Middle School Dance
Posted by Flaky-Debate-833@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 890 comments
What's the first song that comes to mind when you think of middle school dances? If it's anything other than Mony Mony (at least until the principal banned it), what was it?
FataMorganaForReal@reddit
Crazy for you - Madonna
Substantial-Ease567@reddit
Fame. Bowie.
Bunny_Knitting@reddit
Angel by Aerosmith
MrsPickles42021@reddit
Pour Some Sugar On Me
Geaux_Phish@reddit
Push It by Salt and Peppa
pdxtee@reddit
2 different Americas…
Push It - Salt & Pepa
My Prerogative - Bobby Brown
I Want Her - Keith Sweat
New Edition & Al B Sure
Flaky-Debate-833@reddit (OP)
One America....many flavors.
ElectronicSmiley@reddit
7th grade, last song of the night at my first formal was No One is to Blame, Howard Jones.
3Bucksm0m@reddit
Atomic Dog by George Clinton 💃🏽
PuzzleheadedAbies678@reddit
K7 come baby come.
Best_Comfortable5221@reddit
My first MS dance. I was gangly and had braces. Taller than everyone in school. Terrible haircut. First 3 songs I was a wallflower. Finally the science teacher took pity on me. The song was Hey Jude. Only song I danced to. I was mortified. Never went to another one. Im 67 and have never forgotten. I still feel mortified for myself all these years later.
drawthelaceandblackc@reddit
My Sharona and Stairway to Heaven
Tasty_Heron_7219@reddit
Stairway to Heaven immediately came to mind! I had on open-toed shoes and my date had recently had his boots resoled. Those boots did a number on my toes during that song which seemed interminable. His father took us to Friendly’s after the dance where a waitress spilled strawberry Fribble on me as she was passing our table. The cold Fribble was a real relief to my bruised toes!
Top-Act-7814@reddit
Freak Out!!!
shan68ok01@reddit
I'm a 68 Gen X so I'm more in that area for middle school dances too. We were all about to "Celebrate good times come on! "
Muted-Garden500@reddit
I've been waiting for a girl like you
Pristine_Eye7197@reddit
Not a specific song, but a muffled low voice saying “Snowball”.
inspira1975@reddit
I Think We’re Alone Now - Tiffany
introvertednurse75@reddit
I remember that playing.
grrrlgone@reddit
Supersonic
introvertednurse75@reddit
The S is for Super....
kicker7744@reddit
Cotton Eyed Joe
Some schools had bring your tractor to school day. At my school every day, was bring your tractor to school day.
yallelike2eat@reddit
Bullshit!
kicker7744@reddit
I suppose you also thinks it's bullshit that attending the Coon Dog Trials counted as an excused absence at my school.
yallelike2eat@reddit
I was referring to Cotton Eye Joe 🙃
liveandletlive222@reddit
TootsieTales@reddit
Open Arms by Journey. No middle school dances, but my fella and I couple skated to this on a school field trip in 6th grade. I still think about you fondly, David Ballard. ❤️
Ragpicker21@reddit
Rock with You, by Michael Jackson
Also, here’s the school dance (HS, but freshman) scene from the show Freaks & Geeks set in 1981 with the Styx song Come Sail Away. It might bring back some memories for some of you.
AltruisticPlatypus80@reddit
I Melt With You
theatre_mom_FL@reddit
We slowed danced to Careless Whisper!
KeKeFanChick@reddit
I am 1965, among the oldest GenX, my first MS dance was in 1977 with You Light Up My Life by Debbie Boone as the featured song.
zeydey@reddit
Stairway To Heaven, last dance - last chance for romance.
OldSlug@reddit
Almost Paradise. Mark S. kissed me while we were slow dancing during that song, which would’ve been amazing but I really wanted Marc B. to kiss me.
squeaktooth@reddit
A Marc with a C is always cuter than a Mark with a K.
OldSlug@reddit
Truer words, my friend.
plnnyOfallOFit@reddit
reunited. peaches & herb ------------slow dance
cuntshine68@reddit
This was what came to mind first for me, too!
CurlyCupcake1231@reddit
Honestly, Every Rose has its thorn because it was my first ever slow dance
Living-Pomegranate37@reddit
B9aby Got Back
cagirlinoh@reddit
Best of Times by Styx.
Classic-Air-746@reddit
Slow dancing to Stairway to Heaven
CareMay1313@reddit
Jump. Van Halen
rainbowsdarkerside@reddit
We got the Beat by the GoGos immediately comes to mind for me.
zealot_ratio@reddit
Pump up the Jam.
8th grade only, but man is that iconic in terms of the sounds, sights, and smells of 1989. I can almost taste the Drakkar Noir and desperation.
sargent73@reddit
"cool it now" New Edition
ApprehensivePush7871@reddit
Colour My World by Chicago.
Katy-Moon@reddit
👆🏻This right here
InOurBlood@reddit
Babe from Styx
Parking-Explorer6802@reddit
Most of the Purple Rain album
linspurdu@reddit
The boy that I had a very longstanding (and obvious) massive crush on asked me to dance to ‘Shower Me With Your Love’ by Surface and then asked me if I wanted to ‘go out’ with him at the end of the song. 8th grade bliss. He broke up with me 5 days later. 🤣😂🤣
Fairycharmd@reddit
Lady in Red played at ours. Wildly inappropriate for seventh graders and we all thought it was “old”
Always assumed the DJ had a SO someplace amongst the teachers
Outrageous_Act585@reddit
You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC
Miss_take_maker@reddit
White Lines. That’s how you know the faculty didn’t listen to the lyrics of anything that was on the playlist.
matthewsmugmanager@reddit
Color My World
CanCanColleen@reddit
Roberta flack’s first time I ever saw your face. Odd since it came out in 1969 but this would have been a 1981 freshman dance. No middle school dances in Catholic school!
TannerDonovan@reddit
99 Red Balloons. It was my favorite song at the time
karebear66@reddit
Light my fire, the doors.
ApprehensiveClaim516@reddit
Babe by Styx
punkolina@reddit
I’m curious how many Gen Xers went to “middle school”? At that time, “junior high” was the only thing that existed in the area where I grew up.
wwbbqq@reddit
K-6 elementary. 7-9 Jr high. 10-12 High school.
UT (and the mountain west) has a mix but this (6-3-3) is usually the norm for the larger high schools. Smaller ones often have 9-12 and some kind of middle school.
catsarefriendshaped@reddit
My school was 7th and 8th grades. Name of school was Fillintheblank Middle School.
My daughter went to junior high AND middle school. The junior high where I live now is 5th and 6th grade; the middle school is 7th and 8th. I feel like the terms are interchangeable 🤷🏼♀️
JBTuffNStuff@reddit
I went to middle school, high school and Senior high school in North Texas. Middle school was 6th-8th, HS was 9th and 10th, and SHS was 11th and 12th.
daniegirl21@reddit
Same, I didn’t hear middle school until my kids were in school.
daniegirl21@reddit
But when I moved for my 4th grade, I was in a k-12 school. Then by the time 7th grade started they added a Jr/Sr high school
Aromatic_Mission_165@reddit
I went to middle school in South Carolina and junior high in North Carolina. Same thing.
DueStory5@reddit
I wonder if it was regional. I went to Jr High (7th & 8th) in California.
pdxtee@reddit
We had traditional middle schools (now a mix of 6-8 & K-8) but I went to a school that was K-4 then 5-8. I think due to building size.
JurisUrsus@reddit
I went to both. Started at a middle school but did 8th grade at a Jr High.
AnahitaPrince@reddit
I went to junior high.
Ill-Acanthisitta6022@reddit
I went to middle school 🤷♀️
dixiech1ck@reddit
Same.
MTheadedRaccoon@reddit
Prince's Purple Rain holds a special memory for me. Picture this: San Jose 1984. (tee hee) I'm in seventh grade and I had a crush on a boy, in eighth grade, and I really, REALLY wanted him to ask me to dance. I didn't even think he knew I was alive, but then it happened! He asked! And it was Prince's Purple Rain playing. I went home, over the moon, lighter than air that he actually asked me!!! Fast forward to early 2000s; I'm at a chiropractor's office for an adjustment. I run into his younger brother whom I was also friends with! Dude!! So we chat and catch up, and he tells me that his brother had recently passed and that his funeral was coming up. Talk about timing. Attended the service, saw some old friends, cried a lot. To this day, I cannot hear Purple Rain without tearing up thinking about him.
jayneblonde002@reddit
Every movie I watch is always crimson and clover
AskTheAdmin@reddit
End of the road
LionessInDC@reddit
Pump the jam 😂
fletch2891@reddit
Lady in Red
Melissaschwart@reddit
Yuck I hated that song
fletch2891@reddit
Me too, but it was the first one to come to mind.
Competitive-Hotel-14@reddit
Freak Out. Le freak, so chic.
GodsCasino@reddit
The songs from the Dirty Dancing movie.
vholecek@reddit
I think we had “blame it on the rain” as the theme for one of our middle school dances
GodsCasino@reddit
LOL Milli Vanilli was the shit...until they weren't.
Robviously-duh@reddit
I don't remember what song was playing, I was totally distracted by the fact that she said yes to dance with me.. she was so beautiful.. and I later found out she had passed.. R.I.P. Mary S... not forgotten
Worst_Comment_Evar@reddit
C+C Music Factory's Sweat.
WarpedCore@reddit
Simple Minds - Don't You Forget About Me
adauria75@reddit
You Gotta Fight for your Right to Paaaaaartay....
bungle094@reddit
Heaven by Bryan Adams
Tramp876@reddit
Chicago “You’re the Inspiration”
SportyMcDuff@reddit
That was the theme at my wife’s senior prom.
Tramp876@reddit
Chicago 17 came out when I was in middle school and it was good music to slow dance with your girl too at the dances.
mEp1973@reddit
Anything by Journey or Chicago
CitizenjaneEast@reddit
It Takes Two - Rob Base
(Born 1976 - grew up in the DMV)
Melissaschwart@reddit
That was played at the skating rink every weekend
EddieRedondo@reddit
Love You Down by Ready for the World
Melissaschwart@reddit
The remake was great
mysosmartz@reddit
I *wish* they played this in my school gym. 😮💨
Melissaschwart@reddit
Dancing with myself by Billy idol
CommunityEcstatic509@reddit
Forever Young-Alphaville
kittyshakedown@reddit
Def Leopard - Love Bites
Bright_Broccoli1844@reddit
That's a college dance song for me. Oooh, the memory! Where is he now? Probably retired.
