KaraokeList › What to sing › New Year's Eve karaoke songs

What to sing

New Year's Eve karaoke songs

New Year's Eve karaoke songs run on a deadline. Get on the list early, save the big group song for the countdown, and keep something low and easy for after.

Get KaraokeList, free

Before midnight
Midnight
After midnight

Before you sing it

Where it sits

How hard

Easy goingSome effortA big sing

Most songs below show where they sit and how hard they are. Open one for what to sing next and a little trivia.

Then pace yourself. Hours of shouting over the bar leave little for midnight, and by one o'clock your voice is toast. That's why these picks get lower and gentler as the night goes on.

Still looking for a room? See which bars usually run karaoke that night in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco or Sacramento, or find your city. Plenty of bars change plans for New Year's Eve, so call ahead.

Before midnight

Before midnight: get the room going

Easy party songs to join while the bar is still filling up.

I Gotta Feeling
The Black Eyed Peas

Made for a night like this: mostly chanted rather than sung, with a hook the room already knows.
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 1CelebrationKool & the Gang
2. Song 2Party in the U.S.A.Miley Cyrus
3. Song 3Mr. BrightsideThe Killers
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.
Raise Your Glass
P!nk

A toast in song form: talky verses, a shouted chorus, and a room that's already holding its drinks up.
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 11999Prince
2. Song 2Shut Up and DanceWalk the Moon
3. Song 3Shake It OffTaylor Swift
Did you know
1. P!nk co-wrote it with Max Martin and Shellback as an anthem for the underdogs and oddballs.
Celebration
Kool & the Gang

The verses are short and the chorus is long, which is the right ratio for a bar at ten o'clock.
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 1Party in the U.S.A.Miley Cyrus
2. Song 2Mr. BrightsideThe Killers
3. Song 3Take Me Home, Country RoadsJohn Denver
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.
1999
Prince

Prince's party song for the end of the world, with the first verse split between voices, so bring friends.
a group: trade the verse lines, everyone on the chorus
Listen Lyrics
Sits on the high side
A big sing
Before you sing itHigh side · A big sing
Sits on the high side
A big sing
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
1. Song 1Shut Up and DanceWalk the Moon
2. Song 2Shake It OffTaylor Swift
3. Song 3Bohemian RhapsodyQueen
Shut Up and Dance
Walk the Moon

Fast and a little high, but it's done in about three minutes and the bar is on its feet by the chorus.
Listen Lyrics
Sits on the high side
A big sing
Before you sing itHigh side · A big sing
Sits on the high side
A big sing
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
1. Song 1Shake It OffTaylor Swift
2. Song 2Bohemian RhapsodyQueen
3. Song 3Hey JudeThe Beatles
Did you know
1. The song was inspired by a real experience the lead singer had at an indie dance club in Los Angeles.
Party in the U.S.A.
Miley Cyrus

Chatty verses that sit comfortably, then the chorus the whole room was waiting for.
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 1Mr. BrightsideThe Killers
2. Song 2Take Me Home, Country RoadsJohn Denver
3. Song 3Piano ManBilly Joel
Did you know
1. British pop star Jessie J co-wrote the track originally intending to sing it herself.
Shake It Off
Taylor Swift

More attitude than voice: talky verses and a spoken bit in the middle you can ham up.
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 1Bohemian RhapsodyQueen
2. Song 2Hey JudeThe Beatles
3. Song 3AfricaToto
Did you know
1. As the first single from her fifth album, it marked Swift's full move from country to pop.
2. The music video features her trying out various dance styles, from ballet to hip-hop.

Midnight

Around midnight: the whole bar sings

Save these for late, when everyone's loud, a little misty-eyed and already standing.

