4 Swing Classics Guaranteed To Get Grandma On the Dance Floor

The four swing classics below were moving massive audiences long before playlists and algorithms. These songs became massively popular simply because they filled dance floors and brought everyone who heard them together. These standards will warm your post-war grandma’s heart as she remembers the days when swing music was considered pop.

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“In The Mood” — Glenn Miller

Glenn Miller’s “In The Mood” is one of the most iconic swing songs ever. Everyone, from even the younger generation, knows this standard from the first few notes. Those of us not around in the 1940s can imagine how floor-filling this song must have been when swing was king.

There’s a reason this song has become a quick indicator of its era. From movies that need this song as a time stamp to playlists meant to evoke the big band heyday, this song will always be a permanent fixture.

“It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” — Duke Ellington

Duke Ellington’s “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” is a standard in swing music. It’s been covered countless times over the decades. Everyone from Ella Fitzgerald to Lady Gaga has given it a go. That certainly speaks to the endurance of this swing staple.

Those from the post-war generation would’ve seen this song as a familiar throwback with modern applications. It’s easy to imagine 40s and 50s kids taking to the dance floor the minute this high-energy track was played.

“Sentimental Journey” — Doris Day

Slower than the other offerings on this list, but nonetheless a swing classic, Doris Day’s “Sentimental Journey” was tailor-made for holding someone close on the dance floor. When our grandmothers tell us about their first brushes with love, it’s easy to picture this as the song underscoring their story.

Though a slow tune, it’s got the titular rhythm of swing—a nice jaunt about it. Though more subdued than other swing songs, it still moves at a good clip for dancing.

“Sing, Sing, Sing” — Benny Goodman

Getting back to our regular rhythm, we have our last swing classic, “Sing, Sing, Sing.” Even if you don’t think you know this big band anthem, popularized by Benny Goodman, you do. One listen, and it’ll instantly click that you’ve heard this somewhere before. It’s that universal.

Those in the post-war generation certainly knew this song. The pop music of its day, this song was a familiar face on dance floors across the U.S.

(Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)