50 karaoke songs everyone knows (and the whole room will sing)

What makes a song one that everyone knows

The best karaoke song is not the hardest one. It is the one where the whole room jumps in on the chorus by the second line. That takes pressure off the singer, wakes up the shy people and turns a living room into a concert. We picked 50 songs that pass that test in the US and the UK, sorted by style so you can build tonight's setlist in two minutes.

Karaoke anthems: the songs nobody can resist

These are the ones every karaoke bar plays at least once a night. Start or close your party with one of them.

• Don't Stop Believin' (Journey)
• Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen)
• Sweet Caroline (Neil Diamond)
• Livin' on a Prayer (Bon Jovi)
• Mr. Brightside (The Killers)
• Total Eclipse of the Heart (Bonnie Tyler)
• Piano Man (Billy Joel)
• Africa (Toto)

Pop divas: for a big vocal moment

Grab the mic like it is a stadium. Even if you miss the high notes, the room will carry you.

• I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor)
• Dancing Queen (ABBA)
• Girls Just Want to Have Fun (Cyndi Lauper)
• I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Whitney Houston)
• Man! I Feel Like a Woman! (Shania Twain)
• Since U Been Gone (Kelly Clarkson)
• Shake It Off (Taylor Swift)
• Rolling in the Deep (Adele)

90s and 2000s: pure nostalgia

The soundtrack of anyone who grew up with MTV and burned CDs. Guaranteed screaming.

• I Want It That Way (Backstreet Boys)
• ...Baby One More Time (Britney Spears)
• Wannabe (Spice Girls)
• Wonderwall (Oasis)
• Torn (Natalie Imbruglia)
• No Scrubs (TLC)
• Hey Ya! (OutKast)
• Zombie (The Cranberries)

Rock classics: for the air guitar crowd

Shouted choruses and that live-show feeling. Karaoke was made for these.

• Sweet Child O' Mine (Guns N' Roses)
• You Shook Me All Night Long (AC/DC)
• Summer of '69 (Bryan Adams)
• Hey Jude (The Beatles)
• I Love Rock 'n' Roll (Joan Jett and the Blackhearts)
• Creep (Radiohead)
• Valerie (Mark Ronson ft. Amy Winehouse)
• Born to Be Wild (Steppenwolf)

Country: the sing-along kings

Country choruses are built for a crowd. Expect boots stomping even in the living room.

• Friends in Low Places (Garth Brooks)
• Jolene (Dolly Parton)
• Before He Cheats (Carrie Underwood)
• Wagon Wheel (Darius Rucker)
• Take Me Home, Country Roads (John Denver)
• Chicken Fried (Zac Brown Band)

Duets: grab a partner

Perfect for couples, best friends or two strangers who just met at the party.

• Islands in the Stream (Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton)
• Don't Go Breaking My Heart (Elton John and Kiki Dee)
• Shallow (Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper)
• Summer Nights (John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John)
• I Got You Babe (Sonny and Cher)
• Picture (Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow)

Recent hits: for the younger crowd

Songs from the last few years that are already karaoke staples.

• Flowers (Miley Cyrus)
• Uptown Funk (Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars)
• Good 4 U (Olivia Rodrigo)
• Espresso (Sabrina Carpenter)
• Watermelon Sugar (Harry Styles)
• Shut Up and Dance (Walk the Moon)

How to build the night's setlist

1. Open with an anthem. Something like "Sweet Caroline" breaks the ice faster than anything.
2. Mix fast and slow. Alternate so nobody burns out their voice by 10 p.m.
3. Drop a duet in the middle. It pulls two people up at once and gets the room clapping.
4. Save the big one for last. "Bohemian Rhapsody" works best when everyone is warmed up.

With the list ready, follow our guide on how to do karaoke at home and put it on the TV. At karaoque.com/tv you search for the song, it goes into the queue and each person's phone becomes a microphone. Free and with no song limit.

Have a shy friend? Send them our list of easy karaoke songs for beginners. Still choosing where to sing? See our comparison of the best karaoke apps.