Ballroom, Latin & Swing Dance Music

  This page lists some recommended and most requested music, along with brief descriptions.  If you have comments or questions about any of the music listed below, or if you have suggestions for other music you'd like to see listed, send email. 

I am unable to update this list as often as I would I like. If you would like to receive email notice when it is updated, send email to MusicUpdate@erik.org.

If you want to see a suggested songs listed by a specific dance, check out My Dance Lists.

You'll find audio clips for some of songs listed below. Click on the logo wherever you see it below to hear a brief clip from the song.

Most entries contain links into -- just click on the album cover image or "disc info" button to find track lists, cover art, and even samples from some of the songs on the album. If you like what you hear, you can buy it with a click of the mouse. If you know you want something and don't  want to mess around with those other pages, just click the "order now" button next to the description to go right to the order page.

NEW! NEW! NEW!  Great New Music!!

• A fantastic Hustle is "I'm Outta Love" by Anastacia, from her first album, Not That Kind. Another nice Hustle is "The Animal Song" by Savage Garden.

• Tom Jones' latest album, Reload, has many danceable songs. His collaboration with Mousse T, "Sex Bomb", is a Chustle (Cha-Cha or Hustle) depending on the remix. Another Chustle is "When We Are Together" by the Scottish group Texas.

• For Latin dance music, listen to Gloria Estefan's latest album, Alma Caribena.

• For new Cha-Chas, check out the delightfully campy "In These Shoes" on Kirsty MacColl's album Tropical Brainstorm, "Mucho Mambo (Sway)" by Shaft, and "Let's Get Loud" from the album On The 6 by Jennifer Lopez.

• For some great but fast Hustles, check out "Cartoon Heroes" and "Around The World" on Aqua's latest album Aquarius, "Tonite" by Phats and Small, "Summer Son" by Texas, "Sucks to Be You"  by Prozzak, and "Blue" by Eiffel 65.

• Gabrielle's "Rise" from the import album of  the same name, is a lovely Nightclub Two-Step.

• Not only is Ilse De Lange's debut album, World of Hurt, wonderful to listen to, it also contains some danceable songs (Country Cha-Cha, Country Waltz, WCS, and Nightclub Two-Step), and a Waltz, "If You Had The Heart".

• Here's a quick review of some wonderful dance music from 1999 that hasn't made it to the main list below:

  • "China In Your Hand" by Fusion is a great Nightclub Two-Step. It's not released in the US yet, so your only option is the import single.

  • Andru Donalds has a wonderful remake of "All Out Of Love" which was (June-July '99) top-10 on the German charts. In addition to the radio version which is a beautiful Bolero, the CD single also contains a great Hustle version of this song. The Hustle has been particularly popular.

  • The song "Simarik" by Tarkan (who seems to be the Turkish Ricky Martin) is a GREAT  samba!!  "Simarik"  was in the Top 10 across Europe (May 1999), but I can't imagine it will make it to America. Click here for an audio sample of "Simarik". If you like it, you can find out more or order the album or single on CDNow.

  • Ace of Base has a new single (1999) in Europe:  The song Always Have, Always Will is an East Coast Swing; the CD single from England is on CDNow. (No audio yet.)

  • Geri Halliwell's (neé Ginger Spice) first solo single, "Look At Me", (from the album Schizophonic) is a fantastic Cha-Cha highly reminiscent of the Propellerheads/Shirley Bassey version of History Repeating. A bit on the fast side and watch for the break, but it's still a great song.

  • Jennifer Brown is popular in her native Sweden and in Japan. Her  single, "Tuesday Afternoon", is a slow West Coast Swing and reached the Top 40 across Europe. No audio yet.

  • Two very different but popular Merengue are Elvis Crespo's "Suavemente" (album of the same name) and Juan Luis Guerra's "La Bilirubina" from the album, "Bachata Rosa".  "Suavemente" is packed with Merengue; "Bachata Rosa" also has a couple of great American tempo (fast, or 30+ bpm) Rumba.

• If you are just starting your collection of danceable music, the Let's Dance compilations from Rhino Records are a great foundation. The first features "Foxtrots and Waltzes", the second "Swing, Lindy, Jitterbug & Jive".

