Weddings: Father/Daughter Dance

Bridegrooms, take a step back please. It's time for the other greatest man in her life to step up and officially confirm the opening of the dancefloor with a glowing display of love and pride. Oh yes, that's what our hearts yearn for now . . . and so we're delighted to offer up this note-perfect selection of pops 'n' princess tunes — Stevie Wonder says it all, simply and soulfully, on "Isn't She Lovely," Johnny Cash delivers memories on a stick with his affecting cover of the Beatles classic, "In My Life," and Natalie Cole joins her dad (brought back to us via the recording studio) on "Unforgettable."

Rockers show us their soft sides, in the service of wedding day harmony, in Next Steps.

Even hardened rockers get to indulge their inner sensitivity for the sake of a perfect father/daughter wedding dance. Lynyrd Skynyrd gifts us with six minutes of Southern magic on "Simple Man," Green Day proves that punks have hearts too on "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life"), and Tom Petty keeps it sweet 'n' natural on "Wildflowers." The common thread that links all these tracks is the feeling of simultaneously holding on and letting go that only a father can experience on the day of his daughter's wedding . . . for which Billy Ray Cyrus is fully prepared — check out his duet with Miley, "I Learned from You."

You'll find more songs for that perfect father/daughter moment, in Deep Cuts.

"Everybody knows it hurts to grow up," sings Ben Folds, in that heart-melting croon of his, on "Still Fighting It," and he somehow captures to perfection that delirious mix of life-affirming joy and sadness at time passing that soaks to the core of every father/daughter first dance. Dion offers clear instructions to the new man in her life on "Take Good Care of My Baby," Elvis makes her the absolute center of attention on "The Wonder of You" . . . and Nancy Sinatra sends a lot of love back the other way on "It's for My Dad." It's enough to make ole' blue eyes gush with pride.

You just can't beat a good wedding, not least because the occasion supplies us with that sublime double-whammy of joy: the first two dances. Following the spectacle of the opening clinch between newlyweds, we're treated to that unbeatable not-a-dry-eye-in-the-room experience — the father and daughter dance. It's the moment when gracious hubby cedes his place to proud daddy, and all the guests are gripped by the loveliness of such a time-honored family landmark. But which song should be played? Well, there's plenty to chose from here, among an Essentials list that perfectly blends melody with tenderness . . . so take your pick from Paul Simon ("Father and Daughter"), Beyoncé ("Daddy"), Ray Charles ("Ain't That Love"), Guns N' Roses ("Sweet Child O' Mine"), and many more.