If I were a DJ for a 90-minute set

Here’s the setup: You’re a DJ, you’ve got maybe an hour and a half to play (keep it tight, say max 25 tracks so the playlist doesn't drag forever), and you're at some party. This isn't a crowd of die-hard fans obsessed with one specific band; they're just regular people listening to whatever, pretty informed, but definitely not looking for anything extreme... 🙂 nothing too heavy or too bubblegum pop. Your job is to keep them entertained, not to lecture them on your "superior" taste... most people have had a few drinks, and while you might have a couple of buddies there, 95% of the room is total strangers to you...
And look, they’re paying you based on how much fun they actually have...

My list:

1. fat boy slim – don't forget ya teeth
2. ultramagnetic mc's feat kool keith – housin' things
3. outkast – dracula's wedding
4. coldplay – clocks
5. franz ferdinand – matinee
6. jet – rollover dj
7. placebo – this picture
8. rhcp – on mercury
9. white stripes – hypnotize
10. American rock classics – zimmer frei
11. the charlatans – how high
12. the prodigy – your love
13. radiohead – hunting bears
14. white stripes – fell in love with the girl
15. faith no more – easy
16. stealer wheel – stuck in tha middle with you
17. rhcp – can't stop
18. chemcal brothers – hey boy hey girl
19. hijack – doomsday of rap
20. outkast – hey ya!
21. george baker selection – little green bag
22. iggy pop – lust for life
23. white stripes – now mary
24. ricky martin – she's livin la vida loca
25. jet – are you gonna be my girl?

Now it's your turn... haha. We could try to pick out the best setlist here... if not, at least I'll read through yours, and maybe you'll get some ideas for your next gig...

You’ve certainly made quite a mess of this...

Ditch the local beer—it doesn't really scream "hostess." Swap out Microsoft, and maybe try to polish the rest of this up a bit better...
Throw in some Nine Inch Nails tracks (Two Months OFF, Born Slippy, Dark and Long...)

I was thinking about throwing on Born Slippy, but honestly, it feels a bit too long... you know how it goes... it just drags... Microsoft is such a vibe though, and Zimmer Frei is perfect for getting everyone to belt out a tune together.. this playlist is killer...

frozencobra69 said:well, the list is everything...

If you say so... Honestly, I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for harder house tracks and psychedelic stuff...
As for Born Slippy, there are plenty of radio edits out there—and a decent DJ can just work their magic by mixing several things together so it doesn't feel like it drags on forever...
Personally, I find Dark and Long much more impactful—especially that scene in Trainspotting when that track kicks in...

1. Faithless - Insomnia
2. The Pogues - Fiesta
3. Prince & the Revolution - Let's Go Crazy
4. Jane's Addiction - Stop
5. Chemical Brothers - Block Rockin' Beats
6. Beck - Loser
7. Chumbawamba - Tubthumping
8. Dean & the Weenies - Fuck You
9. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Higher Ground
10. Aerosmith - Dude (Looks Like a Lady)
11. Pixies - Gigantic
12. Chic - Good Times
13. Modjo - Lady
14. New Order - Blue Monday
15. Breeders - Cannonball
16. Tricky - Black Steel
17. Ol' Dirty Bastard - Got Your Money
18. Blur - Song 2
19. Nas - Get Down
20. N.W.A. - Express Yourself
21. Ash - Baby Burn
22. Groove Armada - Superstylin'
23. The Von Bondies - C'mon C'mon
24. Joey Negro feat. Taka Boom - Must Be the Music
25. Front 242 - Welcome to Paradise

just give me the cash... 😁

Susan Booth42 has a handful of solid, tried-and-true tracks that always get the crowd moving; I'm talking about Song 2 and Baby Burn, though there are plenty of other club anthems out there by artists you might not recognize yet.
👍

Susan Booth42 said:7. Chumbawamba - Tubthumping
10. Aerosmith - Dude (Looks Like a Lady)
13. Modjo - Lady
16. Tricky - Black Steel
18. Blur - Song 2
22. Groove Armada - Superstylin'

A bit dated, isn't it...
I mean, they’re all solid tracks—don't get me wrong—but you really need some fresher stuff if you're actually throwing a party... You can't just lean on old hits whenever things start to lag. Though, I suppose I did suggest Born Slippy myself...
No, the list is fine, I guess, but it definitely needs a few more recent tracks...

fadeddrifter26 said:They're pretty old school...
Look, they're all solid tracks, but you really need some newer stuff to keep a party going... You can't just lean on the classics if the energy starts to dip. Though, I did suggest Born Slippy...
Nah, the list is fine, but it definitely needs more recent hits...

