The latest Just Dance game revels in six decades of hits – and music history

The latest Just Dance release isn’t your typical annual entry. Rather than a 2026 package of new and emerging music from the most talked-about artists, Decades of Hits is a look back on the past, charting six eras of musical bops that all make up a very novel history of the world.

Music, as most will agree, reflects the era in which it’s created. With tracks here from the 1970s through to the 2020s, you can track all sorts of cultural and societal developments through Just Dance: Decades of Hits, from subject matter to clothing, style, popular musical instruments, digitisation and beyond.

It’s a fascinating game for that reason.

Dancing through the changes of history

The crux of Just Dance remains the same here, as fun as ever. Each year, the series presents an offering of new and returning musical dance tracks, with on-screen dancers guiding you through various choreographed moves.

You’ll jump and swing, throw your hands and stomp your feet, keeping up with the beat and timing to earn a high score – if you’re good or playing competitively. Otherwise, you can also spend time in Just Dance grooving, moving your body for exercise or to get your heart racing.

I’ve been playing games for a long time, and with that comes a fair degree of cynicism. I reserve little of this for Just Dance, which I believe is a very important series for so many reasons. Encouraging physical play and activity is one. Engaging people across all ages in dance is another. We should all feel free to dance, and Just Dance encourages that with a guide to make it more approachable for everyone.

Just Dance: Decades of Hits is another solid entry that presents a strong array of songs and this year, it does also go a bit further.

Briefly, I’ll mention this year there’s a new Adventure Mode (as well as other returning modes). The Adventure Mode gives you a light 80s-inspired story to follow, if you want to feel a sense of direction or movement in your dances. It follows a young girl named Lyra, and charts her journey through various songs to rescue her father.

It’s a nice touch and worth exploring, but free play mode remains just as compelling with its selection of tracks.

I do wish the decades were more clearly identified in free play, rather than being siloed within a mix of playlists, but there are track lists online that make the distinction between eras a bit more obvious.

And if you don’t know when each song is produced, the artful dance styles and clothing of each dancer will make that clear. It’s pretty awesome being able to see the transition of styles.

Fashion changes as represented in Just Dance

Just Dance: Decades of Hits is a series entry that draws out changes over the decades. Each new song is accompanied by a dance routine featuring elevated versions of performers, and the costume styles and tropes of their eras.

Come and Get Your Love has a particularly bright and stylish dance featuring performers in flared pants and dance shirts, rocking cropped afros and blow-outs. While this version is a cover by The Heartliners, rather than the original by Redbone, the cover version is a strong one and maintains the classic 1970s beat. There are quite a few covers in this particular release, possibly for budgetary reasons.

It’s Tricky – not a cover, but the Run DMC original – is an excellent choice to co-represent the 1980s. Its music video features suspenders, boater hats, gold chains and single gloves, all fashion choices that wouldn’t look out of place in the era. Into the Groove by Madonna is also wonderfully, bombastically 80s by design, with the dancers wearing classic Madonna outfits – big bows in the hair, gloves, beaded necklaces, high boots, cropped jackets and oversized belts.

The 1980s actually feels really well represented in this game, but perhaps that speaks to the array of music chosen. Between It’s Tricky, Uptown Girl, Into the Groove, Jump and Celebration, there’s a great range of music covered, all encapsulating that peppy style of the era. (Two of the songs here are covers, but very good ones at least.)

Moving into the 1990s, the trio of Wannabe by the Spice Girls, Just a Girl by No Doubt and Around the World by Daft Punk is hard to beat. You can hear a big difference in the sonics with these more electronic tunes (a product of technology development) and faster-paced pop style.

Again, you get that wonderful array of outfits, typified in the Wannabe stage. It’s all short-shorts, denim and cropped shirts, as well as teased and straightened hair.

Around the World gets a bit sillier with some aliens standing in for Daft Punk, but with one alien wearing wraparound specs and the all of them donning some stretchy spandex, there’s still nice representation for the era.

Heading into the 2000s, the style of the 1990s evolves a little bit, but you can see the synergy between these two decades as they both bleed into each other and share stylistic sensibilities. This era is actually very well represented as well, in a selection of tracks that were clearly selected by someone who was there.

Bye Bye Bye from *NSYNC is a great get, as are No Scrubs by TLC and Feel Good Inc by Gorillaz.

I probably would’ve chosen a different Britney Spears song than Stronger to represent the era, but with many of her other tracks featuring in prior Just Dance games, there might be a practical reason for this choice. In any case, this particular track is a blast to play through, and the main dancer wearing funky jeans, excessive belts, a glittery butterfly top and a big hat certainly feels right for this era of pop music.

The 2010s and 2020s of Just Dance might make you feel old

Heading into the 2010s and 2020s is when Just Dance: Decades of Hits started to lose me – or least, forced me to admit my age. Of the list of 2010s songs – an era where I began to hyper-focus on the music I liked, rather than what was popular on the radio or early streaming services – I knew Turn Down for What and the rest are a mystery to me.

It is interesting looking at the outfits selected to represent the eras here, if only because they feel a bit lacking in personal identity and derivative of earlier styles from the 1980s and 1990s.

Into the 2020s, there is some salvaging this style. Hot To Go! by Chappell Roan features hyper-stylised dancers performing a cheerleader routine. Manchild by Sabrina Carpenter features a women in a stylish plaid outfit and fuzzy earmuffs. Drop Dead by Olivia Rodrigo features a ballet-like dress with a big skirt and bold accessories.

Looking more deeply, one might suggest the lack of innovation in the 2010s inspired more colourful, louder, confident ideas into the 2020s, with many of the new Just Dance routines defined by unique personality and charm. The new group of famous pop girlies (including Roan, Rodrigo, Carpenter and Zara Larsson), well represented here, might just salvage this era with their individual flair.

Revelling in the journey through time

Charting these eras in Just Dance: Decades of Hits, you really can see the history of the world. You can see the flowers and peace-loving of the 1970s, through to the disco and dance era of the 1980s, the electrified and digital 1990s, the experimental 2000s, the soul-searching 2010s, and the rebellion and individuality of the 2020s.

As a trip through six decades of music, the song selection choice is mostly very strong, with fun new dances for everyone – and the surprise, welcome return of fan-favourite stop-motion hero Lizzy in Celebration.

This year’s Just Dance is a worthy entry for new and returning players alike.

A Nintendo Switch copy of Just Dance: Decades of Hits was provided to ScreenHub for this review.

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