Anyone who tells you that line dancing is a thing of the past hasn't been to a dance hall recently (and clearly hasn't tried the Electric Slide or Macarena). The dance moves may have enjoyed their heyday in the '80s and early '90s, but there are still folks all over the country lining up and stomping along to their favorite classics and new releases.
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Many of the famous line dances we know and love were choreographed by one man: Bill Bader. If you've ever stepped out on the dance floor during a line dance, it's more than likely you were following along to one of his fun line dances with the help of a great DJ.
This list contains the 10 country songs that are line dance songs you're most likely to hear at a dancehall. These are the classics, the legends, the staples of country line dancing. Please note that on this suggested playlist, you will not find "Footloose," because the original dance was not a popular line dance, nor "Cotton Eye Joe" (thanks, Rednex), "The Locomotion," "The Twist" or "The Cha Cha Slide." And no one wants to see you do the chicken dance, the wobble or the hokey pokey out on that dance floor.
Whether you're headed to the honkytonk or the dance club, you can't go wrong with these 12 line dancing classics.
12. "I Like It, I Love It," Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw's '90s classic is sure to get everyone on the dance floor.
11. "Should've Been A Cowboy," Toby Keith
The cowboys Toby Keith name drops in this tune may not have ever line danced, but that hasn't stopped us from cutting a rug to "Should've Been a Cowboy."
10. "Any Man of Mine," Shania Twain
This song was crafted for the dancehall. Heavy on stomps and claps, it was practically served up by Shania Twain on a platter for line dancers. If you don't hustle out to electric boogie on the dance floor when "Any Man of Mine" comes on, there's probably not much hope for you as a line dancer.
9. "Louisiana Saturday Night," Mel McDaniel
The "Louisiana Kick," the song's accompanying dance, is energetic with plenty of kicks, claps, and long weaves. And any song that begins, "Kick off your shoes and you throw them on the floor/dance in the kitchen till the mornin' light" deserves its own dance and a place on this list.
8. "Watermelon Crawl," Tracy Byrd
Before there was the "Cupid Shuffle" or "Teach Me How To Dougie," there was Tracy Byrd's "Watermelon Crawl." In this fun 1994 hit, a lovely participant at the Rind Country Watermelon Festival walks the singer through the dance steps of the "Watermelon Crawl." And with the accompanying line dance, you can bet you're going to wiggle and jiggle.
7. "Baby Likes to Rock It," The Tractors
There was once a time in the mid-'90s when you couldn't enter a country bar without hearing "Baby Likes to Rock It." The song lives on as one of country's favorite line dances. It also holds the current record for the largest country line dance, with over 12,000 participants dancing along to the song in Hong Kong in 2002.
6. "Chattahoochee," Alan Jackson
Alan Jackson's ode to learnin' "a lot about livin' and a little 'bout love" is also a perfect song for hitting the dance floor with your best buds.
5. "Good Time," Alan Jackson
In the 1980s-90s heyday, singles were commonly released with an accompanying dance. It's no longer common that a country single has a line dance released with it. Alan Jackson, a man who knows a little about line dances, bucked that trend with "Good Time."
4. "Copperhead Road," Steve Earle
The alternative country music fan's line dance. You probably won't find the same crowd dancing along to this as you would to Luke Bryan's "Country Girl Shake it For Me" or Trace Adkins' "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk." But don't head to any honky-tonk, from Colorado to Wisconsin, without knowing the steps to this Steve Earle classic.
3. "What the Cowgirls Do," Vince Gill
This song is most famously associated with the "Cowgirl Twist," one of the most prevalent country music line dances. It's also a great dance for beginners, pretty sexy, and a whole lot of fun. Thanks, Vince Gill!
2. "Boot Scootin' Boogie," Brooks & Dunn
From the start, this song was destined to be a classic of country line dancing. It is, after all, a tribute to country line dancing and it's credited with setting the dance craze in motion. There are at least 16 different dances associated with the song. However, there is a version choreographed for the original Asleep at the Wheel released by Bill Bader, which has set six consecutive world records for World's Largest Line Dance.
1. "Achy Breaky Heart," Billy Ray Cyrus
If "Achy Breaky Heart" didn't start it all, it at least brought country line dancing to the national spotlight. Or would that be the international spotlight? "Achy Breaky Heart" has been translated into over 100 languages. This is the country line dance song, no matter the language.
Editor's Note: This post was originally published on October 17, 2017. It was updated by Bobbie Jean Sawyer on May 24, 2022.
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