4 Songs From the 1970s That Are Virtually Impossible Not To Dance To

Mainstream music of the 1970s was an ultra-groovy blend of disco, funk, R&B, soul, and rock ‘n’ roll—which also means that this particular decade had some of the best dance tracks of all time. Indeed, it’s hard not to tap your toes and bob your head to songs from this era, even if you wouldn’t normally consider yourself much of a dancer.

Whether you’re the first on the dancefloor or jamming among your fellow wallflowers, it’s practically impossible not to dance (or at least want to dance) to these tracks from the 1970s.

“When Will You Be Mine” by Average White Band

For a group that called themselves the Average White Band, the riffs and grooves that they came up with were anything but mundane. Their 1979 single, “When Will You Be Mine”, from Feel No Fret, is a perfect example of a 1970s song that practically forces you to start moving. Silently tapping your toes inside your shoes counts, too, by the way. The Scottish band’s album peaked at No. 15 in the United Kingdom and No. 32 in the United States. This particular single might not be their best-known. But we’d argue it has one of the best grooves.

“Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” by Steely Dan

Steely Dan is one of those “love them or hate them” groups from the 1970s, and songs like “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” do little to quell the uncertainty from the general public. The 1974 track opens the band’s third album, Pretzel Logic. After it peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, it also became Steely Dan’s greatest commercial success. Sure, Steely Dan gets a bad rep for being “dad rock.” But let’s be real: all those icy cold shoulders denouncing bands like Steely Dan make it awfully hard to get your groove on. Life’s too short.

“You Make Loving Fun” by Fleetwood Mac

Christine McVie’s track about an affair with Fleetwood Mac’s lighting director (that she told her husband and fellow bandmate, John McVie, was about a dog) is peak 70s Fleetwood Mac. It’s groovy. It’s funky. The underlying premise is a relationship that isn’t working out versus one that is, hence its all-too appropriate inclusion on the band’s seminal 1977 album, Rumours. And most importantly, it’s an absolute bop that is impossible not to dance to. In fact, we’d argue that its many musical sections and vibey Clavinet part make it one of the danciest songs of all the 1970s.

“Superstition” by Stevie Wonder

Speaking of vibey Clavinets, there’s just something about that instrument that will give a song an irresistible groove. Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” is another prime example of the organ being the coolest instrument in the mix. The 1972 song was the lead single from Wonder’s 15th studio album, Talking Book. The B-side closer is one of those 1970s songs that still sound as funky and fresh as they did when they first came out. The track topped the charts in the winter of 1973, heating up everyone’s speakers with that iconic Clav riff.

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