178 SONGS

Being a good DJ is all about reading the room properly. If a song is flailing, be ready to fade to a trusted winner. And even the best songs can start to lag, so be prepared to cut to something new. I helped out at a 40th birthday party recently and put together two summer-friendly playlists, one for cocktails, one for dancing. I use an incredibly simple app, called DJAY by Algoriddim. It automatically syncs up with your iTunes library, allowing you to easily fade between songs, or can be set to Automix so you can actually enjoy the party. You can download it for both your laptop and iPhone. Try to avoid playing similar songs back to back to keep things fresh. For instance, don’t go from “Get Down Tonight” to “The Hustle,” instead mix in a new song like “I Love It” by Icona Pop to break it up. And mix in your absolute winners every 5 or so songs, like Naughty by Nature’s “OPP,” MJ’s “Thriller,” and yes, “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk. Here are the full playlists, keeping in mind the age group. Enjoy the summer:

Cocktails: