John's Music World's Top 51 Dance Tracks of 2017

Lol, I know that it's already January 21st of the new year, but time constraints and taking my time on this list have left me to this.  Regardless, this is a labor of love getting to share some great music that my followers might not otherwise get to know.  So, even though 2017 is long gone by now, here's my picks for the best 51 Dance Tracks of the Year 2017...

It was a lot of fun compiling a list of 2017's Best Pop Songs, and it's going to be even more fun doing the same for dance tracks.  As you all already know, dance music is my favorite type of music.  I love pretty much anything that gets me moving, from straightforward pop/dance songs to house, tropical and chill to some of the great new vibes of neo-disco.  As with any year, 2017 produced some pretty memorable, and very danceable, tunes, so let's take a look at what I chose as the best in dance music tracks for the year 2017...

#51 -Slow - Matoma, Noah Cyrus

Norweigan deejay/producer Matoma enlisted the help of sweet-voiced Noah Cyrus on this slow, but steady dance tune.  Check out Slow on YouTube.

#50 - Told You So - Miguel

Miguel's Told You So is the kind of song I used to love back in the 80's.  With a soulful, yet dancey sound, this one's got an uplifting chord to go along with that chorus.  Check out Told You So...

#49 - More Mess - Kungs, Olly Murs, Coely

French deejay/producer is best known for his smash This Girl, and in 2017 he put out a brand new set of goodies for us to hear.  Featuring British singer Olly, More Mess has got a fast-moving, harder edge for a dance song and it's oh so good. Check it out... 

#48 - Keep It Low - Afrojack, feat. Mighty Fools

Here's a fast and frenzied dance track from the master of fast and frenzied dance tracks.  Check out Keep It Low.

#47 - Disco T*ts - Tove Lo

Swedish singer Tove Lo returned in 2017 with a brand new album of goodies.  Blue Lips is the funky, disco-infused album and Disco T*ts was its lead single.  Check it out on YouTube.

#46 - Hot Damn! - The Shadowboxers

Here's one of only five songs to be featured on both this countdown and my Top 50 Pop Songs of 2017, and for good reason.  Though not a classic dance tune, this one is funky enough to get anybody moving.  Check out Hot Damn! on John's Music World.

#45 - Pose (Eva Shaw Remix) - Rihanna

Though the Anti album was not nearly the commercial success I am sure it was intended to be, this sexified remix of the song Pose is vintage Rihanna.  Check it out on YouTube.

#44 - DNA - BTS

South Korean boy band BTS struck it big internationally with this k-pop dance smash.  Check out DNA...

#43 - Lonely Together - Avicii, with Rita Ora

After a long hiatus, Avicii returned in 2017 with a new extended play record and one of the biggest hits to come off of that effort is this one with sweet-voiced Rita Ora.  Check out Lonely Together.

#42 - I Believe I'm Fine - Robin Schulz, Hugel

German deejay/producer Robin Schulz has had several hits off his latest, Uncovered, and this one, with French producer Hugel, is uplifting and chill.  Check it out on John's Music World.

#41 - Never Too Late - Alle Farben, Sam Gray

I've had German deejay/producer Alle Farben on my radar for some time now.  His 2017 tune, Never Too Late, is a nice, chill tune that's perfect for a summer day.  Check out Never Too Late.

#40 - Love Is Alive - Louis the Child, feat. Elohim

Such a nice, chill vibe from this track by dance pop duo Louis the Child!  Check out this cool expressive dance video for Love Is Alive...

#39 - Swish Swish - Katy Perry, feat. Nicki Minaj

Katy Perry's Swish Swish is by far the funnest thing on her latest Witness record.  Check it out on John's Music World.

#38 - Only With You - Cyn

I don't want anything to do with anyone like you

...and speaking of Katy Perry, here's a funky lil jam by an artist signed to Katy's record label, Unsub Records.  The singer's high-pitched voice is perfect for this type of in-your-face dance record.  Oh this one's been on my playlist for some time now.  Check out Only With You on YouTube.

#37 - Waterslides - Pixx

Here's a fast-moving, ultra-futuristic jam that I discovered back in June.  Think of it as Bjork meets the dance floor.  Check out Waterslides.

#36 - Water Me - Lizzo

I am free, yeah yeah
Come water me, oh oh
Love you so, but if you don't
I have to leave, oh no
I am free, yeah yeah
Come water me, oh oh
Love you so, but if you don't
I have to leave, oh no

One of my absolute favorite songs of the year is this inspirational and funky gem by indie raptress Lizzo.  Not only are the lyrics empowering, they're downright fun!  Ooh, I so wanna do a video of this one.  In the meantime check out Water Me...

#35 - Without You - Avicii, Sandro Cavazza

Here's another track from Avicii's latest, and it's got his classic sound, a hard-driving, rockish sound with strong male vocals, provided by Mr. Sandro Cavazza.  Check out Without You.

#34 - Hello There - Dillon Francis, feat. Yung Pinch

Here's a recent discovery that I posted only a month ago.  It's by LA-based deejay/producer Dillon Francis and it's got a cool, island vibe.  Oh, and the video is hysterical.  Check out the Song of the Day post for Hello There.

#33 - Wild Thoughts - DJ Khaled, Rihanna, Bryson Tiller

Now here's a sexy, sultry song by DJ Khaled with a lil help from RiRi and Bryson Tiller.  Check out the hot, Santanaesque Wild Thoughts.

#32 - Line of Sight - Odesza, WYNNE, Mansionair

I love me a good chill tune, and though this hypnotic, ethereal tune took awhile to sink in, when it did it never left.  Great song!  Check out Line of Sight...

#31 - raingurl - yaeji

There's this hella cool deejay based out of Brooklyn and her name is yaeji.  She's got one of my favorite house tunes of the year.  Check out raingurl on John's Music World.

#30 - Right to It - Louis the Child, Ashe

Louis the Child makes a second appearance on this chart with this easy breezy summer jam that you can check out on John's Music World.

#29 - Oh Child - Robin Schulz

German deejay/producer Robin Schulz has proven to be a reliable quality music maker.  Ever since discovering his work on Lilly Wood & The Prick's Prayer in C and then through his awesome Sugar record, I've become a bona fide fan.  Here, he shows his versatilty with this easily pop chart-worthy tune, Oh Child.  Check it out...

#28 - Instruction - Jax Jones, Demi Lovato, Stefflon Don

Jax Jones is one of my favorite dance artists to come out of 2017.  This high energy track always gets me going.  Check out Instruction on John's Music World.

#27 - Everything Is Never Enough - Goldfrapp

Goldfrapp is an act that's had true staying power.  The British electronic duo have been making hits since 2000 and their latest, Everything Is Never Enough, is as hypnotic and pulsating as anything they've ever done.  

#26 - A Different Way - DJ Snake, Lauv

DJ Snake has been one of the hottest dance music deejay/producers around for the past couple of years.  One of his latest, A Different Way, wouldn't necessarily have placed this high on my list if it weren't for the wild and funky vocals that accompany the crescendo and are hard to make out.  Very cool!  

#25 - Interweb - Poppy

If you're a child of the 80's and you went clubbing back in the day, then you will really appreciate this one.  Poppy's Interweb is a sexy, hypnotic, bass-thumper that if you closed your eyes you'd swear you were back in 1985.  Check out Interweb... 

#24 - Starlight - Emeli Sandé

Singer Emile Sandé is not known for dance music, but last year she released the brilliant Starlight and proved she's got it when it comes to more than one genre.  Check out Starlight on John's Music World.

#23 - M.I.A. - Why Don't We

Manufactured boy band and occasional vloggers Why Don't We had this song in 2017, M.I.A., and it was...is...pretty darned hot!  With a steady beat and some catchy lyrics, it's a slow and deliberate dance floor jam.. Check out M.I.A. on YouTube.

#22 - All Over Again - Todiefor, feat. Helen, Dazie

Another slow, deliberate song that sort of reminds me of chill EDM artist Zhu is this hypnotic tune by Todiefor, which you can check out right here...

#21 - Get Low - Zedd, Liam Payne

This very catchy and sexy collaboration between superstar deejay/producer Zedd and former One Directioner Liam Payne is da bomb!  Check out Get Low...

#20 - F**k They - Sofi Tukker

Soffi Tukker, a New York-based duo, was on fire all year long in 2017.  This one, a great big, high energy middle finger aimed at their detractors, was, and still is, one hot club jam!  Check it out on John's Music World.

#19 - I Feel So Bad - Kungs, feat. Ephemerals

You might remember French deejay Kungs from his dance smash, This Girl.  Well, I happened to catch his page on Spotify and checked out his whole album, from which the former came, and I found several songs to hit my playlist in 2017.  I Feel So Bad is somewhat reminiscent of something the Avicii of a couple of years might've put out, with a strong male vocal and a funky, harder edge track.  Check out I Feel So Bad.  

#18 - It Ain't Me - Kygo, Selena Gomez

Kygo and Selena Gomez had a huge hit with this anthemic and ethereal kind of dance tune.  I placed it at #13 on my Top 50 Pop Songs of 2017 and it belongs in the top 20 here, as well.  Check out It Ain't Me on John's Music World.

