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What to sing

Group karaoke songs

Great group karaoke songs give everyone something to do: a part, a shouted line, a dance the room already knows. Nobody's just holding a drink and waiting.

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Parts to hand out
Moves included
Birthdays
Work nights

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.

Birthdays, bachelorette parties, work nights: lots of nerves, one mic. Pick songs with parts to hand out, or a chorus loud enough to hide in.

The quiet colleague will belt a chorus they know. They won't take a verse alone.

Open big, save the dramatic one for later, and close on something everyone knows word for word. Just the two of you? The duets page goes deeper.

Parts to hand out

Songs with parts to hand out

Built for more than one voice. The bold ones take verses, everyone takes the chorus.

Wannabe
Spice Girls

Made for a gang of friends from the first shouted line, with enough separate parts that nobody sings all of it.
Hand out a part each; the fast middle rap goes to whoever volunteers.
Listen Lyrics
Sits on the high side
Some effort
Before you sing itHigh side · Some effort
Sits on the high side
Some effort
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
1. Song 1Summer NightsJohn Travolta & Olivia Newton-John
2. Song 2Proud MaryTina Turner
3. Song 3Y.M.C.A.Village People
Did you know
1. This debut single kicked off global 'Girl Power' mania and topped charts in over thirty countries.
2. The iconic music video was filmed in a single continuous tracking shot at an abandoned London hotel.
Love Shack
The B-52's

Half-shouted, half-sung, and the sudden stop near the end, with the shout that follows, is the best moment in any group performance.
One voice takes the talky lead, the rest take the sung lines; everyone on the title.
Listen Lyrics
Sits in the middle
Some effort
Before you sing itMiddle · Some effort
Sits in the middle
Some effort
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
1. Song 1No ScrubsTLC
2. Song 2CelebrationKool & The Gang
3. Song 3Uptown FunkMark Ronson & Bruno Mars
Did you know
1. RuPaul made a memorable cameo appearance dancing in the music video.
Summer Nights
John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John

Two sides of the same story, told to two cheering sections, so the whole table has a part.
Two leads trade verses; everyone else splits into two sides for the backing questions.
Listen Lyrics
Sits on the high side
Some effort
Before you sing itHigh side · Some effort
Sits on the high side
Some effort
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
1. Song 1Proud MaryTina Turner
2. Song 2Y.M.C.A.Village People
3. Song 3Bye Bye Bye*NSYNC
Did you know
1. John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John trade contrasting memories about their brief summer romance.
No Scrubs
TLC

The chorus is short, sits in the middle and is sung with a raised eyebrow; everyone at the table will know it.
Split the verses; everyone on the chorus.
Listen Lyrics
Sits in the middle
Some effort
Before you sing itMiddle · Some effort
Sits in the middle
Some effort
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
1. Song 1CelebrationKool & The Gang
2. Song 2Uptown FunkMark Ronson & Bruno Mars
3. Song 3I Gotta FeelingThe Black Eyed Peas
Did you know
1. Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas sang lead vocals on this Grammy-winning smash hit.
2. The song popularized the slang term used to describe a deadbeat romantic prospect.
Lady Marmalade
Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya & Pink

Made for several big voices trading verses, so nobody carries it, and everybody knows the French bit.
Hand out the verses and the rap; everyone takes the French line together.
Listen Lyrics
Sits high
A big sing
Before you sing itHigh · A big sing
Sits high
A big sing
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
1. Song 1BirthdayThe Beatles
Did you know
1. This massive collaboration brought together Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mýa, and P!nk.
2. The music video won Video of the Year at the MTV Video Music Awards in the early 2000s.
Proud Mary
Tina Turner

The slow start is the tease and the fast half is the party, and the whole room knows exactly when the switch comes.
One voice does the slow spoken opening; everyone comes in when it speeds up.
Listen Lyrics
Sits on the high side
Before you sing itHigh side
Sits on the high side
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
1. Song 1Y.M.C.A.Village People
2. Song 2Bye Bye Bye*NSYNC
3. Song 3Everybody (Backstreet's Back)Backstreet Boys
Did you know
1. The song became Tina Turner's signature live showstopper throughout her solo career.

Moves included

Songs with moves the room already knows

Nobody needs to sing well when everybody knows what to do with their arms.

