Born between 1946 and 1964, the Baby Boomers were the grandparents of Just Dance's target generation and they grew up enjoying the music of the 1950s, 1960s, and some of the 1970s. Popular music at the time was predominantly rock n roll but also included genres like surf music, doo wop, folk rock, and funk. Just Dance selected songs that charted during these decades to bring music that would appeal to this generation into the game. The producers of the game selected song such as "I Get Around", "Surfin' Bird", and those analyzed below to appeal to the Boomers.
“A Little Less Conversation” is a great example of how Just Dance uses Rock and Roll classics to appeal to multiple target audiences at once. After the song was played in Ocean’s Eleven, artist Junkie XL (sourced as JXL for fear of associating Elvis with drugs after his death) remixed the song in 2002. Gaining permission from the Elvis Estate to release the song, the remix peaked at number 50 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the Just Dance video, the character is dressed in 70's attire with a shirt jacket and bell-bottom jeans. The dance moves are also very reminiscent of Elvis in the 60's and 70's with a lot of pelvic thrusts and the "lasso" dance move. Just Dance's inclusion of this song in their game helps bridge two generations of music fanatics with some common ground. First, this song brings back a sense of familiarity for grandparents who are listening to it. Elvis played a major role in shaping the history of Rock and Roll in the two decades he created music. For kids, the remix of Elvis's iconic song provides a fresh, new perspective with the energetic beats and techno-sound that they are familiar with today. The remix gives kids and grandparents a reason to dance together. Kids can enjoy the beat and the movements, while grandparents can connect through their memories of Elvis and the classic rock and roll sound.
"Mashed Potato Time" by Dee Dee Sharp was released after the Mashed Potato Dance craze in 1959. The song was written by Kal Mann and Bernie Lowe and subsequently performed by Sharp. A play off of the iconic dance, the song quickly reached number 1 on the Cashbox Top 100 and Billboard R&B in 1962. It reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song is closely tied to the popular “Mashed Potato” dance move, which many people from that generation remember learning and dancing to at parties or on shows like American Bandstand. This familiarity makes the game more approachable for an older audience because, at a young age, they were taught the choreography associated with the song. There is an interesting irony comparing the dance moves in the videogame to the purpose of the song. In the Just Dance video, the woman who is dancing is not performing the actual "Mashed Potato" dance move. Instead, she is simulating making mashed potatoes through her dance moves. You can clearly see her "peeling" and "mashing" the potatoes to create mashed potatoes. This portrayal of the song can be interpreted as a little problematic as it is showcasing a heavy stereotype at the time that women were the homemakers of the household. Not at all what was indented by Mann, Lowe, and Sharp.
“Louie Louie”, a song originally sung and produced by Richard Berry, was released in 1957. This song was about a sailor who had to leave his girl behind. This song was made popular by a cover done by the Kingsmen in 1963. Many people couldn’t understand the song and the lyrics developed new meaning in the interpretation of the youth. The unintelligible lyrics led people to believe that the song was inappropriate and eventually led to an FBI investigation of the song. It was banned, but that ban was eventually lifted when the lyrics were determined unintelligible and not dirty. The ban and investigation only served to increase the popularity of the song with the youth of the time. This song remained popular through covers like the one incorporated into the video game by Iggy Pop. That cover was released in 1993 and incorporated lyrics relevant to current day in his version. While this song was released in the 90s it didn’t hit the top charts. The song would have appealed more to the grandparents of the target audience as the song and artist were originally popular during their time. The dancer in the game looks similar to Iggy Pop and the choreography is reminiscent of his dance moves when he was performing, especially the similarities of how the dancer moves his arms.