3 Forever Classic Rock Songs About Dancing That Will Get Your Feet Flying

Classic rock music is about feeling good. Sure, there are important messages, important figures, and amazing musicianship involved in much of the genre. But at the end of the day, the songs should leave you with a good feeling. And one of the ways they can do that is by getting your feet flying—or at least talking about the subject.

Here below, we wanted to explore three songs that do just that. A trio of tracks all about moving your hips, cutting a rug and—yes—dancing. Indeed, these are three eternal classic rock songs about dancing that will get your feet a-flyin’.

[RELATED: No Skips: 4 Classic Rock Albums You’ll Never Have to Fast-Forward]

“Dancing in the Dark” by Bruce Springsteen from Born in the U.S.A. (1984)

You might think Bruce Springsteen’s first single off his 1984 LP Born in the U.S.A. would be the titular “Born in the U.S.A.,” or that the song would be the biggest hit from the album. But amazingly it was another. “Dancing in the Dark” was both the first track released from The Boss’ best-selling 1984 record and the biggest hit from the LP, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Much of the album is about the difficulty of American life—word drudgery, the effects of war, and the like. And this song falls in line with that. But it also offers hope. Some can dance on TV or on the stage. But even if we dance in the dark in our living room, we are giving ourselves a small victory. Indeed, Springsteen sings,

I get up in the evening
And I ain’t got nothing to say
I come home in the morning
I go to bed feeling the same way
I ain’t nothing but tired
Man, I’m just tired and bored with myself
Hey there baby, I could use just a little help

You can’t start a fire
You can’t start a fire without a spark
This gun’s for hire
Even if we’re just dancing in the dark

“Wilbury Twist,” by the Traveling Wilburys from Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3 (1990)

From the super group’s second LP, this song is written by giants in the music industry but is also a bit of a joke tune. Resembling more “The Hokey Pokey” than “Blowin’ in the Wind,” this song is about a dance named after the band, which was comprised of the likes of Bob Dylan, George Harrison and Tom Petty. The artists sing about putting your left hand in, putting your foot up, and moves like that. It’s a nonsense tune from guys who are most often no-nonsense, making it fun in the end. Indeed, the group sings,

You put your hand on your head (hand on your head)
Put your foot in the air (foot in the air)
Then, you hop around the room (hop around the room)
In your underwear (in your underwear)
There ain’t never been nothin’ quite like this
Come on, baby, it’s the Wilbury Twist

Lift your other foot up (other foot up)
And fall on your ass (fall on your ass)
Get back up (get back up)
Put your teeth in a glass (teeth in a glass)
Ain’t never been nothin’ quite like this
It’s a magical thing called the Wilbury Twist

“Let’s Dance” by David Bowie from Let’s Dance (1983)

One of the British-born David Bowie’s signature songs, “Let’s Dance” comes from the 1983 album of the same name. The track itself is a call to action. Bowie, who bridges the worlds of art and pleasure, knows that a good dance can be the key to both and so he implores the listeners to indulge. On the iconic song, which itself bridges rock and disco, the musician from Mars sings,

Let’s dance
Put on your red shoes and dance the blues
Let’s dance
To the song they’re playin’ on the radio
Let’s sway
While color lights up your face
Let’s sway
Sway through the crowd to an empty space

If you say run
I’ll run with you
And if you say hide
We’ll hide
Because my love for you
Would break my heart in two
If you should fall into my arms
And tremble like a flower

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Photo by Steve Back/Daily Mail/Shutterstock