Pick a Day

Music History Events: Dance Crazes

October 31, 2008 In Notttingham, England, 1,227 people in zombie garb perform the dance from Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video, setting a new Guinness World Record for largest gathering of zombies. The stunt pushes the song back into the UK chart, where it lands at #35.

August 15, 1995 Spanish pop duo Los del Rio release the single "Macarena" in the US. Inspired by a beautiful flamenco dancer, the song lights a fire in Miami beach clubs and spreads across the country, igniting the '90s hottest dance craze.More

May 19, 1992 Billy Ray Cyrus releases his debut album, Some Gave All, featuring his signature song "Achy Breaky Heart." The album dominates the Billboard 200 chart for 17 consecutive weeks, and the single's music video spawns a line-dancing trend across the US, where a new breed of country music is already becoming a phenomenon. More

January 20, 1990 After being revived by a Washington DJ, "The Electric Boogie" by Jamaican singer Marcia Griffiths peaks at #51 on the Billboard Hot 100, as the "Electric Slide" line dance craze sweeps the nation.More

November 28, 1987 The Dirty Dancing hit "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" goes to #1 in America as the "Swayze-lift" becomes a popular dance move.More

May 16, 1983 Michael Jackson does the Moonwalk for the first time on TV when he breaks out the move on the Motown 25th anniversary TV special.More

January 27, 1962 With "The Twist" at #1 in America, two San Francisco DJs sell out the Cow Palace in San Francisco with a "Twist Party" headlined by Chubby Checker.More

January 24, 1962 "The Twist" craze peaks, with a re-released version of Chubby Checker's song at #1 for the last time.

August 6, 1960 Chubby Checker performs "The Twist" for the first time on TV when he does it on Dick Clark's Saturday Night Beechnut Show. The song goes to #1 and starts a huge dance craze.

May 5, 2015 The teenage rapper Silento releases "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)," igniting a dance craze that spreads on YouTube, quickly going over a billion views. The "Nae Nae" part of the dance is based on Sheneneh's antics from the '90s TV series Martin.

December 31, 2008 At halftime of the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, 40,148 fans perform the "Y.M.C.A." dance while the Village People perform, establishing a Guinness World Record. It is the most memorable part of the game, which Oregon State wins 3-0 over Pittsburgh.

August 1, 1960 Chubby Checker releases "The Twist," starting a dance craze that soon grips the nation.

March 10, 1937 Benny Goodman brings his swinging Jazz sound to the Paramount Theatre in New York City, where adoring (mostly teenage) fans dance in the aisles. A newspaper report says that kids were "Jitterbugging" to the music, the first time the phrase is used to describe the new dance style.

August 29, 2009 Two months after Michael Jackson's death on what would have been his 51st birthday, 13,597 people in Mexico City perform the Thriller dance, establishing a new Guinness World Record.

May 30, 1998 Former 2 Live Crew leader Luther "Luke" Campbell's "Raise The Roof" peaks at #26 on the Hot 100. Also a #1 rap hit, it spawns a dance craze.More

August 26, 1996 Delegates at the Democratic National Convention take a break to do the "Macarena," including First Lady Hillary Clinton, who's rocking the dance's hand motions from the crowd.

August 16, 1996 With the help of Broadway star Chita Rivera, over 50,000 baseball fans at Yankee Stadium break the record for the largest group dance when they bust a move to the "Macarena," the decade's latest dance craze.

June 24, 1982 Jeffrey Daniel of Shalamar does the Moonwalk on the British TV show Top Of The Pops, getting the attention of Michael Jackson, who popularizes it in America a year later.More

November 3, 1973 Michael Jackson popularizes The Robot when he busts out some futuristic dance moves during a Jackson 5 performance of "Dancing Machine" on Soul Train.