Re: Gangnam Style and Cotton Eyed Joe
 

Yeah, that never works...why not just play the radio edit?

Re: Gangnam Style and Cotton Eyed Joe
 

Yeah, as dcarr pointed out, there's a radio edit. Not sure why FIRST DJs don't just make sure they have the radio edit for all the songs they intend on playing...

I absolutely abhor the dance breaks with a fiery passion. It's not fun after the first (maybe second) time through. There are other dance songs that they also simply don't play at regionals.

A few suggestions for FIRST DJs out there (note: not all of these are the censored/clean versions):

1. The Wop (be sure to check out the octogenarians in the crowd of people on the beach to the far right)
2. 1, 2, Step
3. G-Slide
4. Humpty Dance (also it's by the Digital Underground and who doesn't want to listen to Shock G?)
5. Thizzle Dance
6. Time Warp
7. Flex
8. You're a Jerk
9. Walk It Out
10. Birdwalk
11. It's Time for the Percolator
12. The John Wall (this one isn't that great but I'm a bit biased as someone currently in the DMV and a John Wall fan)
13. Stanky Leg
14. Chicken Noodle Soup
15. Pop Lock and Drop It
16. Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It
17. 2 Step
18. Cat Daddy

It's been a while since I've heard Teach Me How to Dougie at a FIRST event, but I have heard it before, which is why it's not on the list above. There's also a song called Twerk, but I think that might be a little too much for a FIRST event.

I've heard maybe 2-3 of the above songs at FIRST events, but they get played nowhere nearly as often as stuff like Cotton Eyed Joe and the Cha Cha Slide.

To address the issue of overplayed songs, a somewhat decent starting point would probably to be to look at the Billboard Hot 100. Out of those, I'm sure you can get at least 50-60 songs from there alone (some obviously would have to be weeded out because they're either inappropriate or just not upbeat/dancey enough for a FIRST event). Then there are the "FIRST standards," like Sandstorm, Zombie Nation, Thunderstruck, etc. In addition, you've also got the top songs from previous years that, like the Billboard Hot 100, would give you another decent chunk of songs. Once you've got that, you can go back and grab all the 90s and early 2000s songs that people love(d) but haven't heard in forever (I mean, who doesn't want to listen to some NSYNC every now and then?). There's tons of classic rock that would certainly help to appease the mentors. Then, of course, there's also adding in any personal favorites that you think fit the feel of FIRST competitions. I'm not saying it's easy to DJ a FIRST event (I've never done it), but, from where I'm sitting, it shouldn't be too hard to find 200 or so songs to play.

Re: Gangnam Style and Cotton Eyed Joe
 

It will take some time for me to queue up my Big Band collection of dance songs and get them posted. But in the short time let me say that Artie Shaw, Glenn Miller and of course Louie Armstrong were able to get crowds on their feet every night... :rolleyes:

And I expect the Polka fans to chime in soon!

FIRST events like Telsa and Edison would have heard!!!

Re: Gangnam Style and Cotton Eyed Joe
 

Polka music would be wonderful for FRC competitions. I also wouldn't mind upbeat folk music from the areas that each regional is held, so if you went to a certain regional there would be a sharp deviation of the songs (other than the cotton eye joes) heard.

Re: Gangnam Style and Cotton Eyed Joe
 

+1 !

Re: Gangnam Style and Cotton Eyed Joe
 

Music at FIRST events can definitely be excessively loud and obnoxious, especially for people who are there for the engineering challenge and to prove the robot they worked so hard on. It's bad enough in the stands, and even worse on the field. I know people that have actually asked them to turn down the music. At one point during this season, I was talking with another team's lead mentor, and he said that one reason for it is that it makes the competition even more like a real sporting event. The staple songs, line dancing, and too loud music make the competition more exciting for anyone there not as invested in the robots themselves.

Re: Gangnam Style and Cotton Eyed Joe
 

The first couple times people go to events to watch, the music is fun, and doesn't seem very repetitive. The people in the pits have already been to several events, and aren't always in the mood to listen to dance music. It's fun if they play gangnam style once during the finals when they're waiting to get set up, but it gets really annoying.

That being said, there are some songs that make the atmosphere better. Sandstorm is my favorite, and they've played it during the first round of einstein for as long as I can remember. They also play it during the first round of elims, and the first final round in some regionals.

Re: Gangnam Style and Cotton Eyed Joe
 

This song should be played:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68ugkg9RePc

Re: Gangnam Style and Cotton Eyed Joe
 

No.

Re: Gangnam Style and Cotton Eyed Joe
 

Lil' Lavery is wise and full of knowy goodness. Just no.

Re: Gangnam Style and Cotton Eyed Joe
 

I'll add in some suggestions for eliminations music.
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Theme
Iron Maiden- Hallowed Be Thy Name (Win or Go Home Matches)
One-Winged Angel
Metallica - For Whom the Bell Tolls
Portal 2- Bombs For Throwing At You

Re: Gangnam Style and Cotton Eyed Joe
 

Whaaaaaat? Fiiiiiine.
I'm not gonna lie though, when this song came on at the beginning of Iron Man 3, I got all nostalgically happy.

How about this:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFRkpvvop3I

Re: Gangnam Style and Cotton Eyed Joe
 

I feel like part of the reason Sandstorm is so often overlooked as one of the brutal ear-grating overplayed songs is the fact that it lacks lyrics.

That said? I'm with Koko Ed. I barely even notice anymore. The music is just part of the background noise at an FRC event.

I have noticed several times though, where the DJs have played a song I would consider drastically inappropriate for playing at an FRC event. Thrift Shop is a good example, but even things like Greased Lightning from Grease. I realize we're talking about high school students and most of them have already seen and heard it all, but it still feels wrong to me.

Re: Gangnam Style and Cotton Eyed Joe
 

In 2008, AC/DC's "Big Balls" was a popular play; in 2010, we heard The Black Eyed Peas' "My Humps" - they made for some uncomfortable squirming in the stands.

Re: Gangnam Style and Cotton Eyed Joe
 

What? Of course Sandstorm has lyrics! I sing along every time I hear it.