Everybody’s a star after a few drinks. Whether you can actually sing or not, when you step up on that karaoke stage, you take seriously your responsibility to entertain everybody in that damn bar.
But, it all starts with the song that you choose to sing.
Your song choice can make or break your karaoke performance. It’s the difference between having a crowd of people cheering you on, or having a crowd of people headed for the exit.
Sure, everybody loves “Tennessee Whiskey,” but unless you can actually sing like Chris Stapleton, you’re probably better off singing one of these songs instead.
“Friends in Low Places” – Garth Brooks
The number one rule of karaoke is that you sing a song that everybody knows. Nobody wants to hear you sing a deep cut from Garth’s new album (that you can’t listen to because it’s not even on iTunes).
When it comes to songs that will have everybody in the bar singing along, there’s none better than “Friends in Low Places.” And if you really want to put on a show, throw in that third verse and watch the bar go crazy.
“Take Me Home, Country Roads” – John Denver
This is another one that everybody knows. You’ll have the entire crowd singing along, whether they’re from West Virginia or not.
“Gunpowder and Lead” – Miranda Lambert
Ladies, this is your time to shine. Let your anger out on stage and let the entire bar know not to fuck with you.
“My Way” – Frank Sinatra
Hear me out on this one. I know it’s not country, and it’s a slow song, but nobody had more swagger than Frank Sinatra. This is your chance to show that you’re just as badass as he was. It’s an easy song to sing, and as it builds, the crowd will be hanging on to your every word. Trust me on this one.
“Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)” – John Michael Montgomery
This one takes some skill, but if you can keep up with all of the words on this one, you’ll have the whole place dancing along. 90’s country is always a good choice for karaoke, and an upbeat song like this one will get the crowd on their feet and placing bids right along with you.
“Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” – Toby Keith
Patriotism is always an easy win. Show everybody in the bar just how much you love ‘Merica, and that you’ll put a boot in the ass of anybody who messes with her. There’s nothing like a little anger to get a crowd fired up and cheering you on.
“Fancy” – Reba McEntire
I’ve seen guys and girls both knock this one out of the park…because who doesn’t love Reba? It’s a song about pulling yourself up out of a bad situation that everybody in the crowd will be able to relate to.
“Picture” – Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow
This song’s a modern-day classic, and if you’re looking for a duet to sing with your partner, this is it. There’s a reason this song was on the radio all the fucking time when it came out – people love it.
“Jackson” – Johnny and June Cash
Here’s another duet if you aren’t ready to leave the stage quite yet. This is a fun, energetic song that the whole crowd can dance and sing along to. Even if you don’t have the voice of Johnny Cash, everybody will be too busy partying to notice anyway.
“Chicken Fried” – Zac Brown Band
It’s energetic, it’s patriotic, and everybody knows the words. This song checks every box for a karaoke hit.
So there you have it. Ten songs that are guaranteed to make you a star at karaoke. Ok, there’s no guarantee, but your chances are a lot better with these songs than getting up on stage and singing “Wagon Wheel” for the millionth time.
