We bleat on a lot about being sick to death of songs being reused, but I'm curious to know whether there are songs that we think SHOULD be reused, whether it's because they need to be redeemed or you just really like that song dammit.

For example, I think it's a crime against humanity that Love Machine was wasted on Kate Garraway thrashing and short-circuiting her way around the dancefloor and calling it a quickstep.

I've always thought that Easy Lover was wasted on Craig Kelly and would make a cracking non-traditional Tango if given to someone half decent.

Yes, I think now should probably be the correct opportunity to admit that I quite like Easy Lover. I'll hide now.

sweet caroline was wasted on Claire king

But not on Abbey Clancey.

Darren and Lilia used The Noisettes' Wild Young Hearts in a pro Lindyhop demonstration a few years back. Now, obviously they danced it very well, but it's a style of dance I hate and all I could think as I was listening to the song, and every time I've heard it since, is what a great Quickstep it would make.

Ann Widdecombe did a Samba (I use the term loosely) to Heaven must be missing an angel. I'd really like to see a decent job made of that one.
So yes I'm all for redeeming, but steer clear of anything iconic. It would be a brave contestant who did a jive to Misirlou!

Good thinking, perfect for a QS.

...I take it that Jamelia's (somehow a) Salsa wasn't a particularly decent job, then.

David Bowie passing this week has got me thinking - it's a shame that (most of) his appearances on Strictly have been Jo Wood doing whatever Jo Wood did to Let's Dance, and Laila Rouass' Furry-Trousered Horror Show Jive to Modern Love. Those are two cracking songs that need to be matched.

I was actually going to mention Modern Love, although it may still be too raw to Jive to it after... what happened last time. Maybe a Quickstep?

Ha ha, clearly not cos i didn't even remember it!

Valerie (Peter's QS)

Do Right Woman (Jamelia's Waltz)

She (Jeremy's Waltz)

Respect (Jamelia's Samba)

Footloose (Alison&Aljaz's Jive)

Total Eclipse of the Heart (Scott&Joanne's AS)

That's a great topic, thanks OP.

IMO, if the dance is too iconic, the song shouldn't be reused. Unless you know you have the potential to create something outstanding, I think there are some songs that should be left well alone, like "I'm Still Standing". I don't think I'll ever recover from the trashing Harry and Aliona gave it as a Salsa, I was just cringing all the way through and begging it to stop. "I'm A Believer" is Chelsee's Jive song and should never have been used again. Ditto "When Doves Cry", it belongs to Rachel's AT and will ever do. If anyone attempts to do anything to "Crazy in Love" again has to be epic! Some other songs have been used one too many times.

I understand that there are many things that have to be taken into account when choosing a song like royalties, permission to be used, the fact that the song has to be adjusted, cropped, sped up or slowed down but there shouldn't be so many repetitions like there are now. IIRC, one of the last shows of this past series was entirely made of repeat songs. IF they have a music researcher (I've never bothered to look into this), he should be sacked. If not, that job should be created asap.

Love Machine is a good example, it's a perfectly good song that should be redeemed.

I think Addicted to You by Avicii was wasted on Alison and Aljaz. It could have been electric Tango.

They by Jem was wasted on Patsy and Robin in their Argentine Tango.

September by Earth Wind and Fire was wasted on Jeremy and Karen.

Thunder in my Heart by Leo Sayer was wasted on Carol and Pasha

BIB This should never have been reused in the first place, Alesha & Matt did a lovely QS to it in her series:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtV-z06Ro5I

I don't like when they reuse songs from memorable dance like when Harry and Aliona used I'm still standing for a samba it wreck their dance, So I agree that some songs shouldn't be reused

would like someone to reuse I won't give up by Jason Mraz that Sid & Ola used for a waltz

BIB I disagree with your example, as amazing as that Rachel's was, both Kimblerly's and Jay's (specially his) have been very good.

But aside from that example, I agree.
Once that a great dance has been danced to it (ie an iconic dance or one that got at least a deserving 10), it should be rested.As applies to Harry and Aliona's QS that was reused for Anita's. It wasn't bad, but not as brilliant so it lacked something.

Reuse and recycle those good songs that match a good dance but have been underperformed by duffers and middle of the road celebs.

Within the last five years of watching Strictly, I am convinced I never saw anyone dance to a song by David Bowie.

While I have been thinking about this, I always felt that doing a tango or Argentine tango to "Let's Dance" would have been ideal for Jake Wood when he did the show in 2014. I just think of those "snake hips" and twerking.

Nobody "owns" songs however good their dances were and I think the "When Doves Cry" example is a pretty good illustration of that.

First done (admittedly pretty amazingly) by Rachel and Vincent for their AT, it has been fairly well matched by both Kimberly/Pasha and Jay/Aliona, showing (in my view) that good dancers adding their own interpretation can change a memory of a classic SCD track whilst keeping the original intact. I don't think any less of that first AT done to the song because others have done it since and nor has it stopped me thoroughly enjoying the dances that followed.

If a dance is done to a "legendary" song and it's carp, it shouldn't taint the memory of the original - rather the reverse. If said dance is good, it still shouldn't take anything away from the first performance - it should simply offer a different, enjoyable perspective.

