I was flipping through a bridal magazine recently, paying special attention to the ads for DJ services. A few of the ads were put together very nicely. If the purpose of their advertising was to help brides paint a picture of the great entertainment services they provide, they’ve succeeded. However, there was something in one company’s ad that really got my attention:
“Over 60,000 Songs!”
I paused for a moment, and thought “Wow, that’s a LOT of songs”. But should a bride-to-be be impressed by that?
Not according to the thousands of DJ services which claim to have over 70,000 songs.
Or the guys who have 80,000 songs at their fingertips.
Or the DJ with 90,000 songs!
Or this company, which seems to have the leg up on everyone with their collection of over 100,000 songs.
I give credit to the company with 100,000 songs, not because they’ve got enough music to dazzle audiences all over Western Washington, but because another page on their website explains that they do NOT bring ALL songs to a show. Hooray for truth in advertising.
Admittedly, I don’t have 100,000 songs. I don’t even have 90,000, or 80,000, or even 50,000. The last time I bothered to check, I was bringing approximately 22,000 songs to every event. I’ve probably got another 10,000 or so in my basement that I may never play again.
Is that enough music? Absolutely. In fact, it’s more than you’ll ever need. My iPod claims that it can hold 55,000 songs, but I realized long ago that there are probably only 900 or so songs that I really like listening to.
Consider this: Since the inception of the Billboard Top 100 almost 50 years ago, only 955 individual songs have made it to number one. The first song was “Poor Little Fool” by Ricky Nelson. I’ve got that one. This week’s chart-topper is “Love In This Club” by Usher featuring Young Jeezy. I’ve got that one too. I’ve also got just about every other song that’s ever hit the Top 100. There are plenty of them that you’d never want to hear again, especially on one of the most exciting and sentimental days of your life.
Something else to consider: During a five-hour event, you’ll probably only have time for 80 to 100 songs. What’s better - knowing that your DJ has a billion songs available (many that you’ve never heard of), or being part of a great party where only the BEST music is being played?
(Here’s a hint: even the 90,000 song guy encourages you to rent his do-it-yourself DJ system if he can’t be at your event. It includes 200 songs).
As the saying goes, sometimes less is more.