Home / Best Karaoke Songs

Best Karaoke Songs — Crowd-Pleasers for Every Kind of Singer

The right song choice saves a shaky singer and lifts a flat room. Here's the list hosts reach for: sorted by the job you need the song to do, not by chart position.

Opening bangers (get the room on side)

Your first two songs set the permission level for the whole night. Pick something instantly recognisable that everyone can belt the chorus of, even badly.

• "Don't Stop Believin'" — Journey
• "Mr. Brightside" — The Killers
• "Dancing Queen" — ABBA
• "Sweet Caroline" — Neil Diamond
• "Africa" — Toto

Safe picks for shy or first-time singers

These have chantable, repetitive choruses and forgiving ranges — the crowd carries them, so a wobbly verse doesn't matter.

• "Wonderwall" — Oasis
• "Country Roads" — John Denver
• "I Want It That Way" — Backstreet Boys
• "Rolling in the Deep" — Adele (big chorus, lots of room)
• "Take On Me" — a-ha (the high note is the whole point)

Duets that actually work

Good duets split the parts clearly and share the chorus, so two different abilities both get a moment.

• "Islands in the Stream" — Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton
• "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" — Elton John & Kiki Dee
• "Shallow" — Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
• "A Whole New World" — Aladdin
• "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" — Dirty Dancing

Power ballads (for the show-offs)

Save these for confident singers and for the middle of the night, when the room is willing to go quiet.

• "I Will Always Love You" — Whitney Houston
• "My Heart Will Go On" — Celine Dion
• "Total Eclipse of the Heart" — Bonnie Tyler
• "Purple Rain" — Prince

Rap and talk-sung tracks (no singing required)

• "Lose Yourself" — Eminem
• "No Diggity" — Blackstreet
• "Gangsta's Paradise" — Coolio
• "It Wasn't Me" — Shaggy

Rock and crowd anthems

• "Bohemian Rhapsody" — Queen (always, eventually)
• "Livin' on a Prayer" — Bon Jovi
• "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" — Joan Jett
• "Song 2" — Blur (two minutes of pure chaos)

How hosts should use a list like this

Don't hand this list to guests — let them pick. Use it for two things: seeding the first slot or two, and reviving a flat room with a guaranteed anthem. And once you're running the night, a QR code song request system means the songs come to you instead of a clipboard. For the full picture, see how to run a karaoke night.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best karaoke song to start the night?

Something instantly recognisable that everyone can shout along to — a big pop or rock anthem. The first song sets the room's permission level, so choose energy over difficulty.

What are good karaoke songs for people who can't sing?

Songs with repetitive, chantable choruses and a narrow range, or talk-sung tracks. The crowd carries the chorus, so a shaky verse barely matters.

What makes a good karaoke duet?

Clearly split parts and a shared chorus, so two people of different abilities can both shine without stepping on each other.