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What to sing
Best karaoke duets
The best karaoke duets give each voice its own lines before you meet in the chorus, so neither of you is guessing when to come in.
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Before you sing it
Where it sits
How hard
Easy goingSome effortA big sing
Every song below shows where it sits and how hard it is. Open one for what to sing next and a little trivia.
Pick by the parts, not the people. Any pair works if one part sits higher than the other. Each pick says who takes what.
Duets flop when you both sing everything and lose each other. Pick clear turns, agree who starts, and look at each other in the chorus. That's half the show.
More than two of you? Try group songs.
Trading verses
Duets that trade verses
You each get your own lines, then the chorus brings you together. The easiest kind of duet to nail.
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Islands in the Stream
Kenny Rogers & Dolly PartonEach of you gets a verse to yourself before the chorus, and the chorus is so well known the room joins in.
One voice takes the first verse, the other the second; both on the chorus.
Some effortSits in the middle
Before you sing itMiddle · Some effort
Some effortSits in the middle
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
Did you know
- Written by the Bee Gees, this massive crossover hit went to number one on both pop and country charts.
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Don't Go Breaking My Heart
Elton John & Kiki DeeLine-by-line trading keeps you both busy, and nobody has time to get nervous.
Trade single lines back and forth, then sing the title together.
Some effortSits on the high side
Before you sing itHigh side · Some effort
Some effortSits on the high side
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
Did you know
- This upbeat track was a huge transatlantic number one duet with Kiki Dee.
- It was famously performed alongside Miss Piggy on The Muppet Show.
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Jackson
Johnny Cash & June CarterPlays out like a friendly argument, and both parts are talk-sung at an easy, low trot.
Alternate verses; together on the title.
Easy goingSits low
Before you sing itLow · Easy going
Easy goingSits low
Did you know
- Johnny Cash and June Carter won a Grammy Award for their beloved duet performance.
- The song was famously featured in the biopic Walk the Line.
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Ain't No Mountain High Enough
Marvin Gaye & Tammi TerrellUpbeat and well loved, and the chorus is a shout-together the whole room joins.
One voice per verse, both on the chorus.
Some effortSits in the middle
Before you sing itMiddle · Some effort
Some effortSits in the middle
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
Did you know
- It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame decades after its original release.
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Picture
Kid Rock & Sheryl CrowSlow, steady and conversational; each verse is one side of the same story.
One voice per verse, together on the chorus.
Some effortSits in the middle
Before you sing itMiddle · Some effort
Some effortSits in the middle
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
Did you know
- The duet was originally recorded with Sheryl Crow, but licensing issues led to an alternate radio release with Allison Moorer.
- It became Kid Rock's biggest crossover pop hit, reaching the top five on the Billboard Hot 100.
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Need You Now
Lady AntebellumMid-paced and comfortable for both parts, with a chorus the room recognizes by the second line.
One voice opens the first verse, the other takes the second; together on the chorus.
Some effortSits in the middle
Before you sing itMiddle · Some effort
Some effortSits in the middle
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
Did you know
- The song won four Grammy Awards, including both Record and Song of the Year.
Sung close
Quiet duets, sung close
Gentle songs where your voices stay close and nobody has to be loud.
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Somethin' Stupid
Frank Sinatra & Nancy SinatraGentle and low, with most lines sung together, so neither of you is ever out there alone.
Mostly together, one voice a little under the other.
Easy goingSits in the middle
Before you sing itMiddle · Easy going
Easy goingSits in the middle
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
Did you know
- Frank recorded the duet with his daughter Nancy, making it the only father-daughter duet to top the Billboard Hot 100.
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Lucky
Jason Mraz & Colbie CaillatQuiet and easy on both voices; the only risk is the room getting soppy.
Alternate verses, then close together on the chorus.
Some effortSits in the middle
Before you sing itMiddle · Some effort
Some effortSits in the middle
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
Did you know
- The duet with Colbie Caillat won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
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I Got You Babe
Sonny & CherSlow and sweet, easy to split, and the title comes round often enough for the room to join.
Trade lines, then sing the title together.
Easy goingSits in the middle
Before you sing itMiddle · Easy going
Easy goingSits in the middle
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
Did you know
- It served as the definitive signature tune for Sonny & Cher and became an international number-one smash.
- The song gained enduring pop culture fame as Phil Connors' morning alarm clock wake-up track in the film Groundhog Day.
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Mockingbird
Carly Simon & James TaylorCall and echo from start to finish, so the second voice only has to copy the first.
One voice sings each line, the other echoes it straight back.
Some effortSits in the middle
Before you sing itMiddle · Some effort
Some effortSits in the middle
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
Did you know
- Recorded as a duet with her then-husband James Taylor, it became an enormous crossover hit in the 1970s.
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A Whole New World
Peabo Bryson & Regina BelleSlow and soaring but never rushed, and every line has a clear owner.
One voice sings the invitation, the other answers; together at the end.
Some effortSits in the middle
Before you sing itMiddle · Some effort
Some effortSits in the middle
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
Drama for two
Big, dramatic duets
Only works if you both go all in. Straight or for laughs, commitment is the whole trick.
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(I've Had) The Time of My Life
Bill Medley & Jennifer WarnesStarts slow and low, then speeds up, and the whole room will be waiting to see if you attempt the lift.
One voice opens low and slow, the other answers higher; together from the first chorus.