Educational-Earth318@reddit
people would slow dance to the first half of stairway to heaven and then not know what to do the second half
Bright_Broccoli1844@reddit
Ha!
isit_Data_or_Data@reddit
Anything by Billy Squire. Especially “The Stroke”
Bright_Broccoli1844@reddit
Got me, Billy Squire is roller skating music.
SnooPickles55@reddit
Ring My Bell - Anita Ward
Everyone wanted to dance with Nicole Nickens or Renita Wesley off of this song. I got to watch my best friend dance with them both as I held up the wall, lucky me!
Ok_Magician5842@reddit
Crazy for you by Madonna
ZouDave@reddit
Pour Some Sugar on Me
MamaPajamaMama@reddit
Never Say Goodbye. Played at the 8th grade dance, and I danced with the boy who broke my heart. Of course now I know I dodged a bullet but my 14 year old self didn't see it that way.
tmwilson524@reddit
Don't you want me baby by Human League... I'll never forget that song because it's the only song I remember from our 8th grade dance!
lalapine@reddit
New Kids on the Block songs
OldBanjoFrog@reddit
More than Words
Groove is in the Heart
ThreeandnoD@reddit
Love Hurts- Nazareth
Possible_Shoulder_50@reddit
Careless Whisper. My first slow dance
SingleinGVA@reddit
Humpty dance was big until it got banned too 🤣
Nolaorlando@reddit
Joy and Pain by Rob Bass
mysosmartz@reddit
🐐🐐🐐
mysosmartz@reddit
Mony mony - ohhhh my godddddd! I forgot about that!
Podwitchers@reddit
Oh god, I just had a really bad mony mony school dance flashback 😅
I had no idea this was a universal Gen X experience.
Iwentforalongwalk@reddit
Boogie Shoes!
13maven@reddit
Heaven by Bryan Adams. Heard it the other day and I had to get up and slow dance in her kitchen.
Cats-And-Brews@reddit
I’m Year 1 GenX, so songs like Dancing Queen (ABBA) or Play That Funky Music (Wild Cherry) were staples.
Commercial_Use_363@reddit
Year two Gen X here. We all wore satin to the dances in middle school.
Cats-And-Brews@reddit
Yes. Flared polyester pants, silky shirts open with no chest hair yet. LOL
sammy99x@reddit
Naked Eyes - always something there to remind me
suzyfay@reddit
You Spin Me Right Round- Dead or Alive
anxious-kitten3840@reddit
Journey....Open Arms
pianoplayerforhire@reddit
Friends and Lovers
snoopy_88@reddit
any slow song by Chicago.
Wayfarers_on@reddit
I Can't Tell You Why.
OtterMumzy@reddit
Crazy for You
Wayfarers_on@reddit
Old Gen X here...that was my (first) wedding song.
ObiWanKnieval@reddit
Erotic City (Uncut 12 inch mix) by Prince
SorryHunTryAgain@reddit
Private Eyes (clap, clap clap)
Glad_Bunch_3473@reddit
Can’t Fight this Feeling (REO)
spacetstacy@reddit
Open Arms
It was always the last song of the night for some reason.
Far-Amoeba-7197@reddit
Crazy for you, Madonna.
OtterMumzy@reddit
Came to say same thing!
Fire_Doc2017@reddit
Romantics “Talking in your sleep”
AgainstSpace@reddit
Rock the Casbah
ExtensionOk5542@reddit
The Go-Gos!
lilwayne2722@reddit
Bust A Move - Young M.C.
Donna_Hayward95@reddit
This is still my jam. Every time it comes on at a wedding I hit the dance floor like it’s 1993. My spouse prefers The Humpty Dance lol
JustTheBeerLight@reddit
This here's a jam for all the fellas
Tryin' to do what those ladies tell us
Get shot down 'cause you're overzealous
Play hard to get, females get jealous
BethiePage42@reddit
Ok smarty, go to a party!
Old_Dragonfruit6952@reddit
16 Candles is what comes to mind .
Far_Anything_7458@reddit
Color My World
sfdsquid@reddit
The last dance was always Stairway to Heaven. I took it for granted that that's just the way it was everywhere.
Figmetal@reddit
Ours was always Last Dance by Donna Summer. Seemed appropriate.
Ill_Establishment406@reddit
Same here. I can’t hear that song without recalling the sweaty smell of the end of the night
2_Bagel_Dog@reddit
Anything by REO Speedwagon.
_Silent_Android_@reddit
"I Feel For You" - Chaka Khan
elvaqueroloco@reddit
Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton
or End of the Road by Boyz II Men....
or Head Like a Hole by NIN...(No, really!) 😂
RightLegDave@reddit
mistertireworld@reddit
Open Arms for me. First slow dance with a girl.
FloatingOnTitties@reddit
BAD MEDICINE - BON JOVI
MaleficentMousse7473@reddit
Madonna: Lucky Star
CityBoiNC@reddit
I think we’re alone now - Tiffany
acrneal1995@reddit
Something by Phil Collins
Accomplished_Egg1220@reddit
Pony, by Ginuwine
And now being a parent myself idk how my mom chaperoned those dances and just watched us all grinding on each other
StephDos94@reddit
Saturday - Bay City Rollers
Cojiro_rarely_crows@reddit
The first time I was asked to slow dance with a boy, 6th grade, Crowded House “Don’t Dream It’s Over.” Hands on shoulders, arms straight out, shifting weight stiffly from side to side, making every effort not to make eye contact. I don’t know where you are now, Chris, but I still smile at the memory when it comes on the “oldies” (ack!) station.
Prestigious_Ad_1037@reddit
Chris’ weight shifting wasn’t the only that was stiff. Seriously.
AdExtreme4813@reddit
Led Zeppelin- Stairway to Heaven.
Scrubnurse@reddit
Came here for this one!
Prestigious_Ad_1037@reddit
Asia, Heat of the Moment and the Theme from Fame.
heynowpeanut@reddit
One More Try - Timmy T
FluffyWienerDog1@reddit
The Wall
rollenr0ck@reddit
Cocaine - my band teacher played it with his band. In Utah. In middle school. I was amazed he had the gall to play it.
SnooRevelations3603@reddit
Not all heroes wear capes.
CitizenjaneEast@reddit
I was in kindergarten and my mom got a call because I was singing this! My mom LOVES Clapton.
pdx-peter@reddit
Rock Lobster. “Down! Down!”
SnooRevelations3603@reddit
I told my daughter that this would play at dances and at that part of the song we'd all get down low and the jump up when the beat changed. She said we were dorks. 😆
SnooRevelations3603@reddit
The Stroke
sauvandrew@reddit
Lady in red, grade 8, dedicated to Julie Stull, my first real crush, who was a redhead. Well...still is. 😄
larry_alligator@reddit
oh man I can't do just one, there's a few.
more than words - extreme
poison - bell biv devoe
smells like teen spirit - nirvana
don't cry - guns n roses
Mysterious_Candle942@reddit
Groovy Kind of Love by Phil Collins
FluffyKanomKa@reddit
Madonna's Crazy For You was my first slow dance. It was the perfect atmosphere, and the boy I danced with was someone who I had never really considered at all, but he asked me to dance and it was magical.
Wow, thank you for that very sweet trip down memory lane.
Rencri@reddit
Oh gosh! My first slow dance, too!
Southern_Confection4@reddit
Ah, yes, perfect song for a first slow dance! I remember wanting my crush to ask me to dance, to that song but he didn’t, and I was too shy to do the asking.
FluffyKanomKa@reddit
I understand being shy. I was never able to ask boys to dance, even when I "ached" to dance with a crush.
Funny how when young those feelings seem so urgent and angsty.
Rencri@reddit
Careless whisper
Rencri@reddit
Sister Christian
Rencri@reddit
Sweet child o mine!
dreaminginteal@reddit
Rasputin by Boney M. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl_Eo2QzqU4
icrossedtheroad@reddit
Should I Stay or Should I Go? - The Clash
Rencri@reddit
Let’s Groove Tonight, Fresh and Celebration by Kool and the Gang, Purple Rain, When Doves Cry, Thriller, Nasty Boys, You Dropped a Bomb on Me, Crazy for You by Madonna, Mony Mony, anything by GnR
catsarefriendshaped@reddit
omg they used to play Me So Horny at our middle school dances 🫢 Also White Lines. Late 80s. Nobody banned any music at my school (Southern California). What a lawless time.
JHolgate@reddit
Bryan Adams - (Everything I Do) I Do It for You. I was in foster care/living in a shelter home, but we still got to do fun stuff like Middle School dances. I can still smell that musty gym every time I hear that song.
SayYesToGuac@reddit
Saved by Zero… by The Fixx
mskriswolf@reddit
Yes!! My first concert!
Slow_Review3107@reddit
More Than Words and Stairway to Heaven
scarlettohara1936@reddit
Unchained Melody from Ghost and the Aerosmith/Run DMC colab Walk This Way
puppy_sneeze@reddit
C+C Music Factory is Gonna Make You Sweat (EVERYBODY DANCE NOW)
Happy-person2122@reddit
Juke box Hero
Lobster70@reddit
Faithfully by Journey. Or Open Arms.
Creative_Class_1441@reddit
"Red Red Wine" and my first slow dance song "Never Tear Us Apart".
Helpful_Text_5228@reddit
Everything I do...I do it for you
ET-4@reddit
Diamond Girl
lynnejen@reddit
Purple Rain. Two guys had crushes on me in 8th grade and it was the last song of the night. Guy #2 asked to dance with me. He was at least 6ft 4 inches tall and I'm 5'3''. We did the dumb sway dance, his arms around my waist and mine stretched to reach his neck. My arms hurt. The song lasted 75 minutes.
Ok-Sprinklez@reddit
Last Dance
Icy_Reply_4163@reddit
Please don’t go giiiirllllll
MissTriggerMortis@reddit
You will ruin my whole world 💖
Joey McIntyre was always my favorite
ljinbs@reddit
All of My Love by Led Zeppelin
Willow_Alley@reddit
I'm All Out of Love by Air Supply 🤣
Nonbelieverjenn@reddit
Billy Idol’s Rebel yell.
Amazing_Factor2974@reddit
Journey..Faithfully ..first slow dance huba huba
tboneynot@reddit
Salt N’ Pepa: Push It
SDRose71@reddit
Hello by Lionel Ritchie
NevenderThready@reddit
Our House by Madness
Head_Razzmatazz7174@reddit
Last Dance by Donna Summer.
Staying Alive by the Bee Gees
Figmetal@reddit
Thank you! I was getting a complex as some of these songs named were music I heard at frat parties and campus bars, not junior high dances.
