Summary

• Dirty Dancing’s iconic status is elevated by classic 1960s songs & original tunes.
• Movie won an Academy Award & soundtrack went 14x multi-platinum by 2022.
• Soundtrack features iconic songs like “The Time Of My Life” & “She’s Like the Wind”.

Besides being a romance classic, the popular Dirty Dancing songs add to its iconic status with classic songs from the 1960s plus some original tunes. Released in 1987 to positive reviews, Dirty Dancing is set in 1963 and follows Frances “Baby” Housemen as she falls in love with a dance instructor while staying at a vacation resort. The movie delivers on its title and is a perfect mix of quintessential star-crossed romance and strong dance performances from stars Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. Though the film became a 1980s staple, the Dirty Dancing songs have stood the test of time.

An immediate box office smash, grossing over $200 million (via Box Office Mojo), Dirty Dancing also won an Academy Award for Best Original Song, for “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” and its soundtrack went 14 times multi-platinum by 2022 (via RIAA). While it’s considered among the best dance movies of all time, Dirty Dancing‘s true power is its ability to evoke the bygone era of the 1960s while also being up-to-date with the 1980s sensibility. As a result, the movie has a permanently nostalgic quality, and it was even adapted into a stage musical in 2004.

Here’s every song on the Dirty Dancing soundtrack, in order:

Here’s every song added to the 20th Anniversary Edition of the Dirty Dancing soundtrack, in order:

When Every Dirty Dancing Song Plays In The Movie

There Are 21 Songs In Dirty Dancing

“Be My Baby” by The Ronnettes – “Be My Baby” was a 1963 release by the Ronettes that topped out at number two on the United States Billboard charts. According to his biography, this was one of the songs that influenced Beach Boys icon Brian Wilson to make music, and it was entered into the United States National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress in 2006. The classic girl-group doo-wop song plays underneath the movie’s opening title sequence.

“Big Girls Don’t Cry” by The Four Seasons – The Four Seasons originally released their hit song “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” and it never ranked on the Billboard year-end charts in 1962 or 1963. Despite this, it was added to the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2015. Acting as the introduction to Dirty Dancing‘s Baby (Jennifer Grey), the song plays while she arrives at Kellerman’s with her family.

“Where Are You Tonight” by Tom Johnston – Doobie Brothers’ front-man Tom Johnston was called up and asked to record an original song for the Dirty Dancing soundtrack, and what resulted was “What Are You Tonight” (via UCR). Made to evoke the 1960s doo-wop sound, this song scores the scene when Baby follows Johnny (Patrick Swayze) to the staff cabin and runs into Billy (Neal Jones).

“Do You Love Me?” by The Contours – “Do You Love Me” by The Contours was an interesting addition to the soundtrack. Originally released in 1962, the song reached the Billboard Hot 100. Twenty-six years later, when it appeared on the Dirty Dancing soundtrack, it hit the Hot 100 for the second time. The scene featuring the song plays when Baby arrives at the staff party and witnesses the sultry dance between Johnny and Penny (Cynthia Rhodes).

“Hungry Eyes” by Eric Carmen – Carmen originally wrote “Hungry Eyes” in 1984 for Franke and the Knockouts, but it wasn’t released by the band until 1998. Instead, Carmen released it first when he was asked to sing it for the Dirty Dancing soundtrack. It ended up as only his second Top 40 song of the 1980s. The defining Dirty Dancing song has a definite ’80s style, and it plays under the montage of scenes where Johnny teaches Baby to dance.

“Stay” by Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs – Maurice Williams originally released “Stay” in 1960, but several bands later covered it, including The Four Seasons, the Hollies, and Jackson Browne. This song plays in the background during the scene where Baby gives Penny the $250 she was able to get from her dad (Jerry Orbach) so that Penny can get an abortion.

“Wipe Out” by The Surfaris – This silly but iconic surf rock hit is a bit on-the-nose when it plays underneath the scene of Baby struggling to learn to dance — and sometimes wiping out —under the strict tutelage of Johnny. While several fans mistakenly associate the song with The Beach Boys, it was recorded by another surf band from the 1960s — The Surfaris. The Beach Boys did cover the song with the Fat Boys in 1987, the same year the Dirty Dancing soundtrack was released.

“Overload” by Alfie Zappacosta – This ’80s synth rock song plays under the scene where Johnny breaks his car window so that he and Baby can go to practice their dance. None of the Dirty Dancing songs on the soundtrack represents the decade better than the Zappacosta tune.

“Some Kind Of Wonderful” by The Drifters – A staple of popular movie soundtracks for decades, The Drifters’ big hit plays during the scene where Johnny and company return from the dance at the Sheldrake Hotel. As a band, The Drifters also appeared in movies as varied as Superman Returns, As Good as It Gets, and The Sandlot.

“Hey! Baby” by Bruce Channel – This was another song from the 1960s, with Bruce Channel releasing “Dream Girl” in 1961, where it reached the top of the charts for three weeks. This song plays in the iconic scene where Baby and Johnny practice their dance routine in the woods.

