Mother and son wedding dances are often slow and sentimental, sometimes clashing with the enthusiasm of post-wedding parties and failing to put the spotlight on the dance couple in a way they truly deserve.
Our playlist collects some funny hit songs which are easy to dance to and spark the party spirit that any wedding needs, guaranteeing a memorable moment for everyone in the room.
Whether you pick a stand-alone track song and follow the music video’s official dance routine, or merge these tracks into your own personalised medley, our selection of funny songs for a mother and son dance crosses the genres and eras of music to cover it all.
Funny Songs For A Mother & Son Dance
1. Silentó – Watch Me (Whip / Nae Nae)
Silento’s 2015 R&B-inspired hit, Watch Me (Whip / Nae Nae), is an iconic dance hit and viral trend of the mid-2010s, centred around two cool and simple moves.
Wedding dances are known to induce searing levels of cringe across the board, however this track and its corresponding moves are destined to help the groom preserve his self-respect on his wedding day no matter how drunk he gets, whilst putting the spotlight on his mother as the wild, young life of the party.
2. PSY – Gangnam Style
PSY’s unforgettable K-Pop hit, Gangnam Style, is a little too comedically dated for a convincingly cool wedding dance with your mom, but will nonetheless catch your guests off guard if slid into a medley!
Gangnam Style’s choreography is simple, stupid and even better when performed in a duo or a group, making it perfect to lift the energy during a usually uneventful moment of the wedding reception.
3. Grease – Greased Lightning
A retro hit retaining every ounce of its original, elated energy, Greased Lightning, taken from the legendary musical, Grease, is a track that sparks the dance-ready enthusiasm and confidence in mothers just as much as in their sons.
Wedding dances are always awkward, however this song carries the dance-floor fever likely familiar to the mother’s generation, whilst giving the groom the space to reinforce his masculinity through the original moves, rather than performing a soppy slow waltz.
Inspired by vintage rock ‘n’ roll, there’s even the opportunity to slide some 50s-style dance choreography into your routine as well!
4. Beyoncé – Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
Beyonce’s US #1 release, Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It), hosts an assertively emasculating dance routine for the groom to perform whilst offering another spotlight moment for his mother.
With tons of monumental, show-stopping choreography found throughout the music video, this track will definitely give your party a twist with its wedding inspired lyrics uniquely nodding to the single ladies and unmarried couples of the room.
5. Jason Mraz – I Feel Like Dancing
Jason Mraz’s 2023 single, I Feel Like Dancing, puts a fresh modern spin on any wedding playlist, its funky bass lines, revamped disco energy and simple dance move suggestions inciting you to groove to the music, no matter the music tastes held by each generation.
With a soundscape inspired by retro dance music, translated cleanly and enthrallingly into a modern context, I Feel Like Dancing is one of those instantly uplifting and feel-good songs perfect for any party playlist.
6. Rick Astley – Never Gonna Give You Up
Rick rolling someone on your wedding day might not be up to everyone’s standards of comedy, but it will make an undoubtedly poignant moment of your wedding reception nonetheless.
Even played momentarily as a pre-planned “accidental” false-start to a truly sentimental choice of mother-son dance song, ironically styling Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up with some cheesy 80s dance moves will blow all other wedding clichés out the water, whilst offering a good disguise to any grooms who can’t dance to save their marriage.
7. Michael Jackson – Thriller
Michael Jackson’s Thriller tears the roof off wherever it’s played. Overlaid with its original dance, even just for a short segment of a funny dance medley, will undeniably rekindle the enthusiasm of your wedding guests wherever it might be trailing off.
This dance isn’t quite as easy as some of the others, but any time you put into its rehearsal will definitely pay off on the big day!
8. Soulja Boy Tell’em – Crank That (Soulja Boy)
This track has become a minor cliche amongst funny mother and son wedding dance playlists, but its unmatchable fame is for a good reason.
Crank That (Soulja Boy) completely breaks away from the usual pristine ambience of weddings, offering a free-spirited, urban twist to your day with many centre stage moments for both mother and son.
Harbouring an iconic dance within its music video, Soulja Boy’s anthem will be completely unexpected to anyone who hasn’t already experienced a funny, modern song choice at a wedding.
9. Pharell William – Happy
Pharell William’s #1 pop single, Happy, is another instantly uplifting song with an addictively catchy rhythm.
Radiating positive energy through every lyric, this summery track is super easy to dance to, whether you want to copy some of the hilariously carefree moves featured in the music video, or craft your own signature routine.
10. Mac Miller ft. Phonta – I’ll Be There
Mac Miller and Phonta’s collab, I’ll Be There, isn’t inherently comedic in its content, however its initial impression as a hip-hop style song might raise some eyebrows amongst those who don’t expect a rap track to feature in a wedding playlist.
I’ll Be There is beautifully sentimental, Mac Miller’s lyrics composed in open-hearted adoration towards his mother with details transferring easily over from his own life story to his audience’s;
“See, I was six years old with a dream, when my mom told me I could do anything, said she’d be there forever, no matter what’s the weather, she’d always have my back even when we weren’t together.”
I’ll Be There is a tranquil and warming compromise for mothers who’d prefer a slow dance and grooms trying to avoid any chance of potential embarrassment.