Y.M.C.A.
Village People

Nobody needs to sing it well; everybody needs to know the arm moves, and they do.
One voice on the verses; everyone spells the title with their arms.
Listen Lyrics
Sits on the high side
Some effort
Before you sing itHigh side · Some effort
Sits on the high side
Some effort
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
1. Song 1Bye Bye Bye*NSYNC
2. Song 2Everybody (Backstreet's Back)Backstreet Boys
3. Song 3Time WarpThe Rocky Horror Picture Show
Did you know
1. The iconic letter-forming arm dance was actually invented by the audience during a TV performance.
2. It has become an enduring staple at sports stadiums and wedding receptions around the world.
Shout
The Isley Brothers

Call and answer all the way through, and the quiet stretch has the whole room crouching down, then jumping back up.
One voice leads, everyone answers, and everyone gets low when it goes quiet.
Listen Lyrics
A big sing
Before you sing itA big sing
A big sing
Did you know
1. The Isleys improvised it on stage as a call-and-response encore, then went into the studio and recorded it.
Bye Bye Bye
*NSYNC

Someone at every party still knows the dance, and they will teach the rest on the spot.
Pass the verses around; everyone does the hand move on the title.
Listen Lyrics
Sits on the high side
Some effort
Before you sing itHigh side · Some effort
Sits on the high side
Some effort
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
1. Song 1Everybody (Backstreet's Back)Backstreet Boys
2. Song 2Time WarpThe Rocky Horror Picture Show
3. Song 3SeptemberEarth, Wind & Fire
Did you know
1. The music video famously features the band members as life-sized marionettes escaping their puppet strings.
Everybody (Backstreet's Back)
Backstreet Boys

The song leaves gaps for the room to answer, and someone always remembers the dance from the video.
Verses pass down the line; everyone answers in the gaps.
Listen Lyrics
Sits on the high side
Some effort
Before you sing itHigh side · Some effort
Sits on the high side
Some effort
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
1. Song 1Time WarpThe Rocky Horror Picture Show
2. Song 2SeptemberEarth, Wind & Fire
3. Song 39 to 5Dolly Parton
Did you know
1. The iconic music video parodied classic movie monsters, featuring the members dressed as Dracula, a mummy, and a werewolf.
2. It was famously featured in the climactic ending scene of the apocalyptic comedy film This Is the End.
Time Warp
The Rocky Horror Picture Show

The song tells the room what to do with its feet, so even the shy ones end up in it.
One voice takes the narrator's spoken lines; everyone does the steps the song calls out.
Listen Lyrics
Sits on the high side
Some effort
Before you sing itHigh side · Some effort
Sits on the high side
Some effort
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
1. Song 1SeptemberEarth, Wind & Fire
2. Song 29 to 5Dolly Parton
3. Song 3Takin' Care of BusinessBachman-Turner Overdrive
Did you know
1. The song acts as an instructional line dance with lyrics outlining all the steps.

Birthdays

Birthdays and big nights

For the part of the night when the whole table is up and it's officially a celebration.

Celebration
Kool & The Gang

Made for exactly this: the chorus is the reason you are all there, and it comes round constantly.
One voice keeps the verses going; everyone on the chorus.
Listen Lyrics
Sits in the middle
Easy going
Before you sing itMiddle · Easy going
Sits in the middle
Easy going
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
1. Song 1Uptown FunkMark Ronson & Bruno Mars
2. Song 2I Gotta FeelingThe Black Eyed Peas
3. Song 3Friday I'm in LoveThe Cure
Did you know
1. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the early 1980s and remains a wedding reception staple.
2. The band's saxophonist Ronald Bell got the idea for the song after reading scriptures about creation.
Birthday
The Beatles

A birthday song that is not the birthday song, loud and done in under three minutes.
Two voices trade the verses; everyone shouts the parts in between.
Listen Lyrics
Sits high
A big sing
Before you sing itHigh · A big sing
Sits high
A big sing
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
1. Song 1Lady MarmaladeChristina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya & Pink
Did you know
1. The band wrote and recorded the entire song in a single marathon studio session.
2. Pattie Boyd and Yoko Ono joined in on backing vocals during the recording.
September
Earth, Wind & Fire

The wordless part of the chorus is the easiest singing on this page, and the room already knows it.
Everyone on the chorus; the verses go to whoever knows them.
Listen Lyrics
Sits on the high side
Some effort
Before you sing itHigh side · Some effort
Sits on the high side
Some effort
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
1. Song 19 to 5Dolly Parton
2. Song 2Takin' Care of BusinessBachman-Turner Overdrive
3. Song 3WannabeSpice Girls
Did you know
1. Co-writer Allee Willis asked Maurice White what the nonsensical chorus syllables meant, and he replied they just felt good.
2. The song is celebrated worldwide every year on the specific date mentioned in its opening line.
Uptown Funk
Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars

Mostly rhythm and swagger, with shouted lines anyone can throw in, and nobody needs a tune until the chorus.
One voice takes the verses; the group takes the shouted lines.
Listen Lyrics
Sits in the middle
A big sing
Before you sing itMiddle · A big sing
Sits in the middle
A big sing
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
1. Song 1I Gotta FeelingThe Black Eyed Peas
2. Song 2Friday I'm in LoveThe Cure
3. Song 3Love ShackThe B-52's
Did you know
1. The song took months of frustrating studio sessions to finish before becoming a massive worldwide smash.
2. It won two Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year.
I Gotta Feeling
The Black Eyed Peas

Slow to build and easy to join, and it promises a good night, which is the right thing to sing at the start of one.
Everyone on the chorus; one voice takes the run through the days of the week.
Listen Lyrics
Sits in the middle
Easy going
Before you sing itMiddle · Easy going
Sits in the middle
Easy going
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
1. Song 1Friday I'm in LoveThe Cure
2. Song 2Love ShackThe B-52's
3. Song 3No ScrubsTLC
Did you know
1. French house producer David Guetta produced the monster hit for the group.
2. It held the top spot on the US pop charts for fourteen consecutive weeks.

