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What to sing

Karaoke songs for low voices

Good karaoke songs for low voices start deep and stay there. Plenty jump up for the chorus. These don't.

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.

For a deep voice, the trouble is the chorus that climbs, or the last one that goes up for drama. The songs worth learning keep the quiet verse and the loud chorus in the same place.

Most men sit down here, and plenty of women too, so you'll find picks for both, plus a few hits that sit lower than you'd guess.

Old country and early rock and roll are full of them, and so are the crooners. Where a pick lifts, the reason says where. Want the gentlest start? Try easy songs for men or easy songs for women. Other way round? The high-voice page is its mirror.

Low country

Country that stays down

Singers who talked as much as they sang, about as deep as most low voices speak.

  • Folsom Prison Blues

    Johnny Cash

    Sits at talking depth the whole way and never rises for a chorus, because it barely has one.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits on the low side

    Easy going
    Before you sing itLow side · Easy going

    Sits on the low side

    Easy going

    Did you know

    1. Cash wrote the song in the early '50s while stationed in West Germany with the US Air Force.
  • Ring of Fire

    Johnny Cash

    Low and steady, with the horns filling every gap and the room taking the title each time it comes round.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits low

    Easy going
    Before you sing itLow · Easy going

    Sits low

    Easy going

    Sing nextSame spot for your voice

    1. Song 1Your ManJosh Turner
    2. Song 2I Walk the LineJohnny Cash
    3. Song 3Big Bad JohnJimmy Dean

    Did you know

    1. The song was co-written by June Carter about her budding, turbulent romance with Johnny Cash.
    2. Cash added the song's iconic mariachi-style trumpets after hearing them in a vivid dream.
  • Friends in Low Places

    Garth Brooks

    The chorus drops rather than climbs, right down to the title, and the whole bar goes down with you.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits on the low side

    Easy going
    Before you sing itLow side · Easy going

    Sits on the low side

    Easy going

    Did you know

    1. It spent four weeks at the top of the country charts and won both CMA and ACM Single of the Year.
  • Your Man

    Josh Turner

    Made for one of the deepest voices on country radio; if you can reach the bottom of it, the room will notice.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits low

    Some effort
    Before you sing itLow · Some effort

    Sits low

    Some effort

    Sing nextSame spot for your voice

    1. Song 1I Walk the LineJohnny Cash
    2. Song 2Big Bad JohnJimmy Dean
    3. Song 3He'll Have to GoJim Reeves

    Did you know

    1. Chris Stapleton was one of the co-writers on this signature deep-voiced country ballad.
  • King of the Road

    Roger Miller

    Half-spoken at a stroll with finger snaps, and it never once asks you to reach.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits on the low side

    Easy going
    Before you sing itLow side · Easy going

    Sits on the low side

    Easy going

    Did you know

    1. Roger Miller wrote the song after being inspired by a sign on the road advertising cheap trailers.
    2. It won five Grammy Awards in the mid-'60s and became his signature crossover hit.
  • I Walk the Line

    Johnny Cash

    Steady as a train, and it dips very low in places; if you can reach the bottom, the room will be impressed.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits low

    Easy going
    Before you sing itLow · Easy going

    Sits low

    Easy going

    Sing nextSame spot for your voice

    1. Song 1Big Bad JohnJimmy Dean
    2. Song 2He'll Have to GoJim Reeves
    3. Song 3HurtJohnny Cash

    Did you know

    1. Cash famously slipped a piece of paper beneath the guitar strings to give the rhythm track its signature chugging sound.
    2. It became Cash's very first number one hit on the country charts.
  • Big Bad John

    Jimmy Dean

    Mostly spoken in a deep, storytelling voice, so the only skill needed is a good dramatic pause.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits low

    Easy going
    Before you sing itLow · Easy going

    Sits low

    Easy going

    Did you know

    1. Jimmy Dean wrote this spoken-word country classic during a flight between New York and Nashville.
    2. It won a Grammy Award and spent five weeks at the top of the pop charts in the early 1960s.
  • He'll Have to Go

    Jim Reeves

    Slow, velvety and low, sung like you're leaning on the jukebox.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits low

    Easy going
    Before you sing itLow · Easy going

    Sits low

    Easy going

    Did you know

    1. This massive crossover smash established Jim Reeves as a pioneer of the smooth Nashville Sound.
    2. Reeves recorded the vocal extremely close to the microphone to create an intimate, whispered feeling.
  • Whiskey River

    Willie Nelson

    Low and loose, and the band does most of the driving.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits in the middle

    Some effort
    Before you sing itMiddle · Some effort

    Sits in the middle

    Some effort
  • Hurt

    Johnny Cash

    Slow, deep and heartbreaking. Sing it plainly and the room will go very, very quiet.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits low

    Some effort
    Before you sing itLow · Some effort

    Sits low

    Some effort

    Did you know

    1. Nine Inch Nails songwriter Trent Reznor praised this cover, saying the song was no longer his.

Crooners

Crooners and slow ones

Warm and unhurried. You stay low while the band shows off.

