The 50 best karaoke songs ever made

This sacreligious banger by the queen of pop herself pulls in captivated listeners from the word go. ‘Life is a mystery, everyone must stand alone’, you croon, your voice a stream of light piercing through the darkest night. Heads turn, crowds gather, then BOOM: off pops that unignorable beat as the ‘80s anthem’s swinging melody swells into action. The best part is when you close in on that absolutely slamming breakdown – the crescendo where your choristers rise up like an army of heavenly warriors behind you. Nothing can stop you now, you have risen.

No matter where you fall on boy bands (or, ahem, Justin Timberlake), NSYNC will always be a karaoke winner. And their most popular banger, ‘Bye Bye Bye,’ is a sure crowd pleaser. Everyone knows it, you can perform it as a group, and best of all? There’s iconic dance moves to sell the performance. If, like me, you’ve been an NSYNC stan all along, it’s nice to get validation that this song has stood the test of time – it is and always will be a banger. 

From the sassy laugh at the beginning to the very last echoey note, the Spice Girls’s ‘Wannabe’ makes for the perfect karaoke anthem. It’s exactly the message to send to your next crush: want to be mine? You’d better make nice with the girlies. Its giving female empowerment, friendship goals and another round of shots please, all at once. This pop song has endured the decades for a reason, and when it comes to a sing-along, it hits every time. 

Jon Bon Jovi’s noughties hit ‘It’s My Life’ is all about refusing to blend into the background and letting your voice be heard – aka it’s a perfect song for trying to sing above all the chatter in a crowded karaoke bar. They will listen to your rendition, no. matter how many vodka tonics you’ve downed that evening. Blending rock undertones with a catchy pop-like vibe, this screamer of a tune reminds us that life is fleeting so you might as well seize the moment. After all, in the words of the man himself, ‘We ain’t gonna live forever.’ Ain’t that right?

No, I can’t hit the notes... but who can? Big Frank’s ‘My Way’ is a tectonic but tender reflection on his life, loves and career. And it’s perfect for belting out in horrifically sweaty, spittle-spurting fashion. If you don’t want to embarrass yourself too much, the trick is to start out singing the opening notes and verses as low as possible. Then, by the time you get around to throwing out those final, glorious choruses, you’re not left squeaking. Regrets... I’ve had a few.

Looking to get the whole crowd singing? This tune has got you covered. A-ha’s ‘80s classic is a song that starts fast and builds all the way up to its climactic chorus. The best part? The verses are short, so you get the ‘Take On Me’ refrain again and again (that’s the only bit worth singing anyway). Just be warned: there’s a rather long instrumental section about half way through, so you’re going to have to confidently break into dance if you don’t want to risk losing your audience. 

Sure, you’ve got the silly ones, but if you want to take karaoke seriously, you must choose a song with a clear and strong narrative. And it’s always a crowd pleaser to tell the story of poor Brandy, a bartender in an unspecified harbour town who falls in love with a flaky sailor. Sadly, said sailor only has eyes for his one true ‘life, love and lady’ – you guessed it – the sea. Grab a do-gooder to get up there with you to perform the song’s catchy backup ‘do do dos’ and you’ll have everyone sharing Brandy’s emotional journey with you in no time. Ol’ Brandy, this one’s for you. 

Easy on the vocal cords but heavy on the self-love, Lizzo’s ‘Juice’ is a proper girl’s night anthem. With its funk-pop feel and infectiously self-assured lyrics like ‘baby, I’m the whole damn meal’ and ‘I’m like Chardonnay, get better over time’ if you start off a little shy on the mic, this song will soon get the confidence oozing out of you. As the queen of self-empowerment, you’d be committing a personal offence against Lizzo if you don’t belt ‘Juice’ out with 11/10 effort. 

Whitney’s 1987 smash remains an invigorating blast of lovelorn pop glory, her powerful, agile voice soaring effortlessly over spritely synths and funk-syncopated guitar. The whole thing makes the achingly lonely search for a dance floor soulmate sound like the best Friday night ever. Of course, nobody’s alone at karaoke. Especially if you nail that third-act key change.

Sometimes you need to get in front of a group of strangers and make it clear that, no matter what challenges or misfortune the world throws in your path, you’re going to persevere. In those situations, you can’t go wrong with disco diva Gloria Gaynor’s iconic breakup anthem, which brought empowerment to the dance floor when the track debuted in 1978. Settle for ’90s alt-rockers Cake’s cover of this tune if you must, but Gaynor’s original version is infinitely more groovy.