The lyrics to James Brown's 1965 smash "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" contain a list of dance crazes, in this order: The Jerk, The Fly, The Monkey, The Mashed Potatoes, The Alligator, The Twist, and the Boomerang.
The Human Beinz' 1968 frat-rock hit "Nobody But Me" (an Isley Brothers cover) mentions four dances that "nobody can do" like the singer: The Shingaling, The Skate, The Boogaloo, and The Philly.
"Land Of 1000 Dances" was originally recorded by Chris Kenner in 1961, hit the Top 40 in 1965 with a version by Cannibal and the Headhunters, and scored its most famous cover in 1966 thanks to Wilson Pickett. In Pickett's song, The Pony, Mashed Potato, Alligator, Twist, Watusi, and Jerk are mentioned; Kenner's original names those (except the Jerk) and adds The Yo-Yo, Sweet Pea, Fly, Hand Jive, Slop, Chicken, Bop, Fish, Slow Twist, Tango, and the Popeye; the Cannibal version mentions songs on each list.
The "Cinnamon Cinder," named after a trendy L.A. hotspot, never took off nationally as a dance, and neither did Archie Bell and the Drells' Tighten Up dance, despite the fact that the sng itself was a huge smash in 1968. There are also cases of dance songs that aren't about real dances at all: Robert Parker's 1966 hit "Barefootin'" is really just about dancing without shoes, and the Jive Five's "Hully Gully Calling Time," from 1962, mentions several dances that never existed, such as the Frank Sinatra.