  • Fly Me to the Moon

    Frank Sinatra

    Swings along in the lower middle at an easy stroll, and it is over before you have had time to worry.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits on the low side

    Easy going
    Before you sing itLow side · Easy going

    Sits on the low side

    Easy going

    Did you know

    1. Sinatra's recording was played by the crew of Apollo 10 and on the Apollo 11 moon mission.
    2. Arranged by Quincy Jones, this version changed the song from a slow waltz into a swing classic.
  • Unforgettable

    Nat King Cole

    Slow and warm, with no big finish to land; the whole thing is sung at the volume of a conversation.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits on the low side

    Easy going
    Before you sing itLow side · Easy going

    Sits on the low side

    Easy going

    Did you know

    1. Nat King Cole's lush orchestral version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
  • What a Wonderful World

    Louis Armstrong

    Slow, low and gravelly on the record, so a rough edge in your voice is part of the song, not a flaw.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits low

    Easy going
    Before you sing itLow · Easy going

    Sits low

    Easy going

    Did you know

    1. The song found massive new global popularity after being featured in the movie Good Morning, Vietnam.
  • Sixteen Tons

    Tennessee Ernie Ford

    Sung close to speaking depth over finger snaps, and nothing in it ever lifts.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits on the low side

    Easy going
    Before you sing itLow side · Easy going

    Sits on the low side

    Easy going

    Did you know

    1. The song was written by country singer Merle Travis, but this recording made it a massive pop crossover smash.
    2. The iconic finger snapping throughout the song was originally done just to keep tempo in the studio.
  • Ain't No Sunshine

    Bill Withers

    Short, slow and low; the stretch where one phrase repeats and repeats is easier than it looks, as long as you count.

    ListenLyrics

    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. Bill Withers was still working at an aircraft toilet factory when he wrote and recorded the breakthrough track.
  • Hallelujah

    Leonard Cohen

    Choose Leonard Cohen's original over the high cover versions in the book: it sits deep and moves slowly.

    ListenLyrics

    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. Leonard Cohen reportedly drafted as many as eighty different verses before finalizing the track.
  • The Way You Look Tonight

    Frank Sinatra

    Warm and gentle in the lower middle, with no big finish to worry about.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits on the low side

    Some effort
    Before you sing itLow side · Some effort

    Sits on the low side

    Some effort

    Sing nextSame spot for your voice

    1. Song 1Love Me TenderElvis Presley
    2. Song 2FeverPeggy Lee
    3. Song 3Cry Me a RiverJulie London

    Did you know

    1. Sinatra's iconic swing arrangement was orchestrated by Nelson Riddle in the mid '60s.
    2. Originally written by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields, it won an Academy Award in the '30s.
  • Love Me Tender

    Elvis Presley

    Slow, low and tender, and so short that it's over before your knees can start knocking.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits on the low side

    Easy going
    Before you sing itLow side · Easy going

    Sits on the low side

    Easy going

    Sing nextSame spot for your voice

    1. Song 1FeverPeggy Lee
    2. Song 2Cry Me a RiverJulie London
    3. Song 3People Are StrangeThe Doors

    Did you know

    1. The melody is adapted directly from the Civil War-era ballad Aura Lee.
    2. It served as the title track to Elvis Presley's very first feature film.
  • Fever

    Peggy Lee

    Low, cool and half whispered over finger snaps; the less you push, the better it sounds.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits on the low side

    Easy going
    Before you sing itLow side · Easy going

    Sits on the low side

    Easy going

    Did you know

    1. Peggy Lee rewrote the lyrics herself, adding historical verses about Romeo, Juliet, and Captain Smith.
  • Cry Me a River

    Julie London

    Smoky and slow, sitting low the whole way, perfect for a low voice that likes a little drama.

    ListenLyrics

    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. The sparse original arrangement featured only electric guitar and acoustic bass.

Low rock

Rock that stays low

Murmured, growled or half-spoken. The singer stays down and the band gets loud.

