Posted by Rae Lynn on 2/16/2011 to
Party Planning
Music is a key factor in setting the mood for cocktail parties, but the smart party host uses music for much more. Specifically, a great party music playlist will:

The songs you select will establish the mood and energy level of the party, but are also a great tool to surprise and potentially connect with each guest on a personal level.
Select songs from a wide variety of genres, styles, and artists to increase the probability of striking a chord with each guest at some point during the party.
Step 1: For each hour of the party, create a picking list of 30 upbeat songs. Consider making your list longer, in case your party runs over. You may also want to include pre-party music, if you are inviting key friends over before the official party start time.
Here are some guidelines for selecting songs:
Next, add another level of interest by grouping songs to highlight contrasting styles and maximize the impact of humorous and theme-related songs with tempo changes.
Step 3: For each hour of your party, create 5 segments of 4 songs each, and then order them from the slowest to fastest.
Here are some guidelines for creating your segments:
The juxtaposition of the peak of one segment and the starting point of the next will create dramatic musical highs and lows throughout the evening, as well as draw attention to humorous and theme songs at the beginning of segments.
Step 5: Now, order the segments from the slowest to the fastest, using an average or the last song as a measure of speed. Adjust time to the length of your party, plus overage.
Move key songs between segments to coincide with the party’s peak, keeping them arranged in slow to fast order. “Surprise” tunes should be spaced an average of every 20 minutes throughout the final playlist.
Step 6: Listen through the complete playlist, paying special attention to the dramatic transitions between segments. Also, consider when each song will play during the party. Make adjustments, if needed.
Note: If you are using an iPod, use the crossfade feature during the party to transition between songs and don’t forget to turn shuffle “off”.
- Create an upbeat, happy mood
- Keep the energy level high
- Surprise & entertain each guest
- Take guests on an emotional ride
- Interject humor & smiles
- Reinforce your party theme
- Songs: Aesthetic of the individual song
- Segments: Interplay of songs by grouping & contrast
- Playlist: Effect of the segments in the overall playlist

Songs
The songs you select will establish the mood and energy level of the party, but are also a great tool to surprise and potentially connect with each guest on a personal level.
Select songs from a wide variety of genres, styles, and artists to increase the probability of striking a chord with each guest at some point during the party.
Step 1: For each hour of the party, create a picking list of 30 upbeat songs. Consider making your list longer, in case your party runs over. You may also want to include pre-party music, if you are inviting key friends over before the official party start time.
Here are some guidelines for selecting songs:
- Start with your personal current and past favorites,
- Add tunes that you think your guests will enjoy,
- Limit selections to upbeat, happy, positive “feel good” songs,
- Include a wide variety of genres, e.g. pop, rock, alternative, reggae, country, hip-hop, easy listening, dance, soundtracks, electronic, and R&B.
- Incorporate a diverse selection of artists and vibes,
- Opt for unique recordings of popular songs, e.g. Shirley Bassey’s version of Pink’s “Let’s Get This Party Started”
- Look for rerecorded and remixed old hits, e.g. Cake’s “Strangers In The Night”,
- Use medium- to fast-paced songs,
- Avoid songs over 4 minutes long and arrangements with lengthy intros and bridges.
- Restrict choices to 1 song per artist (if possible, pick from a song list sorted by artist to avoid duplicates).
- Campy tunes and fun favorites, such as Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" or The Partridge Family's "I Think I Love You",
- Traditional and hit songs about or related to your theme in origin, sound, and/or content.
- removing songs over 4 minutes long (exceptions allowed for indescribably remarkable tunes),
- removing slow songs,
- choosing a maximum of 1 song from each artist and deleting the rest (no exceptions).
Segments
Next, add another level of interest by grouping songs to highlight contrasting styles and maximize the impact of humorous and theme-related songs with tempo changes.
Step 3: For each hour of your party, create 5 segments of 4 songs each, and then order them from the slowest to fastest.
Here are some guidelines for creating your segments:
- You may find it easier to first separate your picking list into 3 groups of slower, medium, and faster songs.
- Concentrate more of your retro and lounge music in slower segments to be used at the beginning of the party. Conversely, use faster pop hits and dance tunes for segments to be used toward the latter half of the party.
- Select songs that complement each other, but contrast in style and tempo.
- Use your humorous, campy and theme-related songs to start some of the segments and build the tempo up from there. The final playlist should have one “surprise” song about every 20 minutes.
Playlist
The juxtaposition of the peak of one segment and the starting point of the next will create dramatic musical highs and lows throughout the evening, as well as draw attention to humorous and theme songs at the beginning of segments.
