,

This 4th of July BBQ Playlist Will Make Sure Your Cookout is Hot

These timeless songs are sure to keep all of your guests dancing all night long

Photo: Shutterstock Monkey Business Images

The Fourth of July weekend is upon us. And as youโ€™re putting the finishing touches on your cookout menu, you canโ€™t forget to make sure your playlist is on point. The right music can make or break your BBQ, and can mean the difference between a festival worthy of fireworks and one thatโ€™s over before the sun goes down.

Video will return here when scrolled back into view
Trump’s Tariffs Might Stick Around. What Should We Buy Now?
Trump’s Tariffs Might Stick Around. What Should We Buy Now?

When Iโ€™m not writing, I DJ, so I take my music seriously. But Iโ€™m also over 40, which means I have a special place in my heart for music from the 80s and 90s (sorry, Doja Cat). If you need a little inspiration, check out our ultimate BBQ playlist that will have everyone at your cookout from 8 to 80 dancing non stop. And if you think thereโ€™s a song we missed, be sure to let us know whatโ€™s on your cookout playlist in the comment section.

Frankie Beverly & Maze - โ€œBefore I Let Goโ€

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5WTjqZuL_c

No disrespect to Queen Bey. She slayed her version of โ€œBefore I Let Go,โ€ which she dropped as a bonus track on her โ€œHomecomingโ€ live album. But when youโ€™re putting your cookout playlist together, ainโ€™t nothing like the real thing. Although Frankie Beverly & Mazeโ€™s 1981 hit is all about breaking up, I just canโ€™t help but smile and dance as soon as the first beat drops.

Marvin Gaye - โ€œGot To Give It Up (Pt. 1)โ€

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ayyy-03ITDg

Marvin Gaye released โ€œGot to Give it Upโ€™โ€™ in 1977. But the song was back in the news in 2018 when after a five-year legal battle, Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke were ordered to pay $5 million to Marvin Gayeโ€™s estate in a copyright infringement suit. The family claimed Thickeโ€™s hit, โ€œBlurred Linesโ€ took a little too much inspiration from Gayeโ€™s song. But who could blame them? Everything about this song, from Marvin Gayeโ€™s falsetto to the milk bottle percussion in the background, is perfection.

Mary J Blige - โ€œFamily Affairโ€

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znlFu_lemsU

When Mary J Blige and Dr. Dre get together you can only expect that the product will be something that makes you want to dance. The Queen of Hip Hop Soul blessed us with โ€œFamily Affairโ€ in 2011 on her โ€œNo More Dramaโ€ album. And when she performed the hit at the 2022 Super Bowl, she proved that it is definitely a banger that can stand the test of time.

Alicia Myers - โ€œI Want to Thank Youโ€

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9wGnnwBc9M

No party playlist is complete without โ€œI Want to Thank You,โ€ Alicia Myersโ€™ 1981 hit. In the song, sheโ€™s thanking the Lord for sending her true love. And youโ€™ll want to thank her for blessing us with this timeless classic that is sure to be a favorite of any lover of house, disco, or R&B.

Jagged Edge ft. Nelly - โ€œWhere the Party Atโ€

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UCY_U4QwqI

Jagged Edge is known for their love songs like โ€œLetโ€™s Get Marriedโ€ and โ€œPromise,โ€ but they proved that they also know how to make people dance with โ€œWhere the Party At,โ€ the 2001 Jermaine Dupri-produced track featuring Nelly. โ€œIf the partyโ€™s where youโ€™re at then let me know.โ€

Zhanรฉ - โ€œHey Mr. DJโ€

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6n4QUIjUJFk

The โ€˜90s introduced us to some amazing R&B girl groups, and Zhanรฉ is no exception. โ€œHey Mr. DJโ€ was the duoโ€™s debut single and one of the hottest tracks on their 1994 album โ€œPronounced Jah-Nay.โ€ The song soared to the top of the R&B and Dance charts and had all of us wanting the DJ to keep playing that song โ€œon and on and on.โ€

Ghost Town DJs - โ€œMy Booโ€

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxRiwnmYjMg

Ghost Town DJsโ€™ โ€œMy Booโ€ was a hit when it first dropped in 1996, reaching #31 on the Billboard Hot 100. But a viral โ€œRunning Man Dance Challengeโ€ breathed new life into the song in 2016 and sent the song up the charts to the #29 spot.

