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New Year's Eve Karaoke: the best songs to sing at midnight
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To do karaoke on New Year's Eve, open karaoque.com/tv on the TV, keep the QR code on screen and each guest joins from their phone, which becomes the microphone. It is free and there is no app. The most sung songs at midnight are "Auld Lang Syne", "Happy New Year" (ABBA) and "I Gotta Feeling" (Black Eyed Peas); for the party anthems, "Mr. Brightside" (The Killers) and "Don't Stop Believin'" (Journey).
Why karaoke is the best New Year's Eve party at home
Every New Year's Eve party has the same weak spot: the night starts strong, but between dinner and the ball drop there are hours of waiting around. Karaoke turns those hours into the best part of the night. Everyone sings the song that defined their year, the room scores each performance, and by the time the countdown starts the whole party is already warmed up.
You don't need to rent a karaoke machine or buy microphones. With Karaoque, the TV (or a laptop plugged into it) becomes the stage and every guest's phone becomes a microphone, free and with nothing to install.
New Year's songs to sing before midnight
Some songs just sound like December 31. They are about fresh starts, looking back and toasting what comes next, and everyone knows the chorus.
- Auld Lang Syne · traditional
- Happy New Year · ABBA
- What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? · Ella Fitzgerald
- New Year's Day · U2
- 1999 · Prince
- Celebration · Kool & The Gang
- New York, New York · Frank Sinatra
- Empire State of Mind · JAY-Z and Alicia Keys
- Firework · Katy Perry
- I Gotta Feeling · Black Eyed Peas
Karaoke hits to keep the queue moving
After the classics, the party wants the big sing-alongs: pop, R&B and rock that everyone has belted out in the car at least once. This is when the shy guests finally grab the mic. Hit play on Deezer's "Karaoke Hits" playlist for ideas:
Party anthems that get everyone on their feet
On New Year's Eve nobody cares about hitting every note. These are choruses made for jumping and shouting together, from American bars to British house parties.
- Mr. Brightside · The Killers
- Sweet Caroline · Neil Diamond
- Don't Stop Believin' · Journey
- Livin' on a Prayer · Bon Jovi
- Don't Stop Me Now · Queen
- Dancing Queen · ABBA
- I Wanna Dance with Somebody · Whitney Houston
- September · Earth, Wind & Fire
- Uptown Funk · Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars
- Freed From Desire · Gala
If you run out of ideas halfway through the night, our list of karaoke songs everyone knows has you covered. For nervous singers, start with these easy karaoke songs for beginners.
How to set up New Year's Eve karaoke with Karaoque
- Open karaoque.com/tv in the TV's browser. A smart TV, Chromecast, a laptop on HDMI or a tablet all work, even at a rented cabin or a friend's apartment. If you need help, see how to play karaoke on your TV.
- Keep the QR code on screen. Each guest points their camera at it, types a name and joins. No app, no sign up.
- Everyone picks songs from their phone. The queue rotates fairly, so nobody spends the whole night waiting for a turn.
- The phone becomes the microphone. Your voice comes out of the TV live, with the lyrics and the video.
- The crowd scores it. Whoever is watching reacts from their phone, and the audience score shows up when the song ends.
5 karaoke games for New Year's Eve
- Year in review, sung: each person picks the song that sums up their year and explains why before singing it.
- Resolution song: before midnight, everyone sings a song that matches their New Year's resolution. Travel, a new love, a new job, getting fit: there is a song for all of it.
- Midnight choir: line up "Auld Lang Syne" or "Happy New Year" so it lands right after the countdown, and get the whole room singing while the ball drops in Times Square or Big Ben chimes.
- Team battle: split the party into two teams and add up the audience scores. The losing team pours the champagne for the midnight toast.
- Duet draw: put everyone's name in a hat and pull out random pairs. Each duo has to sing one song together before the clock hits twelve.
Spending New Year's Eve far from your people?
You can start an online karaoke party with friends far away, each from their own home, and count down to midnight together.
New Year's Eve karaoke checklist
- TV or laptop with Karaoque open before the guests arrive.
- Wi-Fi working where the party is (if you are somewhere new, test it before the 31st).
- Phones charged and a charger near the couch: at midnight everyone will want to film the countdown.
- A starting queue with three or four songs everybody knows.
- Pause the karaoke for the countdown and the midnight kiss, then come back with a big anthem right after the hugs.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best songs to sing on New Year's Eve?
"Auld Lang Syne", "Happy New Year" (ABBA), "New Year's Day" (U2), "1999" (Prince) and "Celebration" (Kool & The Gang). For party anthems, "Mr. Brightside" (The Killers), "Sweet Caroline" (Neil Diamond) and "Don't Stop Believin'" (Journey).
How do I do karaoke on New Year's Eve without a karaoke machine?
Open karaoque.com/tv in the browser of your TV or laptop and scan the QR code with your phone. Each person's phone becomes a microphone and the voice comes out of the TV live.
Can I host New Year's Eve karaoke at a rented house or cabin?
Yes. All you need is a TV or laptop with a browser and Wi-Fi at the place. Guests join from their phones without installing anything.
Is New Year's Eve karaoke on Karaoque free?
Yes. Singing, building the queue and getting the audience score are free, with no sign up.
Can I sing with friends who are spending New Year's Eve in another city?
Yes. In online mode everyone sings from their own home, the mic rotates between turns and you can count down to midnight together.