song has been quite popular thanks to its line dancing at events. However, there are conflicting stories about who actually invented the “Wobble” line dance.