Honestly, if you grew up in the early 2010s, your living room probably smelled like sweat and AA batteries. That was the Just Dance 3 era. It was peak Wii. It was the moment Ubisoft realized they didn't just have a hit; they had a cultural phenomenon that would eventually move over 12 million units.
But why do people still obsess over the just dance 3 tracklist today? It’s not just nostalgia. It’s the sheer, chaotic energy of the song selection. You had Katy Perry rubbing shoulders with Daft Punk, and somehow, a fictional pop star from a sitcom made the cut. It was weird. It was brilliant.
The Core 49: Breaking Down the Main Setlist
When the game launched in October 2011, it arrived with a massive roster. Most of us remember the heavy hitters like "Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO or "California Gurls," but the real soul of the game lived in the deeper cuts.
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You had 80s staples like "Take On Me" by a-ha and "Venus" by Bananarama. Then, out of nowhere, Ubisoft throws in "Hungarian Dance No. 5" by Johannes Brahms. Who decides to choreograph a 19th-century classical piece for a motion-control dance game? Apparently, the geniuses at Ubisoft Paris.
The variety was the point. You could go from the high-fashion grit of "Promiscuous" by Nelly Furtado to the bubblegum madness of "Lollipop" by Mika. It felt like a fever dream, but a really fun one.
Modern Pop and Radio Hits
The game was a time capsule for 2010-2011 radio. If you turned on a FM station back then, you were hearing these songs on loop.
- Price Tag – Jessie J ft. B.o.B
- Dynamite – Taio Cruz
- Forget You – CeeLo Green
- Pump It – The Black Eyed Peas
- Tightrope (Solo Version) – Janelle Monáe
The Quirky and the Classic
This is where the game actually gained its "personality." It wasn't just Top 40.
- Let's Go To The Mall – Robin Sparkles (Yes, the How I Met Your Mother song)
- Video Killed The Radio Star – The Buggles
- The Master Blaster – Inspector Marceau
- This Is Halloween – Danny Elfman (The ultimate October party track)
- Night Boat to Cairo – Madness
The Platform Wars: Wii vs. Xbox vs. PS3
The just dance 3 tracklist wasn't actually identical for everyone. This was the first game in the series to go multi-platform, landing on the Xbox 360 (with Kinect) and the PlayStation 3 (with Move).
If you bought the Wii version, you were playing the "standard" experience. But if you were on Xbox 360, you got exclusive access to "E.T." by Katy Perry and "Only Girl (In The World)" by Rihanna right out of the box. Eventually, these songs trickled down as DLC, but for a while, there was some serious console envy happening in the forums.
The PlayStation 3 version was the late bloomer, arriving in December. To make up for the wait, Ubisoft packed in the Wii-exclusive tracks (like "Baby Don't Stop Now" by Anja) directly into the main list.
Regional Exclusives and the PAL Mystery
There is a specific song on the just dance 3 tracklist that half the world never saw: "Marcia Baïla" by Les Rita Mitsouko.
If you lived in Europe (the PAL region), this song was a staple. If you were in the US, you likely never heard of it unless you were deep into the Just Dance wiki. Same goes for "Satellite" by Lena. These regional exclusives were a nightmare for completionists but added a localized flavor that made the game feel special in different markets.
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Why This Tracklist Defined a Genre
Just Dance 3 wasn't just about moving your arms to follow a glowing silhouette. It introduced the four-player "Dance Crew" mode. Suddenly, the tracklist had to account for choreography that wasn't just one person repeating a loop.
Songs like "I'm So Excited" or "Kiss" by KISS were designed for group dynamics. The tracklist had to be "scorable" but also "social." It succeeded because it balanced the technical difficulty of "Da Funk" by Daft Punk with the pure silliness of "Baby Zouk."
The DLC Era: Gone But Not Forgotten
We have to talk about the DLC. In 2026, the Wii Shop Channel and the old Xbox 360 Marketplace are relics. You can't just go buy "Toxic" by Britney Spears (the version from JD2) or "U Can't Touch This" anymore.
A lot of the DLC for Just Dance 3 was actually recycled hits from the first two games. It was Ubisoft's way of testing a "subscription" model before they actually built Just Dance Unlimited. If you have an old console with these songs still downloaded, you're basically holding a piece of digital history.
Actionable Steps for Returning Dancers
If you’re looking to revisit the just dance 3 tracklist today, you have a few ways to do it without digging through your attic for a Wii Remote.
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- Check Just Dance+: Ubisoft frequently cycles legacy tracks into their current subscription service. While the full JD3 list isn't always available at once, "Party Rock Anthem" and "California Gurls" are usually permanent fixtures.
- The Wii Emulation Scene: If you have the original disc, Dolphin emulator on PC allows you to play in 4K. It makes those 2011 graphics look surprisingly crisp.
- Physical Hunting: Second-hand stores often have the Wii version for under $10. It’s the most "authentic" way to play, though finding a working Kinect for the Xbox 360 version is getting harder every year.
- Community Remakes: Look into "Just Dance Now." It’s a mobile-based version that includes many of these tracks, allowing you to use your phone as a controller.
The just dance 3 tracklist remains the high-water mark for the series because it didn't take itself too seriously. It was the perfect mix of "I know this song" and "What on earth am I listening to?" Whether you were trying to 5-star "Gonna Make You Sweat" or just laughing at the Robin Sparkles choreography, it was a moment in gaming history that hasn't quite been replicated since.
Actionable Insight: To experience the full nostalgia of the 2011 era, prioritize finding the "Target Edition" or "Special Edition" of the game, which includes "Teenage Dream" and "Airplanes" as bonus tracks not found on the standard retail disc.