It was late 2014. If you stepped into a living room anywhere in the suburbs, there was a high chance you’d see someone flailing their arms to a digital avatar of Pharrell Williams. Honestly, Just Dance 2015 arrived at the absolute peak of the "stadium pop" era. It was a time when every song on the radio felt like it was designed to be shouted in a crowded arena, and Ubisoft leaned into that energy hard.
The Just Dance 2015 music list wasn't just a collection of MP3s. It was a cultural time capsule. You had Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, and Lady Gaga all fighting for space on a single disc.
Some people call this the "forgotten" entry because it sat right on the awkward bridge between the Nintendo Wii era and the rise of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. But they're wrong. If you actually look at the tracklist, it’s arguably one of the most consistent lineups in the franchise’s history. It didn't have the weird experimental filler that plagued later editions. It was just hit after hit.
The Heavy Hitters: Songs You Couldn't Escape
When you scroll through the Just Dance 2015 music list, the first thing that hits you is the sheer star power. This was the year of "Happy." You literally couldn't go to a grocery store without hearing Pharrell. In the game, the choreography was just as infectious as the song. It was simple. It was bouncy. It made you feel like a fool, but a happy one.
Then you had "Problem" by Ariana Grande featuring Iggy Azalea. That song was everywhere. The game version featured those iconic high boots and a routine that was actually surprisingly tricky if you were trying to nail the "Great" or "Perfect" ratings on a Kinect.
Pop Royalty and Radio Dominance
It wasn't just the newer stars, though. Miley Cyrus was in her "Bangerz" era, and "4x4" made the cut, bringing a weird, country-techno vibe that only Miley could pull off at the time.
Iggy Azalea's "Black Widow" featuring Rita Ora was another massive inclusion. The choreography for that one felt a bit more "serious" and edgy compared to the bubblegum tracks. It’s funny looking back at how much of the Just Dance 2015 music list was dominated by these specific female powerhouses of the mid-2010s.
- "Birthday" by Katy Perry (The neon-drenched cake visuals were classic Ubisoft)
- "Holding Out for a Hero" by Bonnie Tyler (Because every Just Dance needs a legacy banger)
- "Maps" by Maroon 5 (The song that stayed on the charts for approximately a million years)
- "Burn" by Ellie Goulding
The Weird, The Wild, and The Tetris Song
Ubisoft always throws in some curveballs. They have to. If it was just Top 40 hits, the game would lose its soul.
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The most legendary "weird" track on the Just Dance 2015 music list is undoubtedly the "Dancing Bros." version of the Tetris theme. Yes, Tetris. They turned a 1980s Russian folk-inspired puzzle game melody into a four-player co-op dance routine where players literally had to form shapes with their bodies. It was chaotic. It was usually the song that ended up with someone getting accidentally punched in the face during a house party.
Why the Eccentric Tracks Matter
These songs provide the "palette cleanser." You can only dance to "Bang Bang" by Jessie J, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj so many times before your brain turns to mush. You need "The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)" by Ylvis to remind you that life is inherently ridiculous.
Surprisingly, the game also featured "Epic Sirtaki" by The Bouzouki's, which brought a traditional Greek flavor to the mix. It’s these specific choices that make the 2015 edition feel more diverse than some of its successors, which often leaned too heavily into TikTok-friendly snippets rather than full, varied compositions.
Technical Shifts: The End of an Era
2014-2015 was a weird time for gaming hardware. The Wii was dying, but the Wii U was... well, it was the Wii U. Most people were still playing on the original Wii because that's where their library lived.
The Just Dance 2015 music list had to work across everything from the motion-sensing Wii Remote to the high-definition cameras of the Xbox One Kinect. This led to some interesting "community" features. This was the year of the Community Remix. Players could record themselves dancing, upload it, and if they were lucky, Ubisoft would integrate their footage into a special version of the track that everyone else could play. It was proto-social media before everything became about vertical video.
