The Most Popular Dance Move of All Time, Ranked
Voting rules: Choose the dance move you think is the most popular!
Updated on Apr 28, 2024 06:34
There's something truly magical about the way a dance move can captivate an audience, transcend cultural boundaries, and become a phenomenon. Across generations, certain moves spark a wildfire of popularity, causing everyone, from young children at a party to grandparents at a wedding, to get up and give it a try. Ranking these iconic movements helps us connect across different eras and remember the joy each one brought into our lives.
By participating in this ranking, you contribute to a collective memory and celebration of dance culture. Your votes help determine which moves hold the most charm, impact, and enduring appeal. It’s more than just a list; it’s an homage to the art of dance and an opportunity for you to influence how these beloved moves are remembered and cherished across time.
What Is the Most Popular Dance Move of All Time?
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191votes
The Moonwalk
Michael JacksonPopularized by Michael Jackson during his performance of "Billie Jean" in 1983, the moonwalk is a dance move where the dancer appears to be gliding backwards while still moving forward. It's arguably one of the most iconic dance moves of all time.The Moonwalk is a popular dance move characterized by the illusion of a dancer gliding backwards while appearing to walk forwards. It gives the impression that the dancer's feet are sliding smoothly across the ground, while the upper body remains relatively still.- Origin: Popularized in the early 1980s
- Inspiration: Inspired by dancers like Cab Calloway and Fred Astaire
- Signature move: One of Michael Jackson's most iconic dance moves
- Perception: Creates the illusion of defying gravity
- Feet gliding technique: Involves sliding the foot backward while maintaining a slight weight on it
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235votes
The Twist
Chubby CheckerCreated in the 1950s by Chubby Checker, the twist involves the dancer twisting their hips in a repetitive motion. It became a worldwide sensation and is still performed today.The Twist is a popular dance move that involves twisting the hips in a rhythmic motion while moving the arms in opposite directions. It gained immense popularity in the 1960s and is still enjoyed by dancers of all ages today.- Year of Creation: 1960
- Genre: Rock and Roll
- Origin: United States
- Signature Move: Hip-twisting motion
- Tempo: Upbeat
The Twist in other rankings- Position 6 of 10 in Most popular line dance
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322votes
The Electric Slide
Ric SilverCreated in the 1970s, the Electric Slide is a line dance that involves a series of steps performed in unison. It's still a popular dance move at weddings and other events.The Electric Slide is a popular line dance that originated in the mid-1970s. It is a 22-step dance routine performed in sync with the music, typically set to the song 'Electric Boogie' by Marcia Griffiths. The dance has gained widespread popularity and is often taught at social gatherings, weddings, and parties.- Music: 'Electric Boogie' by Marcia Griffiths
- Number of Steps: 22
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Style: Line dance
- Tempo: 120-130 beats per minute
The Electric Slide in other rankings- Position 1 of 10 in Most difficult line dance
- Position 1 of 10 in Most popular line dance at weddings
- Position 1 of 10 in Most popular line dance
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419votes
The Running Man
Pierre LescuyerPopularized in the 1980s, the Running Man involves a series of steps where the dancer appears to be running in place while moving forward. It's often performed to hip hop music.The Running Man is a dance move that gained popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It involves a combination of quick, exaggerated steps where the dancer appears to be running in place. The upper body remains relatively still, with the arms pumping in sync with the leg movements.- Year of Creation: 1986
- Music Genre: Hip-hop
- Origin: United States
- Style: Street dance
- Influenced by: James Brown's dance moves
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511votes
DougieLeePoynter · CC BY-SA 3.0Created in the 2000s, the Dougie involves a series of moves where the dancer sways their body and moves their arms in a specific way. It became popular after being featured in a song by Cali Swag District.The Dougie is a popular dance move that originated in the early 2000s. It gained mainstream popularity after the release of the song 'Teach Me How to Dougie' by Cali Swag District in 2010. The move involves a series of swaying, leaning, and rhythmic body movements that sync with the beat of the music.- Origins: Originated in the early 2000s and gained popularity in 2010
- Mainstream Popularity: Popularized by Cali Swag District's song 'Teach Me How to Dougie'
- Movements: Involves swaying, leaning, and rhythmic body movements
- Sync: Movements sync with the beat of the music
- Influences: Influenced by hip-hop, jerkin', and party dances
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612votes
The Macarena
Los del RíoCreated in the 1990s, the Macarena is a line dance that involves a series of steps performed in unison. It became a worldwide sensation and is still performed today.The Macarena is a line dance that became popular worldwide in the mid-1990s. It is characterized by a repetitive series of steps and arm movements performed to the song 'Macarena' by Los del Río. The dance is often performed at parties, weddings, and sporting events.- Year of Creation: 1993
- Tempo: 103 beats per minute
- Difficulty Level: Easy
- Number of Steps: 8
- Arm Movements: Right arm outstretched and then bent at the elbow, left arm outstretched and then bent at the elbow, hands on the hips
The Macarena in other rankings- Position 5 of 10 in Most popular line dance at weddings
- Position 10 of 10 in Most difficult line dance
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77votesCreated in the 1990s, the Cha Cha Slide is a line dance that involves a series of steps performed in unison. It's often played at parties and other events.The Cha Cha Slide is a popular line dance often played at parties, weddings, and other social events. It is known for its catchy song and easy-to-follow dance steps.
