4 Slow Dance Songs That Will Instantly Transport You to Your 1970s Prom Night

Slow dances tend to be divisive at any high school dance. For some, it’s a welcome opportunity to get close to a sweetie. For others without a slow dance partner, it was an oft-dreaded portion of the evening usually reserved for bathroom breaks. But whether you were listening to the slow dance songs in the gymnasium or catching the muffled rhythms through the bathroom stall, the tracks instilled the same visceral memories of prom night in the 1970s.

Full disclosure: I was only a twinkle in my dad’s eye in the 1970s. But I asked both of my parents which songs would instantly transport them back to their late-70s high school prom together. (High school sweethearts, I know, too cute.) Here’s what they said. 

“Three Times A Lady” by The Commodores

“Three Times A Lady” garnered The Commodores their first chart-topping hit on the Billboard Hot 100 following its June 1978 release. Lionel Richie captured an ultra-smooth, romantic vibe on this Natural High track—so much so that it’s virtually impossible not to imagine feathered-banged teens awkwardly swaying to this ballad, much like I was doing with my prom date to “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing”.

“Stairway To Heaven” by Led Zeppelin

This suggestion (courtesy of my dad) was a little more surprising than the rest, but I suppose the entire first half of the song lends itself nicely to swaying with a sweetheart. I’m assuming everyone just kind of eased into the rock ‘n’ roll portion of “Stairway To Heaven” as it progressed. I didn’t get that far into my line of questioning.

“Nights In White Satin” by The Moody Blues

The Moody Blues’ 1967 track, “Nights In White Satin”, was the first song that my mom suggested from her late 1970s prom. By the time she was a senior in high school, this song had already been around for a while. And while it only peaked at a modest No. 103 in the United States, the song had lasting power as a slow-dance staple at 1970s proms everywhere.

“Dust In The Wind” by Kansas

Although I will admit that years of Final Destination movies have ruined this song for me forever, I can see why Kansas’ “Dust In The Wind” would make its way into high school prom music rotations across the country. The song was a massive success, led by Steve Walsh’s earnestly sweet vocals. I’d imagine the lyrics hit even harder during your senior prom as adulthood lingers only weeks away.

These songs haven’t necessarily been forgotten over time like these slow dances from the 1960s. Still, as ubiquitous as these songs remained in the decades since, it can be easy to misplace the memories of standing inside your high school gymnasium, clad with an itchy corsage, listening to these tracks while they were still recent additions to mainstream radio.

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