Head_Razzmatazz7174@reddit
Disco was the theme of my middle school years.
Irasshaimase21@reddit
True by Spandeau Ballet
Olbap55@reddit
Baby Got Back. Styling in 1992 with my purple silk Z Cavaricci button up shirt and my braided black belt.
Winter_Throat3109@reddit
Power of Love by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
SquareTowel3931@reddit
Bust a Move - Young MC
Funky Cold Medina/Wild Thing - Tone Loc
Minute-Frame-8060@reddit
The last dance being Stairway to Heaven.
Werkhorse1012@reddit
Soft Cell "Tainted Love"
Extension-Rabbit3654@reddit
Brown Eyed Girl -- van morrison
predictablecitylife@reddit
Pretty sure my first slow dance was to “End of the Road” by Boyz II Men.
Academic_Rutabaga649@reddit
KC And The Sunshine Band - Get Down Tonight
Obvious_Front_2377@reddit
Tears for Fears
state_of_confusion19@reddit
Wonderful Tonight
Middle-Refuse-4218@reddit
Push it
Vanifest0@reddit
Omg.... the record scratch from our principal teacher after he heard the words..... LIVES IN MY BRAIN RENT FREE
shortstop_princess@reddit
I remember slow dancing with a boy to "Let Me Love You Down" 😅
ihatecleaningtoilets@reddit
Our school didn’t really have dances. We had an 8th grade graduation dance when we graduated from junior high. Seniors got prom. That was it.
That being said, top songs in 1995 when i graduated junior high were: Gangstas Paradise(Coolio), Kiss from a rose(Seal), on bended knee(BIIM), you are not alone (Michael Jackson’s), Only wanna be with you (Hootie)
Philosof_E_Sofmen@reddit
Phil Collins is playing…Groovy Kind of Love…palms so sweaty….gather courage….go ask her to dance…
San_Cannabis@reddit
Vomit on his sweater already
thatswhatjennisaid@reddit
Yes! I came here to say this. Paul Steven’s, 8th grade, Berrendo Middle School. Memories!
Impossible_Jury5483@reddit
Lady in Red. I hated that song. I hated middle school dances. Being a really tall girl made that part of my life awful.
wwbbqq@reddit
I am sorry! Lol. Tall girls are the best!
everlasting_torment@reddit
The first think I remember is the smell of sweaty BO
No_Age_8414@reddit
Whip It -DEVO
wwbbqq@reddit
Jump - Van Halen
TitoBandito5@reddit
Slow dancing to ‘Babe’ by Styx with my hands on her buttocks
Conscious-Mulberry17@reddit
That must have been the “b-side.”
plemyrameter@reddit
Air Supply (All Out of Love and many others)
REO Speedwagon
Every dance ended with Stairway to Heaven. Never liked that song and still don't.
peppermint-tea-yay@reddit
Working for the Weekend!
Charming-Insurance@reddit
I will never not think of Swayze and Farley. 💜💜
Conscious-Mulberry17@reddit
GravityTracker@reddit
You give love a bad name. I distinctly remember that song blasting in our gym.
YoghurtNo2026@reddit
"My Prerogative" by Bobby Brown.
CoolJeweledMoon@reddit
The Gap Band - Burn Rubber on Me & You Dropped a Bomb on Me
KC & the Sunshine Band - Please Don't Go
Styx - Babe
Journey - Loving, Touching, Squeezing...
rivenshire@reddit
Give Me Just One More Night - Phil Collins
Silly_Sherbet5543@reddit
Purple Rain
lincnhead@reddit
Wha I Like About You
Iittletart@reddit
Every Rose Has Its Thorn
RobotMower@reddit
C&C Music Factory
RobotMower@reddit
Tiffany - I think We’re Alone Now
Dry-Ad-2197@reddit
I wanna know what love is
Best_Commercial8646@reddit
Celebration - Kool & The Gang!
ChemicalWin3591@reddit
Def Leopard Hysteria
NightGod@reddit
Not Pour Some Sugar on Me? That's what I think of from that album
4Q69freak@reddit
Celebration—Kool and The Gang
SportyMcDuff@reddit
We had a “Car Wash” social in seventh grade. Back then it was junior high school. Middle school was what my kids attended.
4Q69freak@reddit
We used the term interchangeably. We usually said jr high but the actual name was Town-Town Middle School.
SportyMcDuff@reddit
Mine was Alameda Jr. High. It is now a baseball complex designed to be reminiscent of Coors Field.
Efficient_Let686@reddit
This was ours too. I went to a small Lutheran school. 7th and 8th grade were in the same classroom. The principal was our main teacher. He allowed us to have an end of year party in our classroom. We were allowed to dance, but he made sure all of our music was pre approved.
NightGod@reddit
Slow song: Chances by Air Supply, me and my first girlfriend's song.
Fast song: I graduated in 1987, so Living on a Prayer, obviously
jgcecil@reddit
Three Times a Lady. Shivers.
BucktoothedAvenger@reddit
Crazy For You, by Madonna. A girl I had a huge crush on picked that song to ask me to dance. It was a dream come true 🥰
MyNameIsNotDennis@reddit
Nick Gilder’s “Hot Child in the City”
Majestic_Orchid4651@reddit
Kylie Minogue Loco Motion, Bananarama Venus, Expose Point of No Return. I’m sure others were played but those ones were way over played at every single junior high dance.
sheltrk@reddit
Heaven Is a Place on Earth by Belinda Carlisle
JBTuffNStuff@reddit
I just died in your arms tonight
blacklab@reddit
Time Warp from Rocky Horror Picture Show
Whole-Basil-3445@reddit
Can’t touch this- MC Hammer
BadWolf1392@reddit
Stairway to Heaven....always the last song of the night, and slow dance song.
Naptimeforgoodwomen@reddit
Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin was always the last song.
You Spin Me Round by Dead or Alive
Mony Mony Billy Idol version
Rock Me Amadeus - Falco
Don’t Dream it’s Over - Crowded House
Your Love - Outfield
Money for Nothing - Dire Straits
We Built this City - Starship
Take On Me - A Ha
Summer of ‘69 - Bryan Adam’s
Lost - Blue Rodeo
bandley3@reddit
Babe by Styx
Marty_LCSW@reddit
After the Love has Gone, Earth Wind and Fire was a slow dancing favorite
calchaos67@reddit
Hysteria- Def Leppard
ChemicalWin3591@reddit
Yep. Same here.
nuttypoolog@reddit
Stairway to Heaven....long and slow !
New-Warning5762@reddit
Always the last song of the night.
Wonderful_Pause_2690@reddit
We had Last Dance
RUSerious_Campaign_7@reddit
Jump Around, with I Saw the Sign a close second.
Peony519@reddit
King Tut
Popular-Set-4805@reddit
First slow dance: Three Times a Lady (Lionel Richie)
Forsaken-Repeat-7657@reddit
Stand by me
ladybraine@reddit
Electric slide!!
Temporary-Library597@reddit
Playing the video games our school rented all night
stilleastofeden@reddit
Bryan Adams “Heaven”
JimmyMcPoyle_AZ@reddit
Dance contests/dance offs were super popular for some unknown reason.
Mc Hammer - You Can’t touch this
Kris Kross - Jump
Boyz To Men - Motown Philly
These songs would end up being played like 5 or 6 times each night for the different dance crews.
This was in Lowell, MA at St Margaret’s Private School.
riverdoc@reddit
It’s 💯mony mony. And the principal stormed in, turned on the lights, and shut down the band.
Cake_Donut1301@reddit
The DJ at my small town middle school dances used the same playlist he did for weddings, so it was all adult contemporary. Lady in Red comes to mind.
Royal-Air-Hump@reddit
Timmy T - One more try
Pattyannlu@reddit
Crazy for You - Madonna
Ok-Till-5285@reddit
Older Gen X here - Middle School dance songs - Disco Inferno, Copacabana, Staying Alive, Freak Out, MacArthurs Park, One Way Or Another
sewonsister@reddit
Rock Lobster!
doubletwist@reddit
Stand, by REM.
cathead72@reddit
They used to play White Lines at my middle school dances. : )
Mcy2000@reddit
Lol! Me too!
SmilingMountainGoat@reddit
Pump Up the Volume - MARRS
Pure-Willingness3141@reddit
YES!!! Same here.
Pure-Willingness3141@reddit
Pump Up The Volume, Welcome To The Jungle, & Fight For Your Right To Party.
thanx_it_has_pockets@reddit
If You Leave - OMD
euphorbia9@reddit
The Jitterbug by WHAM!
Odd_Policy_3009@reddit
I’ll show my age: Free Bird
According_Assist_636@reddit
Louie louie
writergal75@reddit
Take my Breath Away
mdjordan71@reddit
Safety Dance was the theme of our first Jr. High dance in 7th grade.
Little-Pen-500@reddit
Bizarre Love Triangle - New Order
Few-Pineapple-5632@reddit
Lost in love and all out of love, air supply
Please don’t go, kc and the sunshine band
Babe, Styx
Centerfold, j girls band
Keep on loving you, reo speedwagon
Best of times, Styx
Every woman in the world, air supply
Waiting, foreigner
Fickle-Milk-450@reddit
Air Supply, definitely!
viking12344@reddit
Yes j geils band. Omg have not heard that song in decades
JoeyKino@reddit
Here I Go Again, by Whitesnake
ionchannels@reddit
I remember the 2 main “slow dance” songs were Love Bites and Lady in Red (Chris deBurgh).
mrbaggy@reddit
Wishing on a Star and Total Eclipse of the Heart
lighter-thief@reddit
The Cover Girls! ⭐️⭐️ Wishing on a star.. To fiollow where you are Im wishing on a dream To follow what it means And I wish on all the rainbows that I see I wish on all the people who really dream And I'm wishing on tomorrow, praying it'll come And I'm wishing on all the lovin' we've ever done.. feel it's time we should make up, baby I feel it's time for us to get back together And make the best of things, oh, baby When we're together, whether or never...
kittydeviance@reddit
"Electric Boogie" by Marcia Griffiths...couldn't get the steps down right but I enjoyed it everytime
081673@reddit
INXS "Never Tear Us Apart"
Columbia_Guy001@reddit
Stairway to Heaven or Purple Rain. Last song of the dance. Find a girl and hold her tight.
Responsible-Coffee1@reddit
Poison- Bel Biv DeVoe
well-it-was-rubbish@reddit
Never trust a big butt and a smile.
Responsible-Coffee1@reddit
And we were screaming that at the top of our lungs at 12 in the cafetorium.
