Hot Tubs, Lionel Richie and Music Playlists

 

We recently posted an article giving tips for those who plan on having a barbecue party this Memorial Day weekend. We covered the food you could serve, the games you could play and the music you could use to entertain your guests. Unfortunately, it isn’t as easy as picking a few real good songs and playing them over and over at the party. No sir, there is much more to choosing a great playlist that that.

In fact, some people feel very strongly that your music playlist is the most important aspect of any party. And we tend to agree with them. In fact, a great playlist at a party is nearly as important as having a hot tub. Let’s face it, it’s almost impossible to have a good party without a hot tub, but you can still have a fairly decent party without a good playlist. Unless, of course, your playlist is comprised solely of songs by Lionel Richie, Jefferson Starship and Miley Cyrus.

That being said, you can still include Lionel Richie, Jefferson Starship and Miley Cyrus on your playlist, just make sure you mix in plenty of good music to water the bad choices down. However, at no time should you even consider adding Ed Sheeran or Coldplay to your playlist. You have been warned.

Since choosing music is the toughest part about planning a party, we decided to help. Here are a few tips to seriously consider when compiling your music playlist for your summer party.

Choose a Theme

Some people feel that choosing a theme is akin to cheating because it does tend to make the job of finding good music easier. But sometimes it makes perfect sense, especially if you are throwing a themed party.

Say, for example, that you are throwing a 1990s themed party, playing Cyndi Lauper, White Lion and the Eagles just doesn’t make sense. Mixing 1970s and 1980s music at a 1990s themed party is just plain stupid, not to mention the fact the nobody wants to hear the Eagles anyway. And while there might be one White Lion song worth playing at a party, it should only be played once and well after plenty of drinks have been consumed by the guests.

Remember to keep your music relevant to the kind of party you are having as well. If you are having a party where a lot of family members of all ages are going to be there and the tone is rather mellow, keep the music quieter and more in the background cause grandma isn’t going to start banging her head if you throw out some Cannibal Corpse at 150 decibels.

Do Your Research

If your taste in music is pretty basic, rather boring, then you need to do a whole lot of research. Just because you can burn an entire afternoon listening to Eddie Rabbit, Merle Haggard and the Oakridge Boys, doesn’t mean such a playlist wouldn’t cause your party guests to possibly riot.

Start by checking out a variety of playlists on the internet. Then, listen to some different genres of music to get an idea of what is out there. You might discover you like more than just mainstream country-western.

Consider Your Audience

Just because you bang your head to classic death metal doesn’t mean anybody at your party will appreciate having Obituary or Morbid Angel forced on them. Remember how you felt about the 1980s hair band music that was played all evening at the party you attended a few weeks back? You are still recovering from punching the wall. It is best if you have a healthy mix of music from all genres and decades to ensure harmony and peace among your guests.

Stray from the Norm

Don’t just stick to popular music that most everybody has probably heard before, throw in some surprises here and there to keep everybody on their toes. A good playlist will expose the listeners to something they have never heard before, give them a chance to hear something new. Mix in a song or two from Morbid Angel and you could be turning someone on to their next favorite band.

We hope these tips help you create the most awesome music playlist ever.