What’s a hit at the wedding reception
With marriage season in full swing, the streaming service Spotify has revealed an analysis of weddingthemed playlists, and it turns out we’ve been doing a lot of thinking out loud during our first dances.
Specifically, the young British folkie Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” is the most popular song to accompany brides and fathers on the dance floor.
Based on an analysis of playlists, the hit, about Sheeran’s undying devotion to a soulmate long after “my hair’s all but gone and my memory fades / And the crowds don’t remember my name,” eclipsed the second most popular song, Etta James’ perennial favorite “At Last.”
Also on the first-dance list, which Spotify has compiled into a playlist equal parts romantic and horrifyingly bland, are Christina Perri’s “A Thousand Years,” Jason Mraz’s treacly “I Won’t Give Up,” Michael Buble’s even more treacly “Everything” and Train’s “Marry Me.”
A few surprises dot the data. Who knew that indie rocker Bright Eyes’ “First Day of My Life” would crack the top 15, that Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” would remain a powerhouse nearly 50 years after its release or that “Ho Hey,” the earworm by the Lumineers, still appealed?
After the slow dance concludes and the party gets started, Spotify revealed that we most often turn to an old standby: Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’.” The San Francisco arena rock band’s ode to a life that — like your average wedding reception — “goes on and on and on” most often soundtracks the revelry.
No. 2 is the Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling,” followed by ubiquitous hits by Bruno Mars (“Marry You”), Michael Jackson (“Billie Jean”) and Outkast’s “Hey Ya!”
In addition to those mentioned above, we’ll be grooving to playlists that include Beyonce’s “Crazy in Love,” Bryan Adams’ “Summer of ’69,” synth-poppers A-Ha’s “Take on Me,” helmeted Frenchmen Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” and Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe.” That’s in addition to a lot of classic jams by the Pointer Sisters, Spice Girls, the Jackson 5, Earth, Wind & Fire and Kenny Loggins.
Outliers? What’s Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” got to do with romance? Luckily, if LMFAO’s “I’m Sexy and I Know It” blares — and, unfortunately, it will — an open bar is only a stumble away.