  • People Are Strange

    The Doors

    Jim Morrison kept it low and lazy, and it is done in a little over two minutes.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits on the low side

    Easy going
    Before you sing itLow side · Easy going

    Sits on the low side

    Easy going

    Did you know

    1. Jim Morrison was inspired to write the lyrics after walking around the Laurel Canyon hills while feeling alienated.
  • Personal Jesus

    Depeche Mode

    Low and mostly murmured over a stomping beat the room claps along to.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits on the low side

    Easy going
    Before you sing itLow side · Easy going

    Sits on the low side

    Easy going

    Did you know

    1. Martin Gore was inspired to write it after reading Priscilla Presley's memoir about Elvis.
    2. The band famously promoted the single by placing cryptic 'Your Own Personal Jesus' newspaper classified ads.
  • Bad to the Bone

    George Thorogood & The Destroyers

    Growled rather than sung, with the stuttered title doing half the work.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits on the low side

    Easy going
    Before you sing itLow side · Easy going

    Sits on the low side

    Easy going

    Did you know

    1. The song became a pop-culture staple after soundtracking the arrival of the T-800 in Terminator 2.
  • Come Together

    The Beatles

    Murmured in the lower middle over a slinky groove; the chorus rises a little and comes straight back down.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits on the low side

    Easy going
    Before you sing itLow side · Easy going

    Sits on the low side

    Easy going

    Did you know

    1. John Lennon wrote the song inspired by Timothy Leary's campaign for governor of California.
  • Walk on the Wild Side

    Lou Reed

    Lou Reed barely sings it at all: low and spoken, with the backing singers carrying the famous wordless part.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits low

    Easy going
    Before you sing itLow · Easy going

    Sits low

    Easy going

    Did you know

    1. David Bowie co-produced the track alongside guitarist Mick Ronson.
    2. The iconic sliding bass line was created by combining an upright acoustic bass with an electric bass.
  • Psycho Killer

    Talking Heads

    Twitchy, narrow and low, and the oddball delivery is part of the charm.

    ListenLyrics

    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 1Spirit in the SkyNorman Greenbaum
    2. Song 2DreamsFleetwood Mac
    3. Song 3Fast CarTracy Chapman
  • The Passenger

    Iggy Pop

    Low and cruising, and the wordless chorus is the room's to sing.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits on the low side

    Easy going
    Before you sing itLow side · Easy going

    Sits on the low side

    Easy going

    Sing nextSame spot for your voice

    1. Song 1Hey JoeThe Jimi Hendrix Experience
    2. Song 2Back to BlackAmy Winehouse
    3. Song 3RoyalsLorde
  • Hey Joe

    The Jimi Hendrix Experience

    Low, slow and talky, and the guitar does all the showing off.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits on the low side

    Some effort
    Before you sing itLow side · Some effort

    Sits on the low side

    Some effort

    Sing nextSame spot for your voice

    1. Song 1Back to BlackAmy Winehouse
    2. Song 2RoyalsLorde
    3. Song 3Video GamesLana Del Rey

    Did you know

    1. This was the debut single released by The Jimi Hendrix Experience in the UK in the late sixties.
    2. Chas Chandler discovered Hendrix in New York after hearing him play an arrangement of this song.
  • Spirit in the Sky

    Norman Greenbaum

    Chunky, stompy and low, with a chorus that sits right where the verse does.

    ListenLyrics

    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 1DreamsFleetwood Mac
    2. Song 2Fast CarTracy Chapman
    3. Song 3Chasing CarsSnow Patrol

Lower than you think

Hits that sit lower than you'd think

Pop songs people assume are high, or never think to check, that stay comfortably low.

  • Dreams

    Fleetwood Mac

    Narrow and unhurried in the lower part of Stevie Nicks's voice, and the chorus barely rises.

    ListenLyrics

    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 1Fast CarTracy Chapman
    2. Song 2Chasing CarsSnow Patrol
    3. Song 3RehabAmy Winehouse

    Did you know

    1. A viral skateboarding video featuring cranberry juice gave the track a massive streaming resurgence decades later.
  • Back to Black

    Amy Winehouse

    Sits low and dark from start to finish, and the slow pace leaves time for every word.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits on the low side

    Some effort
    Before you sing itLow side · Some effort

    Sits on the low side

    Some effort

    Sing nextSame spot for your voice

    1. Song 1RoyalsLorde
    2. Song 2Video GamesLana Del Rey
    3. Song 3Folsom Prison BluesJohnny Cash

    Did you know

    1. Producer Mark Ronson built the retro sound using members of the funk and soul band Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings.
    2. The song was inspired by Winehouse's painful breakup with her then-boyfriend Blake Fielder-Civil.
  • These Boots Are Made for Walkin'

    Nancy Sinatra

    Half-talked, low and sassy, and done in under three minutes.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits low

    Easy going
    Before you sing itLow · Easy going

    Sits low

    Easy going

    Sing nextSame spot for your voice

    1. Song 1BudapestGeorge Ezra
    2. Song 2Smooth OperatorSade
    3. Song 3Bad GuyBillie Eilish

    Did you know

    1. Songwriter Lee Hazlewood originally planned to sing the track himself before Nancy Sinatra convinced him it worked better for a woman.
    2. The distinctive descending bass line was played by legendary session musician Chuck Berghofer.
  • Royals