Loreen72@reddit
Heaven .... Bryan Adams
modoughert@reddit
Purple Rain (slow dance)
onetakemovie@reddit
Crazy For You
O_W_Liv@reddit
Everything from Coolyhighharmony and Ice, Ice, Baby.
Mostly I remember the freak lines. What the actual fuck?
Looking back I understand why the adults were appalled; what I don't understand is how we got away with them.
Ten plus 12-14 year old kids lined up boy/girl/boy/girl grinding into the person in front of you, hips swaying, as they squat to the floor and gyrate back up.
Really long lines would move like dancing Chinese lions or a stadium wave. Eventually someone would loose their balance and the line would fall down like dominos.
Bridgerton creator Chris Van Dussen attended this school during the era of freak lines and probably attended as he's always loved to dance.
After_Evidence_3020@reddit
The Search is Over by Survivor
mybadselves@reddit
Keep on Loving You - REO Speedwagon
Fun_Interaction_9619@reddit
Total Eclipse of the Heart, Cum on Feel the Noize, and You Shook Me All Night Long - '82-'84
kaiareadit@reddit
Get low, lil Jon
marie-90210@reddit
“At This Moment.” From Family Ties.
MariMotogirl@reddit
Crazy for you, Madonna
RunRunDMC212@reddit
That, Sussudio and Good Enough (The Goonies Theme) were my favorite rollerskating skating rink songs.
Awesomesince1973@reddit
Yes!
Mudcreek47@reddit
Angel Eyes - Jeff Healy Band
dkoven@reddit
Easy. "Anything, Anything g (I'll Give You) - Dramarama
squeaktooth@reddit
I’ll give you candy give you diamonds give you pills. Hahaha 13 yr olds feeeeeeeling this song.
rxredhead@reddit
Lucky Boys Confusion has a fantastic cover of this song
90dayfangirl@reddit
Extreme - More Than Words
Sad-Signature-5491@reddit
Isn’t that by Nelson?
90dayfangirl@reddit
Nope. AI says The original artist of "More Than Words" is the American rock band Extreme. Released on their 1990 album Extreme II: Pornograffitti and as a single in March 1991, the acoustic ballad was written and performed by band members Gary Cherone and Nuno
Sad-Signature-5491@reddit
Wow! 😮 I didn’t know that. Why do I have those long hair blonde dudes stuck in my head singing that song?🎶
RavennaCorvus@reddit
The Best of Times by Styx😆!
It was the last song played at the 8th grade graduation dance and it's the only song I got asked by a boy to dance to! (My friends and I all danced in a group with each other most of the night). Good times lol.
External_Confident@reddit
Open Arms- Journey
Ineedzthetube@reddit
Came here to say to write the same thing.
Jettcat-@reddit
Peter Frampton- Baby I love your way
cgund@reddit
Absolutely Stairway to Heaven (middle school was 1979-1981 for me).
TNTmom4@reddit
Kids in America
OryxTempel@reddit
Desperado by the Eagles
voteblue18@reddit
Really? At a middle school dance? That seems unusual.
OryxTempel@reddit
lol you didn’t go to my middle school
macmonkey2@reddit
Never Say Goodbye - Bon Jovi
SmoothLikeVinyl@reddit
Lady in Red
thecuriosityofAlice@reddit
Bel Biv DeVoe
onebadassMoMo@reddit
Now ya know
maddestscientist919@reddit
Spandau Ballet, True
justmekim@reddit
Babe - Styx
CandyStomp@reddit
Mony mony
calrammer@reddit
Wild Wild West - Escape Club
voteblue18@reddit
Donna Summer - Last Dance
harquinn666@reddit
Never say goodbye bon jovi
BeginningNobody4812@reddit
You got it all by the Jets
gOldMcDonald@reddit
Don’t you, forget about me
Theme from the breakfast club. When that came on at the 8th grade dance, the room went electric
SeaToe9004@reddit
Sukiyaki by Taste of Honey
Expensive_Fennel_88@reddit
Stairway to Heaven, the closer at my middle school dances.
TheLuggage23@reddit
At every middle school dance AND several of my high school ones too!
Expensive_Fennel_88@reddit
I can hear Meatloaf now!
Gold-You-376@reddit
Lookout Weekend by Debbie Deb 1984. Still a banger.
MavisCanim@reddit
Everything I do Brian Adams with Mike first slow dance.
Go-to-helenhunt@reddit
Blame it on the Rain lol
CheapAssociation2976@reddit
Take on me. And then finishing the night with stairway.
Admirable-Avocado-94@reddit
Could’ve Been - Tiffany
buzzardrooster@reddit
E.U.'s Da Butt '89
Gilly-Gump@reddit
Pat Benatar's - Hit me with your best shot. Bet they are allowed to play this at school dances today.
Skitzafranik@reddit
Let’s go crazy - Prince
N.E. Heartbreak - New Edition
Smooth Criminal- MJ
Klassieprof@reddit
Smoke.....on the Water....a fire in the sky.....https://youtu.be/Q2FzZSBD5LE?si=5I7vlkVX2zoOlkdu
royroad@reddit
Total Eclipse of the Heart
LudefiskLongHammer@reddit
Alphaville, Forever Young
Gazas_trip@reddit
Stairway to Heaven because it always got awkward when it started rocking out in the second half and you're both trying to decide when to stop slow dancing.
Habeas-Opus@reddit
Wait, you SLOW DANCED in middle school? We’re not worthy!!
Gazas_trip@reddit
Lol yes, but it was awkward for all involved.
CommunicationHappy20@reddit
EMF - Unbelievable.
catdogwoman@reddit
Stairway to Heaven. It starts slow and then is a full on rock song. I'll never forget how awkward it felt slow dancing to the faster beat!
Ordinary_Nothing_348@reddit
I was going to say this too.
0_IceQueen_0@reddit
We had this weird song playing "Whip It". 😁
Conscious_Border3019@reddit
Whip it real good
fishin_pups@reddit
Red Red Wine
Conscious_Border3019@reddit
More than words
skyblu1727@reddit
Precious and Few by Climax (1972)
TollyVonTheDruth@reddit
Middle school dance? What's that? I have no recollection of such an event.
Reboot-Glitchspark@reddit
It was that one time when all of the guys stood awkwardly on one side of the gym joking while all of the girls stood awkwardly on the opposite side of the gym giggling, and everyone tried not to pass out from the combination of fumes from way too much cologne and perfume mixed with the normal scent of a preteen gym.
Nirvana wrote a song about it a year or two later that became a big hit.
Effective_Farmer_119@reddit
Idk in my school the boys and girls were very intermingled and making out in all the chairs circling the dance floors. Kids were getting drunk in the bathrooms.
TollyVonTheDruth@reddit
Oh, that was just gym class, except it was the stench of cologne, perfume, and sweat. What you explained, I thought that was the high school prom — which I never attended.
I thought Nirvana wrote a song about a popular deodorant/antiperspirant that teens used.
DifferenceSuitable25@reddit
Beach Boys Kokomo
FritzTheCat_1@reddit
Where Have All The Flowers Gone- Peter, Paul ,and Mary
reververberate-this@reddit
Heaven, Bryan Adam’s
NoLab183@reddit
Eric Clapton… Wonderful Tonight
galaknows@reddit
We’re Not Gonna Take It
Fun-Panic-9348@reddit
"Blue collar man" Styx
Away_Problem_1004@reddit
YMCA...Macho Man...yep, it was the 70s!!
Effective_Farmer_119@reddit
Brick House. Rubberband Man. Earth Wind and Fire: Do you remember the 21st night of September…..
Sad-Signature-5491@reddit
Nelson; ‘More Than Words’ Guns 💪 N’ Roses 🥀; November Rain ☔️ Garth Brooks; ‘The Dance’ 🕺 Ugly Kid Joe; ‘Cats 🐈🐈⬛ In the Cradle’
Cinnem@reddit
I Think We're Alone Now by Tiffany. Only in my Dreams by Debbie Gibson.
Chibadger@reddit
Sister Christian. My first slow dance.
hx_chick@reddit
Push It—Salt n Pepa
Traditional_Ad_5859@reddit
Tender Love by Force MDs
nursingintheshadows@reddit
Let’s talk about sex.
idk012@reddit
The one with do the Charlie Brown
Bird_on_a_hippo@reddit
I requested “When I See You Smile” by Bad English and asked my crush to dance. It was awesome and then he asked if he could dance with “other people”. 🙄
croissant_and_cafe@reddit
Never tear us apart - INXS
And
Hammer time!
1043b@reddit
Another One Bites the Dust, Queen Keep On Loving You, REO
viking12344@reddit
Those two journey songs....faithfully and open arms. I mean....journey to me was feeling that way. When Greg was still in the band. Best version. Anyway ...
LadySlayinem@reddit
Against All Odds-Phil Collins
gatorgopher@reddit
Probably something by Chicago.
b_o_m@reddit
Hold the Line by Toto and Open Arms by Journey are the first that come to mind
ForgottenGenX47@reddit
Paradise By the Dashboard Lights
brains_and_tits@reddit
Every dance in middle school ended with Stairway to Heaven
ZephyrGale143@reddit
Yes, I remember.
Comprehensive-Big247@reddit
Stairway to Heaven
ZephyrGale143@reddit
Same. Such a completely awkward song to dance to, obviously. How awkward we were. Great tune, though.
Blatzkreig@reddit
Girls, Girls, Girls - Motley Crue.
I remember the DJ (a student) started playing this song and within a few seconds the principal shut the whole thing down.
Wrangler9960@reddit
Careless whisper
WBRGGRL@reddit
Groovy Kind of Love
Repulsive_Client_325@reddit
Pour Some Sugar on Me
and Love Bites
internetrando12@reddit
Love Bites by Def Leppard.
ionchannels@reddit
omg 1987
internetrando12@reddit
Yes! Eighth grade dance in ‘87. I still feel a little twinge of melancholy when I hear this song because it immediately takes me back to seeing my crush dancing with someone else. So painful!
Training-Finish-2754@reddit
My answer also.
Stephvick1@reddit
That was a long time ago, probable something with the BeeGees, the Commodores or Leo Slayer.
MK-LivingToLearn@reddit
Forever Young - Alphaville
WhyLie2me18@reddit
This song lives rent free in my head. I love it.
MK-LivingToLearn@reddit
Me too, I still love it.