Frequently Recommended Albums

	Most of  Mannheim Steamroller's music is soothing and pleasant, and A Fresh Aire Christmas is no exception. Most of the songs on this album are recognizable as Christmas Carols, but it also contains one of my most requested songs. "Traditions of Christmas" is a beautiful, slow Waltz which, despite the name, is appropriate at any time of the year. The song has a lovely, warm and gentle ending so I often play it as my last song: Traditions of Christmas Waltz Click the album image to the left for more information.
"Dance With Me" is the dance movie starring Vanessa Williams and Chayanne. The soundtrack is as hot as the movie and features tons of great Latin dance music by some of the hottest names in Latin music. Most of the music is high-energy, but a few romantic ballads balance the soundtrack nicely. Most of the songs on this album are danceable. Check out: Magalenha (Sergio Mendes) Samba Jibaro (Electra) Samba Fiesta Pa'Los Rumberos (Albita) Salsa Jazz Machine (Black Machine) Samba Echa Pa'Lante (Thalia) Cha-Cha Eres Todo En Mi (Ana Gabriel) Bolero Refugio De Amor (Vanessa Williams & Chayanne) Salsa Click the album image to the left for more information.
	Die Prinzen are a well-known (in Germany) German pop group.  Their music is upbeat and a little unusual, and a lot of it is danceable. Two of the songs on this album are on my playlist right now (the Cha-Cha and the Two-Step); but several of the others are danceable and the rest are fun just to listen to. Some people love this music, and most enjoy it (it's among my most requested music), but a vocal handful really don't like it. Listen to the samples below and decide for yourself: Alles mit'm Mund Cha-Cha Wo Bist Du Two-Step Click the album image to the left for more information.
Ganz Oben is a recent greatest hits compilation by die Prinzen.  This album includes the Cha-Cha (Alles mit'm Mund) and an interesting, popular Foxtrot but it does not have the Two-Step (Wo Bist Du).  I only have two songs from this album on my playlist at the moment, but several of the others are danceable (and even the non-danceable songs are upbeat and fun). Alles mit'm Mund Cha-Cha Vergammelte Speisen Foxtrot Click the album image to the left for more information.
	Smash Mouth is one of the hottest bands in the country for the past year. Their chart-topping first single, "Walkin' On The Sun" has an upbeat, retro-sixties feel and a great Cha-Cha beat and is one of the more common requests. Walkin' On The Sun Cha-Cha Click the album image to the left for more information.
Yes, I know they're a pre-manufactured teeny-band/marketing phenomenon. Yes, I know that one is gone. If you can get past all of that to the music, you'll find that the Spice Girls put out catchy, lively and fun music and some of it is not just danceable but downright good. In fact, "2 Become 1" and "Who Do You Think You Are" are almost the quintessential Nightclub Two-Step and Hustle, respectively. Give it a listen, you might be surprised: Say You'll Be There Cha-Cha 2 Become 1 Two Step Who Do You Think You Are Hustle Click the album image to the left for more information.
	Sultry Jeanie Bryson slides through 14 sexy, smooth Peggy Lee covers. Five of these wonderful songs are danceable Foxtrots :  'Deed I Do 34mpm Why Don't You Do Right? 32mpm Fever 32mpm Close Your Eyes 34mpm That Sugar Baby O' Mine 29mpm Click  the album image to the left for more information (including audio samples).
Lively, energetic and fun to listen to throughout. Packed with Sambas, including several at teaching/practice tempos and one of the most popular Sambas in my collection (Tic Tic Tac). Tic Tic Tac Samba, 100bpm Festa do Boï Bumba Samba, 92bpm Festa de Um Povo Samba, 100bpm Iama Samba, 102bpm Bailarina Samba, 98bpm Click the album image to the right for more information.
	Ricky Martin's "Maria" topped the charts around the world, and it's a fantastic Samba to boot!  There's more to "A Medio Vivir" than "Maria" though — several of the other songs on the album are danceable and quite good: Maria Samba Donde Estaras Hustle Click the album image to the left for more information.
Ricky Martin's "Vuelve" proves that "Maria" was no fluke — this boy knows how to make dance music!!  Two great Sambas, a wonderful Bolero and Cha-Cha and a bunch of Nightclub Two Steps!! Either of the Sambas or the Bolero alone would make this an album worth owning. All this in one place is unbelievable! Lola Lola Samba Casi Un Bolero Bolero La Bomba Samba Marcia Baila Cha-Cha Click the album image to the right for more information.
	A fantastic Salsa compilation from Rhino records, featuring some of the hottest artists in Salsa. Nearly every song is danceable, but check out: Pa' Bravo Yo   Acabo De Llegar   Bailando   Click the album image to the left for more information.
The music on "Desde Mi Libertad" crosses the spectrum from dreamy and romantic, to passionate, to sad and to defiant. A wonderful album which includes some of the popular and most frequently requested dance songs I play. Check out: O Tu O Nada Two Step Derroche Rumba/Cha Cha (This album is extremely difficult to find. CDNow doesn't seem to have the link.)
	"Flamenco Funk" is a great, funky, high-energy dance album. All of the songs are fun, funky, and fantastic with (at least) two great Cha-Cha's and a Samba. (Almost every time I play Gigolo, people rush the booth to find out where they can buy it). Check out: Easy Come, Easy Go Samba No Tengo Dinero Cha-Cha Gigolo Cha-Cha Click the album image to the right for more information.
Classic Sinatra. Some of his best known and best loved songs, including 3 Quicksteps and 11 (yes, 11) Foxtrots, among them: Five Minutes More FOX, 31mpm American Beauty Rose QST, 49mpm That Old Black Magic FOX, 32mpm Paper Doll FOX, 31mpm I've Heard That Song Before FOX, 31mpm (CDNow doesn't seem to have the link for this album yet.)
	Nobody does the Latin Lounge Lizard like Buster Poindexter, and nobody has half as much fun doing it!  The music on "Buster's Spanish Rocketship" is great — high-energy and high-spirited! Even the songs that aren't danceable are a blast to listen to ("Nueva Broadway" and "Ynez" made me laugh out loud the first time I heard them). If you'd like to dance while you listen, check out: Ondine Merengue Mean-Spirited Sal Cha-Cha Click the album image to the left for more information.

  Great selection, great prices!

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