Shall we do the Macarena? Why the dance hit continues to make people get up and shake a leg

A still from Los Del Rio’s iconic hit, Macarena. Pics courtesy/YouTube

The minute "Dale a tu cuerpo alegria, Macarena" starts playing at a party, most people would agree that it's hard to sit still. Even today, 30 years after the song by Los Del Rio climbed to Number 1 on the US charts on August 3, 1996, those opening words are still enough to get people dancing.

Talking about the beats, Samuel Ribeiro, founder of Slingshot Swing, says the secret to the Macarena's lasting appeal isn't that it's in Spanish, but that it's impossible to forget. "The lyrics are catchy and repetitive. Even though it's in Spanish, it's got a very obvious structure.

Samuel Ribeiro. Pic courtesy/slingshot swing

Songs like these naturally become trends," he adds. For Ribeiro, it is the song's infectious hook, rather than its famous dance routine, that has stood the test of time. Talking about his pick, Ribeiro wishes he had choreographed I Want You Back (1969) by The Jackson 5, drawing more to its "bouncy bass".

Facts behind the hits

Long before dance challenges and viral reels, these songs had people learning the same moves at weddings, parties and college gigs. Years later, they're still impossible to sit through without joining in:

YMCA by Village People (1978)
The famous Y-M-C-A arm movements weren't part of the original routine. Fans began doing them at live shows, and the band later embraced the gesture. In 2020, the song was added to the US Library of Congress National Recording Registry for its cultural impact.

Cha Cha Slide by DJ Casper (2000)
DJ Casper originally created the track as an aerobics routine before it became a dance-floor staple.

The Ketchup Song (Aserejé) by Las Ketchup (2002)
Its famous chorus is a playful mishearing of the opening lines from Rapper's Delight by The Sugarhill Gang.

Gangnam Style by PSY (2012)
It became the first YouTube video to cross one billion views on December 21, 2012, prompting YouTube to update its view counter to handle the milestone.

Information courtesy: Guinness World Records, YouTube Official Blog, DJ Casper interview, Macarena official history, Village People official website, Library of Congress.