Dinner Music Ideas

Music is a key factor in setting the mood at your party and should be planned with care. We have provided:

• Guidelines for selecting songs for your playlist
• Suggestions for a Surfer or Beach party

Guidelines for Building Your Playlist

For any type of stand and mingle party, it is strongly recommended that you prearrange a list of songs. Choose a mix of popular songs, recognizable standards, and your personal favorites. Here are our guidelines for selecting your playlist songs:

• Choose upbeat tempos for a light and happy mood
• Mix genres to appeal to all tastes
• Vary styles to add interest
• Contrast artists for diversity and to avoid sameness

and for a Surfer or Beach party, beach music offers a large selection with a wide appeal:

• Because of the large selection and wide appeal of beach music, plan to comprise a playlist of 25-50% beach music
• At a minimum, interject tunes in the spirit of the surfer/beach theme, about 1 every 20 minutes or every 5-6 songs.
  
• Add humor, nostalgia, and contrasting styles for surprises & smiles

Edit your song list by:

• Eliminating songs over 4 minutes (exceptions allowed)
  
• Include only one song per any single group or artist (use a different artist, if available)
  

For a dinner party, you may select a list of songs and play your list on shuffle.  You may want to choose a list for the pre-dinner cocktail hour and a separate list for during dinner that is a little more low-key. 

For more about making a general playlist refer to Cocktail Party Planning: Making Music and Dinner Party Planning: Selecting the Music.

Musical Suggestions For A Surfer and/or Beach Party

Apply the same suggestions above for selecting theme-related songs as for building your playlist.  Choose upbeat, fast tempos to maintain the party spirit. Do not include songs over 4 minutes long and incorporate only one song per any single artist into your playlist.

We've included beach music selections divided in the following categories:

• Carolina Shag
• Surfer Tunes
  
• Beach Music
  
• Summer Songs
  
• Fun Features
  

And, we've marked our top picks with an asterisk (*).

Carolina Shag

• I Love Beach Music – The Embers*
• I’m In A Beach Music Mood – Rick Lawson
• Hey Hey Baby – Swingin Medallions*
• What Kind Of Fool (Do You Think I Am) – Bill Deal & the Rhondells; The Tams*
• Myrtle Beach Days – Fantastic Shakers*
• Stay – Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs*
• It’s In His Kiss – Betty Everett*
• My Guy – Mary Wells*
• My Girl – The Temptations*
• Didn’t I Blow Your Mind This Time – Delfonics
• The Shagging Man – The Winstons
• Shagging in Dixieland – David Hope
• This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You) – The Isley Brothers, Rod Stewart
• Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine – The Supremes
• Sixty Minute Man – Billy Ward & The Dominoes*
• Backfield in Motion – Mel & Tim
• Rainy Day Bells – Globetrotters
• The Catalinas:
• Summertime’s Calling Me*
• You Haven’t the Right
• The Drifters:
• Under the Boardwalk*
• Up On the Roof (Alternate: Carole King)*
• This Magic Moment*
• There Goes My Baby*
• Save the Last Dance for Me
• Some Kind of Wonderful
• General Johnson & The Chairmen of the Board
• Carolina Girls*
• I Wanna Doop Doop Doop Your Doo Wop She Doo Wop
• Give Me just A little More Time (Alternate: Kylie Minogue)*
• On the Beach*
• Down at the Beach Club
• Danglin’ On a String
• Beach Fever
• 39-21-46*
• Brenton Wood
• Gimme Little Sign*
• Oogum Boogum
• Clifford Curry
• She Shot a Hole In My Soul
• We’re Gonna Hate Ourselves In The Morning
• Shag With Me*
• Beach Music and Bar-B-Que
• The Tams
• Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy*
• There Ain’t Nothing Like Shagging

Surfer Tunes

• Wipe Out - The Safaris*
• Surf Rider – The Lively Ones*
• Surf Wax America – Weezer
• Jan & Dean:
• Surf City*
• Ride the Wild Surf
• The Beach Boys:
• Catch a Wave
• Surfin Safari
• Surfer Girl*
• Surfin USA*
• Dick Dale & His Del Tones:
• Miserlou*
• Surf Beat

Beach Music

• Barbara Ann – Jan & Dean; The Who
• Heatwave - Martha Reeves & the Vandellas*
• Love Letters in the Sand – Pat Boone
• Stranger On the Shore – Roger Whittaker; The Drifters*
• California Sun - The Rivieras
• Beach Blanket Bingo - Donna Loren
• California Dreamin' - The Mamas and the Papas*
• Vacation - The Go Go's*
• The Beach Boys
• Good Vibrations*
• Kokomo*
• Fun Fun Fun
• Bob Marley
• Is This Love
• One Love/People Get Ready*
• Three Little Birds*
• Jamming*
• Easy Skanking
• Stir it up
• Jimmy Buffet
• Cheeseburger in Paradise*
• Margaritaville*
• Come Monday
• Why Don’t We Get Drunk
• Fins*
• Volcano
• Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes*

Summer, Sun & Sand Songs

• Summertime - The Zombies*
• Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer - Nat King Cole
• Summer Son – Texas *
• Summer Breeze - Seals and Croft
• Doin' Time - Sublime
• In The Summertime – Shaggy; Jerry Mungo*
• Steal My Sunshine - Len
• Walkin On Sunshine – Katrina Leskanich
• Sand In My Shoes – Dido

Fun Features

Also, feature a few beach party fun songs, such as:

• Rock Lobster - The B-52's*
• Hawaii Five-O Theme*
• Some Beach - Blake Shelton
• Teeny Weeny String Bikini – Gunther & the Sunshine Girls*
• Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini - Brian Hyland*
  

Find more information about How To Make A Make A Party Music Playlist at our Party Blog.

*Our favorites.