DSDI13@reddit
Anything Kool and the Gang lol! I’m an older Gen Xee
truckin2nowhere@reddit
Keep on loving you- REO Speedwagon
rad_avenger@reddit
Eternal flame, man
Breakfast_Pretzel@reddit
Genuine, My Pony
Horror_Ad3292@reddit
"Okay smarty, go to a party
Girls are scantily clad and showin' body
A chick walks by you wish you could sex her
But you're standing on the wall like you was Poindexter"
-“Bust a Move” by Young MC
jenn1d@reddit
Buffalo stance - Neneh Cherry
https://youtu.be/JWsRz3TJDEY?si=sS0rJ2RGbDfTJP61
Gold_Dig2200@reddit
She was light years ahead of her time. I love her.
MartinMcFly55@reddit
Huh, sucka?
dontwannaparticpate@reddit
Whaddya expect the guys a gigolo man
Mysterious_Can_6106@reddit
Burning down the house.. it was banned went he principle heard us yelling “let the MF burn, burn MFer” .. yeah it was banned after our first dance 🤣🤣
Nick_Fotiu_Is_God@reddit
That might be “The Roof is On Fire.” “Burning Down the House” doesn’t have swearing.
Mysterious_Can_6106@reddit
Oh shit!! You’re correct!! I think that was early to mid 80’s that’s middle school years for me lol
Intrepidatious@reddit
Crazy for You - Madonna.
VisualPrestigious714@reddit
It's all coming back to me now - first dance and first kiss with a girl. But I was born in 83 so I have NO idea what generation I actually am.
familyguyfan937@reddit
Club Nouveau-Lean On Me, Timex Social Club-Rumors
Substantial-Chip-102@reddit
Babe by Styx. I’m old AF
Few-Pineapple-5632@reddit
This is a great one. Perfect memory of 8th grade dances.
Unsung_Ironhead@reddit
Doing the running man to Rob Base and DJ Easy Rock - “It takes two” Followed by awkward slow dancing to Poison’s Every Rose has it Thorn
McFlyingDelorean@reddit
Push It by Salt n Pepa
Habeas-Opus@reddit
This is the one banned by “concerned parents” at our school.
Sea_Ganache620@reddit
“Still loving You” - Scorpions
omg_stfu_wtf@reddit
It Takes Two by Rob Bass and DJ EZ Rock
Nick_Fotiu_Is_God@reddit
I went to NYC public schools where we didn’t have stuff like that (not sports teams, pep rallies, etc).
But I went to summer camp in CT from 1981-1983 and we had “socials” there, which were the same thing.
I remember specifically Rock Lobster being played every time, and the Dazz Band’s “Let it Whip.” Still love those tunes.
Nice-Track4271@reddit
Mickey by Toni Basil
daniegirl21@reddit
This was a popular roller skating song.
LizzieBeth66@reddit
Home Sweet Home - Motley Crue
daniegirl21@reddit
Leila, Eric Clapton,as a slow song, 8th grade.
seekayeff@reddit
Middle school house party: Paul Revere
Not-a-Kitten@reddit
Stairway to Heaven
lipper2005@reddit
Huey Lewis And The News; Hip To Be Square
ASuthrnBelle13@reddit
Faithfully
Small-Instance-3442@reddit
Too legit to quit MC Hammer 😂
zinga_zing_@reddit
Jack and Diane
Luckypag@reddit
Middle school- definitely YMCA
HermitThrushSong@reddit
Two out of three ain’t bad.
moon_goddess_420@reddit
Crazy For You by Madonna
IntelligentSeason249@reddit
Take My Breath Away
Adorable-Tiger6390@reddit
Every little thing she does is magic / The Police
WinterMedical@reddit
True - Spandau Ballet
HezFez238@reddit
Three Times a Lady
siamesecat1935@reddit
I Will Survive and the Hustle
SERVANT2aCORGI@reddit
Island in the stream Kenny Rogers/Dolly Parton
this_is_your_dad@reddit
Never went to a dance
memur9@reddit
Eternal flame, only dance with crush from 5th to 8th, she moved after that and i pined for her for years. Ran into her years later, after knowing her twin sister for a while and it was great to see her. Still beautiful, wonderful person and im glad she is well. Only wish good things for you Colby!
HomerSectual@reddit
So you smash or nah?
memur9@reddit
Honestly, could have but was too shy and stupid. So no, but wish her well. Was a looooong time ago, haha.
HomerSectual@reddit
Could’ve?
memur9@reddit
Dance was 8th grade... built her up for years and finally saw her and was too nervous. Yeah it was a fumble, her friend was in to me but I was afraid she would know it happened so i didnt do it, and am glad I held off in a way. To me she was perfect, to ruin that was a travesty. No regerts.
NoFollowing7781@reddit
Pretty in Pink - by The Psychedelic Furs
Fitz_2112b@reddit
Forever Young by Alphaville with chaperones walking around to make sure no one was dancing too closely
Top-Net779@reddit
Or “making room for the Holy Spirit” in Catholic school-speak. 😉
Lady_of_Shalottt@reddit
Endless Love followed by Rock Lobster lmao
sasquatch606@reddit
Every rose has its thorn.
NotoldyetMaggot@reddit
Nobody hearing the lyrics; just dancing like it's cool...
AimeeB75@reddit
I love how we share the experience of getting Mony Mony banned from our middle school dances. Hey! Get Laid Get ... well you know. We had a DJ play Prince's Erotic City once. I'm not kidding.
jediphoenix1976@reddit
My junior high years were 88/89, 89/90, and 90/91. Damn near every school dance ended with Stairway to Heaven.
jeneral_disarray@reddit
Same, same, same. What was with our weird national late-80s Stairway obsession?!
Ophukk@reddit
We're close in age, but we're twins in this.
theserialdeleter@reddit
Crazy for You
daisiesnpeonies@reddit
Styx Come Sail Away
BuffsBourbon@reddit
Walk like an Egyptian and Lady in Red
vixystix303@reddit
Rock Lobster!
LongOrganic4933@reddit
Down, Down, Down, Down!
No_Wind3803@reddit
"Keep on Lovin' You" by REO Speedwagon
The_Real_Fufishiswaz@reddit
Take My Breath Away
LBbird24@reddit
Came here to say this. Also, at skating rinks during couples skate.
UseInternational1080@reddit
Almost paradise
Allahboutdabenjamins@reddit
Always And Forever
SouthernWalk1928@reddit
Yes
FrankenGretchen@reddit
Atomic Dog.
7th grade.
kirbypotimus@reddit
Tesla-love song
FamousOnceNowNobody@reddit
"Get Into the Groove"
Throwawayburner2841@reddit
Masterpiece- Atlantic Starr
JustAGreenDreamer@reddit
Hair band ballads
ErixWorxMemes@reddit
Evvvvr’y rose, has its thorn…
silverfoxbuttslut@reddit
Partridge Family, I Think I Love You
silent_ovation@reddit
Money Money
MechEng_NotGeo@reddit
When I’m With You by Sheriff, and everyone tried to sing that note at the end
Tigress_Solaris@reddit
The last song of every middle school dance was Freebird, believe it or not.
unknowner1@reddit
Any and all R&B grind songs
Stefgrep66@reddit
I seem to remember Too much too young, by The Specials getting us on our feet.
thecuriosityofAlice@reddit
Pour some sugar on me
Pristine_Main_1224@reddit
CYA (Catholic Youth Association) dances in 7th and 8th grade so school years 87/88 and 88/89. I know we danced. I remember slow dancing with boys I had crushes on. I do not remember a single song. 😂
Either it wasn’t cool to go to school dances in 9th grade (89/90) or we just didn’t have them. 🤷🏻♀️
Normal_Comedian_5423@reddit
Give it Up-Marvin Gaye
SignificantTear7529@reddit
The worst... Take those old records off the shelf...
Funky Cold Medina was fun! And Atomic Dog...
Bow-wow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah Bow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah Bow-wow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah Bow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah
Difficult_Clerk_1273@reddit
I think you mean “junior high.” 😂
We Didn’t Start the Fire and of course, Stairway to Heaven.
I teach middle school and occasionally we get a DJ who plays STH at the end. The parent chaperones love it.
Gold_Dig2200@reddit
I teach eighth grade and we’re having our middle school dance this Friday. I don’t remember anything about my middle school dance, other than a cute boy wanted to dance with me, however, I do remember my senior prom. The big song was the Humpty dance.
TheDarkTurd@reddit
Oh man. I never thought I’d actually share this story, but here we go.
8th grade winter dance. First real school dance of my life, and I was nervous beyond belief. Me and my friends were standing around doing what middle school boys do best... Giggling and daring each other to ask girls to dance.
One by one, the joking stopped because my friends actually started doing it. I was the last one left. My friends finally got tired of waiting and decided for me that I was dancing during the next song.
So they went off and found a really cute girl who happened to be Asian. This becomes important in about ten seconds.
The current song ends, the DJ tells everyone to grab a partner for a slow dance, and my friends basically shove us together into the middle of the cafeteria. We start awkwardly slow dancing...
Then we both realized what song had started playing. The biggest song of that year...
There we were, in a packed cafeteria full of sweaty mostly-white junior high kids… a Mexican dude and an Asian girl slow dancing to "We Are the World".
At the time? Absolutely mortifying.
Looking back now? Honestly kind of wholesome and hilarious.
Agreeable-Remove1592@reddit
I can’t believe the DJ actually thought that would be a good song for Dancing ? I suppose it was wholesome and junior high kids wouldn’t understand Careless Whisper or some other shit. 😂
But I hope you enjoyed your dance with the Asian chick . All girls are cute! Good job. 👍🏼
Organic-Leadership76@reddit
Big Balls AcDc
mbruntonx1@reddit
Best fast dance song: Old Time Rock'n'Roll Bob Seger
End of the night: Stairway to Heaven
SoylentGreenIsCreepl@reddit
Let us die young or let us live forever We don't have the power, but we never say never Sitting in a sandpit, life is a short trip The music's for the sad men
wraithsonic@reddit
I want to be forever young…
SoylentGreenIsCreepl@reddit
Do you really want to live forever?
wraithsonic@reddit
“Forever Young” makes me think of a coworker. We bonded over a shared love of the song at a Christmas party. Poor lady retired then passed from a brain tumor a few months later. I miss my friend so much.
SoylentGreenIsCreepl@reddit
I'm so sorry to hear that 😔
MrsCryptblitzer@reddit
Pour some sugar on me! At every one. And ending with Stairway to heaven
PurpleAriadne@reddit
Wild, Wild West- Kool Moe Dee
WhatsBuggingYou@reddit
Cum on feel the Noize
archedhighbrow@reddit
Special Lady by Ray, Goodman, and Brown. A group of boys dedicated it to a teacher that everybody loved. It was sweet.
NightMgr@reddit
With a Little Love by Wings.
