St. Louis Shag is a highly rhythmic dance that can be danced to a variety of up-tempo jazz and swing styles. This playlist emphasizes music with a strong back-beat, which matches the shag basic well, but please note it is not exhaustive.
We also have a Spotify playlist available but please note that some of the songs listed below are not available on the Spotify platform.
- “Rock Daniel” Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Shout Sister Shout (150 BPM)
- “Jo Jo” Brooks Prumo Orchestra, This Year’s Kisses 2020 (160 BPM)
- “Rose Room” Charlie Shavers, Period’s Jazz Digest, 1957 (165 BPM)
- “Baubles, Bangles, and Beads” Jonah Jones, Capital Records Collection (165 BPM)
- “Charleston Twist” Red Prysock, Swingsation (170 BPM)
- “Ride Sammy Ride” Sam “The Man” Taylor, Swingsation (170 BPM)
- “Fox Paw” Jonathan Doyle Quintet, The Fed Hop 2015 (172 BPM)
- “99 ½ Won’t Do” Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Gospel Train (178 BPM)
- “Buster’s Tune” Buster Smith, The Legendary Buster Smith, 1959 (180 BPM)
- “Doggin’ with Doggett” Illinois Jacquet, Jazz Foundations 31, 1946 (180 BPM)
- “Good Jax Boogie” Dave Bartholomew, A Country Boy (185 BPM) [Not on Spotify]
- “Muskrat Ramble” Jack Teagarden, Jazz Icons from the Golden Era (185 BPM) [Not on Spotify]
- “Woodchopper’s Ball” by Woody Herman, Blowin’ Up A Storm 1945-1947 (188 BPM)
- “You Do Me Any Old Way” Big Bill Broonzy, Vol. 6 1937 (188 BPM)
- “Walkin’ and Swingin’” Mary Lou Williams, Queen of Jazz Piano (188 BPM)
- “Let’s Ride, Ride, Ride” Jack McVea, Saxophone Rhythm and Blues Greats (190 BPM)
- “Lillie Mae” Smiley Lewis, I Hear You Knocking (190 BPM)
- “Rose Room,” Bobby Hackett, Quadromania Vol. 2 (195 BPM)
- “Madame Dynamite,” Eddie Condon and his Orchestra (195 BPM)
- “From Bop to Swing” Candy Jacket Jazz Band, Self Titled Album (195 BPM)
- “O-Kay For Baby” Jack McVea, Saxophone Rhythm and Blues Greats, 1945 (200 BPM)
- “Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone” Sidney Bechet, Because of You (200 BPM)
- “Rosetta,” Muggsy Spanier and His Ragtimers, Pee Wee Russell Jazz Original 1944 (202 BPM)
- “Dinah” Brooks Prumo Orchestra, Pass the Bounce 2017 (205 BPM)
- “Walkin’ This Boogie” Roosevelt Sykes, Roosevelt Sykes Vol. 10 (205 BPM)
- “Little John Special” Lucky Millinder (Dizzy Gillespie), Jumpin’ Jive, 1942 (210 BPM)
- “Ory’s Boogie” Kid Ory, Jazz Foundations Vol. 49 (215 BPM)
- “Just Jivin’ Around” Sammy Price and his Texas Blusicians, Lester Young 1941-1944 (215 BPM)
- “Tab Steps Out” Tab Smith, I Don’t Want to Play in the Kitchen (215 BPM) [Not on Spotify]
- “Good Enough to Keep (Air Mail Special)” Charlie Christian, the Essential (219 BPM)
- “Mush Mouth” Buddy & Ella Johnson, A Family Affair (220 BPM)
- “Nursery Rhyme Jump” Tab Smith, Jump Time 1957 (220 BPM)
- “Royal Garden Blues” Count Basie, Blues by Basie (225 BPM)
- “Stompin’ at the Savoy” Ella Fitzgerald and Her Famous Orchestra (225 BPM) [Not on Spotify]35. “The Crawl” Henry Red Allen, Swing Out, 1946 (230 BPM)
- “Jammin’ The Blues” Jonathan Stout & His Campus Five, Jammin’ The Blues (240 BPM)
- “Clarinet Marmalade” Albert Burbank and His Creole Jazz Band, Sounds of New Orleans (230-250 BPM)
- “Jersey Jump Off” Coleman Hawkins, Cozy Cole, The Savoy Story (240 BPM)
- “Oo-Wee” Sam “The Man” Taylor, Swingsation (265 BPM)
- “Road Runner” Sam “The Man” Taylor, Swingsation (275 BPM)