As you’re reading this, you’re probably putting the finishing touches on the details of your Fourth of July cookout. But while your meat is marinating and your drinks are chilling, you need to be thinking about the music your guests will (hopefully) be dancing to.
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Because you’ll likely have a mix of generations in one place, you’ll have to do your best to appeal to everyone from 8 to 80. If you need a little help planning your playlist, we believe there are some seriously soulful songs by white artists that should be in the mix.
Here are some of our favorite songs by white artists that are great additions to your cookout playlist this Fourth of July. Spoiler alert: There’s not one single Taylor Swift song on the list. Sorry, Swifties.
“I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)” by Hall and Oates
If you only know one song by rock duo Hall & Oates, it has to be the bass-heavy “I Can’t Go For That.”
Although group member Daryl Hall recently confirmed that there is no chance he and former partner John Oates will ever perform the hit together again, some of us still have hope.
“Genius of Love” by Tom Tom Club
Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth are the husband and wife team behind the rock group Tom Tom Club. The group is best known for their 1981 single, “Genius of Love,” which made it to number 31 on Billboard’s Hot 100. If you don’t know the original, you’ve definitely heard the baseline sampled many times by artists, including Mariah Carey (“Fantasy”) and Latto (Big Energy”).
“Square Biz” by Teena Marie
Rick James protégée Teena Marie scored a major R&B hit with her 1980 chart-topper “Square Biz.” The blue-eyed soul singer wrote and produced the song, which has an unmistakeable baseline. Marie even shows off her rapping skills, dropping a verse on the song.
“Paul Revere” by The Beastie Boys
Hip-hop pioneers The Beastie Boys had a huge hit with “Paul Revere” in 1986. The song, with a simple bassline, still rocks today. In a reaction post on TikTok, Cam J gave the Boys props for a dope beat, but took off points for their outdated flow.
“They sometimes rap like math teachers,” he said. “I’m not saying it’s bad because a lot of people rapped like that back in the day.”
“Let’s Dance” by David Bowie
David Bowie had one of his biggest pop hits with 1983’s “Let’s Dance.” The British rocker co-produced the song with Chic’s Nile Rogers, and the collab was a match made in heaven. You’ll definitely want to “put on your red shoes and dance the blues” when this song comes on.
“Royals” by Lorde
Lorde’s 2013 single “Royals” isn’t just a funky hip-hop inspired track, the lyrics are also a rebuke of excess and materialism, which is one of the things that makes the song so hot.
“Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen
It’s hard to have a playlist of white songs that hit hard without including Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust.”
“Minute by Minute” by The Doobie Brothers
If you close your eyes and listen to The Doobie Brothers, you’d swear Michael McDonald was a Black man. His vocals sound especially smooth on the downtempo track “Minute by Minute.” Fans agree, this man can sing anything.
“This guy could sing the phone book and make it sound like a classic,” wrote someone on YouTube.
“Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by Eurythmics
Heavy on the synthesizer and electronic drums, The Eurythmics’ 1983 classic “Sweet Dreams” is a cookout playlist must.
Although the song debuted decades ago, it’s still a fan favorite. Popular TikTok music reviewers @twinsthenewtrend endorsed the song the first time they heard it, giving it a “yessir” as soon as they heard the opening bars.
“Don’t You Want Me?” by The Human League
British synth-pop was everything in the 80s, and The Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me?” is definitely a crowd favorite.
“Everything She Wants” by Wham!
Regardless of race, it’s hard to find a Gen Xer who wasn’t bumping the music of British pop duo Wham! back in the 1980s. Although their 1984 hit “Everything She Wants” is based on a fictional character in a loveless marriage, lead singer George Michael does a great job of selling it.
“I Didn’t Mean to Turn You On” by Robert Palmer
Don’t get us wrong, Cherelle’s 1984 track “I Didn’t Mean to Turn You On” is fire with a capital F, but if you haven’t listened to Robert Palmer’s cover of the Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis song, you don’t know what you’re missing.
“Suit & Tie” by Justin Timberlake
We don’t know if it’s the Timbaland produced track, Jay-Z’s verse, or Justin Timberlake’s soulful falsetto, but “Suit & Tie” is hands down one of the hottest songs on his third album, “The 20/20 Experience.”
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