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Your favourite karaoke songs?
What are your favourite go-to songs at karaoke? Trying to steal ideas from you guys before I go next time.
Any "tradition" or customs you and your friends came up with? Example, I like ending the night with Bohemian Rhapsody because it's super late and we're too tired to be shy, there's a lot of different (non repetitive) lyrical sections, and, tradition.
Modern karaoke places are pretty affordable these days , and have a good selection of songs. If you've never been or haven't in a long time, would love to encourage you to go try and report back your thoughts.
Unfortunately a lot of karaoke places use kinda outdated catalogs that appeal to like gen x or boomers, if they don't have YouTube available for the background. But in that vein:
Georgia by Boz Scaggs is a great warmup song. Nice range.
The entire Queen and Steely Dan catalogs.
You Make My Dreams Come True and Rich Girl by Hall & Oates.
Faith by George Michael.
Bunch of David Bowie fits my range, but Heroes in particular.
Lot of songs from the musical Chess. Musicals in general, really.
A bunch of anime openings if you just have YouTube on a TV and a bunch of weebs. Totally not speaking from experience with an anime club here.
You need to slip some buttrock in to force people's worst Chad Kroger impressions in.
Ocean Man, take me by the hand.
Last two I went to had Welcome to the Black Parade and What's Going On? as the showstopping closers. Bunch of drunk nerds going HEYYYAAAYAAAAYYAYAY. Great choices for that.
90s-2000s songs!
My fave is Evanescence - Bring Me To Life duet with my (unwilling) husband 😂
Some others in no particular order:
The Cranberries - Dreams
Meredith Brooks - Bitch
All Saints - Never Ever
Britney Spears - Baby One More Time
Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love
Michelle Branch - Everywhere
Tatu - All The Things She Said
Avril Lavigne - Complicated
Blink 182 - I Miss You
Vitamin C - Graduation
The Calling - Wherever You Will Go
Sixpence None The Richer - Kiss Me
Goo Goo Dolls - Iris
Dashbord Confessional - Hands Down
I also have a soft spot for the 80s / new wave!
When In Rome - The Promise
Thompson Twins - Hold Me Now
Depeche Mode - Shake The Disease
Erasure - Always
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - If You Leave
Seona Dancing - More To Lose
Gazebo - I Like Chopin
Nena - 99 Red Balloons
...
I also enjoy singing songs from other decades including this one, but friends I karaoke with are more likely to know songs from the decades above and it's more fun to sing together when everyone's familiar with the song <3
I like Kiss From a Rose, it's very hard though and way longer than I think. Semi Charmed Life is a good bet too!
I would add for those who don't do karaoke out of self consciousness or whatever, to check out if you have any karaoke places that let you rent out a small room! I find these much more fun, you get to hang out with just your friends, you get multiple mics, and pretty much any song you can think of is available on YouTube. I've never been the type who's gonna get up in front of a crowd, but doing private karaoke for a friend's birthday is some of the most fun I've ever had.
Yes the small rooms are the best. Recently found a Korean place where they have two-person rooms: a literal maybe 4*4 booth with just a comfy bench and two screens (one to show lyrics and the other one to browse for songs). Their machine also has a skip intro / interlude / to next song feature which we utilized heavily.
And newer places where they connect to YouTube has been fantastic as well. One place has a QR code / app. Mic slip covers is new since COVID.
Kiss from a rose is a great ballad, adding to list. Semi charmed life is new to me I'll give it a listen
Kiss from a Rose is definitely one of my favorites!
My friend belts out a great rendition of Radiohead's Creep. Always think of him when it pops up in my rotation.
Fantastic choice
For folks who haven't seen this in Albino Black Sheep days, I highly recommend the animated video by Laith Bahrani:
And now senior designers are no longer well paid, and instead we all know the faces of these lifeless, clueless tech bros! Progress!
I've been keeping a list for a couple of years now with a few hundred songs that I know I can sing, then I won't forget them and it's much easier to choose something. I try to not go too long without singing most of them but I confess there are a few I'm a little rusty with.
I have a small number of what I consider "warm-up songs" - I like to sing them first because they stretch the vocal cords. David Bowie in general is very good for that, especially because he would often sing a little wobbly anyway so it doesn't matter if your own voice is still wobbly when you sing. Like Life on Mars, or Space Oddity. House of the Rising Sun is another good one, or Creep even. Or I'm A Believer. Things that start low and then go high!