    Lorde

    Sits low for a pop hit and is mostly rhythm; the chorus lifts a little and then settles again.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits on the low side

    Easy going
    Before you sing itLow side · Easy going

    Sits on the low side

    Easy going

    Did you know

    1. The song spent nine consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
  • Budapest

    George Ezra

    Made for one of pop's deeper voices, and the chorus stays close to where the verse left it.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits low

    Easy going
    Before you sing itLow · Easy going

    Sits low

    Easy going

    Sing nextSame spot for your voice

    1. Song 1Smooth OperatorSade
    2. Song 2Bad GuyBillie Eilish
    3. Song 3Ring of FireJohnny Cash
  • Fast Car

    Tracy Chapman

    Low and steady, with a chorus that lifts only a little; the verses are long, so know the words.

    ListenLyrics

    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 1Chasing CarsSnow Patrol
    2. Song 2RehabAmy Winehouse
    3. Song 3Whiskey RiverWillie Nelson

    Did you know

    1. Her career skyrocketed after she performed this song solo with an acoustic guitar at Nelson Mandela's 70th Birthday Tribute concert.
    2. The folk classic earned Chapman three Grammy nominations, winning Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
  • Smooth Operator

    Sade

    Cool, low and unhurried; it's all about sounding relaxed, not about volume.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits low

    Easy going
    Before you sing itLow · Easy going

    Sits low

    Easy going

    Sing nextSame spot for your voice

    1. Song 1Bad GuyBillie Eilish
    2. Song 2Ring of FireJohnny Cash
    3. Song 3Your ManJosh Turner
  • Video Games

    Lana Del Rey

    Slow, dreamy and low, sung almost lazily from start to finish.

    ListenLyrics

    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. Lana Del Rey shot to global fame after self-editing a DIY homemade music video for this song.
  • Bad Guy

    Billie Eilish

    Whispered, low and sly, and a deadpan delivery is exactly what it wants.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits low

    Easy going
    Before you sing itLow · Easy going

    Sits low

    Easy going

    Sing nextSame spot for your voice

    1. Song 1Ring of FireJohnny Cash
    2. Song 2Your ManJosh Turner
    3. Song 3I Walk the LineJohnny Cash

    Did you know

    1. Billie Eilish recorded the vocals in a tiny bedroom studio with her brother Finneas.
    2. The song famously dethroned Lil Nas X's record-breaking run at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
  • Chasing Cars

    Snow Patrol

    Steady and narrow, it builds in loudness rather than height, so you never have to reach.

    ListenLyrics

    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 1RehabAmy Winehouse
    2. Song 2Whiskey RiverWillie Nelson
    3. Song 3Psycho KillerTalking Heads

    Did you know

    1. It became an enormous global hit after playing during the emotional climax of Grey's Anatomy's second season finale.
  • Rehab

    Amy Winehouse

    Low, sassy and short, and the room shouts its answers in the chorus for you.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits in the middle

    Some effort
    Before you sing itMiddle · Some effort

    Sits in the middle

    Some effort

    Did you know

    1. Mark Ronson produced the track with a vintage 1960s girl-group Motown sound.
    2. Winehouse won multiple Grammy Awards in one night largely propelled by the success of this track.

How the app learns where you sit

Low is relative. Log a song in KaraokeList, give it stars, and tap Too high, Just right or Too low. No music words required.

Tag the ones you really nail as Skill. Stamp the chorus that climbed away from you Not again, and the Magic Mic never suggests it back.

Want something new? Tap the Magic Mic for songs you don't have yet, each with its reason.

Questions

What are good karaoke songs for a deep voice?

Songs that stay low through the chorus, not just the verse. Folsom Prison Blues, Sixteen Tons and Your Man sit deep the whole way, and Budapest and Dreams are pop songs that do the same.

What pop songs are good for a low voice?

More than people expect. Dreams, Back to Black, Royals, Budapest and These Boots Are Made for Walkin' all stay in the low part of the voice, chorus included.

What karaoke songs suit a low female voice?

Lots of favorites sit lower than people think. Back to Black, Fever, Cry Me a River, Dreams and Smooth Operator all stay low, chorus included.

Why does the chorus always feel too high?

Many songs sit low in the verse and climb for the chorus, and the chorus is where everyone is listening. Check the chorus before you pick, or choose songs like Ring of Fire and Friends in Low Places whose choruses stay down.

Can the karaoke host make a song lower?

Many karaoke setups can shift a song lower, so it is worth asking the host. It helps most on a song that is nearly right; a song that climbs a long way will still climb.

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.

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