September

Earth, Wind & Fire were the Chicago soul and funk collective led by Maurice White, and September arrived as a single in November 1978 before appearing on their first greatest hits set. It is the song couples reach for when they want the room on its feet from the opening bar, and wedding bands rely on it for exactly that reason. The horn fanfare does the work: nobody can sit through it. The opening line names the 21st of the month, and couples who marry on that date treat it as their own. Lyricist Allee Willis fought to replace the nonsense chorus syllables, and White refused, teaching her never to let the lyric get in the way of the groove.