Auld Lang Syne
Traditional

The midnight song, and hardly anyone knows it past the first verse — with the words on screen, you're the most useful person in the bar.
Listen Lyrics
The Final Countdown
Europe

The countdown song, more or less: it sits high, but the whole bar hums the keyboard riff with you, and that's the part they came for.
a table: one lead, everyone on the riff and the title line
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 1Livin' on a PrayerBon Jovi
Mr. Brightside
The Killers

Fast, relentless and with no quiet bit to hide in, but nobody will hear you over the bar singing every word.
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 1Take Me Home, Country RoadsJohn Denver
2. Song 2Piano ManBilly Joel
3. Song 3Stand by MeBen E. King
Did you know
1. It was the very first song the band wrote together after Brandon Flowers answered a local newspaper ad.
2. The track set massive chart longevity records in the UK, staying in the top one hundred for years.
Livin' on a Prayer
Bon Jovi

It sits high and lifts again for the last chorus; do it as a table and let the room take the top.
a table: whoever goes highest leads the last chorus
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 1The Final CountdownEurope
Did you know
1. Jon Bon Jovi originally disliked the demo and almost left it off the album.
2. It features Richie Sambora's famous talk-box guitar riff.
Bohemian Rhapsody
Queen

Nearly six minutes and it changes shape several times, so split it — the room will take the operatic middle whether you ask or not.
a group: take a section each, everyone on the loud rock bit
Listen Lyrics
Sits on the high side
A big sing
Before you sing itHigh side · A big sing
Sits on the high side
A big sing
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
1. Song 1Hey JudeThe Beatles
2. Song 2AfricaToto
3. Song 3Closing TimeSemisonic
Did you know
1. The famous operatic section required around one hundred and eighty vocal overdubs done on analog tape.
2. A legendary headbanging scene in Wayne's World introduced the song to a whole new generation.
Hey Jude
The Beatles

Over seven minutes, but more than half of that is the long singalong ending, which the room does for you.
Listen Lyrics
Sits on the high side
A big sing
Before you sing itHigh side · A big sing
Sits on the high side
A big sing
Sing nextSame spot for your voice
1. Song 1AfricaToto
2. Song 2Closing TimeSemisonic
3. Song 3Raise Your GlassP!nk
Did you know
1. Paul McCartney wrote the song to comfort young Julian Lennon during his parents' divorce.
2. The track spent nine weeks at number one in the US, making it The Beatles' biggest chart hit there.
Africa
Toto

The verses stay comfortable and half-spoken; the chorus jumps up, and the bar takes it off your hands anyway.
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 1Closing TimeSemisonic
2. Song 2Raise Your GlassP!nk
3. Song 31999Prince
Did you know
1. David Paich wrote the song despite having never set foot on the continent of Africa at the time.
2. A resurgence of internet meme popularity introduced the hit to an entirely new generation of fans.
Take Me Home, Country Roads
John Denver

Comfortable from start to finish, and it's the one strangers put their arms around each other for.
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 1Piano ManBilly Joel
2. Song 2Stand by MeBen E. King
3. Song 3FlowersMiley Cyrus
Did you know
1. It was officially adopted as one of the state songs of West Virginia.
2. The songwriters had never actually visited West Virginia when they began writing it.

After midnight

After midnight: for tired voices

Voices fade around one. These stay low, short or quiet, and none will look bad on someone's phone tomorrow.

Closing Time
Semisonic

Written to end the night on, and bars really do play it at last call; it climbs in the chorus, but nobody is listening closely by then.
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 1Raise Your GlassP!nk
2. Song 21999Prince
3. Song 3Shut Up and DanceWalk the Moon
Piano Man
Billy Joel

Long and slow, a waltz the room sways to — you carry the verses and everyone else takes 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 1Stand by MeBen E. King
2. Song 2FlowersMiley Cyrus
3. Song 3Happy New YearABBA
Did you know
1. The song was inspired by Joel's actual gig playing piano at an executive lounge in Los Angeles under a pseudonym.
Margaritaville
Jimmy Buffett

Low, lazy and half-talked, for a voice that has already had its night.
Listen Lyrics
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. Buffett got the idea after drinking margaritas at a Mexican restaurant in Austin, Texas.
2. The song inspired a massive global restaurant, resort, and lifestyle brand.
Ring of Fire
Johnny Cash

