14 songs you should never play at a bar … or should you?

This is per the "Holy Taco" website...what do you think of this list?

14. “All I Wanna Do,” Sheryl Crow
13. “Mr. Brightside,” The Killers
12. “It’s the End of the World as We Know It,” R.E.M.
11. “Dancing Queen,” ABBA
10. “Sweet Home Alabama,” Lynyrd Skynyrd
9. “Don’t Stop Believing,” Journey
8. “Smooth,” Carlos Santana and Rob Thomas
7. “Hotel California,” The Eagles
6. “I Will Survive,” Gloria Gaynor
5. “Paradise by the Dashboard Light,” Meatloaf
4. “Bawidaba,” Kid Rock
3. Anything by the Beatles
2. “Piano Man,” Billy Joel
1. “American Pie,” Don McLean

I probably would play half of those at a bar... not a club but in a bar it would fly...
(#13, 12, 11, 10, 9 IS HUGE... PLAY IT ALL THE TIME... 6 if its an older crowd... 5 alot of the time, 3 all the time... and thats about it)

I like most of those....

Don't see what the problem is with most of those songs.

me neither pretty darn normal

I think it depends on the bar more than anything!

Do they say why you should never play them in a bar?

(Is this like yelling fire in a crowded theater or something)

Do they say why you should never play them in a bar?

(Is this like yelling fire in a crowded theater or something)

Nope..this is all I got from the website.

there goes my opening hour!

with the exception of Don Mclean, I'd play any of those during happy hour...

Now Alice's restaurant????? then we may have to talk.... :)

Speaking of bars.... I have a Stag & Doe/Jack & Jill (etc.) I have to play in a bar this weekend. It's a bar in the country, not a club. Not just country music either. Any advice or suggestions?

Speaking of bars.... I have a Stag & Doe/Jack & Jill (etc.) I have to play in a bar this weekend. It's a bar in the country, not a club. Not just country music either. Any advice or suggestions?

Yes,
Whenever i pick up a new bar job, i usually go there a few times to feel the place out, check out whats on there jukebox, (the "top played" button) on digital jukes will tell you all kinds of stuff about the people that hang out in the place.....

But, doing your homework is really helpful....
Go there and have a few, especially on the same day you will be playing.
If sat night, go there the sat before your show....

Sounds good, but I don't have the time. It was a last minute booking and I have to many other bookings this week.

I look at that list and ask, "why not"?

I am assuming they mean this to be applied to a "hip" bar/night club. Regardless, it's just an uneducated statement. Like Steve and others have said, it really depends on the bar. I have been at bars where the DJ thinks he's playing in a NY nightclub, but he's really playing at a blue collar bar where the guys really want to hear "hotel California" and not DJ UNK's "2 step". Some bars start off blue collar and then become more clubbish as the night goes on. A good DJ can notice the change and make the correction.

Point is, read the crowd and play the proper song. And don't get DJing advice from a taco website

Speaking of bars.... I have a Stag & Doe/Jack & Jill (etc.) I have to play in a bar this weekend. It's a bar in the country, not a club. Not just country music either. Any advice or suggestions?

Yes,
Take a lot of requests and watch the crowd...watch how they respond to what you are playing.

... but he's really playing at a blue collar bar where the guys really want to hear "hotel California" ...

One of these nights, they'll get the best of my love, I can't tell you why there's a headache (taking liberties) tonight but it's probably because I'm listening to Hotel California. You know playin' it again they're taking it to the limit...one more time. Now that the radio's off I have a peaceful easy feeling.

Sweet you know who, that [Hotel] song is really getting on my nerves. We all read each other's comments on a particular song and say "I dunno, I like that song.". What's he talkin' about? Well that one's gettin' to me.

Some people are just stuck in the 70's. Hey mix it up a bit! Forwards and backwards. They must have preformed something else.

This is per the "Holy Taco" website...what do you think of this list?

14. “All I Wanna Do,” Sheryl Crow
13. “Mr. Brightside,” The Killers
12. “It’s the End of the World as We Know It,” R.E.M.
11. “Dancing Queen,” ABBA
10. “Sweet Home Alabama,” Lynyrd Skynyrd
9. “Don’t Stop Believing,” Journey
8. “Smooth,” Carlos Santana and Rob Thomas
7. “Hotel California,” The Eagles
6. “I Will Survive,” Gloria Gaynor
5. “Paradise by the Dashboard Light,” Meatloaf
4. “Bawidaba,” Kid Rock
3. Anything by the Beatles
2. “Piano Man,” Billy Joel
1. “American Pie,” Don McLean

Substitute "Cowboy" for that other Kid Rock song, and I'd say its a pretty good list!

I used to play 1/2 of those songs (including "Cowboy" and "Sweet Home Alabama") on a regular basis. (At a bar called the "Crazy Horse" it was expected, like "Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)" but as it turned out-- nothing could Save The Horse in the end!)

How about a list of long songs to avoid? Like...

Stairway To Heaven - LZ
Green Grass and High Tides - Outlaws
Inna Gadda Da Vidda - Iron Butterfly
Children Of The Sun - Billy Thorpe
Trans Europe Express - Kraftwerk
Free Bird (live) - Lynyrd Skynrd

Andy

How about a list of long songs to avoid? Like...

Stairway To Heaven - LZ
Green Grass and High Tides - Outlaws
Inna Gadda Da Vidda - Iron Butterfly
Children Of The Sun - Billy Thorpe
Trans Europe Express - Kraftwerk
Free Bird (live) - Lynyrd Skynrd

Andy

With an exception...play the above if you have to go to the bathroom. :sqrolleyes: