Songs NOT to Play at Weddings
Weddings are a time to celebrate the marriage of two people in love with one another. Wedding music sets the mood for the wedding ceremony and wedding reception. Not every song is appropriate for a wedding ceremony and reception. We provide the songs below as a guide. However, many of the songs are popular songs by many. So use your best judgment and your desired wedding.
| Song |
Artist |
Format |
Lyrics |
iTunes |
Amazon |
| All My Ex's Live In Texas |
George Strait |
Inappropriate meaning |
Country |
|
|
| American Pie |
Don McLean |
Song Length |
Rock |
|
|
| Baby Got Back |
Sir Mix-a-Lot |
Suggestive |
Rap |
|
|
| Chicken Dance |
Emeralds |
Group dance? |
Oldies |
|
|
| D-I-V-O-R-C-E |
Tammy Wynette |
Inappropriate meaning |
Country |
|
|
| Don't Close Your Eyes |
Kix |
About suicide |
Rock |
|
|
| Dude Looks Like a Lady |
Aerosmith |
Inappropriate meaning |
Rock |
|
|
| Eve of Destruction |
Barry McGuire |
Inappropriate meaning |
Rock |
|
|
| Every Breath You Take |
The Police |
About stalking |
Rock |
|
|
| Everything About You |
Ugly Kid Joe |
Inappropriate meaning |
Rock |
|
|
| Free Bird |
Lynyrd Skynyrd |
Song Length |
Rock |
|
|
| Gold Digger |
Kanye West |
Inappropriate meaning |
Rap |
|
|
| Goodbye Earl |
Dixie Chicks |
About death |
Country |
|
|
| Highway To Hell |
AC/DC |
Inappropriate meaning |
Rock |
- - |
- - |
| Hokey Pokey |
Ray Anthony |
Group dance? |
Oldies |
|
|
| I Hate Everything About You |
Three Days Grace |
Inappropriate meaning |
Rock |
|
|
| I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For |
U2 |
Inappropriate meaning |
Rock |
|
|
| I Touch Myself |
The Divinyls |
Suggestive |
Rock |
|
|
| I Will Survive |
Gloria Gaynor |
Song Meaning |
Disco |
|
|
| I'm In A Hurry (And Don't Know Why) |
Alabama |
Wedding stress |
Country |
|
|
| In The End |
Linkin Park |
Inappropriate meaning |
Rock |
|
|
| It Wasn't Me |
Shaggy |
Inappropriate meaning |
Reggae |
|
|
| Jessie's Girl |
Rick Springfield |
Song Meaning |
Rock |
|
|
| Jumper |
Third Eye Blind |
About suicide |
Rock |
|
|
| Just A Gigolo |
David Lee Roth |
Inappropriate meaning |
Rock |
|
|
| Love Hurts |
Nazareth |
Inappropriate meaning |
Rock |
|
|
| Love Stinks |
J. Geils Band |
Inappropriate meaning |
Rock |
|
|
| Love Will Tear Us Apart |
Joy Division |
Inappropriate meaning |
Rock |
 |
|
| Lyin' Eyes |
The Eagles |
Inappropriate meaning |
Rock |
|
|
| Macarena |
Los Del Rio |
Group dance? |
Dance |
|
|
| Mother-In-Law |
Ernie K-Doe |
Inappropriate meaning |
Oldies |
|
|
| My Best Friend's Girl |
The Cars |
Inappropriate meaning |
Rock |
|
|
| My Heart Will Go On |
Celine Dion |
About death |
Rock |
|
|
| My Humps |
Black Eyed Peas |
Suggestive |
Rap |
|
|
| Paradise by the Dashboard Light |
Meat Loaf |
Song Length |
Rock |
|
|
| She Hates Me |
Puddle Of Mudd |
Inappropriate meaning |
Rock |
|
|
| Shots |
LMFAO |
Inappropriate meaning |
Dance |
|
|
| Should I Stay or Should I Go |
The Clash |
Inappropriate meaning |
Rock |
|
|
| Somebody's Watching Me |
Rockwell |
About stalking |
R&B |
|
|
| Stairway to Heaven |
Led Zeppelin |
Song Length |
Rock |
|
|
| Suspicious Minds |
Elvis Presley |
Inappropriate meaning |
Oldies |
|
|
| Tainted Love |
Soft Cell |
Inappropriate meaning |
Dance |
|
|
| Tears In Heaven |
Eric Clapton |
About death |
Rock |
|
|
| The End |
The Doors |
Inappropriate meaning |
Rock |
|
|
| To All The Girls I've Loved Before |
Julio Iglesias with Willie Nelson |
Inappropriate meaning |
Rock |
|
|
| White Wedding |
Billy Idol |
Song Meaning |
Rock |
|
|
| Why Don't We Get Drunk |
Jimmy Buffett |
Inappropriate meaning |
Rock |
|
|
| Wild Thing |
Tone-Loc |
Suggestive |
Rap |
|
|
| You Can't Always Get What You Want |
The Rolling Stones |
Inappropriate meaning |
Rock |
|
|
| You Give Love A Bad Name |
Bon Jovi |
Inappropriate meaning |
Rock |
|
|
| You're So Vain |
Carly Simon |
Inappropriate meaning |
Rock |
|
|
Songs not to play at weddings is updated periodically throughout the year. If you have a song that you think should be included, please add your song suggestion through the comment section below. Do Not Play Songs at weddings.
- Do not play music with explicit lyrics. We do not list any songs below in this category as this is self explanatory. Be sure your music entertainer has radio version of all songs to be played at a wedding.
- Do not play songs that pertain to death. Do not play songs that reference suicide. Songs in this category include Don't Close Your Eyes by Kix and Jumper by Third Eye Blind.
- Be sure the music selected fits the theme and style of the wedding and reception. Classical background music would not be appropriate for a country themed reception. If at all possible, we recommend to have the widest range of musical types as possible. This will keep the majority of the guests happy. Music entertainers must be given as much leeway on music selections for the dancing portion of the wedding reception. This is their specialty - to get guests dancing!
- Do not play music that is suggestive or offensive. Just A Gigolo by David Lee Roth is a great song for the garter removal or garter placement. However, is this song really appropriate for a wedding? Other song considerations with inappropriate meaning include Love Stinks by J Geils Band, Mother-In-Law by Ernie K-Doe and Relax by Frankie Goes To Hollywood.
- Songs that refer to the stressful wedding planning process. A Song example is I'm In A Hurry (And Don't Know Why) by Alabama.
- Please add stalking songs to your do not play list. Song examples include the Police's Every Breath You Take and Somebody's Watching Me by Rockwell.
- Songs played that have an extended playing time. The average song length is about 3 1/2 minutes. Extended length songs include American Pie by Don McLean and Paradise By The Dashboard Light by Meat Loaf.
You must decide if both of you would like group dances to be played at your reception. Some people do not like such dances as they consider them goofy and/or well overplayed at wedding receptions. Popular group dance songs that are played at many wedding receptions include the Macarena by Los Del Rio, Chicken Dance and the Hokey Pokey.
Many people feel the money/dollar dance is inappropriate at a wedding reception. The reasoning is because guests are expected to bring a present and to ask for more money in the dollar dance is greedy. However, others feel it is a great way to have multiple one on one conversions with many guests.

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