Work nights

Songs for a work outing

Songs about what the whole table has in common. Nobody sings alone.

9 to 5
Dolly Parton

Written about the job you all share, and sung at a trot the whole team can keep.
Everyone on the chorus; the verses go to whoever is brave.
Listen Lyrics
Sits on the high side
Some effort
Before you sing itHigh side · Some effort
Sits on the high side
Some effort
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
1. Song 1Takin' Care of BusinessBachman-Turner Overdrive
2. Song 2WannabeSpice Girls
3. Song 3Summer NightsJohn Travolta & Olivia Newton-John
Did you know
1. Dolly wrote the rhythm of the song on set by clicking her acrylic fingernails together.
2. She starred alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in the comedy film of the same name.
Working for the Weekend
Loverboy

The chorus is the whole mood of the room, and the verses are short and low-stakes.
One voice on the verses; everyone on the title line.
Listen Lyrics
A big sing
Before you sing itA big sing
A big sing
Takin' Care of Business
Bachman-Turner Overdrive

A title the whole office can shout, and a plain, talky verse for whoever draws the short straw.
One voice on the verses; everyone on the title, every time.
Listen Lyrics
Sits on the high side
Some effort
Before you sing itHigh side · Some effort
Sits on the high side
Some effort
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
1. Song 1WannabeSpice Girls
2. Song 2Summer NightsJohn Travolta & Olivia Newton-John
3. Song 3Proud MaryTina Turner
Did you know
1. Randy Bachman wrote the chorus after hearing a local Vancouver radio DJ use the slogan on air.
2. The driving piano track was played by a pizza delivery guy who happened to be hanging out at the studio.
Take This Job and Shove It
Johnny Paycheck

Short and low, and a risky choice with the boss in the room, which is exactly why somebody will request it.
Everyone on the title line.
Listen Lyrics
Sits on the low side
Some effort
Before you sing itLow side · Some effort
Sits on the low side
Some effort
Did you know
1. It was written by fellow country outlaw David Allan Coe.
Friday I'm in Love
The Cure

Bright and simple, sitting in the middle, and it works best on an actual Friday.
Everyone on the chorus; the verses are a walk through the week that anyone can follow.
Listen Lyrics
Sits in the middle
Some effort
Before you sing itMiddle · Some effort
Sits in the middle
Some effort
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
1. Song 1Love ShackThe B-52's
2. Song 2No ScrubsTLC
3. Song 3CelebrationKool & The Gang
Did you know
1. It became one of the band's biggest mainstream pop hits around the world.

Finding your songs in a crowd

Group nights show you which songs are yours. In KaraokeList, tag them Fun if the room loved it, Skill if you could carry it alone.

Between rounds, give it stars and tap Too high, Just right or Too low. Quick to do, and it adds up.

Table asking what's next? Tap the Magic Mic, pick Anthems or Crowd pleasers, and get songs you don't have yet, each with its reason.

Questions

What are good group karaoke songs?

Songs where everyone has a job. Love Shack and Summer Nights split into parts, Y.M.C.A. and Shout come with moves the room already knows, and Celebration hands everyone the chorus.

What should we sing at a bachelorette party karaoke?

Songs with parts to hand out and a chorus everyone knows: Wannabe, No Scrubs, Lady Marmalade and Proud Mary. Save the slow ballad for whoever asked for the microphone first.

What are good karaoke songs for a work party?

Songs about work that nobody has to sing alone: 9 to 5, Working for the Weekend and Takin' Care of Business. Take This Job and Shove It is funnier and riskier, depending on who is in the room.

What is a good birthday karaoke song?

Birthday by The Beatles and Celebration by Kool & The Gang are made for it, and September is the one everybody already knows. Let the birthday person pick the first song of the night.

Also try

Ask Magic Mic for a song with a part for everyone →

Find a bar tonight →

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.

Group karaoke songs

Songs with parts to hand out

Wannabe

Love Shack

Summer Nights

No Scrubs

Lady Marmalade

Proud Mary

Songs with moves the room already knows

Y.M.C.A.

Shout

Bye Bye Bye

Everybody (Backstreet's Back)

Time Warp

Birthdays and big nights

Celebration

Birthday

September

Uptown Funk

I Gotta Feeling

Songs for a work outing

9 to 5

Working for the Weekend

Takin' Care of Business

Take This Job and Shove It

Friday I'm in Love

Finding your songs in a crowd

Questions

Also try

Know what you’re singing before you’re called.