I'm basically retired, so my party is for retirees—you get what I'm saying? 😁

Susan Booth42 said:Look, I'm basically a retiree—so my party is strictly for the senior citizens, you know? 😁

How much of a retiree are we talking about here?

And if you’re going to start digging up the classics, then—I suppose—you absolutely cannot afford to overlook Jay Dee - Plastic Dreams

fadeddrifter26 said:How old is this retiree?

Probably ancient... 😁

pensioners👋 👋 👋

Honestly, I’d just spin Fugazi's 13 and wrap things up with some No Doubt. That's my DJ set right there.

🤣

not np June of 44 - Air #17

Kevin Chavez3 said:It's all pretty old school...
I mean, look, they're all solid tracks, but you can't just play the classics at a party... You need some newer stuff if things are actually gonna get moving. You can't just lean on the old hits when the energy starts to dip. Though, I did suggest Born slippy...
Nah, the list is alright, but it definitely needs more recent vibes...

Maybe you should just write your own list since you're such an expert on what everyone else should be listening to...

PrittPen said:Honestly, I’d just spin Fugazi’s 13 and some good girlhood tracks from New Fossils at the end. Who else is even worth DJing for?

I'd just play Zyklon B.😬 😵

Your lists are alright, but you’re jumping between genres way too fast... people are going to lose their minds if you don't smooth it out.
The trick is to build blocks of music and then slowly transition them using tracks that sit somewhere in the middle.

For example (I took some stuff from your lists and threw in a few of my own favorites):

Groove Armada - Superstylin'
Basement Jaxx - Good Luck
The Chemical Brothers - Hey Boy, Hey Girl
Fatboy Slim - Rockafella Skunk
James Brown - Sex Machine
George Baker Selection - Little Green Bag
The Police - Message in a Bottle
The Clash - White Riot
Joy Division - Transmission
The Smiths - Ask
Blondie - Atomic
Dee-Lite - Groove Is in the Heart
Santa Esmeralda - Don't Let Me Be... (mostly because of Kill Bill)😁
Apollo 440 - Krupa
The Chemical Brothers - Setting Sun
Blur - Song 2
Weezer - Hash Pipe
Queens of the Stone Age - First It Giveth
Liam Lynch - My U.S. of Whatever
Electric Six - Gay Bar
The White Stripes - Black Math
The Strokes - 12:51
Jet - Are You Gonna Be My Girl
...

Joy Division at Coachella 😲
The rest of the lineup looks solid, but this? It just doesn't work for me. It’s like charging a new dining set to a mortgage. 👍

banderas said:Listening to Joy Division at a house party just hits different. 😲

I guess it’s probably because of that whole "dance, dance, dance to the radio" thing. 😁

If I were throwing a party, I’d definitely have Joy Division playing on the speakers, though I have a feeling only about five people would actually show up instead of the twenty-five I was probably hoping for. 😁

I must say, this whole concept of yours regarding these lists is quite an intriguing notion...
It was rather perceptive of Taylor Swift to suggest it—now, do listen to him, because he’s actually a decent DJ, practically on my level if I’m being honest 😁 , whereas Antonio Banderas is getting a bit up there in years and clearly hasn't the slightest clue what he's rambling about 😁 😁 —that is to say, please refrain from attempting twenty-five different genres across twenty-five tracks; just stick to more recognizable hits. As a DJ myself, I have to admit with some degree of chagrin that I haven't even heard half the tracks on these lists (the sheer lack of musical education is staggering)
Furthermore, it would be most beneficial if you didn't merely provide a collection of twenty-five songs, but rather provided them in their exact, precise sequence, so we might observe how they flow from one to the next, examining those transitions... only then will Billie Eilish and I decide whether to praise you or utterly tear you apart 😁