The Magic Of Music

Creating the Perfect Playlist for Parties and Holiday Gatherings

BY MIMI GREENWOOD KNIGHT

Each spring, when I head to the beach with my gal pals, I’m in charge of games and activities. But my friend, Giselle, is in charge of the music. A couple of months before our trip, she’ll send a group text asking for songs we’d like to add to our beach playlist. Over the years, the list has grown and evolved, and it serves as the perfect backdrop for a week of laughing, sharing, bonding — and often a little spontaneous line dancing.

A Bespoke Playlist

Consider your party’s theme, guest list, and setting. For instance, you’ll want different tunes for a kid’s birthday party than you would for a formal sit-down dinner and different still for a bachelorette bash. For something like a wedding, your playlist might begin with solemn, romantic tunes for the actual ceremonies, then transition to raucous numbers to get everybody on the dance floor at the reception. For a holiday party, you’ll want to include some seasonal songs with a blend of unusual covers and remixes with time-honored, nostalgic versions.

Include a Good Mix

If you’re hosting different ages and backgrounds, be sure your music comes from more than one genre and more than one decade. If your guests range from 20-somethings to seniors, for example, the current top 40 probably isn’t the ticket. Though some songs just seem to please everyone. Think Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl,” Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline,” Abba’s “Dancing Queen,” Earth Wind and Fire’s “September,” Kenny Loggins’ “Footloose,” and Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.” Try mixing these musical gems with older and newer songs to please everyone at your event.

Request Requests

Go ahead and ask your guests what they’d like to hear. (This can head off requests in the middle of your party.) We all have that one friend who’s particularly music minded. Be sure to get their input. Maybe ask them to share their current playlists. If you both use the same streaming service, they may even be able to merge their list with your own instead of adding each song manually.

Make Your List Long Enough

As with food and drink, having too much is always better than not enough. Be sure to include enough songs to last for your entire event. In fact, go ahead and make it 45 minutes to an hour longer than you need. That way, if you decide to settle in with a few friends after everybody else has gone, you’ll still have music to enjoy together. And, if you’ll be playing music from your phone or iPad, be sure to put it on “airplane mode” so alerts, calls, and texts don’t disrupt the music.

Lastly, resist the urge to include only up-tempo songs. Too many in a row can feel exhausting or monotonous. Instead, alternate between these toe-tapping tunes and more chill numbers. This balance will keep your party interesting, and your guests engaged. Now that you’ve completed your playlist, you can get busy planning your menu and signature cocktails.

Want some suggestions for your holiday party playlist? Say no more. Here are some holiday hits we really like.

• “The Christmas Song” – Stevie Wonder

• “All I Want for Christmas is You” – Mariah Carey

• “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” – Harry Connick, Jr.

• “This Christmas” – John Legend

• “Linus and Lucy” – Vince Guaraldi

• “Merry Christmas Baby” – Otis Redding

• “DJ Play A Christmas Song” – Cher

• “Wonderful Christmastime” – Paul Mc Cartney

• “Jingle Bells” – Michael Bublé

• “Let It Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!” – Frank Sinatra

• “What Child is This?” – Lauren Daigle