I will be playing an anniversary celebration in a few weeks and the people paying me want lots of waltzes. What are your top 10 waltzes. I already do Fascination, Blue Skirt, Can I have this Dance, Tennessee, Edelwise, Lonesome Tonight, and Somewhere My Love. How about Vienneese style? Lover maybe?

Tom

I've always loved Mexicali Rose!

Jill

Hi Tom,

In addition to your selections, here are waltzes that I get numerous requests for:

Maria Elena
Piano Man
Always
Moon River
My Favorite Things
What The World Need Now (is Love)
Charade
Last Waltz
Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Scott

Scott,

Thanks! I forgot that I do Moon River and Always. There are three waltzes that we do as a swing with our big band. They are Maria Elena, Shanty Town and If I Had My Way. Maybe I'll do those three both ways.

Tom

Well, I'm an accordionist and I play tons of waltzes...theses are my top ones but quite a few are too ethnic for general (meaning - non-Italian!) usage:

Lady of Spain
Under Paris Skies
Bionda
Carnival of Venice
Quando Una Baca De Teresa
Anniversary Waltz
Tennessee Waltz
Somewhere My Love
Always
Il Sirio

Tom, I’ve always grouped the waltzes I play into two categories, Slow Waltzes and Fast Waltzes. For the titles you named, I generally treat Blue Skirt Waltz and Edelweiss as Fast Waltzes (nominally 160 - 170 beats per minute) and the others as Slow Waltzes (nominally 100 - 105 beats per minute). Interestingly enough a few years ago we played a couple of parties for an Arthur Murray dance studio and they requested that we play our slow waltzes at 90 beats per minute. It seemed pretty slow to me, but that’s the tempo they used to teach their students the waltz.

Anyway, here are some additional waltzes in each category (more than 10, but they all seem to go over well)
Paul C.

Fast Waltzes:
The River Seine
Wunderbar
Skater’s Waltz
Vienna Dreams
Cruising Down the River
Wonderful Copenhagen
That’s Amore
Whose Girl Are You
Que Sera Sera

Slow Waltzes
You Light Up My Life
Dear Heart
True Love
I Really Don’t Want to Know
Allegheny Moon
Vaya Con Dios
Memories
Till We Meet Again
With Someone Like You
Ramona
Melody of Love
Waltz You Saved for Me
Together
For You
Come Back to Sorrento
Mockingbird Hill

La Vie en rose!
and don't forget the good 'ole boys -
Mamma don't let your babies grow up to be (Dallas fans !)
Them STINKIN' cowboys!

How about "My Wild Irish Rose"?

Here are my "biggies":

Now Is The Hour
My Buddy
Melody Of Love
Fascination
Anniversary Waltz
For You
Girl Of My Dreams
Tennessee Waltz
Around The World
Quentins Theme

Tom

Wow, The Blue Skirt Waltz. You know there just isn't a lot of need for that good old Frankie Yankovic number down here in Florida.

Where I grew up in Wisconsin that was almost a given that you played that at every dance along with Proud Mary and Release Me. Such variety huh??

Scott