The Best Motown Hits That Still Get Boomers In Their Dancing Shoes

Those in the Boomer generation were born between the years of 1946 and 1964, which means they grew up with a slew of danceable rock songs. Then there are the folks who were born early enough to experience Motown's historic rise, so we picked the best songs from that incredible label that'll still get Boomers on the dance floor.

These songs were hand-picked because they're hard to listen to without instantly thinking about Motown and the colossal success it became. All of these cuts have plenty of danceability as well. One pick, for example, will likely get people dancing because of its unforgettable, funk-inspired guitar riff, and another has such a hard-hitting groove that it'll make even the biggest introvert boogie in front of others.

So, regardless of where Boomers grew up, or whether they attended a lot of parties in their youth, they more than likely jumped, wiggled, and shook to at least one Motown song, which they'd probably do again today if given the chance.

Some of the most danceable Boomer songs are attached to a dance craze, like Chubby Checker's 1960 rendition of "The Twist." Other times, a simple hand gesture associated with the song is enough to get people on the dance floor, which is the case with The Supremes' 1965 single, "Stop! In the Name of Love."

Boomers probably remember watching the group perform the song on television and seeing them use their hands to signal stop, like a police officer directing traffic. The hand movement was followed by the women snapping to the beat of the song as they sang the words, "before you break my heart." So, it's almost guaranteed the popular cut will have Boomers heading to the dance floor today since everyone can do the hand gesture in unison, which is nothing short of a good time.

"Stop! In the Name of Love" is easy to dance to as well, due to the throbbing drums that come in during the first few seconds, as well as the horns that swoop in right after. Many of the Boomers who were born in the 1940s and '50s would have been of party-going age when the song was released, so they're bound to have those memories come racing back when they hear it.

There are some old songs that'll get Boomers on the dance floor just because of nostalgia, and others will get them moving due to their infectious groove. Stevie Wonder's 1972 song "Superstition" falls into the latter category due to its overly funky and now-famous Clavinet riff that comes in at the song's start, immediately after the drum intro.

The song is a warning to those who hold on tightly to myths and fallacies, allowing those beliefs to control their lives and decision-making. As for Wonder, he's been a successful musician since his teenage years, so he knows that the best way to get a message across in a song is to wrap it in a palatable music package. So, there's a good chance that many Boomers grooved to "Superstition" before absorbing its message.

The song is easy to dance to as well. So much so that even those who claim they can't dance and have no rhythm can find the beat, since they can either latch on to that famous Clavinet riff, move to the horns, or bounce to the head-nodding drum pattern.

The first few seconds of The Temptations' song "My Girl" are instantly recognizable. First, the famous bassline comes in, then the guitar, right before the group's singer, David Ruffin, delivers the well-known lyrics about seeing sunshine on a cloudy, dismal day. The song certainly has that signature early Motown sound, and the Smokey Robinson-penned hit is pretty much synonymous with the label at this point. That means it can potentially remind Boomers not only of when they first heard the song, but also of when they began listening to Motown records, and how much they enjoyed that time of their life.

The hit single could also bring Boomers back to their first crush, as the song is about someone being so taken with a person that everything around him is bright and optimistic. It's possible that a bunch of Boomers swooned to the record in their bedroom while clutching the album jacket and thinking about their crush. Those memories can certainly get a Boomer back on the dance floor today.

By the time that famous glissando on the piano is heard at the beginning of "I Want You Back," the guitar plays, and a young Michael Jackson comes in with his soulful uh-huh, uh-huhs; Boomers are probably halfway to the dance floor already. Or, they could start moving their feet in their living room while listening to the song at home.

The 1969 cut could also remind Boomers of when they first discovered The Jackson 5, as well as Michael, since it was the group's very first Motown single. A lot of Boomers probably remember seeing them perform "I Want You Back" on "The Ed Sullivan Show" on top of that and dancing along with them in front of the television.

Maybe The Jackson 5 even taught a lot of Boomers how to dance through those TV performances, and those moves were then tried out at a school dance or sweet 16 party. These days, if there's at least one song that'll get Boomers to dust off their dancing shoes, it's "I Want You Back," for sure.

If Levi Stubbs' passionate vocals on "Reach Out I'll Be There" don't get you out of your seat, then you might be living a sedentary lifestyle. The Four Tops' 1966 single could be considered a Motown staple, since it's one of its early hits. In fact, it's only the second Motown song to reach the top spot on the British charts after "Baby Love" by The Supremes. That could be why "Reach Out I'll Be There" is often played at weddings and Boomer birthday parties. People can be seen creating dance routines to it on YouTube as well, and it's even played in fitness classes.

The irony, though, is that group members didn't particularly care for the song after recording it and didn't want it released as a single, but Berry Gordy had other plans. "We just assumed it was some experimental thing that would go on an album," the late Four Tops singer Duke Fakir once told The Guardian. "A few weeks later, Motown boss Berry Gordy sent us a memo: 'Make sure your taxes are taken care of, because we're going to release the biggest record you've ever had.'"

Gordy was right, because the song turned out to be the group's signature song, and it made teenagers of all backgrounds dance until their feet hurt. Today, the cut will easily do the same for the Boomers who lived in that era, when Motown had firmly established itself as a hit machine.