It’s happened to almost every one of us. We get to Karaoke and know we want to sing something, but we have no idea WHAT to sing.
Although the options are limitless, and Soulo Productionz always has exhaustive lists on hand of the possibilities, they’ve also supplied Creative North Shore with a handy list, in no particular order, of the top ten songs to sing at Karaoke.
10 songs guaranteed to bring down the house.
Misery Business – Paramore
American Rock Band Paramore released this as the lead single from their second studio album: Riot!, it topped the charts at #26 on Billboard’s Top 100. It’s considered the band’s breakthrough hit.
Fun fact: Lead singer Hayley Williams had to postpone a tour once because she was grounded.
Sugar We’re Going Down – Fall Out Boy
Pop Punk Emo band Fall Out Boy released this lead single from their second album From Under the Cork Tree in 2005. The single reached as high as #8 on the Billboard top 100
Lead vocalist Patrick Stump once punched bandmate Pete Wentz in the face during an argument over lyrics.
I Write Sins Not Tragedies – Panic! at the Disco
Baroque Pop Emo Band Panic! at the Disco’s second single off their debut album A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out topped out at #7 on the charts, and was the band’s only top 40 hit until the release of “Hallelujah” in 2015.
Panic! at the Disco started their career as a Blink-182 cover band before diverging into its eventual Vaudevillian pop-punk aesthetic and going double-platinum.
Take Me or Leave Me – Rent
Written by American composer Jonathan Larson for the Broadway musical Rent, “Take Me or Leave Me” is a duet performed by Idina Menzel as Maureen and Fredi Walker-Browne (née Walker) as Joanne in the Broadway production, and with Tracie Thoms as Joanne in the film version.
Martin Scorsese was originally considered as the director for the movie adaptation, but he “didn’t know what to do with it.” So it ended up being directed by Chris Columbus instead.
Valerie – Amy Winehouse
Originally produced by British Indie Rock Band The Zutons, “Valerie” saw its rise to fame when it was covered by English musicians Amy Winehouse and Mark Ronson in 2007.
When Winehouse was young, she didn’t dream of being a singer. Instead, she wanted to become a rollerskating waitress like the ones featured in the 1973 film American Graffiti.
Mamma Mia – Abba
This opening track to Swedish Pop Band ABBA’s self-titled album is known the world over, even though it was never meant to be released as a single. It reached #1 in the UK and #32 on the Billboard Top 100.
During their heyday, ABBA shared their named with a seafood company and had to negotiate their rights to the name with Abba Seafood, purveyor of canned herring.
Sk8ter Boi – Avril Lavigne
Canadian singer-songwriter and pop-punk princess Avril Lavigne unleashed “Sk8r Boi” on the world in 2002. The second single off her debut album Let Go hit #1 on Billboard Pop Top 40.
Pizza is Avril Lavigne’s favorite food, and her hometown of Napanee, Ontario has a pizza place with a pepperoni, olives, and mushroom – topped pizza named after her.
You Oughta Know – Alanis Morissette
Alternative Rock Queen Alanis Morissette released this Karaoke anthem as the lead single off her third studio album Jagged Little Pill in 1995. It was nominated for three Grammy Awards, and won the awards for Best Rock Song and Best Female Rock Performance.
Alanis was a cast member on the international television series You Can’t Do That on Television, which was the precursor to Nickelodeon. If you’re wondering if she got slimed on live TV, the answer is yes.
Separate Ways – Journey
Released as a single in 1983, “Separate Ways” peaked at #8 for six consecutive weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was the first song for which the band shot a choreographed video.
The band’s first manager, Herbie Herbert, originally wanted to call the band “Golden Gate Rhythm Section.” Fortunately, it didn’t stick.
I Want to Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) – Whitney Houston
This chart topper was the first single from Houston’s second studio album Whitney. Despite mixed critical reviews, it won the Grammy for Best Female Pop Performance in in 1988.
It’s almost as if Whitney Houston was made for stardom, her second cousin was Dionne Warwick and her godmother was Aretha Franklin.
Make sure to follow Soulo Productionz or check out our events calendar to find out where Karaoke will be happening next on the North Shore!
About Soulo Productionz: Soulo Productionz is a DJ, Karaoke, and Entertainment service providing music and fun for venues and events around the North Shore of MA. We offer a variety of a la carte packages for your event or venue with our award winning DJ and Karaoke services. For anything from birthdays and graduations, to weddings or corporate events. We do it all!