A big singSits on the high side
Before you sing itHigh side · A big sing
A big singSits on the high side
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
Did you know
- Sung by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, the song won an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
- It became a massive worldwide hit as the signature song and finale to the movie Dirty Dancing.
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Shallow
Lady Gaga & Bradley CooperThe first verse is short and gentle; the wail in the middle is what everyone came for, so give it to whoever wants it.
One voice takes the quiet first verse, the other the second verse and the wail; both at the end.
Sits on the high side
Before you sing itHigh side
Sits on the high side
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
Did you know
- Lady Gaga famously performed this emotional ballad at the Oscars alongside Bradley Cooper.
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Under Pressure
Queen & David BowieThe bass line counts you both in, and the parts swap often enough that neither of you carries it.
One takes the low, conversational lines, the other the high, pleading ones; both on the ending.
A big singSits high
Before you sing itHigh · A big sing
A big singSits high
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
- Song 1Barbie GirlAqua
Did you know
- David Bowie and Queen improvised parts of the vocal melodies during a spontaneous studio jam session in Switzerland.
- Its iconic bassline was later sampled by Vanilla Ice for Ice Ice Baby.
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You're the One That I Want
John Travolta & Olivia Newton-JohnShort, bouncy parts and a chorus the room shouts; half the bar will do the moves for you.
One voice opens, the other answers higher; both on the chorus.
Some effortSits in the middle
Before you sing itMiddle · Some effort
Some effortSits in the middle
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
Did you know
- It was written specifically for the movie version of the musical and was not in the original stage production.
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Endless Love
Lionel Richie & Diana RossSlow and very earnest: play it straight and it is lovely, sing it at each other and it is the best thing all night.
Trade the verses, then hold the long lines together.
A big singSits on the high side
Before you sing itHigh side · A big sing
A big singSits on the high side
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
Did you know
- Diana Ross recorded this duet with Lionel Richie for the soundtrack to Franco Zeffirelli's romantic film.
- It spent nine consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
Uneven on purpose
Duets where one of you does more
For the pair where one wants the spotlight and the other would rather stand next to it.
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Somebody That I Used to Know
Gotye & KimbraThe second voice sits out the first half for one verse, and it is the best verse in the song.
One voice takes the verses and chorus; the other comes in late with a verse of their own.
Some effortSits on the high side
Before you sing itHigh side · Some effort
Some effortSits on the high side
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
Did you know
- It features New Zealand singer Kimbra and won two Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year.
- The iconic music video features the singers gradually being covered in body paint.
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Dilemma
Nelly & Kelly RowlandLaid-back and mid-paced; the rapped verses are unhurried and the sung chorus is one the room joins.
One raps the verses, the other sings the opening and the chorus.
Some effortSits in the middle
Before you sing itMiddle · Some effort
Some effortSits in the middle
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
Did you know
- The song prominently samples Patti LaBelle's early '80s soul ballad 'Love, Need and Want You'.
- Kelly Rowland famously used Microsoft Excel to text Nelly in the music video.
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Love the Way You Lie
Eminem & RihannaOne of you raps fast and angry, the other sings a short, calm chorus; the contrast is the song.
One raps the verses, the other sings only the chorus.
A big singSits on the high side
Before you sing itHigh side · A big sing
A big singSits on the high side
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
Did you know
- Its blockbuster music video starred actors Megan Fox and Dominic Monaghan.
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Barbie Girl
AquaSung completely straight, it is funnier than any joke you could add.
One voice takes the squeaky high part, the other the deep, spoken one.
Some effortSits high
Before you sing itHigh · Some effort
Some effortSits high
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
Did you know
- Toymaker Mattel sued the group's record label over trademark infringement, but the lawsuit was dismissed in court.
- The song became an international chart-topper and defined late 1990s bubblegum pop.
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Don't You Want Me
The Human LeagueAn argument over synths: the lead carries most of it, and the second voice gets one verse to tell the other side.
One voice takes most of the song; the other takes the second verse.
Easy goingSits on the low side
Before you sing itLow side · Easy going
Easy goingSits on the low side
Did you know
- Lead singer Philip Oakey originally disliked the track and thought it was the weakest song on the album.
- It went on to become the UK Christmas number one single in the early 1980s.
Keeping track of the good ones
A duet goes on your setlist like any song. In KaraokeList, tag it Skill if you nailed your half, Fun if the room loved it anyway, and give it stars.
Log how it sat for you: Too high, Just right or Too low. Took the wrong half? Now you know to swap.
Need a new one for two? Tap the Magic Mic, pick the A duet sign, and get songs you don't have yet, each with its reason.
Questions
What is the easiest karaoke duet?
One where each of you gets your own lines before you meet in the chorus. Islands in the Stream and Don't Go Breaking My Heart are the easiest to split, and Lucky is the gentlest on both voices.
What are good karaoke duets for friends?
Pick one with clear turns and a chorus the room knows. Ain't No Mountain High Enough, You're the One That I Want and Don't You Want Me all work for any two people, romantic or not.
What are funny karaoke duets?
Barbie Girl, played completely straight, is funnier than any joke you could add. Endless Love and (I've Had) The Time of My Life work the same way when you sing them at each other with total commitment.
How do you split a duet at karaoke?
Decide who starts before you go up, then follow the song's own turns: one voice per verse and both on the chorus, for most duets. If one of you sits higher than the other, the higher part goes to them, whoever they are.
Know what you’re singing before you’re called.
Keep every karaoke song you nail. Stuck? Tap the Magic Mic for your next one, and it tells you why.