“Yes” by Merry Clayton – Clayton is best known as a background singer, with her most famous performance in the Rolling Stones’ song “Gimme Shelter.” She recorded “Yes” for the Dirty Dancing soundtrack, her last notable single. This song appears twice in Dirty Dancing, first during the scene where Lisa (Jane Brucker) goes to Robbie’s cabin and finds him with another girl, and again during the movie’s credits.

“Love Man” by Otis Redding – This Otis Redding R&B tune underscores the scene where Johnny tries teaching Baby new dance moves. Dirty Dancing is often considered one of Patrick Swayze’s best movies. That is partly thanks to him showing off his dance skills on screen. This song was originally released in 1969, two years after Redding died.

“Love Is Strange” by Mickey & Sylvia – “Love is Strange” hit number one on the charts when Mickey & Sylvia released it in 1957. Bo Diddley and Buddy Holly also covered the song and the Grammy Hall of Fame honored it in 2004. This song plays in the scene where Johnny and Baby work together in the dance studio and begin to fool around together.

“Cry To Me” by Solomon Burke – “Cry To Me” was Solomon Burke’s second single to hit the Hot 100 charts, and it remains one of his most well-known songs. This song is heard during the scene in Johnny’s room where Baby finally confesses her feelings for him and they dance again.

“(I’ll Remember) In The Still Of The Night” by The Five Satins – This Five Satins song was only moderately successful when released in 1956, but it is a song that has grown in popularity over the years. Boys II Men covered it, and it hit the third spot on the Hot 100. This song plays over the scene of Johnny and Baby in bed and continues into the next scene where Vivian (Miranda Garrison) sees them together outside. The song also features in The Irishman and The Offer.

“These Arms Of Mine” by Otis Redding – Johnny and Baby’s ages in Dirty Dancing is one of the movie’s more questionable aspects, and this second Otis Redding tune plays as Baby returns to Johnny’s room despite being prohibited by her father from seeing him. This was Redding’s most successful single, appearing in Road House, The Sopranos, and more.

“Will You Love Me Tomorrow” by The Shirelles – Another example of a song indicating the scene’s emotions, The Shirelles’ provocative love song plays when Baby leaves Johnny’s room in the morning after they spend the night together. The song was the first by an African-American all-girl group to hit number one in the United States. Carole King, The Four Seasons, and Amy Winehouse covered the song in later years.

“You Don’t Own Me” by The Blow Monkeys – The 1980s cover of the classic ’60s tune plays almost imperceptibly underneath the scene where Robbie (Max Cantor) says that Baby is “slumming” with Johnny, and the two men fight. Originally, it was recorded by Lesley Gore as a women’s empowerment song, which makes its placement in the movie slightly ironic.

“Lover Boy” by Mickey & Sylvia – Another more obscure Mickey & Sylvia song graces the soundtrack and plays in the scene where Johnny and Baby work feverishly in the dance studio one last time.

“She’s Like The Wind” by Patrick Swayze – The cast of Dirty Dancing is a multi-talented group, and in addition to starring on-screen, Patrick Swayze contributed a song to the soundtrack that plays under the scene where Johnny is forced to leave Kellerman’s. The song was a huge success, hitting number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Interestingly, Swayze co-wrote the song in 1984, hoping to sell it to another soundtrack — the Jamie Lee Curtis movie, Grandview, U.S.A.

“(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life” by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes – Essentially the main theme from Dirty Dancing, this song plays during the final dance scene at Kellerman’s where Baby and Johnny reunite and perform their iconic number at the end of Dirty Dancing. This is the most successful of the Dirty Dancing songs after the movie’s release, winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Where To Listen To The Dirty Dancing Soundtrack

The Score Is By John Morris

Dirty Dancing (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) was originally released in 1987 and featured a fair smattering of songs from the movie. However, subsequent editions of the soundtrack were released over the years, and Dirty Dancing (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Anniversary Edition features more tunes from the movie. Both versions of the Dirty Dancing soundtrack have been made available to stream on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music.

The Most Iconic Dirty Dancing Songs

Dirty Dancing Had Four Singles & Sold 32 Million Copies Worldwide

While the soundtrack features several notable inclusions, a couple of Dirty Dancing songs stand out, adding to the movie’s iconic status. “She’s Like the Wind” is given an extra boost because Patrick Swayze sings it on the soundtrack. The song, added to his performance in the movie, helped solidify his Hollywood heartthrob status. The song lived on outside the film when it was featured in the (500) Days of Summer soundtrack as a recurring joke in that movie.

It is hard to imagine
Dirty Dancing
‘s iconic lift dance scene performed with any other song.

The undeniable selection for the most iconic Dirty Dancing song is “(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life”, which has become one of those songs immediately tied to a movie. Similarly, as soon as Dirty Dancing is brought up, it is likely only a matter of seconds before this song pops into people’s heads. The song is a great example of how a perfectly placed and utilized song can elevate a movie. It is hard to imagine Dirty Dancing‘s iconic lift dance scene performed with any other song. The way the song and that moment are forever tied together ensures it will live on in fans’ minds for decades to come.