1. Love is the Drug - Roxy Music
Bryan Ferry sings about going out and picking up members of the opposite sex on the dance floor at a single's bar. It's somewhat depraved but nothing wrong with that, everyone is having a great time.
2. Night Clubbing - Iggy Pop
Written by David Bowie and performed by Iggy Pop. Trent Reznor sampled the drum sounds for Closer, this track is perfect in every way. It doesn't really sound like Night Clubbing though it sounds like doing heroin in your Berlin apartment in the late 70s, but who cares.
3. E- talking/Part of the Weekend Never Dies - Soulwax (Night Versions)
This whole album is incredible and summarizes my early DJing/partying days. Hearing this, especially the ferocious proclamation that 'Part of the Weekend Never Dies' hits such a nerve I still get filled with wild longing whenever I hear it.
4. Let's Go Dancing - Tiga vs Audion
This song is so dumb and simple but effective and perfect. Let's go dancing, I wanna go dancing with you all night dancing. Okay, I'm sold. Let's go dancing.
5. Night Clubbing - LOUISAHHH!!! and Maelstrom
About 5/8 of all the tracks I've ever written are about 'going out' but this is the best one I think.
6. Late Night Jam - Levon Vincent
Levon Vincent is a god and this track is best listened to on vinyl (yeah, I'll be that guy, I'll say it) at 5 am in a warehouse with a crazy sound system. LET IT PLAY.
7. When the Night (feat Jaw) - Para One
I love Jaw and I love Para One and this is a good story telling song about, you guessed it, going out. The line 'my name is whatever/my name is whatever plus one' is really great. It feels like an alternate universe where pop music is weird and meaningful and optimistic and beautiful. Future Funk.
8. Nighttime (Crazy P Remix) - Greg Paulus
Both this song and the original, though they're very different, are both quite beautiful and very effective at setting up a night or finishing it, leaving everybody falling in love on the dance floor - which is really a delight to manifest as a DJ.
9. Dance Floor Packed - DJ Spinn and DJ Manny
This song is about the dance floor being packed and girls shaking their bodies. I love footwork.
10. What to Do 2011 - French Fries
I think this was the first thing I ever heard from French Fries and he's so talented, this track is awesome and gets a response every time one drops it, referencing not only Thomas Bangalter's original What To Do but also every possibility of Paris nightlife in 2011. Solid Gold.
Louisahhh!! And Maelstrom's new EP Friction is out now.
Like this? Then you might also be interested in:
Friday Rewind: The Playlist From Back In The Day But, Like, Today. This Week: Girls Aloud, T.A.T.U.
Follow Jess on Twitter @Jess_Commons
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.