Beyoncรฉ - โ€œBreak My Soulโ€

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW4Xg3hl3rE

As a true-blue house head, I donโ€™t know if I can agree with the internetโ€™s claim that Queen Bey resurrected house music with her latest track, โ€œBreak My Soul.โ€ But thatโ€™s only because I donโ€™t think the genre needed resurrecting in the first place. But I will admit that the house-inspired track is an undeniable banger that you canโ€™t help but dance to.

Donell Jones ft. Lisa โ€œLeft Eyeโ€ Lopes - โ€œU Know Whatโ€™s Upโ€

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2mEjkBmDQo

If you were clubbing in the late โ€˜90s, you already know whatโ€™s up. This Donell Jones classic was a go-to when I was getting ready to hit the streets with my girls. And when Left Eyeโ€™s verse drops, itโ€™s hard not to dance.

Roy Ayers - โ€œRunning Awayโ€

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1zm1-HpW0A

Where this often-sampled disco track lacks in lyrics, it totally makes up for in funkiness. If youโ€™re looking to burn some calories after eating all of that Fourth of July food, this nearly seven-minute track will help you break a serious sweat.

Faith Evans - โ€œLove Like Thisโ€

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1QzBQKYbag

Faith Evansโ€™ โ€œLove Like Thisโ€ samples the unmistakably dope baseline of Chicโ€™s โ€œChic Cheer.โ€ Her 1998 hit is an R&B classic everyone can get down with.

Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock - โ€œIt Takes Twoโ€

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phOW-CZJWT0

You may not have been around when Lyn Collinsโ€™ 1972 single โ€œThink (About It)โ€ was released. But we can all agree that Rob Base & DJ EZ Rockโ€™s โ€œIt Takes Twoโ€ did it justice with the sample.

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - โ€œSummertimeโ€

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr0tTbTbmVA

Itโ€™s easy to forget that Will Smith was a rapper long before he became an A-list actor. But โ€œSummertimeโ€ will remind you that the guy actually has bars. The song, which samples Kool & The Gangโ€™s โ€œSummer Madness,โ€ won them a GRAMMY for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1991 and has been a cookout classic ever since.

Earth, Wind & Fire - โ€œSeptemberโ€

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs069dndIYk

Your cookout may be in July, but Earth, Wind & Fireโ€™s 1978 hit โ€œSeptemberโ€ is a classic disco track your guests will love.

Teena Marie - โ€œSquare Bizโ€

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9wotiDai5U

Teena Marie may have been white, but she had a standing invitation to the cookout. And her hit, โ€œSquare Biz,โ€ is a timeless classic that should be on every party playlist. โ€œWhen I first auditioned her she was so awesome she blew me away,โ€ Berry Gordy said after her passing in 2010. โ€œShe had so much soul โ€” the only thing white about her was her skin.โ€

ย 

Straight From The Root

Sign up for our free daily newsletter.

Latest from The Root

Steve Harvey's Gorgeous $15 Million Once Owned by Tyler Perry

Steve Harvey’s Gorgeous $15 Million Once Owned by Tyler Perry

With a 70,000 gallon infinity pool to a home theater and wine cellar, Steve Harvey's mansion is one of the most expensive properties in Atlanta, Ga ...
The Best, Black TV Shows, Movies to Stream on AppleTV+

The Best, Black TV Shows, Movies to Stream on AppleTV+

From Brian Tyree Henry getting down and dirty to David Oyelowo searching for a fresh start: we've got what you need to watch! ...

New AI TikTok Trend Has Gorillas Posing as Black Women, and Folks are <i>Pissed</i>

New AI TikTok Trend Has Gorillas Posing as Black Women, and Folks are Pissed

Yes, it's exactly what you think it is. And yes, you should be offended ...
Rumi Carter's Funniest Moment Even Made Beyoncรฉ Stop Singing and Giggle

Rumi Carter’s Funniest Moment Even Made Beyoncรฉ Stop Singing and Giggle

Rumi's latest moment on the Cowboy Carter World Tour was her most adorable yet ...
Why Diddy, Young Thug Attorney Brian Steel Is The White Johnnie Cochran

