My future wife would like some ballroom dancing at our wedding on 12-8-07 (foxtrot,mambo,waltz,cha cha,Salsa,tango, rumba, merangiae,ect..) but she would like the DJ to play the popular songs from the 40's to the present. The DJ dosen't know what songs are what. He gave the example of "rock around the clock". Now what dance do you do to that song??? We don't know. And all the people we ask just say "play a foxtrot" or "play a salsa" or "merangae".
If someone can help us with a list of the most popular and well known songs that go with what dance, we'd be VERY grateful! HELP!!!!!

You would be doing a jive if you danced to Rock Around The Clock.

Most Frank Sinatra songs are foxtrots or you can at least dance a foxtrot to them.

We rumba to "It's Now or Never" by Elvis.

Santana does a fair number of cha chas, but I can' think of any titles of the top of my head. You can cha cha to "My Girl" by the Temptations.

If you click over to the learning section of this site, there are examples of songs for each dance there.

Smooth by Santana is a great cha cha. Toni Braxton's Unbreak my Heart is a good rumba, as is Summertime by Queen Latifa.

Jim. Go to Shopping which is to the left of your screen. Then go to Music Store. Click on Album 9 the second one. Along side the song you will see what type of dance it is. Have fun.
Give your D J instructions on how to use this site.

This site is a great help to pick music. But when I am helping people pick music for a wedding, for fox trots, waltz, etc., I do have a few favorites.
Beyond the Sea and I'm Beginning to See the Light, both by Bobby Darin, are fun for Fox Trot. "Now or Never" by Elvis is a great Rumba, as is "Sauvecito" by Malo. Most of Sinatra's songs are great for Fox Trot, but I always pick "Just the Way You Look Tonight."
"September" by Earth, Wind and Fire is a nice cha-cha, as is "Smooth" by Santana.
For fun swings, Benny Goodman songs are usually pretty good, and for the waltz you can't lose with "Moon River" by just about anyone, or "Fascination" by Nat King Cole.
There are websites that also help you pick Mother-Son wedding dances, Father-Daughter wedding dances, etc.
You are on a tight schedule, but this part of the wedding planning should be a lot of fun.
Oh yes, I know a few couples who liked "You are the Sunshine of My Life" by Stevie Wonder for a Fox Trot, but I think it is rather fast and you have to be a pretty good dancer to pull it off, mostly in switching to a quick box step and getting outside partner to travel a bit with it.

My picks would be for foxtrot: Dean Martin's "You're nobody 'til somebody loves you" and for a waltz, Anne Murray's "Could I have this dance". For swing, Neil Sedaka's "Calendar girl".