35 Christmas Dance Songs to Fill the Floor at Any Holiday Party

What is the best Christmas song to dance to?

"All I Want for Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey is the surest Christmas floor-filler: the slow opening builds anticipation and the beat drops right when people reach the floor. "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee and "Run Rudolph Run" by Chuck Berry get every generation dancing, and "Santa Tell Me" by Ariana Grande works for a younger crowd.

Classic Christmas dance floor-fillers

1. "All I Want for Christmas Is You", Mariah Carey: the guaranteed reaction.
2. "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree", Brenda Lee: a rockabilly classic.
3. "Jingle Bell Rock", Bobby Helms: an easy swing beat.
4. "Run Rudolph Run", Chuck Berry: pure rock and roll.
5. "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town", The Jackson 5: Motown energy.
6. "Little Saint Nick", The Beach Boys: surf rock for December.
7. "Sleigh Ride", The Ronettes: the wall of sound version.
8. "Last Christmas", Wham!: a mid-tempo groove everyone sways to.
9. "Feliz Navidad", José Feliciano: the whole room joins in.
10. "Step Into Christmas", Elton John: piano-pounding glam.

Upbeat modern Christmas dance songs

11. "Santa Tell Me", Ariana Grande: a playful pop bounce.
12. "Underneath the Tree", Kelly Clarkson: fast, bright and brassy.
13. "Christmas Tree Farm", Taylor Swift: switches from slow to sprint.
14. "Santa's Coming for Us", Sia: a big, joyful chorus.
15. "Candy Cane Lane", Sia: sugary and danceable.
16. "One More Sleep", Leona Lewis: a Motown-style stomper.
17. "Like It's Christmas", Jonas Brothers: easy, upbeat pop.
18. "Oh Santa!", Mariah Carey with Ariana Grande and Jennifer Hudson: a gospel-tinged party.

Motown, soul and hip-hop Christmas songs

19. "What Christmas Means to Me", Stevie Wonder: joyful Motown.
20. "Back Door Santa", Clarence Carter: a funky groove later sampled by Run-DMC.
21. "This Christmas", Donny Hathaway: a smooth soul groove.
22. "Christmas in Hollis", Run-DMC: the hip-hop Christmas classic.
23. "8 Days of Christmas", Destiny's Child: a fun R&B countdown.
24. "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus", The Jackson 5: young, fast and bubbly.
25. "Christmas Wrapping", The Waitresses: a new wave groove.

Rock, swing and country Christmas dance songs

26. "Merry Christmas Everyone", Shakin' Stevens: a bouncy jive.
27. "Merry Xmas Everybody", Slade: stomping glam rock.
28. "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday", Wizzard: sleigh bells and saxophones.
29. "Wonderful Christmastime", Paul McCartney: synth-pop sparkle.
30. "Santa Claus Is Back in Town", Elvis Presley: slow, swaggering blues.
31. "Christmas Cookies", George Strait: a two-stepping country song.

Christmas dance songs for kids

32. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", Gene Autry: everyone does the reindeer antlers.
33. "Frosty the Snowman", Gene Autry: freeze when Frosty stops.
34. "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)", Alvin and the Chipmunks: silly and short.
35. "Up on the Housetop": hop on every "ho, ho, ho".

Freeze dance works with any of these: stop the music at random and anyone still moving sits out. More ideas in our guide to a Christmas song for kids.

How to build a Christmas dance playlist

• Warm up: start with mid-tempo songs like "Last Christmas" and "This Christmas" while people eat and talk.
• Open the floor: "All I Want for Christmas Is You" is the signal that dancing has started.
• Mix the eras: follow a 1950s rocker with modern pop so every generation gets a turn.
• Add non-Christmas hits: two or three party anthems between holiday songs keep the energy up.
• Slow down once or twice: give couples a slow dance, then bring the tempo straight back.

Slow Christmas songs for couples

For a slow dance, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", "The Christmas Song" by Nat King Cole, "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby and "Merry Christmas Darling" by the Carpenters are the classics. More ideas in our list of slow dance songs.

Christmas dance songs for the office party

Keep it universal: "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree", "Jingle Bell Rock", "Feliz Navidad" and "All I Want for Christmas Is You" work for any crowd. Skip songs with lyrics that need explaining, and save the funny songs for the end of the night. Our funny Christmas songs list has the best ones.

Christmas line dances and group dances

Many country Christmas songs have simple line dances, and "Jingle Bell Rock" and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" both work with a basic swing step. For a big family party, teach one easy group dance early and repeat it later, when everyone remembers it.

Keep the party going into the new year

If your party runs until December 31, switch to countdown songs after Christmas. See our New Year's Eve songs for the best ones.

A Christmas song about your crew

Want the whole room on the floor? Play a personalized Christmas song about the people at the party: their names, the year's best moments, the running jokes. It is a fun surprise for a family party or an office celebration. See our guide on how to give a song as a Christmas gift.

For the top 100 across every style and decade, see our list of the greatest Christmas songs of all time.

How to create a Christmas party song

1. Choose a style from 14 genres: pop, rock, country, Latin and more.
2. Add the names of the people in the song.
3. Share three moments from the year and a few inside jokes.
4. Review the lyrics and edit or regenerate them for free before any music is made.
5. Listen to 4 free 45-second previews and choose your favorite.

The full 3 to 4 minute song costs $24.99, or $29.99 for Premium with four full versions and editable lyrics. You get the MP3, a gift page and the lyrics as a PDF.

Get everyone dancing to their own song: create a Christmas song and hear four previews for free.