"Boomer" music oriented catalogues don't bother me since I'm a big fan of classic rock and prog rock. And with a big overlap, I also love songs that get everyone singing together. So give me a good Piano Man or Bohemian Rhapsody any day.
Finally, I can sing almost everything in my channel, although a few of the videos there I made as jokes (try to guess which!) The longer songs are some of my favorites but they tend to be super unpopular, hehe.
You have a whole dang channel of this! Hahahaha will definitely be making use of your videos
You're right about warm ups: I was being naive, need to sort my list by difficulty as well. Need to know when to bail when it gets too hard lol
I'm so glad I turn to Tildes folks for stuff
If you'll actually be searching for karaoke videos, Karaoke Nerds has a database with "everything" (excluding some more casual or domain-specific creations). The search here works much better than Youtube's incomprehensible search results. A little planet icon next to a result denotes a video that can be viewed online (click for link), the little down arrow icon denotes the video can be downloaded, and a little checkmark indicates a high quality/reliability creator from the youtube community. Keep in mind Karafun videos are all listed as "Karaoke Version".
A few go-to ones I've been known for doing:
When it comes to karaoke, I take a "throw shit at the wall and see what sticks" approach. It's probably easier for me to list the songs I wouldn't try again.
Tenacious D is a whole mood. With the right group, the Pick of Destiny soundtrack can be a lot of fun. Surprisingly many millennials know it well enough to sing it.
I like Buddy Holly by Weezer
Adding that and Say It Ain't So, thanks! Island In The Sun is great too but a tiny bit too repetitively chill for karaoke.
I'm pretty shy when it comes to karaoke. I very much enjoy it, but I get really anxious about it. That said, I like to do it here and there. My first song I ever did and the one time I did it, my friends and family still talk about.
Carnivore - Carnivore
Karaoke version
It's a song about Cunnilingus and it's not subtle.
Some more serious songs I like:
Car Wash Blues - Jim Croce
Rocksteady - Aretha Franklin (Not really great for my voice)
Night - Devin Townsend
Circle the Wagons - Darkthrone
Links in case you're unfamiliar and I should say, most of my karaoke is on Youtube. I haven't been to too many establishments proper, but they often don't have the stuff I want.
Kryptonite by Three Doors Down is my classic! Easy to do (mostly slightly-musical speaking), and you get to do the big "YEAAAAHHHHHHH" towards the end.
Bad Guy by Billie Eilish is another fun one for me, get to ham it up a little.
Your Idol by The Saja Boys (K-Pop Demon Hunters) is fun, esp if you get someone else to do the second singer verse.
In The End by Linkin Park is just a good song, and fun to sing
Birdbrain by Jaime Paige is goofy, although unlikely to be in most Karaoke catalogs unless they're doing it YouTube style
Lastly, The American National Anthem is not and should not be a karaoke song, but my friends and I spontaneously sang it 8-part harmony after the karaoke place remotely shut off the machine. I would def not call anyone in my friend group a patriot, it was surreal and hilarious
Re: soja boys -- we tried to do Golden, without knowing any Korean, and having a toddler's vocal range. But that's why karaoke is fun
Fly Me To The Moon/Come Fly With Me/The Way You Look Tonight - Frank Sinatra
Folsom Prison Blues/Walk The Line - Johnny Cash
Can’t Help Falling In Love/Heartbreak Hotel - Elvis Presley
That’s about all I can do while sounding not terrible.
I do hear Selena Gomez songs are popular because they don’t require such a great voice and they’re easy to sing a long to.
I had a good chuckle at that last part. I've always thought she sings super monotone and just really boring. I don't understand the appeal of her music at all, but I did enjoy her in the first couple seasons of Only Murders in the Building before it got really stupid and I quit watching.
I would go as far to say that she can’t sing. I don’t think she’s a good actress either. Like 90% of her it girl status during the 2010s is because she was pretty and she had a distinct and strong look to her. That being said she was better at acting and singing back then than she is now.
It’s always been a little weird to me that she gets compared to Ariana Grande who is undeniably a better singer and also a better actress.