Low, steady and under three minutes, so even a worn-out voice gets to the end.
Listen Lyrics
Sits low
Easy going
Before you sing itLow · Easy going
Sits low
Easy going
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.
Stand by Me
Ben E. King

Slow and steady, and it never asks for more than you have left.
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 1FlowersMiley Cyrus
2. Song 2Happy New YearABBA
3. Song 3Wagon WheelDarius Rucker
Did you know
1. The famous bassline was worked out on piano by producer Mike Stoller during the writing session.
2. It returned to the charts after lending its name to the mid-'80s film Stand by Me.
Flowers
Miley Cyrus

Mid-tempo and comfortable, a fresh-start song for the first hour of the new year.
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 1Happy New YearABBA
2. Song 2Wagon WheelDarius Rucker
3. Song 3I Gotta FeelingThe Black Eyed Peas
Did you know
1. The song broke Spotify's record for the most streams in a single week upon release.
Happy New Year
ABBA

A slow ABBA song about the moment the party's over — gentle enough for a voice that has done its shouting.
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 1Wagon WheelDarius Rucker
2. Song 2I Gotta FeelingThe Black Eyed Peas
3. Song 3CelebrationKool & the Gang
Did you know
1. It's a New Year's Eve staple across Europe.
Wagon Wheel
Darius Rucker

Stays comfortable start to finish, and by the second chorus the room has taken over.
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 1I Gotta FeelingThe Black Eyed Peas
2. Song 2CelebrationKool & the Gang
3. Song 3Party in the U.S.A.Miley Cyrus
Did you know
1. Lady A provides backing harmonies on Darius Rucker's Grammy-winning version of the track.
2. The song was originally started by Bob Dylan in the 1970s before being finished by Old Crow Medicine Show.

Remember what actually worked

Log each song in KaraokeList before the next round: stars, plus Too high, Just right or Too low. Tomorrow you'll know what really went well.

Your list and log work with no signal, handy in a packed bar. Tag songs Skill if you can really sing them, Fun if the room loved them anyway.

Come January, tap the Magic Mic for songs you don't have yet, each with its reason. Better than most resolutions.

Questions

What are good New Year's Eve karaoke songs?

Before midnight, party songs that are easy to join, like I Gotta Feeling, Celebration and 1999. Around midnight, the ones the whole bar sings, such as Livin' on a Prayer and Mr. Brightside. After, something low and gentle, like Closing Time.

What song do you sing at midnight on New Year's Eve?

Auld Lang Syne is the tradition, and the lyrics screen helps, because few people know it past the first verse. Hey Jude and Bohemian Rhapsody are the other midnight songs a whole bar can carry.

What is a good countdown song for New Year's Eve karaoke?

The Final Countdown is the obvious one, and the bar will sing the keyboard riff with you. Raise Your Glass works just before, while everyone is still holding a drink, and Auld Lang Syne belongs right after.

What is a good group karaoke song for New Year's Eve?

Bohemian Rhapsody splits into sections, so a table can take one each. 1999 was recorded with voices trading lines, and Livin' on a Prayer works best when the room takes the last chorus.

What should I sing at karaoke when my voice is tired?

Something low and short. Ring of Fire is under three minutes, Margaritaville is nearly spoken, and Stand by Me never gets loud; skip anything with a big high finish.

Also try

Ask Magic Mic for a New Year’s Eve song →

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.

New Year's Eve karaoke songs

Before midnight: get the room going

I Gotta Feeling

Raise Your Glass

Celebration

1999

Shut Up and Dance

Party in the U.S.A.

Shake It Off

Around midnight: the whole bar sings

Auld Lang Syne

The Final Countdown

Mr. Brightside

Livin' on a Prayer

Bohemian Rhapsody

Hey Jude

Africa

Take Me Home, Country Roads

After midnight: for tired voices

Closing Time

Piano Man

Margaritaville

Ring of Fire

Stand by Me

Flowers

Happy New Year

Wagon Wheel

Remember what actually worked

Questions

Also try

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