Why Diddy, Young Thug Attorney Brian Steel Is The White Johnnie Cochran

If you are rich, Black and get caught up, there is only one number you should call ...
'Sinners' Releases in Black American Sign Language. Here's What That Means

‘Sinners’ Releases in Black American Sign Language. Here’s What That Means

The deaf community was plagued by racial segregation, so Black Americans decided to create their own rendition of the language to serve their communities ...
A Burger King Employee Throws a Drink on a Child in Viral Video, and Black TikTok Goes Nuts

A Burger King Employee Throws a Drink on a Child in Viral Video, and Black TikTok Goes Nuts

The video of the volatile incident is making rounds on the internet and has everyone talking ...
Why NYC Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani Tried To Play The Black Card...Literally

Why NYC Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani Tried To Play The Black Card…Literally

Mamdani appears to have an interesting past when it comes to how he identifies racially, but what's it really all about? ...
If Poor Black, White People Unite, They'd Be An Unstoppable Force, But Here's Why The Powers That Be Won't Let Them

If Poor Black, White People Unite, They’d Be An Unstoppable Force, But Here’s Why The Powers That Be Won’t Let Them

We need to understand that America's current racial political divisions did not happen naturally. People in power did not want Black and white people to work together ...
What Diddy Will Eating and Doing In Prison This Fourth Of July

What Diddy Will Eating and Doing In Prison This Fourth Of July

Wondering what Diddy will be eating and Doing this holiday? Here's all the tea ...
A White Male TikToker Decided To Use Black Hair Relaxer... The Results Will Surprise You

A White Male TikToker Decided To Use Black Hair Relaxer… The Results Will Surprise You

A white TikTok Creator decided to use relaxer on his hair and... it worked? ...
Diddy's Best Friend Charlie Liucci is Being <i>Loud</i> About His Next Moves Will Be Following Acquittal

Diddy’s Best Friend Charlie Liucci is Being Loud About His Next Moves Will Be Following Acquittal

He's been spotted wearing "FREE PUFF" merch, now, Charlie Liucci has an inside scoop on what Diddy will do once released ...
How Baltimore Beat 'The Wire' Homicide Curse Under This Black Mayor

How Baltimore Beat ‘The Wire’ Homicide Curse Under This Black Mayor

Violent crime has plagued Baltimore for generations, and "The Wire's" depiction of drug and gang life surely hasn't helped... but there's hope ...
Best Self-Help Reads for Black Resilience in Uncertain Times

Best Self-Help Reads for Black Resilience in Uncertain Times

In these challenging times, these books can give you the hope you need ...
'Hey Google' and Other Voice Assistants Are Terrifying Children and Confusing Bemused Parents

‘Hey Google’ and Other Voice Assistants Are Terrifying Children and Confusing Bemused Parents

Social media is buzzing about the strange reaction kids are having to smart speakers in their homes ...
Internet Believes Eerie Photo Predicted Black Fort Worth Family's Tragedy

Internet Believes Eerie Photo Predicted Black Fort Worth Family’s Tragedy

A big rig driver admitted he fell asleep at the wheel in Kaufman County before he collided with stopped traffic ...
Why Philadelphia is Going Viral For Streets That Look Like a Landfill

Why Philadelphia is Going Viral For Streets That Look Like a Landfill

Libraries are closed, the medical examiner's office has a backlog of bodies, and trash is piling up everywhere ...
How Bakari Sellers Just Got the Ultimate Revenge on His MAGA CNN Colleague

How Bakari Sellers Just Got the Ultimate Revenge on His MAGA CNN Colleague

Sellers and Jennings often go back and forth on the CNN show, and this was only amplified when Jennings asked Sellers not to touch him during one viral interaction from December ...
The Scary Reason 'American Idol' Winner Jamal Roberts Declined a Key to This Southern Town

The Scary Reason ‘American Idol’ Winner Jamal Roberts Declined a Key to This Southern Town

While Roberts' reasoning is understandable, it's a shame he had to make the decision in the first place ...
A Black Mom Posted Video of a Terrifying Exchange She had with Police in Delaware

A Black Mom Posted Video of a Terrifying Exchange She had with Police in Delaware

Black Mom Says Cops Approached Her and Her Children With Guns Drawn ...