To put an embargo on songs simply because they were done so well the first time, is a rather narrow view imo. I think those viewers who find they can't appreciate certain dances partly because they have such precious memories of the original should try to broaden their outlook because they're potentially missing a lot.

My opinion is radically different from yours as I stated above and one of the reasons that iconic songs from iconic dances should be left alone is that people will remember when it was danced brilliantly just to raise their expectations and be disappointed at the end. The other reason is that there are enough songs in this world to not grant the same song being repeated twice or even three times. It's just not necessary to repeat a song ad nauseam.

I didn't even remember that Kimberly and Pasha had danced to When Doves Cry till last year when somebody said it here on the week that Jay was going to dance to it. I rewatched it and it was good. Not great, not bad, but forgettable. Jay's Tango to it didn't do anything for me either, all I could think all the way through it was "Well, this doesn't come close to Rachel and Vincent's AT, does it?". There is absolutely no way that old viewers/judges won't think of Alesha if someone dances to Crazy In Love or Jill in the case of I'm Still Standing. Great expectations, big disappointments. So why not try something different, something new, a song that has never been danced before?

As for "broadening the outlook" I don't really think I'm missing anything, but thanks for the concern.

You are missing something if you can't put aside your preconceived expectations that a second dance done to a song that produced a brilliant performance first time round can't be just as brilliant. It can.

However, you won't know what you're missing so I guess it won't matter.

I'd actually like someone (provided they're talented) to dance to Crazy In Love; brilliant though the performance was by Alesha, the actual technique wasn't perfect and I'd be interested to see what another good celeb could do with it.

Mind you, I think there are far fewer dances that merit that "iconic" status than most people on here and have no problem with anyone reusing a song, particularly if it's to a different dance style. Same dance style does tend to evoke more direct comparisons admittedly but it can still bring surprises, often but sometimes !

I take your point with the huge number of songs and therefore no need to reuse (certainly as much as they do) however. That is a valid reason for not recycling. ("A Town Called Malice" for a QS shouldn't have been used once in my view, let alone twice.) The "it was done so brilliantly before so shouldn't be revisited to preserved memories and avoid comparisons" reason - not so much imo.

BIB point is, it can. But has it ever happened? Nope.
I'm glad to be proven wrong the day someone does a better dance (and it doesn't have to be technically perfect but very memorable) to one of those iconic songs/dances. Still waiting to happen...

But it's practically impossible for you to be proven wrong as by your own admission you set up preconceived expectations when one of your favourites is done by someone else. Therefore, as you're always watching the new dance expecting it not to be as good, it's never going to be.

I agree, it's difficult to get the old dance from your mind (although I don't think it's such a problem when it's a different dance style) but it's not impossible. And though you don't think any of the redone dances even approached the originals, I think the two tangos that followed Rachel's AT came pretty damn close (and in the case of Jay and Aliona was just as memorable in a different way). But then I was a fan of Jay. You are not. I wonder what you would have thought if Georgia and Giovanni had done their tango to "that" track. (That's in no way an implied dig by the way, I genuinely do wonder.)

No, I wouldn't say that I have preconceived expectations. Expectations, yes. Preconception has a rather negative connotation to it and frankly I don't think it's the case here. I'm not narrow minded to have already formed an opinion before it happens. I'd say it's a case of "expect the worst and hope for the best" in my case.

To my taste neither Tangos, Kimberly or Jay, have been memorable and I was a fan of Kimberly. Well, of Pasha, Kimberly by default.

If Georgia had danced an AT to the same tune I'd be comparing and contrasting all the same. I didn't like some of her dances and said it at the time. I can be a fan but I don't do fawning, that is where the difference lies.

I think you do have preconceptions even if you don't realise/admit it. Your opinion is so vehement about those dances you perceive as iconic that I think it's impossible for you not to pre-judge however much you may want to (and believe you are) stay(ing) objective. Again, I'm not judging you or trying to cast aspersions (how could I? I don't know you and my opinion, such as it is, may well be wrong. But I do think that anyone who has such strong views about reusing music that has been used for very memorable performances will find it exceptionally difficult/impossible to view another dance to the same track without automatically expecting it to be not as good which is tantamount to a preconception.

I do wonder what you meant by "that's where the difference lies". What difference? The difference between me and you? Because I don't think I do "fawning" either.

This exchange has led me to think of something though (I know - I've had a thought! Give it a welcome, it's an only child!)

You'd probably hate this, but I'd rather relish the idea of Strictly's more able celebs swapping their more memorable tracks and seeing how they got on with someone else's iconic dance music. Jill, Chelsee, Scott and Jay could swap jive tracks, Natalie Gumede could do "Crazy In Love", Georgia, Sophie, Denise and Chris could swap Charleston tracks (the girls would be fine, he'd be bloody awful), Mark and Rachel could swap AT tracks and Alesha could salsa to "Hot Hot Hot". There are, of course, many others I haven't mentioned.

Sorry. That's a very long post and I do realise I've taken the thread in a rather different direction. Mind you, I don't think I was the first to do that .