On a completely music unrelated note, I’m declaring 2025 as the year of the dinner party. There’s something to be said for gathering up all your people and celebrating life’s simple pleasures. From the decor, to the elevated attire, to the food and cocktail pairings, I love everything about an excuse to bask in the delights of good company & good food. One of my other favorite parts of hosting such a function? The music. It can really set the tone for the vibe of the evening.
“But Ellie, isn’t dinner party music just background noise?” you may ask. No. And here’s why. Imagine this, you’re dressed up in your snappy casual, being served a martini over a candlelit feast and Imagine Dragons is playing all night. You’re telling me you wouldn’t notice and be slightly bothered? Even if you’re the world’s biggest Imagine Dragons fan, I’m sure you’d agree that you don’t want to be serenaded by “I’m rAdIoAcTive, rAdIoAcTive” all night (admittedly, I am a hater of whatever that genre is). Point is, the background music matters.
Crafting the perfect dinner party playlist is more than picking music that will be played softly in the background, it’s about curating a backdrop that perfectly highlights what’s on center stage.
This may seem a little unconventional, but my recipe for success? Mix ¼ cup of jazz, with ¼ cup of soul, ¼ cup of singer/songwriter classics (think Elton John, Billy Joel), and very important–¼ cup of early 2000s indie sleaze. Lastly, a sprinkle of house music and indie are required. There you have it, the perfect dinner party playlist.
Jazz is a given. You simply can’t host a dinner party without a little Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Etta James, Glenn Miller, Miles Davis, all the rest. Moody and nostalgic, jazz music sets the tone for elegance and sophistication.
Soul, like jazz, brings a sense of class and nostalgia that is the perfect component for a dinner party, but a little bit dancier. The drinks are flowing, the conversation is going, and Sam Cooke, Otis Redding and Thee Sacred Souls are playing. Perfection if you ask me.
When I say singer/songwriter classics, I want you to think of the scene in Almost Famous where the gang is singing Tiny Dancer on the tour bus in unison. Or when you’re at a bar and the band decides to play Piano Man out of the blue and everyone can’t help but sing. That’s the vibe you’re trying to curate. Classic, singalong bangers. Another random one I’d loosely put in this category is Lovefool by The Cardigans, trust me, it goes crazy every time.
The early 2000s was truly the golden age of indie and electronica (incoming another blog post about this soon). From MGMT to Neon Indian to LCD Soundsystem, there is a definite vibe about indie sleaze that screams “I’m at an NYU rooftop party and oh look! there’s Dan Humphrey in a fedora” (*Gossip Girl reference*). In my mind, for whatever twisted reason, those vibes also correlate with dinner party vibes. You have the jazz, you have the soul, you have the classics, but what’s missing is a little party, and not in a trap house Lil Baby, Future, Gunna way, but in a slightly hipster way. Boom. Indie Sleaze. She is THAT girl.
An Ellie dinner party wouldn’t be complete without a little house music and downtempo indie sprinkled in. On my playlist you’ll find anything from Fred again to Faye Webster to the more instrumental indie sounds of Khruangbin, and overall I think that really speaks to who I am as a person.
There you have it folks. The perfectly concocted components for your next dinner party playlist (at least according to me).
Whether you decide to throw an elaborate dinner party, or simply host a wine night with friends, follow these guidelines for the perfect ambiance (or don’t, I don’t care🤪).
Check out the playlist here!
