You Can't Beat Oldies-Dinner-Music For Party Fun

What do you get when you mix oldies-dinner-music from the 70's at a dinner party with a group of "forty-somethings"? A lot of fun and a great party. When we talk about oldies, of course, the term is relative. What is old to a 40 year old is not old to a 60 year old.

A great way to use this music is milestone birthday parties - make them memorable. Turning thirty, forty, fifty or sixty is a little easier when you bring back a little bit of the "good old days". There is just something about listening and partying to the music that was so popular during one of the most important times of your life.

We've simplified the process by grouping our oldies-dinner-music selections by eras. You can skip to the one that fits your needs, click on the iTunes link provided and you're on your way to having your party music taken care of.



50's: We will start our oldies-dinner-music recommendations with the 50's sounds. This was the era of Doris Day, Lucille Ball, Jame Dean, Elizabeth Taylor and other such great stars. This was the beginning of rock 'n roll . . . presidents Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower. These artists will be reminders of all of that to anyone who was a teenager in that era.

20TH CENTURY MASTERS-THE MILLENIUM COLLECTION-THE BEST OF BUDDY HOLLY - Recommended Songs: True Love Ways and Every Day, ARTIST: Buddy Holly.

JOHNNY MATHIS – A 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION - Recommended Songs: Misty and Wonderful! Wonderful!, ARTIST: Johnny Mathis.

THE ESSENTIAL ELVIS PRESLEY - Recommended Songs: Heartbreak Hotel and Don’t Be Cruel, ARTIST: Elvis Presley.

WALK RIGHT BACK; THE EVERLY BROTHERS - Recommended Songs: Walk Right Back and Love Is Strange, ARTIST: The Everly Brothers.

CHUCK BERRY: THE ANTHOLOGY - Recommended Songs: Johnny B. Goode and Nadine, ARTIST: Chuck Berry.

ROCK MASTERS: FATS DOMINO - Recommended Songs: Ain’t That A Shame and I’m Walking ARTIST: Fats Domino.

THE GEORGIA PEACH - Recommended Songs: Lucille and Tutti Frutti, ARTIST: Little Richard.

BO DIDDLEY: THE CHESS BOX - Recommended Songs: Diddy Wah Diddy and Bo Diddley, ARTIST: Bo Diddley.

COME FLY WITH ME - Recommended Songs: Moonlight In Vermont and Chicago, ARTIST: Frank Sinatra.

Link to iTunes, take a quick listen, download the songs, make a "playlist" of this oldies-dinner-music, play the day of your party straight from the computer. How easy can it get?

60's: We pick up speed a little when we get into the 60's oldies-dinner-music. You may think that particular generation is too old to rock, but don't forget, this was the era of Motown and British musical influence. Other highlights of the 60's: America put a man on the moon, a President was assasinated, there was the Vietnam war. . and let's don't forget the hippie movement.

There was a wide range of musical influence during this time and we've tried to give you a good representation. If it's a birthday party, the guest of honor who will love this particular oldies-dinner-music, remember, is a baby boomer. This was a very memorable era and we think the music we've chosen really reflects the mood of that period.

ANTHOLOGY SERIES: THE BEST OF MARVIN GAYE - Recommended Songs: Ain’t That Peculiar and I Heard It Through The Grapevine, ARTIST: Marvin Gaye.

WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW - Recommended Songs: Mama Said and Baby Its You, ARTIST: The Shirelles.

THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION: SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES - Recommended Songs: I Second That Emotion and The Tracks Of My Tears, ARTIST: Smokey Robinson & The Miracles.

DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES - ANTHOLOGY - Recommended Songs: I’m Gonna Make You Love Me and Someday We’ll Be Together, ARTIST: Diana Ross & The Supremes.

SWEET BABY JAMES - Recommended Songs: Steamroller and Country Road, ARTIST: James Taylor.

GENIUS LOVES COMPANY - Recommended Songs: You Don’t Know Me and Here We Go Again, ARTIST: Ray Charles.