- Year of Creation: 1996
- Genre: Slide dance, hip hop
- Song Length: 6 minutes and 15 seconds
- Basic Steps: Slide to the left, slide to the right, hop forward, hop back, cha cha real smooth
- Popular Instructions: Criss Cross, Cha Cha Real Smooth, Hands on your knees, Charlie Brown
The Cha Cha Slide in other rankings- Position 2 of 10 in Most popular line dance at weddings
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812votes
Christopher Clabaugh · Public domainCreated in the 1980s, the Harlem Shake involves a series of moves where the dancer appears to be convulsing and shaking their body. It became popular in the 2010s after a video meme went viral.The Harlem Shake is a viral line dance that became popular in 2013. It involves a group of people dancing to the song 'Harlem Shake' by Baauer. The dance typically starts with one person dancing alone while others in the background are seemingly oblivious to the music. After a short intro, the beat drops, and suddenly everyone joins in with wild, eccentric and comical dance moves.- Year of popularity: 2013
- Song: 'Harlem Shake' by Baauer
- Style: Viral line dance
- Starting solo dancer: One person
- Number of dancers: Group dance
The Harlem Shake in other rankings- Position 9 of 10 in Most difficult line dance
- Position 9 of 10 in Most popular line dance at weddings
- Position 10 of 10 in Most popular line dance
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911votesPopularized in the 2010s, the Twerk involves a series of moves where the dancer shakes their hips and buttocks in a specific way. It's often performed to hip hop music.The Twerk is a popular dance move characterized by rapid, rhythmic movements of the hips and buttocks. It involves tilting the pelvis forward and backward while thrusting the hips in an up and down motion. This dance move is often associated with hip-hop and twerk music genres.
- Type: Dance move
- Rhythm: Rapid and rhythmic
- Primary Body Parts: Hips and buttocks
- Motion: Pelvic tilting forward and backward, hip thrusting
- Style: Energetic, provocative
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105votes
Alois Köppl, Gleiritsch · CC BY-SA 3.0The Floss
Russell HorningCreated in the 2010s, the Floss involves a series of moves where the dancer swings their arms and hips in opposite directions while performing a kick. It became popular after being featured in the video game Fortnite.The Floss is a popular dance move characterized by swinging the hips in one direction while swinging the arms in the opposite direction, with a quick side-to-side motion. It was originally popularized by a young boy named Russell Horning, also known as 'Backpack Kid', who performed it during a Saturday Night Live performance with Katy Perry.- Year of creation: 2016
- Viral popularity: 2017
- Main movements: Swinging hips and arms
- Opposite direction movement: Hips and arms swing in opposite directions
- Quick motion: Side-to-side motion with rapid swings
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Ranking factors for popular dance move
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UniversalityThe dance move should be recognized and enjoyed by people of all ages and cultural backgrounds. It should be a move that can be performed regardless of dance skill or experience.
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TimelessnessThe move should have a lasting appeal, not something that was popular only in a specific time period. It should be able to withstand the test of time and remain well-known even after many years.
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IconicThe dance move should be easily identifiable and have a significant impact on popular culture, such that it is almost synonymous with dance itself.
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Fun and EnjoymentThe move should be enjoyable to perform and watch, eliciting positive emotions and energy from both the dancer and the audience.
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Easy to LearnThe dance move should be relatively simple to learn and execute, making it accessible to people of different abilities and expertise in dance.
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AdaptabilityThe move should be versatile, capable of being incorporated into various dance styles, routines, and music genres.
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MemorableThe dance move should be distinctive and easily remembered, making it simple for people to associate it with specific songs, events, or cultural phenomena.
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Social impactThe dance move should have a significant social impact, either through its association with a specific era or movement, or through its ability to bring people together in social events and gatherings.
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ViralityThe dance move should have the potential to go viral, either through social media shares or word-of-mouth, encouraging its widespread popularity and adoption.
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Influence on other dance movesThe move should have inspired or influenced other dance moves and choreography, proving its relevance and importance in dance history.
About this ranking
This is a community-based ranking of the most popular dance move of all time. We do our best to provide fair voting, but it is not intended to be exhaustive. So if you notice something or step is missing, feel free to help improve the ranking!
Statistics
- 2714 views
- 217 votes
- 10 ranked items
Voting Rules
A participant may cast an up or down vote for each step once every 24 hours. The rank of each step is then calculated from the weighted sum of all up and down votes.
More information on most popular dance move of all time
Dancing has been a form of expression and entertainment since ancient times. From classic ballroom styles to modern hip-hop moves, there are countless dance styles to choose from. But which dance move has stood the test of time and remained popular throughout generations?
The answer is subjective, as dance trends and preferences vary across cultures and time periods. However, there are a few dance moves that have gained widespread recognition and popularity. Some of the most iconic dance moves of all time include the Twist, the Moonwalk, the Electric Slide, and the Macarena.
The Twist, popularized by Chubby Checker in the 1960s, involves twisting the hips and arms in opposite directions while moving to the beat. The Moonwalk, famously performed by Michael Jackson, involves sliding backwards while appearing to walk forwards. The Electric Slide, a line dance from the 1970s, involves a series of steps and slides to a catchy rhythm. The Macarena, a Spanish dance craze from the 1990s, involves a series of arm and hip movements accompanied by a catchy tune.
While these dance moves may have originated in different eras and genres, they all share a common trait: they are fun, catchy, and easy to learn. It's no wonder they have become staples in dance floors and parties around the world. So, what is your favorite dance move of all time? Let us know in the comments!
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