Ballroom First Dance Songs
Song lists for every ballroom dance style — rumba, waltz, foxtrot, tango, swing, salsa and cha-cha.
If you've decided to take dance lessons for your first dance — whether a rumba, waltz, foxtrot, swing, tango, or cha-cha — your song choice becomes a beautiful collaboration between meaning and movement. The perfect ballroom first dance song works on both levels: it has words and melody that mean something to you, and a rhythm that suits the dance you've chosen.
Your dance instructor is your best resource here. Once you've narrowed down a shortlist, play them the songs and ask which ones are most suitable for the dances you're learning. Alternatively, if you already have a song in mind, ask which dance style best suits its tempo and character.
Rumba First Dance Songs
Sensual, romantic Latin rhythm — perfect for slow, flowing movement.
- A Whole New World — Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle
- Beginnings — Chicago
- Caught Up in the Rapture — Anita Baker
- Endless Love — Diana Ross & Lionel Richie
- Falling into You — Celine Dion
- Fields of Gold — Sting
- For the First Time — Kenny Loggins
- I Don't Want to Live Without You — Foreigner
- I Swear — John Michael Montgomery
- If — Bread
- I Just Can't Stop Loving You — Michael Jackson
- I Was Made to Love Her — Stevie Wonder
- In Your Eyes — Peter Gabriel
- Just the Way You Are — Billy Joel
- Love Will Keep Us Alive — Eagles
- More — Andy Williams
- My Girl — The Temptations
- Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now — Starship
- True Companion — Marc Cohn
- Waiting for a Girl Like You — Foreigner
- Wonderful Tonight — Eric Clapton
- You Are the Sunshine of My Life — Stevie Wonder
- Breathe — Faith Hill
- I Cross My Heart — George Strait
- Let's Stay Together — Al Green
- Longer — Dan Fogelberg
- Making Memories of Us — Keith Urban
- Your Song — Elton John
- The Look of Love — Diana Krall
- Stickwitu — Pussycat Dolls
- Because You Loved Me — Celine Dion
- Save the Last Dance for Me — Michael Bublé
Waltz First Dance Songs
Graceful, flowing, 3/4 time — the most classic of all ballroom dances.
- Only One Road — Celine Dion
- Open Arms — Journey
- Play Me — Neil Diamond
- When I Said I Do — Clint Black & Lisa Hartman Black
- You Light Up My Life — Debbie Boone
- You and Me — Lifehouse
- Unchained Melody — Righteous Brothers
- Can't Help Falling in Love — Elvis Presley
- Could I Have This Dance — Anne Murray
- Annie's Song — John Denver
- That's Amore — Dean Martin
- I'll Be — Edwin McCain
- Come Away With Me — Norah Jones
Foxtrot First Dance Songs
Smooth, elegant movement — perfect for jazz and big band standards.
- I've Got You Under My Skin — Frank Sinatra
- It Had to Be You — Harry Connick Jr.
- Fly Me to the Moon — Frank Sinatra
- Crazy Love — Van Morrison
- Cheek to Cheek — Fred Astaire
- L-O-V-E — Nat King Cole
- Our Love Is Here to Stay — Ella Fitzgerald
- The Way You Look Tonight — Frank Sinatra
- Have I Told You Lately — Van Morrison
- A Kiss to Build a Dream On — Louis Armstrong
- As Time Goes By — Jimmy Durante
Tango First Dance Songs
Dramatic and passionate — for couples who want a show-stopping first dance.
- Por Una Cabeza (from Scent of a Woman)
- Santa Maria (Del Buen Ayre) — Gotan Project
- Tango D'Amor — Tango Jointz
Swing First Dance Songs
Upbeat, playful energy — great for couples who want to have fun.
- Can't Help Falling in Love — UB40
- How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved by You) — Marvin Gaye
- I Hear a Symphony — The Supremes
- I'm a Believer — Smash Mouth
- This Kiss — Faith Hill
Salsa & Mambo First Dance Songs
Hot Latin rhythms — joyful, energetic and crowd-pleasing.
- Dance the Night Away — Lionel Richie
- Mambo Italiano — Rosemary Clooney
- You Sang to Me — Marc Anthony
- Time of My Life — Jennifer Warnes & Bill Medley
- We've Only Just Begun — The Carpenters
Cha-Cha First Dance Songs
Flirty, fun rhythm — full of personality.
- Sway — Michael Bublé
- Breathless — The Corrs
- Amor — Ricky Martin