Duran518@reddit
Purple Rain was the one I remember the most. I went to the one and only dance I was allowed to go, in 1984.
cfo6@reddit
Careless Whispers
kat_storm13@reddit
Our 8th grade class song was Motley Crue's Home Sweet Home
Dotsmom@reddit
“I’m all out of Love” by Air Supply. I can picture couples slow dancing to it…
baubaloo@reddit
I wanna rock right now! Rob Bass!
jennifer_m13@reddit
(Every thing I do) I do it for you - Robin Hood theme song.
steeltoedgeek@reddit
Rock Lobster
ravenx99@reddit
I played D&D, I wasn't allowed to go to school dances.
I didn't go to a middle school dance. I went to my junior prom, but I really don't remember much of it, even though I went with the woman who became my first wife. I only vaguely remember going, and there were no drugs or alcohol (or sex) involved. Maybe that's why it wasn't memorable.
Quix66@reddit
What middle school dances? I don’t recall us having those!
bookon@reddit
As a very old GenX’r nothing makes me old than regular old GenX’rs talking about Middle School dances that occurred after I got married.
Aimsicle-1@reddit
Point of No Return and Come Go with Me from Expose.
Old_Goat2009@reddit
End of 8th grade dance in '83, What a Feeling was all the rage.
NCinAR@reddit
Feel for You-Chaka Khan
kazz63758@reddit
"S A T U R D A Y Night!" Bay City Rollers
Global-Jury8810@reddit
I’m a Xennial, so it was Macarena.
Bl1nk9@reddit
The Stroke or I Love Rock N Roll. Only two songs I danced too, but somehow both were with cute girls that asked me. So yeah, I peaked early.
Exact_Technician4724@reddit
Any song by 2 Live Crew 😜
el_dulce_veneno21@reddit
Our teachers used to get mad at us for singing these on the bus
ricolageico@reddit
Careless whisper
The_AcidQueen@reddit
Three Times a Lady
M-Div@reddit
November Rain by GnR.
dixiech1ck@reddit
It Takes Two by Rob Base. And Jock Jams... oh how we hated JJ and the Macerana.
el_dulce_veneno21@reddit
Footloose. I dont know why this was so popular in Australia.
Kelly_blue_brook88@reddit
Stairway to Heaven
Ok_Still_3571@reddit
So overplayed! My brother who is ten years older than me said they always played it at his middle school dances. Kids always got confused with the change in tempo. Some kept slow dancing, others would start rocking out.
Radiant-Target5758@reddit
This is the answer
ffs2050@reddit
I went to Middle School in the mid-80s and a lot of the DJs must have been boomers because they would always close with Stairway to Heaven. The one contemporary song I always remember them playing was Jump by Van Halen
Aardet@reddit
Save the Best for Last — Vanessa Williams
baggert99@reddit
Tootsie roll
DrLizzardo@reddit
From seventh grade, 1983:
S-S-S-S-A-A-A-A-F-F-F-F-E-E-E-E-T-T-T-T-Y-Y-Y-Y Safe! Dance!
Electronic-Writing69@reddit
We can dance if we want to!🕺
Ok_Still_3571@reddit
Color My World. Argh!
MK_ULTRA2point0@reddit
Eternal Flame
wraithsonic@reddit
I have memories of this one at a lock in back in the day…
traverse6@reddit
My first slow dance 8th grade, Smokey Robinson's "Being with you ". Such a distinct, bittersweet memory 45 years ago to the month. I still remember how her hair smelled.
we_vs_us@reddit
Ah god, it was “Crazy For You” by Madonna, in 7th grade. I got on safety patrol so I could cross this girl. I was totally smitten.
traverse6@reddit
Haha nice! Just watched Visionquest a couple days ago and thought when they were filming it in 1984 Madonna was not really much of a star yet. The movie gets released post "Like a Virgin" and your like what's she doing in this?
amycakes76@reddit
I don't know if I remember what songs were actually played at the dance in 7th grade, but I do remember telling my best friend at the time that I was going to request "Never Tear Us Apart" by INXS, for her and the 8th-grade boy she had abandoned me to hang out with for the whole dance. 🤣
wraithsonic@reddit
I was standing…
Amazing-Fan-7592@reddit
Drive by The Cars
lurkymoo@reddit
First one that came to mind. While dancing the arms-length grade 8 shuffle.
Amazing-Fan-7592@reddit
We must have been at the same dances.
ArtistL@reddit
Walk this way.. Aerosmith.
Uranus_Hz@reddit
As an early GenX, middle school was 78-80, so it was disco.
GalianoGirl@reddit
The Wall.
Jump.
MaineMan1234@reddit
Dreamweaver. There’s nothing else. I was at a junior high with grades 7-9 and I was obsessed with a 9th grade girl. She would always give the short fat kid one dance. I always tried to make my move when Dreamweaver popped ip
cre8majik@reddit
Purple Rain. It was my very first slow dance ever. I thought that song would never end! 😆
Halflight99@reddit
If You Leave by OMD! Couples sway!
wraithsonic@reddit
One of my favorite memories is a gym full of sixth graders slow dancing to Motley Crue’s “You’re All I Need” and thinking “isn’t this about a guy murdering his girlfriend?” LOL
Chevymetal1974@reddit
Rock Me. By Great White
Material-Breakfast99@reddit
George Michael- One More Try
Effinehright@reddit
Stairway to Heaven
No-Explanation4124@reddit
Dirty Deeds
JurisUrsus@reddit
Pump Up The Jam
Upstairs_Sign_7618@reddit
Rock with you—Michael Jackson
DiamondContent2011@reddit
Jam On It by Newcleus
momdabombdiggity@reddit
Hard to Say I’m Sorry by Chicago. Ultimate slow dance song!
F0MA@reddit
Mo Town Philly.
daemonhat@reddit
I never went to a dance for school.
BethiePage42@reddit
Look at you guys with your cool answers. I remember the worst one hit wonders, like "Buffalo Stance" and "Wild Wild West" was no one else Pumpin Up the Jam?
Who knew Xennials had the worst middle school dances? Not me!
sotiredwontquit@reddit
You Give Love a Bad Name by Bon Jovi. Cleared the walls and got everyone on the gym floor. Idk why *that* song was the one. It’s not bad, but not epic either. Middle schoolers aren’t known for good taste though.
Healthy-Theme8261@reddit
Stroke me stroke me
lexi_prop@reddit
Pop goes the weasel cuz the weasel goes pop
KarmaBike@reddit
My Sharona
SnooCakes8914@reddit
Crazy For You by Madonna
S99B88@reddit
Stairway to heaven, last song for every dance
Dangerous_Patient621@reddit
Rock Lobster. Only song that got even the wallflowers out on the dance floor.
Melluna5@reddit
Some god awful Boyz II Men song. And my friend forcing me to dance with Brian Green!!!
crazyplantlady007@reddit
Love Shack 🙄
Plane-Fan9006@reddit
Two are very prevalent...
For the fun memory: It Takes Two - Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock
For the tween heartache memory: Take My Breath Away - Berlin
Complex-Buffalo-183@reddit
Bee Gees, Air Supply for slow dancing
SouthernTrauma@reddit
Slow dancing to the BeeGees How Deep Is Your Love?
Mysterious_Peas@reddit
I immediately thought of the name of the boy I danced with. Now I have to go internet stalk someone I haven’t seen in 38 years…
kilt_inspector@reddit
La Bamba
SKinBK@reddit
Crazy for You, Mony Mony, push it
Dick-the-Peacock@reddit
Freeeeeebiiiiiiiird
I danced with my crush, David, and when the song got fast we just kept holding each other and swaying. It was sweaty but dreamy.
persimmon9847@reddit
(Everything I Do) I Do It for You
73rd-virgin@reddit
Went to junior high from 1980 - 1983. We had a DJ from a local radio station emceeing the dances. It was probably Air Supply or Little River Band.
betterWithSprinkles@reddit
Older GenX here, we always had Freebird, Stairway to Heaven, Babe by Styx, Open Arms by Journey, and of course Rock Lobster by the B-52s.
beergypsy916@reddit
Rock Lobster. And I HATED it because I could never squat down like every one else.
wendyb1063@reddit
Beth by Kiss.
TheLuggage23@reddit
Beth always makes me cry; every time! LOL
snackpack3000@reddit
Do Me by Bell Biv Devoe. Yeah, I specifically remember this one slipping past the chaperone at an 8th grade dance. Highly inappropriate, but hilarious.
vandervee@reddit
Roller Coasters
Imaginary_Loss332@reddit
Tainted Love 🥰
Sensitive-Button5693@reddit
Take My Breath Away, Berlin
TripleBobRoss@reddit
I graduated high school in 1997, so middle school (actually junior high) from 1991 - 1993. This song came to mind the second I read the question.
phxor@reddit
first song I thought of as well
scarlet-begonia-9@reddit
End of the Road by Boyz II Men. Pretty sure it was the last song at every middle school dance.
midlifereset@reddit
Da Butt!
beautifulwreck_@reddit
Stairway to Heaven
Successful-Letter-53@reddit
Open Arms
EMale1965@reddit
For me, pretty much any Air Supply song! ❤️
im_a_sleepy_human@reddit
Yes. This is the correct answer. Lol!!
Professional-Bar9947@reddit
Only You by Yaz
Top-List-1411@reddit
Dancing With Myself
Substantial_Diver_34@reddit
The Clash, should I stay or should I go.
JustTheBeerLight@reddit
Boyz II Men: End of the Road
bloodyqueen526@reddit
100 percent makes me think of 8th grade :) was our graduation song too
9inez@reddit
Brick House, 8th grade dance, 1979
titotrouble@reddit
The Flame
Wild_Locksmith_326@reddit
Brick House Commodore's, 50 ways to leave your lover, Paul Simon, these I remember from 7th grade, My Sharona Kinks, Super freak Rick James, come to mind for 8th grade.
chsmitt@reddit
Open Arms. Can’t go wrong with slow dancing Journey
Gn-xer75@reddit
I’ll be there for you…Bon Jovi
ChantilyAce@reddit
Purple Rain
divergurl1999@reddit
Nope! That was the one! Mony Mony!
unofficialguero90210@reddit
I NEED LOVE - LL COOL J
eastcoastflava13@reddit
Every Rose Has its Thorn- Poison
goldestapple@reddit
Even in the 80s last song was always Stairway to Heaven for a long, slow dance.
alex_dare_79@reddit
Stairway to Heaven here too
foodweneedfood@reddit
Purple Rain
Existing-Loquat1760@reddit
White lines
OneLonelyBeastieI-B@reddit
Reo Speedwagon, guys, is the only answer.
