I am starting a campaign to replace the beautiful classic American celebration songs with ones that really reflect who we are.  Ones that we actually know most of the words.  When Garth Brooks got up at the Obama Inagural and sang SHOUT, he had the whole crowd dancing and singing.  Isn’t that who we really are?  And isnt America the Beautiful a nice song that we sing at formal celbrations but no other times.  But put on YMCA at a ball game and the whole crowd goes crazy doing the arm movements. 

Here are my picks to replace songs we sing at formal events:

Shout     Isley Brothers
You Shook Me All Night Long      Ac/D
Love Shack     B-52’s
Brown Eyed Girl     Morrison, Van
Pour Some Sugar On Me     Def Leppard
Dancing Queen     Abba
Sweet Home Alabama     Lynyrd Skynyrd
We Are Family     Sister Sledge
Celebration     Kool & The Gang
Livin’ On A Prayer     Bon Jovi
Brick House     Commodores
Twist And Shout     Beatles
Y.M.C.A.     Village People
Build Me Up Buttercup     Foundations
My Girl     Temptations
Play That Funky Music     Wild Cherry
The Way You Look Tonight     Sinatra, Frank
Old Time Rock & Roll     Seger, Bob & The Silver Bullet Band
What A Wonderful World     Armstrong, Louis
Can’t Help Falling In Love     Presley, Elvis
Girls Just Want To Have Fun     Lauper, Cyndi
Margaritaville     Buffett, Jimmy
Come On Eileen     Dexy’s Midnight Runners
Footloose     Loggins, Kenny
 Hey Ya!     Outkast
Get Down Tonight     Kc & The Sunshine Band
 The Twist     Checker, Chubby
 Let’s Get It Started     Black Eyed Peas
What I Like About You     Romantics
Kiss     Prince
Respect     Franklin, Aretha
Don’t Stop Believin’     Journey
 Summer Of ‘69     Adams, Bryan
I Will Survive     Gaynor, Gloria
Crazy Little Thing Called Love     Queen
Red Red Wine     Ub40
Hotel California     Eagles
Lady Marmalade     Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya & Pink
It’s Raining Men     Weather Girls
Walk This Way     Aerosmith