Ranking the Best Routines for Fitness
People often buy these games under the guise of "getting a workout." Let's be real: usually, we’re just eating pizza and waving a controller. But if you actually put the effort in, some tracks on the 2015 list were absolute killers.
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"Don't Worry Be Happy" by The Bench Men (a cover of the Bobby McFerrin classic) sounds like it would be a breeze. It’s not. The constant squatting and arm movements are deceptive. If you wanted high intensity, "Built For This" by Becky G was the go-to. It was fast-paced, urban-inspired, and required a level of coordination that most of us lacked after two drinks at a New Year's Eve party.
The Difficulty Gap
There’s a massive gap between the "Easy" tracks and the "Extreme" alternates.
The Just Dance 2015 music list featured several alternate choreographies that were unlocked through play. "It's My Birthday" by will.i.am had a routine that felt like a genuine backup dancer audition. If you could 5-star that on an Xbox Kinect without the camera losing your legs, you were basically a professional.
The Complete Tracklist (The Essentials)
If you're looking to revisit the game or find these on Just Dance+, here is the core of what made that year special:
- "Addicted To You" – Avicii
- "Bailando" – Enrique Iglesias Ft. Descemer Bueno & Gente de Zona
- "Best Song Ever" – One Direction
- "Diamonds" – Rihanna
- "Fatima" – Cheb Salama
- "Get Low" – Dillon Francis & DJ Snake
- "I Love It" – Icona Pop Ft. Charli XCX
- "Let It Go" – Disney's Frozen (The bane of every parent’s existence in 2015)
- "Love Is All" – The Sunlight Shakers
- "Macarena" – The Girly Team (A cover, but an essential party play)
- "She Looks So Perfect" – 5 Seconds of Summer
- "Summer" – Calvin Harris
- "Walk This Way" – Run-DMC & Aerosmith
Honestly, looking at that list, it’s a miracle they cleared all those licenses for one game. It represents a specific moment in music history where EDM-pop was the undisputed king.
Misconceptions About the 2015 Edition
One big myth is that the Just Dance 2015 music list is "smaller" than modern games. In reality, with over 40 base tracks and numerous DLCs and alternates, it’s quite hefty. The difference is the delivery. Today, everything is a subscription service (Just Dance Unlimited/2023+). In 2015, you bought the disc, and you owned the music. There was something satisfying about not needing an internet connection just to dance to "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)."
Another misconception is that the Wii version was inferior. While the graphics were obviously lower resolution (480p), the motion tracking on the Wii was often more "forgiving" and fun for casual players than the finicky Kinect or the PlayStation Camera, which tended to get confused if your couch was the wrong color.
The Legacy of Just Dance 2015
This game was the last time Just Dance felt like a communal, physical event before it started transitioning into a "platform."
The song selection reflected a world that was just starting to get obsessed with "vibes" but still cared about big, soaring choruses. When you play through the Just Dance 2015 music list now, it’s impossible not to feel a bit of nostalgia. It reminds you of a time when the biggest problem we had was whether or not we could hit the high notes in "Problem."
If you’re dusting off an old console to play this, or looking for these tracks on the newer subscription versions, focus on the "Extreme" versions of the pop hits. They hold up surprisingly well in terms of actual dance technique.
How to get the most out of the Just Dance 2015 era today:
- Check your hardware: If you're on Xbox, the Kinect is still the superior way to play these specific 2015 tracks because it tracks your whole body, not just your right hand.
- Look for the DLC: Many of the songs that were originally DLC for 2015, like "Troublemaker" or "Die Young," have been cycled into the modern subscription services.
- Don't skip the "Mashups": 2015 featured mashups where characters from other songs would appear in the middle of a routine. They are a trip and show a level of creativity that's sometimes missing in the newer, more streamlined versions of the game.
- Host a "Decade Back" Party: Use the 2015 tracklist as a base for a party. It has enough variety—from "The Fox" for the kids to "Holding Out for a Hero" for the older crowd—to keep everyone moving without it feeling like a workout class.