Ayyy, someone with the same vocal range as me. Johnny Cash is my go to, because most songs have high notes, where if I sing them, it makes it so I can do maybe one or two songs all night and then I can't talk the next day.
One karaoke place near us lets you check their catalogue online and is pretty amenable about adding additional tracks.
I'll generally get something by The Cure in. Knowing my friends, I can throw on a Blink 182 and get everyone in, I try to ensure at least one group song. Last time, I did a great rendition of Oingo Boingo's Dead Man's Party. If someone puts on The Cars, they're getting a duet. I've practiced enough with The Eras Tour at home that I could do most of it up there.
Next time, I may do something off the K-Pop Demon Hunters soundtrack. I've been dueting both voices in Free as a vocal training exercise.
Me and Bobby McGee is a favorite that I can sing well.
Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks is a go-to for me. I also sing a ton of Avril Lavigne and early- to mid-aughts pop punk. And a lot of Alan Jackson. I forgot to mention a lot of Eminem - mostly Marshall Mathers LP and a little bit of The Eminem Show.
Depending on the audience, some Weird Al songs are very fun for karaoke. I've done "Amish Paradise" and "White & Nerdy" and had a blast.
And for any Better Call Saul fans out there, you might enjoy trying Abba's "The Winner Takes It All" as a duet :)
I don't know why I didn't think of Weird Al but of course! Decades of top hits but funny!
I took part in Twitch Sings when it was around, and I have been referencing any surviving playlists as I've started compiling songs for guitar practice. I also just did this for my very first time doing karaoke live in front of my co-workers, choosing Death Cab for Cutie's I Will Follow You Into The Dark. Such a great song for new singers to not have to struggle on, but veterans can add some flourish to it.
Most popular songs for men are about 2-3 notes above what I can hit, but these are either in my range or I can improv to make them work:
Your Song - Elton John
It's All Coming Back To Me Now - Celine Dion
9 to 5 - Dolly Parton
I Wanna Dance With Somebody - Whitney Houstin
Evermore - Beauty and the Beast
Part Of Your World - The Little Mermaid
Sunday Morning - Maroon 5
Praying - Kesha
Stand by Me - Ben E. King
Fly Me To The Moon - Frank Sinatra (shoutout @cloud_loud for mentioning this one :D)
I'll Make A Man Out Of You - Mulan
Good Riddance - Green Day
That Funny Feeling - Bo Burnham
Gravity - Sarah Bareilles
Remember Me - Coco
Bare Necessities - The Jungle Book
Somewhere Over The Rainbow - Judy Garland
Back to Pooh Corner - Kenny Loggins
I haven't dueted since Twitch Sings, but a few songs I'd eventually like to try it live with:
Shallow - A Star is Born
A Whole New World - Aladdin
At Last I See The Light - Tangled
Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye
Little Talks - Of Monsters And Men
Gaston - Beauty and the Beast (as Lefou)
Suddenly Seymour - Little Shop Of Horrors
Sweet Caroline!
I have a cool story for that one. A couple years ago, two of my friends and I went on a road trip for a week which culminated at a "sleep on the beach" spot. It's like a beach bar by the sea, super cool place.
The first night we arrive there, it's karaoke night. Everyone there (maybe 100 people) looked not hyped at all. Small talk, little noise.
We picked Sweet Caroline as the first song, drunk as fuck, sang on the tables screaming our hearts out. By the last verse, we had everyone singing with us. It was awesome, one of the funnest nights of my life.
I love this! That's exactly the reason for karaoke :) Sweet Carolina is a great one to start the night with new friends
The Strokes - Someday: Love the vibe and sentiment, no long awkward instrumentals, and it's well within vocal range which is a big plus.
Jimmy Eat World - The Middle and The Killers - Mr. Brightside: Great fun feel-good crowd energy songs most everybody knows the lyrics to.
Last time I went I was surprised to find Bo Burnham's "Welcome to the Internet" on the playlist. I didn't go for it (too long and a downer), but I do wonder if more tracks will make their way to venues given Inside's streaming popularity.
That reminds me to throw That Funny Feeling on my list of songs. Thanks!
If they have Welcome To The Internet, surely they have White Woman Instagram?
Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears is my jam of choice.
Lawyers, Guns and Money/ Werewolves of London - Warren Zevon