#17 - House Party - The Knocks & Captain Cuts

I've been hearing a lot of neo-disco in recent months, and this funky little ditty adds, you got it, a little house into the neo-disco mix and the result is hip-shaking.  Check out My House.  

#16 - Rockabye - Clean Bandit, Anne Marie, Sean Paul

Clean Bandit had a productive 2017, with at least a couple of records to hit the charts.  This collaboration with singer Anne Marie and reggae rapper Sean Paul is dramatic and dancey all at the same time.  Check out Rockabye...

#15 - Would You Ever - Skrillex, Poo Bear

Superstar deejay/producer Skrillex created one of my favorite dance tunes of the year.  Check out my Song of the Day post for Would You Ever.

#14 - Get It Right - Diplo, MO

Another superstar deejay/producer to make great stuff in 2017 was Diplo.  His collaboration with Danish singer MO on a track for Major Lazer's documentary, Give Me Future, is the perfect blend of slow melodies and up tempo dance stuff.  Check it out on John's Music World.

#13 - There For You - Martin Garrix, Troye Sivan

Troye Sivan's first foray into dance music couldn't have called for a better partner, Dutch EDM producer Martin Garrix.  Ooh, this one's smooth!  Check out There For You.

#12 - Feel It Still - Portugal. The Man

One of the funkiest songs of the year came from a new (at least to most of us) band with a strange name.  I placed this one at #2 on my favorite Pop Tunes for 2017, and it's dance-ability surely places it towards the top here, too!  Check out Feel It Still.

#11 - Heatwave - Amber Mark

My favorite neo-disco jam of the year comes from young singer Amber Mark.  If you close your eyes and listen to Heatwave, you're gonna think you're back on a dance floor somewhere in the late 70's.  Check out the samba-infused disco of Heatwave...

#10 - Faking It - Calvin Harris, Kehlani, Lil Yachty

This, our #9 dance tune of 2017, wasn't really a huge hit for Calvin Harris, but to me it's just so irresistible!  Check out Faking It on John's Music World.

#9 - Breathe - Jax Jones

I've become a big fan of Brit producer Jax Jones over the last year, and this dance-heavy jam, featuring Norwegian singer/songwriter Ina Wrodsen is a perfect dance tune  Check out Breathe.  

#8 - Look What You Made Me Do - Taylor Swift

My #1 pop song of 2017 is also in the top ten of my dance tunes, as well.  Taylor Swift's Look What You Made Me Do is such a hot song to dance to, especially if you're a pole dancer!  Check it out on John's Music World.

#7 - D.Y.T. (Do Your Thing) - NVDES, REMMI

NVDES was new to me in 2017 and I am loving just about everything they put out.  This sexy dance jam is hot!  Check out D.Y.T. (Do Your Thing).

#6 - Shedon'tknowbutsheknows - Tove Lo

Another entry from the neo-disco persuasion, this groovalicious disco jam is the perfect song for a late night twirl under the disco ball.  Check out Shedon'tknowbutsheknows...

#5 - Dirty Sexy Money - David Guetta, Afrojack, Charli XCX, French Montana

When I first reviewed this collaboration between superstar dance music producers David Guetta and Afrojack, I was surprised at a lot of negativity towards it.  To me, the high energy tune, with some nice vocals by Charli XCX, sounds like a lot of the kind of stuff that made us all love David Guetta in the first place.  Ah well, I love it.  Here's Dirty Sexy Money...

#4 - Uh Huh - Somewhere Else

Now here's a dance track that is so hot that I can't stop bopping and shaking whenever I hear it.  A little bit of house, a little bit of sexy, and a whole mess of beats.  Check out Uh Huh...

#3 - Swalla - Jason Derulo, Nicki Minaj, Ty Dolla $ign

Jason Derulo is an expert at making music that makes ya move, and this shimmy shimmy yay, shimmy yay, shimmy yo is freaking awesome!  Check out the funky Swalla...

#2 - Best Friend - Sofi Tukker

I think that I'll keep loving you, way past sixty-five
We made a language for us two, we don't need to describe
Everytime time you call on me, I drop what I do
You are my best friend and we've got some shit to shoot

Sofi Tukker's biggest breakthrough of the year was this pulsating bit of high energy dance.  Check out Best Friend...

#1 - Mi Gente - J. Balvin, Willy William

By far, the most hypnotic dance track to come out of 2017 was J. Balvin's Mi Gente.  Whether you understand Spanish or not, the hot hook of this one'll get you moving every time.  The song was so infectious that Beyoncé even put herself into the mix at one point. Check out Mi Gente...

So there you have it, my picks for the best 51 dance tracks of 2017.  If you can't find something here to dance your ass off to, then I'm thinking you may be without any rhythm.  Stay tuned for my choices for the best 10 albums of 2017 coming soon.