Here’s a subject that should bring out some chuckles, head scratches and shoulder shrugs. Weddings are big business and having a dee jay run the entertainment at your reception is a very big deal and also a very lucrative business. However, it is not only the prospective bride and groom who have a say in what music to play, there is also a lot of input from the parents of the bride. After all, they are the ones writing the checks.

As a former radio dee jay and also a mobile deejay back in the day, I can attest to some of the good, bad and ugly when it comes to wedding receptions and the music asked for and the music that is a huge no-no.

One thing that shows up on the list compiled by FiveThirtyEight is that many of the banned songs also appear on the Billboard Music’s list of the most requested songs at wedding receptions. Here are some of the songs on the two lists, see if you agree or not. At the end I will provide the link for the entire list.

As for the most banned songs they include: The Chicken Dance (#1 on the list), Macarena, Electric Slide, YMCA, Dancing Queen, Cupid Shuffle, Shout, Love Shack, Celebration, The Hokey Pokey, Blurred Lines, Celebration, Cotton Eyed Joe, Sweet Caroline, Gangnam Style, Mony, Mony, Baby Got Back, Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy), Footloose, Happy, Stayin’ Alive, Brown Eyed Girl, I Will Survive and We are Family

Now here we go with some of the Billboard’s most requested songs: Don’t Stop Believin’, Happy, Cupid Shuffle, Shout, Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours, Billie Jean, Electric Slide, Footloose, You Make My Dreams, I Gotta Feeling,  Celebration, Play That Funky Music, Baby Got Back, Dancing Queen, Love Shack, Respect and Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.

Personally I have been on both sides being asked to make sure and play certain songs that were on both lists. Like everything else in life it is a matter of choices, but when mommy and daddy are paying the freight their opinion does count.

Here is the link so that you can see both lists: https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/whats-hot/these-are-the-most-banned-wedding-songs-%e2%80%94-and-you%e2%80%99ll-probably-understand-why/ar-BBL3a3n?li=BBnb7Kz  Be ready for some surprising song titles both banned and requested.

Art Koch, National Features & DVD Editor, NightMoves Magazine and AAN