DroppingTheOppressor@reddit
Atomic Dog
DrBobShelton_74@reddit
Beastie Boys, Fight for Your Right. It was the most popular song at my first middle school dance. And not one of us knew how to dance to it 😹
Purplehopflower@reddit
Open Arms - Journey
liveandletlive222@reddit
As someone who has seen Dazed and Confused too many times, first thing to come to mind is Love Hurts 🤣
Truth_and_Soul@reddit
My first slow dance with a girl to Madonna’s Crazy for You
Then getting real funky to “Rock Me Amadeus”
Simple_Tadpole_9584@reddit
Awesome!
Simple_Tadpole_9584@reddit
Push It
OblongOtter2128@reddit
With or Without You—U2
cracked_belle@reddit
Cotton Eye Joe.
Checkers-Chess234@reddit
End of the Road - Boyz II Men
JustTheBeerLight@reddit
Yup. The last song of our 8th grade dance.
justwannadance0909@reddit
Is this Love—White Snake
justwannadance0909@reddit
White Snake
MoparViking74@reddit
Black - Pearl Jam
fraukau@reddit
Electric Slide and Can’t Touch This
Fun-Lime-4563@reddit
Whoop, there it is.
Fair-Wishbone-1190@reddit
Wild wild life by the Talking Heads.
platypus5709@reddit
Against all odds! That and You have to fight for your right to party!
missdawn1970@reddit
Open Arms, by Journey
creyn6576@reddit
Stairway to Heaven always closed the dance.

tg1024@reddit
Yep. It was always the last song.
TabuTM@reddit
I’ve been waiting…for a girl like you…
birkenstock1977@reddit
Always ended with Time For Me to Fly by REO Speedwagon
Status-Effort-9380@reddit
We Are The Champions - Queen
MaximumJones@reddit
Every dance ended with "Open Arms" by Journey.
BubbaPrime42@reddit
Slow Dancin' (Swaying to the Music)
Agreeable_Rhubarb332@reddit
Always the last song. As soon as it started playing, the wallflowers headed to the back hall to find their shoes and head to the door.
misschris826@reddit
I just remember my first dance was to Caribbean Queen 😂
MaeONays@reddit
Alright stop, collaborate and listen
nunyabizthewiz@reddit
Oh my gosh everyone someone says “STOP”…
TwoBitFish@reddit
Open Arms-Journey
se7ensaint@reddit
The Message - Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
Civil_Inspector_5697@reddit
My first slow dance was The Rose by Bette Midler.
actuallyno60@reddit
Shadow Dancing
MrPrimalNumber@reddit
Three Times a Lady - My very first slow dance in 7th grade Jr. High (wasn’t called middle school back then).
bizzy816@reddit
Highway to hell. All the guys were obsessed with AC/DC... lol
379tuco@reddit
Nights in white satin
Nolansmomster@reddit
Strangely enough, I’ve gotta say Blister on the Sun by the Violent Femmes
MangoOk2697@reddit
Hey Jude and Stairway to Heaven
675r951@reddit
Pump Up The Volume by M|A|R|R|S. Still hits hard!
Repulsive-Analyst497@reddit
Stairway to heaven
Still_a_skeptic@reddit
Save the best for last by Vanessa Williams.
horluhmay@reddit
High Enough - Damn Yankees
Evening-Recording193@reddit
Bangles - walk like an Egyptian
Tiffany - I think we’re alone now
Kylie monogue- do the locomotion
Capital-Meringue-164@reddit
Top three right here!
MarkDavid04@reddit
November Rain
Mouse-Direct@reddit
All Out of Love (Air Supply) and Open Arms (Journey) 1983 Junior High Dance.
SuperMolasses724@reddit
When I hear these songs I get butterflies like the nervous 13 year old girl I was.
Specialist_Stop8572@reddit
Vogue by Madonna
yallelike2eat@reddit
Purple Rain
Familiar-Dig-8216@reddit
S S S S A A A A F F F F E E E E T T T T Y Y Y Y
Fitz_2112b@reddit
I saw them maybe 2 years ago and they were freaking phenomenal
Familiar-Dig-8216@reddit
Didn't know they were still around. That's awesome!
Fitz_2112b@reddit
Had tlook it up and it was actually more like 7 years ago. Damn, time goes fast when you're old! They opened for Howard Jones
Honeybee71@reddit
Something by Chicago
Beautiful-Event-1213@reddit
Air Supply! Anything at all by them.
DreamieKitty@reddit
Spandau Ballet- true
Alternative_Roll_925@reddit
Stairway to Heaven
Rocketjen@reddit
The Cure
chinalover31@reddit
Don’t bring me down - ELO
Gardnerat3rd@reddit
Another one bites the dust
Donna_Hayward95@reddit
Bryan Adams’s Heaven
tgrantt@reddit
I Love Rock n Roll
KitchenNazi@reddit
8th grade catholic school. My buddy bought a crazy record collection and dj setup and thought he was ducky (with stupid hat). He only played lame music and no one danced - I finally suggested Pictures of You by the Cure and that go things going and the songs became more appropriate. It ended on a good note - everyone was slow dancing.
Quirky_Ball_3519@reddit
More Than Words by Extreme
DarkElegant8156@reddit
Open arms journey
AmharachEadgyth@reddit
My Sharona.
simonsaysgo13@reddit
I was expelled from public school in the 7th grade. My “reform” school didn’t have any dances. 😔
WyoWhy@reddit
Smokin’ in the Boy’s Room is actually the very first dance I ever danced with a boy who asked me to dance. It was magic. I was in seventh grade.
Oh Lawd, I just remembered his name. He’s 65 now. Should I stalk him?
Stephie0822@reddit
Absolutely yes you should! 😆
maroongrad@reddit
Baby Got Back
Mako3303@reddit
Do You Really Want to Hurt Me by Culture Club.
BuckyRainbowCat@reddit
No songs come to mind - because I was always hiding out in the coat check room, ~~flirting with~~ talking to the only two boys in my grade who I found interesting to talk to, because the only thing any of us was interested in talking about was Star Trek.
wstussyb@reddit
Poison i wont forget you
Sure_Tbird@reddit
A little Respect- Erasure
CWShermanGirl@reddit
Hello in 8th grade.
jones29876@reddit
total eclipse of the heart
jones29876@reddit
forever young
pinknewf@reddit
Freeeeeebird
CarlatheDestructor@reddit
True - Spandau Ballet
bbqprincess@reddit
Home Sweet Home. I was in 7th grad and my 9th grade crush asked me to dance. Still makes me smile that he was sweet to me.
NateNMaxsRobot@reddit
Journey’s Open Arms.
My first middle school dance was our 8th grade dance at my Catholic school. Our DJ, Peter K, kept on playing the theme from Star Wars. All of us girls were pissed because we either wanted dance music or slow dance music.
coffeetabletime@reddit
I’ll Be There by the Jackson 5
Mouse-Direct@reddit
I love that the answers here range from the Jackson 5 to Boys II Men.
avidinha@reddit
Unchained melody
BasketBackground5569@reddit
Spring Love.
Entiox@reddit
Violent Femmes Blister in the Sun.
Mouse-Direct@reddit
You went to a cool school. I wasn’t introduced to the Femmes till I went to college in 1989.
Buckscience@reddit
My back in pain as I slow danced with all the short girls to "Stairway to Heaven", just waiting for the guitar solo. I blame my back problems today on that song.
Get_Fit_Live_Hard@reddit
“And if you wanna ride, Ride the white horse….” Or something like that and Burning down the House
rdaneellarsen@reddit
Only song I remember is Rock Lobster
Brkthom@reddit
Junior High dance.
Sheilar44@reddit
Welcome to the Jungle!
ColdObiWan@reddit
Weirdly, Boyz II Men “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday”.
tartigrade76@reddit
Apparently, not so weird! My experience as well.
corduroytrees@reddit
End of the Road - Boyz II Men
tiggyg1974@reddit
The time warp was the song that ended everyone of our school dances. Yes, from rocky horror.
JacksNTag@reddit
Fight for your right - Beastie Boys
At this moment - Billy Vera & The Beaters
Barthle@reddit
Mandatory "that Family Ties episode was awesome" post
IamPablon@reddit
... TOOOOOOOO PPPAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRTTTTTTYYYYYY!!!
Direct-Dish1779@reddit
Careless whisper - by Wham
Joyce_Hatto@reddit
Stairway to Heaven
WhyLie2me18@reddit
Seven minutes of turning in a circle. Good times!
One-Veterinarian2380@reddit
Freak-a-zoid...robots...please report to the dance floor!
No Parking on the Dance Floor
aprildawndesign@reddit
My English teacher always played “stairway to heaven” at the end of every dance ( and he would wear jeans that day! ) he did it for so many years before and after me . Mr Shaeffer was pretty cool lol
Godswoodv2@reddit
Rob Base - it takes two , In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel
phloxnstocks@reddit
To Be With You - Mr. Big
WhyLie2me18@reddit
More than words by Extreme
ellcoolj@reddit
Stairway to heaven.
Or purple rain
rachelm920@reddit
I'm 46. I'm pretty sure it was Boyz II Men for the slow songs and they always play the electric slide lol. I don't remember much else.
mneptok@reddit
The Romantics - What I Like About You
Hearing that song usually meant you knew how "alternative" the music was ever going to get.
Tammy993@reddit
Copa Cabana!
rissk1012@reddit
Firehouse When I Look Into Your Eyes
Alternate_Lucky1243@reddit
I'm old... Rock Lobster
WardogBlaze14@reddit
Couldn’t tell you, I never went to any of the middle school dances.
Severe_Feedback_2590@reddit
I only went to 1 dance in middle school and never went to one again. But probably Always by Atlantic Starr.
TheVelveteenCapybara@reddit
Drive by The Cars
Medium-to-full@reddit
"Everybody's dooooin a brand new dance, now"
Grillmaestro@reddit
Always and Forever - Heatwave
OtherArt9142@reddit
If You Leave
Meeshil@reddit
Scrolled all the way down to find this one 🤩
ARAR1@reddit
Stairway to heaven
jsobers1@reddit
Exactly what I think of
PissedCaucasian@reddit
Tainted love. Soft cell.
bowietiger@reddit
Paradise by the dashboard light - Meatloaf
pippi_longstocking09@reddit
Superfreak
Logical-Mirror5036@reddit
Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars - Uptown Fun
Of course, I wind up at significantly more middle-school dances as a teacher than I ever did as a student.
coffeemagic_11-11@reddit
Crazy for you - Madonna 🩷
Big_Parfait6268@reddit
Dancing with Myself
mpls_big_daddy@reddit
Freakout! Le Freak, C'est Chic
CoveredinCatHairs@reddit
PM Dawn’s “Set Adrift on Memory Bliss”
DisastrousWalk8442@reddit
That song is soooo gd good
GardenDrummer@reddit
New Kids On The Block - "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)"
MisterSandKing@reddit
Every Rose Has Its Thorn, and Ice Ice Baby. lol
jlw971@reddit
Air Supply- All Out of Love
Aerwiar@reddit
Crazy For You - Madonna
AliVista_LilSista@reddit
Every Breath You Take
SuperJen411@reddit
Kenny Loggins - Forever
Large_Commission5631@reddit
Billy Squier 'Stroke'
haveagood1@reddit
What's middle school JR. High kid here Inxs Never Tear Us Apart.
sfdsquid@reddit
Some people call junior high school middle school. But I don't.