THE BEST OF THE DRIFTERS - Recommended Songs: There Goes My Baby and This Magic Moment, ARTIST: The Drifters.

THE BEST OF SAM COOKE - Recommended Songs: Bring It On Home To Me and For Sentimental Reasons, ARTIST: Sam Cooke.

70s: In listening to 70's oldies-dinner-music you realize you're crossing a unique bridge between the 60's and 80's. What a great era that was with a definite shift from activistism to environmentalism. Other notable events were the death of Elvis Presley and the resignation of President Richard Nixon. It was characterized by some as the "Me" decade.

THE VERY BEST OF CHICAGO: ONLY THE BEGINNING - Recommended Songs: Saturday In The Park and You’re The Inspiration, ARTIST: Chicago.

THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND-A DECADE OF HITS - Recommended Songs: Ramblin’ Man and Midnigh Rider, ARTIST: The Allman Brothers.

MAD DOGS & ENGLISHMEN - Recommended Songs: Delta Lady and The Letter, ARTIST: Joe Cocker.

MINUTE BY MINUTE - Recommended Songs: Here To Love You and Minute By Minute, ARTIST: The Doobie Brothers.

ONE OF THESE NIGHTS - Recommended Songs: One Of These Nights and Take It To The Limit, ARTIST: The Eagles.

PIANO MAN - Recommended Songs: Piano Man and Ballad Of Billy The Kid ARTIST: Billy Joel.

FLEETWOOD MAC LIVE - Recommended Songs: Go Your Own Way and Dreams, ARTIST: Fleetwood Mac.

DON’T SHOOT ME, I’M ONLY THE PIANO PLAYER - Recommended Songs: Crocodile Rock and Daniel, ARTIST: Elton John.

HALL & OATES: GREATEST HITS, ROCK ‘N SOUL, PT. I - Recommended Songs: Sara Smile and She’s Gone ARTIST: Daryl Hall and John Oates

If need this oldies-dinner-music for a birthday party, take a look at the birthday menu page .

80's: Moving from the seventies oldies-dinner-music to the eighties oldies is a pretty smooth transition. The "funky" sound of the 70's changed to the more independent rock and pop sounds of the 80's. Since it was a time not too long past some of these won't feel like oldies at all.

The popular styles varied and much of the music that is still being heard today on "lite rock" radio stations are from this era. Many re-runs on TV currently are from that time as well, such as Magnum P.I., M.A.S.H., Little House On The Prairie,. It was a memorable time and so was the music.

Again, if this is for a birthday party, the guests of honor that will have a special love for the following oldies-dinner-music are only in their 40's so it seems a little odd to call them "oldies". But remember, twenty plus years have passed since most of these were popular.

TOTO IV - Recommended Songs: Africa and Rosanna, ARTIST: Toto.

STEVIE WONDER: THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION - Recommended Songs: Overjoyed and I Just Called To Say I Love You, ARTIST: Stevie Wonder.

THE WAY IT IS - Recommended Songs: Mandolin Raine and The Way It Is, ARTIST: Bruce Hornsby.

BACK IN THE HIGH LIFE - Recommended Songs: Higher Love and Back In The High Life, ARTIST: Steve Winwood.

PLATINUM & GOLD COLLECTION: ARETHA FRANKLIN - Recommended Songs: Who’s Zoomin’ Who? and Freeway Of Love ARTIST: Aretha Franklin.

THE ESSENTIAL KENNY LOGGINS - Recommended Songs: Footloose and Heart To Heart ARTIST: Kenny Loggins.

JOURNEY: GREATEST HITS - Recommended Songs: Faithfully and Open Arms ARTIST: Journey.

DANCING ON THE CEILING - Recommended Songs: Say You, Say Me and Dancing On The Ceiling ARTIST: Lionel Richie

RECKLESS - Recommended Songs: Summer of ’69 and Heaven ARTIST: Bryan Adams.

Take a look at other places on our site, such as our jazz music page, if you want a blend of styles.