I still remember the first time I ever played Just Dance, back when I was in middle school. It was at a friend’s house, and I was coerced against my will into playing simply because everyone else was. Within minutes, I immediately understood the appeal, and every since I have been a frequent player. Whether by literally using one of the video games, or even just through following along with the choreography via a YouTube video, Just Dance has become one of the most entertaing forms of exercise for me.
Seriously, you get a crazy good workout from playing Just Dance.
But with such a long-running series, there inevitably ends up being hundreds and hundreds of choreography routines to choose from. With such a vast pool, which have risen to the top of my personal favorite list? Well, let’s jump into this Top 15 (simply too many great choices to only do 10) and find out!
Honorable Mentions: Mambo No. 5, Sway (Quién Será), Gangnam Style, Get Lucky, Love Me Again, September, Shut Up And Dance, and way too many more to mention by name!
15) I Want You Back ~ VIDEO
If you ever wanted to introduce someone to Just Dance, this is the routine to do. Simple, straightforward, and with easily understood and repeated steps. Plus, it’s just a fun song to begin with! And because of its easiness, it isn’t too hard to get Five Stars on, which can be great motivation for a Just Dance beginner.
14) The Fox (What Does The Fox Say?) ~ VIDEO
Say what you will about the lyrical quality of this song, but it’s a really good dance routine. I particularly enjoy being one of the backup dancers for this routine, because they get to do this really fun jumping move during the song’s final moments. It’s also just a silly song, so it’s one of those routines that puts you into a pretty good mood.
13) Boom Clap ~ VIDEO
Though this is one of the shortest routines around, it never gets boring to me. It takes a while to wrap your head around the in-and-out motion that is central to the song’s chorus, but once you get it down this routine becomes a blast to play. And for how short this song is, it really keeps you in constant motion, so it ends up being a pretty thorough workout.
12) Girlfriend ~ VIDEO
I’m always down for a really solid duet routine, and this one is a classic for sure. Very good song, combined with two very distinct, combative dancing styles. It’s the perfect routine to do with a good friend or family member, as you can both really lean into the hammy, over-the-top posturing. Just be careful not to accidentally smack each other in the face during the close-quarters moves near the routine’s end.
11) Kaboom Pow ~ VIDEO
This might actually get my pick for the most exhausting Just Dance routine, especially that final chorus that goes on forever. That being said, I actually really love when the routines are intense, so this song earns a lot of bonus points from me because of that. Alongside the exhausting and demanding moves, you’ve got a high-energy song filled with lots of powerful moments and engaging music. The kick-line ending is fantastic.
10) Call Me Maybe ~ VIDEO
One of the most iconic pop songs of the 2010s gets a deservedly iconic Just Dance routine. I’d bet that quite a lot of Just Dance fans have done this routine at some point, especially since its so pervasive (and it even has multiple variation routines, when most songs are lucky to get a single variation). The kicks, the side-to-side, the palpable sense of just letting loose and feeling free? This is a routine that never gets old.
9) Lights ~ VIDEO
My favorite thing about this entire routine is that I’ve somehow managed to memorize the whole thing, and can easily do it with my eyes closed if I really felt like it. In fact, that’s often exactly what I do, entering what almost feels like a ‘zen-like state‘ of nailing the moves just based off of the music’s beat alone. And speaking of the moves, this routine’s choreography is pretty stellar.
8) Rasputin ~ VIDEO
The single most famous Just Dance song of all time of course couldn’t NOT find a spot on this list. It’s a dance routine so infamous that I would bet that there’s thousands of people who haven’t touched Just Dance in their life and still know this routine. From the kick jumps, to the low squats, to that ridiculous little arm-alternating move that I will never in my life be able to do…this routine has it all. And it caps it off with a fun jump move as the final beat of the song.
7) We No Speak Americano ~ VIDEO
I tend to end up enjoying really rhythmic routines, and also really unique ones. So it wasn’t a massive surprise that this ended up becoming a song I really enjoy revisiting, time and time again. I love the reverse spinning skip move, the front-and-back leg swinging, and that comedically crazy arm flailing that you get to do at the one point. The song just also has a really nice beat to it.
6) Bang Bang ~ VIDEO
Sometimes I find a few of the big group routines can get a little crowded, but this one manages to still stand out really nicely. The moves during the chorus are really solid, the choreography for the verses is nice too, and the bridge has a really nice beat to it. But the routine also gives a niche moment to shine for each of the individual performers. I usually play as the second dancer in the line, which requires me to basically throw myself onto the floor and rapidly hop back up later on, which is very fun. And the squat jumps? Also fun!
5) Lollipop ~ VIDEO
Though it’s hard to do this routine without adequate space (you have to do an insane amount of left-to-right movement), that’s also what makes it so fun. It’s another of those routines that can be really exhausting, especially since so much of the song carries a really energetic momentum of hopping and skipping around, alongside these fun little leg lifts. As I alluded to, though, it’s the rapid back-and-forth movement during the song’s final thirty seconds that I adore so much. It’s such a blast to just run around like that!
4) Die Young ~ VIDEO
My favorite duet routine in all of Just Dance, and it isn’t particularly close. In fact, this song and the three below it are really just a class above all of the other songs on this list. Not many duet routines are this fast-paced and intense, while also still giving enough unique material for each dancer to shine. I love the rapid execution of the moves during the chorus, but also the slow circle turns you do earlier in the song. And, while it can be tired, I love how the energy just doesn’t let up from start-to-finish.
3) High Hopes ~ VIDEO
And here’s my favorite big group routine in the franchise (and somewhat relatedly, also just a song that I adore in general). I actually think this routine subconsciously gets a lot of bonus points because of how much I love the song itself, but I do genuinely love it even aside from that. I love that each of the four dancers get a dedicated solo, and how they participate in group moves in a staggered manner. I love how simple-yet-engaging the core choreography of the verses and choruses are. And I love the dramatic final pose.
2) Good Feeling (Extreme Version) ~ VIDEO
As long as the moves the routine asks you to pull off aren’t insanely ridiculous (a trap some later Just Dance installments fall into), I’m actually a massive fan of many of the more fast-paced and complicated routines. And amongst those, there’s a special category of Extreme Version routines. The “Good Feeling” routine is my favorite amongst all of these challenging, very intense dance bouts. I love basically every single second of this routine, and nothing is more satisfying than scoring high on a song as tough (but fair) as this.
1) That’s Not My Name ~ VIDEO
This is the second Just Dance routine that I ever did, and also the first song I was ever able to score the coveted Five Star ranking on. So a large reason why it ranks so highly on my list is because of my nostalgia-fueled memories of it. That’s not to say that the routine can’t stand on its own, of course, as I find many of the moves to be extremely fun. My favorite part has to be the ending, where the choreography from the bridge is repeated but at double speed, leading to some truly fun moments as you bring this iconic song to its conclusion.
But hey, that’s just my opinion!
The Contrarian Corner 