Step 5: Now, order the segments from the slowest to the fastest, using an average or the last song as a measure of speed. Adjust time to the length of your party, plus overage.
Move key songs between segments to coincide with the party’s peak, keeping them arranged in slow to fast order. “Surprise” tunes should be spaced an average of every 20 minutes throughout the final playlist.
Step 6: Listen through the complete playlist, paying special attention to the dramatic transitions between segments. Also, consider when each song will play during the party. Make adjustments, if needed.
Note: If you are using an iPod, use the crossfade feature during the party to transition between songs and don’t forget to turn shuffle “off”.
Sample Picking List
As a source of inspiration to get you started, we put together a sample list of the 60 songs we would include in a
picking list for a 2-hour cocktail party. Songs are sorted by artist
and not the order they would be played.
[February 2011]
No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 | Name You Know I'm No Good [Remix] I Want It That Way Broken Dreams Womanizer The Other Side Strangers In the Night Evacuate the Dancefloor Dark Lady* With Plenty of Money and You Point Of View Boss Right Round I've Got You Under My Skin In Love With a Girl She Thinks I Still Care Clint Eastwood Heavy Cross Stare Into the Sun The Bare Necessities* Only a Fool Would Say That You're Beautiful I'm Yours Ain't It Funny Ring Of Fire Amazing Pumpkin Soup Suddenly I See Poker Face The Fear What I've Done Climb Ev'ry Mountain Hanky Panky Disease From Russia With Love Life In The City These Boots Are Made for Walkin* Pocketful of Sunshine Tomorrow Is My Turn Stars Are Blind Opportunities Downtown [Remix] When You're Good To Mama* Hit The Road Jack Make You Feel Better Millennium The Last Farewell Suerte (Whenever, Wherever) Get the Party Started* It Feels So Good Tempted My Drag This Could Be The Start Something Big* Santeria Stand By Your Man Debbie Andy, You're A Star California Dreamin' Push Me to the Floor I Think I Love You* Don't Leave Me This Way | Artist Amy Winehouse Backstreet Boys Basement Jaxx Britney Spears Bruno Mars Cake Cascada Cher Count Basie DB Boulevard Diana Ross Flo Rida Frank Sinatra & Bono Gavin DeGraw George Jones Gorillaz Gossip Graffiti6 Harry Connick, Jr. Ivy James Blunt Jason Mraz Jennifer Lopez Johnny Cash Kanye West Kate Nash KT Tunstall Lady GaGa Lily Allen Linkin Park Lora Munro Madonna Matchbox Twenty Matt Monro Michael Franti & Spearhead Nancy Sinatra Natasha Bedingfield Nina Simone Paris Hilton Pet Shop Boys Petula Clark Queen Latifah Ray Charles Red Hot Chili Peppers Robbie Williams Roger Whittaker Shakira Shirley Bassey Sonique Squeeze Squirrel Nut Zippers Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gormé Sublime Tammy Wynette The B-52's The Killers The Mamas & The Papas The Parlotones The Partridge Family Thelma Houston | Min.Sec 3.22 3.33 3.07 3.44 3.47 2.51 3.27 3.26 1.33 3.20 3.49 3.22 3.32 3.26 2.34 3.44 4.02 3.56 3.06 3.03 3.32 4.04 4.06 2.38 3.58 2.59 3.21 3.57 3.27 3.25 4.21 3.59 3.38 2.34 3.54 2.45 3.22 2.48 3.56 3.38 3.26 3.19 1.59 3.51 4.04 3.42 3.16 3.59 3.59 4.00 3.27 2.29 3.03 2.41 3.34 3.14 2.43 4.09 2.53 3.36 | Genre R&B Rock Electronica/Dance Pop Pop Alternative Dance Rock Soundtrack Electronica/Dance Pop Hip-Hop/Rap Easy Listening Rock Soundtrack Alternative Alternative Alternative Children's Music Soundtrack Pop Pop Pop Country Hip-Hop/Rap Pop Pop Pop Pop Alternative & Punk Electronic Pop Rock Soundtrack Reggae Pop Pop Jazz Pop Rock Rock Soundtrack R&B Alternative & Punk Pop Easy Listening Latin Vocal Electronica/Dance Rock Jazz Easy Listening Rock Country Rock Alternative & Punk Pop Rock Rock Soundtrack |
*Surprise songs.
1 Comments
Ehtisham Malik
Date
12/25/2012
NIceeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...............