Super_Fishing9564@reddit
I went to “Intermediate School” 😂
Suitable_Ad7478@reddit
Eye in the sky - Alan Parsons Project
xczechr@reddit
Salt-N-Pepa
overitall71815@reddit
MC Hammer 😂
TheRealScutFarkus@reddit
Faithfully. I don't remember her name, but I remember the song.
RootHogOrDieTrying@reddit
Hell yeah, Journey came on and kids started pairing up.
ComprehensivePeanut5@reddit
Footloose
Th1nk18@reddit
Jam on it
Puzzled_Priority186@reddit
"Yeah, Yeah, We know, We know."
FuzzyScarf@reddit
Push It.
Alert_Advisor_5422@reddit
Beastie Boy's Fight for Your Right
Superb-Training-1382@reddit
Poison by bell biv devoe
Hellenoir@reddit
You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC
sfdsquid@reddit
Imagine if they played that at a middle school dance now. The chaperones would lose their minds.
Hellenoir@reddit
It is an odd choice
Callec254@reddit
At our school, it was Shout. The one featured in Animal House, not the Tears for Fears one.
durwood69@reddit
Rock Lobster
StonyCurtis66@reddit
How Deep Is Our Love -Bee Gees
Puzzled_Priority186@reddit
I like it - DeBarge
Impressive-Safety191@reddit
Last Dance
squeltch-squirtch@reddit
Stairway to heaven
PsychologicalLab6637@reddit
My memory is giving Pump up the Jam vibes 🎶🎶
killslikeaninja@reddit
Take My Breath Away…
PolymathHolly@reddit
The Flame - Cheap Trick
makeup1508@reddit
Don't Stop till You Get Enough by Michael Jackson\~my group of friends always danced to this at dances.
No-Ferret6785@reddit
Almost Paradise
supertiggercat@reddit
Bee Gees "Nobody Gets Too Much Love Anymore."
Own_Celebration5462@reddit
True - Spandeau Ballet Making Love out of Nothing at All - Air Supply
As you can see, I was hoping to be asked to slow dance.
Odd-Warthog-9721@reddit
Loving, touching, squeezing, by Journey
Komaisnotsalty@reddit
Bird Dance is the first one I rememeber as a kid with YMCA somewhere too, but the first high school dance I remember is absolutely Mony Mony.
Intrepid_Practice956@reddit
Lionel Richie, with or without the Commodores. There was a song that annoyed me so much on the radio, but at a school dance, it was different.
Intrepid_Practice956@reddit
I think it was "Still"
Edward_the_Dog@reddit
Faithfully - Journey
liddybuckfan@reddit
Stairway to Heaven
Adorableviolet@reddit
Too many boys sweating all over me to Stairway to Heaven
MoveToPuntaGorda@reddit
Journey - Don’t stop believing
TheCatWhoOvercame@reddit
Heaven by Bryan Adams
OldManThumbs@reddit
And we danced - The Hooters
https://youtu.be/zB1Q-PfUvN0?si=THQwuJK68CPxk4nQ
LuceLeakey@reddit
Thompson Twins - Hold Me Now.
Jupitor66@reddit
Careless Whispers because that was the first song I hot slow dance to.
Sunshine2625@reddit
Amanda-Boston
NeutralNobrake@reddit
Air Supply I'm all out of love
UnplannedProofreader@reddit
Crowded House - Don’t Dream It’s Over
Lynerd@reddit
Stairway to heaven. So awkward to dance at arm’s length to when it starts to pick up
SeaApplication6100@reddit
Madonna- Crazy for You
SupaDave71@reddit
I don’t remember dances in middle school. I do remember the “graduation” to high school mine did. They wanted all the graduating 8th graders to sing. I decided it was stupid, and informed my parents and my teachers that I wouldn’t be attending.
SirMixSalah@reddit
Set Adrift on Memory Bliss by PM Dawn
KingPabloo@reddit
I Love Rock & Roll - Joan Jett
chompy_jr@reddit
I came here to say this song but probably for a different reason.
In my 9th grade year our school held a lip sync contest during a dance the Halloween dance. I didn't think much about it. The popular cheerleaders would dress a little slutty, do some sort of song to get the guys gawking and walk away with whatever the prize was. HOWEVER, my brother was a year behind me. He always danced to a different beat than most folks and I always admired his DGAF attitude.
So this lip sync contest, the cheerleaders did what we expected them to do and everyone reacted the way you'd expect Jr High school students to act but then something unexpected happened. The first riff of "I Love Rock & Roll" came on and who walks on stage but my younger brother, dressed in a skirt, black lipstick and he somehow managed to pull his hair into pig tails. He totally crushed it and if I told y'all he won, you'd know I was lying. He didn't but he did absolutely fucking slay that day and the kids loved it. (not enough to vote against the cheerleaders). It was badass, hilarious and took stones to pull it off in the early 80's. To this day, it's still a great memory.
EggplantFlaky3392@reddit
Open Arms - Journey
NewAbqty@reddit
Digital Display!
Cytwytever@reddit
My Sharona. Mickey.
Naive_Finding_1287@reddit
Rock of Ages
AnneChovie264@reddit
Another One Bites the Dust by Queen
KilroySmithson@reddit
White Lines by Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel
mados123@reddit
You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) - Dead or Alive
JustFaithlessness178@reddit
Waiting for a girl like you. Foreigner. I daydreamed a certain boy would ask me to dance for this song. That was like 82. Even now, that's what I think of when I hear that song!
Marino325@reddit
Crazy for You 💯
Tired_o_Mods_BS@reddit
Lady in Red and mustering up the courage to ask the girl to dance.
Dare2BeU420@reddit
Cotton Eye Joe and the Electric Slide
OneCallSystem@reddit
Idk cause i never went to the dances lol. Being an outcast was fun.
craigechoes9501@reddit
Ice Ice Baby ruled the school in 7th grade
Peloton72@reddit
Lean On Me - Times Social Club version
MasterYam234@reddit
Pump up the Jam, Supersonic and It takes two…
Professional-Day-748@reddit
What I Like About You - Romantics reminds me of 6th grade dances.
eastbaypluviophile@reddit
Always and Forever…. Each moment with youuuu… is just like a dream to meeee…. That somehow came trueeeee….
Anything from the movie Grease (absolutely HUGE at my junior high)
Good_With_Tools@reddit
Pour some sugar on me.
HearingDue2119@reddit
Our middle school never had dances. We barely had sports.
SalmonJordan@reddit
Smoke on the Water
froction@reddit
The dance has to end with Stairway!
gauriemma@reddit
Whatever it was, REO Speedwagon sung it.
bbh42@reddit
When to school in upstate NY. Every dance ended with Sinatra, New York New York. But yes Billy Idol was quite popular during the dance. The other big one was Open Arms by Journey.
spoink74@reddit
It Takes Two from Bob Base and DJ EZ Rock. This song was blaring at the jr high dance as we walked around acting too cool to be there because we were too scared to dance.
sparkleberry75@reddit
I went to an urban middle school so we did the Electric Slide. And apparently that song is about a vibrator.
DeadManAle@reddit
Never went to a school dance. I hated school and everyone and everything associated with it.
EmbarrassedAge7612@reddit
Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) - Phil Collins. My first slow dance.
SnooPeanuts9509@reddit
Any slow song by Chicago
no_kimmer_only_zuul@reddit
Mony Mony by Billy Idol
Junior_Statement_262@reddit
Whip It!
FullyFunctional3086@reddit
Def Leppard Photograph.
jthmniljt@reddit
Every rose has its thorn.
CountHonorius@reddit
KISS "Rock and Roll All Night"
Serious-Mongoose-387@reddit
fight for your right to party
Bucks2174@reddit
Babe by Styx.
umeboshiplumpaste@reddit
Bryan Adams - Heaven
SheneedaCocktail@reddit
Rock Lobster, forever.
NeganSaves@reddit
Come on Eileen
nineseventeenam@reddit
Anything by Air Supply
arbogasts@reddit
Stairway to heaven
WhoopiePieEnthusiast@reddit
Take My Breath Away
catshark2o9@reddit
Ugh I just remembered dancing with this boy everyone called Stinky Stephen to I Want to Be Your Man by Zapp. I was way overdressed. It was awkward. This was in 1989
MsCattatude@reddit
Right here waiting for you - Richard Marx
Crossfit46@reddit
Blister in the sun or it’s the end of the world
flagrantstickfoul@reddit
“Jump” was so great the first dance after it came out DJ played it twice. Also blue-collar white boys break-dancing to “Rockit” was a staple
Ray_The_Engineer@reddit
I'm GenX Ver. 1 (1966), so it was still the edge of the '70's when I started going to junior high dances. That being the case, I have vivid memories of them playing Rapper's Delight and Good Times by CHIC.
Liastacia@reddit
End of the Road by Boyz II Men
happyinspo@reddit
One More Try - Timmy T
tequilavip@reddit
Money for Nothing. All the boys lined up playing air drums to the intro.
Diasies_inMyHair@reddit
Careless Whisper - my first dance with a crush EVER.
Full_Mission7183@reddit
Not knowing what to do when the tempo increases in "Stairway to Heaven"
flagrantstickfoul@reddit
You held on tight and ignored how sweaty you both were
crone_Andre3000@reddit
Electric Avenue
phun-key@reddit
An empty dance floor until the last 10 minutes.
CornmealGravy@reddit
More Than Words
Master_Kitchen_7725@reddit
November Rain by GnR
gr8ver@reddit
Paradise By The Dashboard Light. Which, when you listen to it as an adult, was a super weird choice.
raisinghellions@reddit
True by Spandau Ballet
life-is-thunder@reddit
Save a Prayer - Duran Duran. I can remember it being the last song of the night for a few dances. Knowing now what the song is about I'm surprised it didn't get banned.