5 High-Energy Hits That Aren't September That Get Every Boomer Out On The Dance Floor

While Earth, Wind & Fire's "September" is a terrific track and a guaranteed party starter, there are other classic, uptempo dance songs out there that are almost guaranteed to get every boomer to hit the dance floor and move. The generation that came of age in the mid-20th century created and popularized some of the best R&B and dance music ever produced, which in turn gave way to the disco era of the late 1970s and early '80s with its own enduring, groovy chestnuts. 

Nostalgic vibes, an unstoppable beat, and a crowd-pleasing nature are always hits with boomer-generation guests at a large gathering, like a wedding reception or a family reunion, and "September," a Top 10 hit in early 1979, checks most of those boxes. However, there are plenty of other songs in the vein of "September," both the kind of wedding songs that will stir up nostalgia in every boomer and the songs that defined '70s disco. Here are five tunes that will cause a mass exodus of boomers from their seats to the dance floor, helpless to resist their charms, including another track from Earth, Wind & Fire.

Even if "September" is off the table, Earth, Wind & Fire has a lot of other dance-floor fillers from the late 1970s. For example, take the 1979 single "Boogie Wonderland," a collaboration with pop vocal group The Emotions. If there's an inherent vibe in common with "September," it's not just because it's another glorious, pulse-quickening number from Earth, Wind & Fire — both songs were co-written by Allee Willis.

While the breathlessly delivered, high-register chorus from The Emotions seems to describe some kind of magical place where dancing happens all the time, Earth, Wind & Fire lets us know in the verses that "Boogie Wonderland" is about a state of mind. This is a song about letting dance take over one's body, mind, and soul for just a few minutes, allowing them to move the pain of daily life away. That's an enticing offer on its own, and few boomers are going to pass up the chance to boogie to a song that contains that goofy and charmingly dated word.

Kool & the Gang's one and only No. 1 hit from 1980 to 1981 came at the tail end of the heyday of the dance music era with which boomers would be most familiar. So not only will party or reception guests of a certain age know "Celebration," but they'll also fondly remember it. That's half the battle to getting them to show up and show out on the floor. Fortunately, "Celebration" will do all the rest of the work.

Beginning with an extremely familiar descending line of horn blasts and a slick and hopeful electric guitar riff, "Celebration" declares that a party has begun or is already underway, if not because this very song has started to play. "Celebration" heralds a celebration, and that requires dancing. Throughout, Kool & the Gang reassures listeners that the party isn't going to stop anytime soon, virtually holding their hand as they guarantee that they'll provide the music. "It's time to come together," the song states, if not outright orders.

The Bee Gees is the act that scored the most No. 1 hits of the '70s, and that includes "You Should Be Dancing," the former pop-rock trio's second chart-topper of its disco era. Here's a song that makes no bones about its intentions: It aims to get everybody, no matter their situation or age, out dancing. The lyrics are a bit salacious, but head Bee Gee Barry Gibb sings with such a word-garbling falsetto that even the most reserved boomers will understand the passages about fevered and sexualized late-night dancing (and other activities) as mere build-up to the invitation, or flat-out direction, to get up off "your book" and get on with the dancing.

Regardless, "You Should Be Dancing" has a beat built for fevered, careless, and frenetic dancing. All those bongos, guitar riffs, and extended brass odysseys serve to create a cacophony of enveloping musical energy.

Any of the many 1970s-era hits by KC and The Sunshine Band are suitable for inspiring a crowd to cut loose and have a good time by getting a little communal, musical exercise. While the disco-oriented big band specializes in straightforward commands to dance, it's "Get Down Tonight" that we heartily recommend because it's got the catchiest and most memorable itemized chorus that basically tells listeners to make some silly choices: "Do a little dance, make a little love, get down tonight."

"Get Down Tonight" was KC and the Sunshine Band's first hit single back in 1975, and as such, it's been around long enough to maximize the volume of boomers who are familiar with the song. It's deeply entrenched and inviting to listeners and dancers from the outset, with those opening, swirling keyboards that sound like they're triggering a dream sequence in a movie. Plenty of horn blasts, instrumental breaks, and anthemic chanting provide a lot of fun.

Fast-paced but gentle and outfitted with a pervasive groove, "We Are Family" is a disco song so musically inoffensive that anyone can dance to it. Upbeat without being too aggressive with its rhythm, and driven by a sunny and repetitive piano motif, Sister Sledge's 1979 hit feels like it was created in a laboratory to be as appealing to as many people as possible. That seems all the more likely with a look at the lyrics. Like many other classic party songs, "We Are Family" is simply about partying and having fun. "Get up everybody, and sing," the Sledge sisters insist.

But if this gets played at a function where lots of relations are present, it would be quite cruel for boomers to not at least bop around in their chairs. After all, "We Are Family" is a celebration of family. Sister Sledge was a family act, and within the lyrics, they repeatedly declare how happy they are that they all get to be together and that it's worth celebrating. Boomers who remember this song when it was new should follow their lead.