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What to sing

Short karaoke songs

Short karaoke songs are a kindness to the rotation and to your nerves. The list moves faster, and if it goes badly, it's over before anyone notices.

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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.

A seven-minute song on a packed Saturday is someone else's turn. Short songs keep things moving, and the host notices who picks them.

Short doesn't mean slight. Early rock and roll, soul and country were built to fit on a single, and they're great sung loud. The run times given are rough.

First time up? Pair this page with easy songs.

Rock and roll

Early rock and roll

Made to fit one side of a record, so they come in loud and fast.

  • Hound Dog

    Elvis Presley

    Shouted and bouncy, and finished in a little over two minutes.

    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 1Johnny B. GoodeChuck Berry
    2. Song 2Peggy SueBuddy Holly
    3. Song 3La BambaRitchie Valens

    Did you know

    1. Elvis Presley recorded over thirty takes in the studio before he was satisfied with the final cut.
    2. Big Mama Thornton originally recorded the song years before Elvis transformed it into a massive rock and roll hit.

  • Johnny B. Goode

    Chuck Berry

    Under three minutes, and the room shouts the name in every chorus.

    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 1Peggy SueBuddy Holly
    2. Song 2La BambaRitchie Valens
    3. Song 3CrazyPatsy Cline

    Did you know

    1. A copy of this recording was included on the Voyager Golden Record sent into deep space in the late '70s.

  • Great Balls of Fire

    Jerry Lee Lewis

    Under two minutes of pure bluster, and nobody expects polish.

    ListenLyrics

    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 1Rock Around the ClockBill Haley & His Comets
    2. Song 2My GirlThe Temptations
    3. Song 3I Got You (I Feel Good)James Brown

    Did you know

    1. Lewis's furious piano-pounding performance helped define the explosive sound of early rock and roll.

  • Blue Suede Shoes

    Carl Perkins

    About two minutes, with stop-start lines the band punctuates for you.

    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 1Mama TriedMerle Haggard

    Did you know

    1. Carl Perkins wrote the lyrics on a brown paper potato sack after seeing a dancer warn his partner about his shoes.
    2. Shortly after recording it, Perkins suffered a serious car crash that halted his promotion of the track.

  • Rock Around the Clock

    Bill Haley & His Comets

    Counts itself in, stays in one place, and wraps up in a little over two minutes.

    ListenLyrics

    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 1My GirlThe Temptations
    2. Song 2I Got You (I Feel Good)James Brown
    3. Song 3Dancing in the StreetMartha and the Vandellas

  • Peggy Sue

    Buddy Holly

    About two and a half minutes, and the hiccups in the delivery are more fun to copy than to get right.

    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 1La BambaRitchie Valens
    2. Song 2CrazyPatsy Cline
    3. Song 3Your Cheatin' HeartHank Williams

    Did you know

    1. Originally titled Cindy Lou, the song was renamed after The Crickets drummer Jerry Allison's girlfriend.

  • La Bamba

    Ritchie Valens

    About two minutes, all in Spanish, and the room joins on the title.

    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 1CrazyPatsy Cline
    2. Song 2Your Cheatin' HeartHank Williams
    3. Song 3Bad Moon RisingCreedence Clearwater Revival

    Did you know

    1. Ritchie Valens adapted this traditional Mexican folk tune into an iconic rock and roll hit while still a teenager.
    2. It became one of the very first Spanish-language songs to reach the top 40 on the US pop charts.

Country and roots

Country and roots, done quickly

Story songs and heartbreak that say their piece and leave.

Soul and Motown

Soul and Motown under three minutes

Big songs in small packages, most with a part the room already knows.

  • (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay

    Otis Redding

    Slow, easy and under three minutes, and it ends in whistling instead of a big finish.

    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 1Be My BabyThe Ronettes
    2. Song 2Blitzkrieg BopRamones
    3. Song 3Song 2Blur

    Did you know

    1. Otis Redding recorded the track just days before his tragic death in a plane crash.

  • Respect

    Aretha Franklin

    About two and a half minutes, and the spelled-out title is the room's part.

    ListenLyrics

    Sits high

    A big sing
    Before you sing itHigh · A big sing

    Sits high

    A big sing

    Did you know

    1. Aretha turned Otis Redding's original song into a feminist and civil rights powerhouse anthem.
    2. Her version added the famous spelling hook and the backing chant sung by her sisters.

  • My Girl

    The Temptations

    Just under three minutes, sweet and mid-paced, and the room takes the title.

    ListenLyrics

    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 1I Got You (I Feel Good)James Brown
    2. Song 2Dancing in the StreetMartha and the Vandellas
    3. Song 3All the Small ThingsBlink-182

    Did you know

    1. It was the Temptations' very first number one single on the pop charts.

  • I Got You (I Feel Good)

    James Brown

    Under three minutes; the scream at the start is optional and always appreciated.

    ListenLyrics

    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 1Dancing in the StreetMartha and the Vandellas
    2. Song 2All the Small ThingsBlink-182
    3. Song 3Great Balls of FireJerry Lee Lewis

    Did you know

    1. It is James Brown's highest-charting pop single in the United States.

  • Dancing in the Street

    Martha and the Vandellas

    A little over two and a half minutes, and it calls on everyone to join, which the room takes literally.

    ListenLyrics

    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 1All the Small ThingsBlink-182
    2. Song 2Great Balls of FireJerry Lee Lewis
    3. Song 3Rock Around the ClockBill Haley & His Comets

    Did you know

    1. Co-written by Marvin Gaye, it became an anthem for both summer fun and the civil rights movement.

  • Be My Baby

    The Ronettes

    Under three minutes, with a drum beat the whole bar knows from the first second.

    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 1Blitzkrieg BopRamones
    2. Song 2Song 2Blur
    3. Song 3Blister in the SunViolent Femmes

    Did you know

    1. The track features Phil Spector's legendary Wall of Sound production and one of rock's most famous drum intros.
    2. It famously soundtracked the opening scene of the hit film Dirty Dancing.

Loud and fast

Loud, fast and over quickly

Punk and friends: over before your nerves catch up.

Keeping a short one in your pocket

Short songs are easy to forget you have. KaraokeList keeps them, so on a long night you've got a quick one ready. Tag it Skill, Fun or both.

After each sing, give it stars and tap Too high, Just right or Too low. The flop gets stamped Not again. Two minutes is a long time with the wrong song.

Want something new? Tap the Magic Mic and tell it you want something short. You get songs you don't have yet, each with its reason.

Questions

What is a good short karaoke song?

Anything done in about three minutes or less that you can sing loudly. Hound Dog, Respect and Blitzkrieg Bop are all over well before the three-minute mark.

What is the shortest karaoke song people actually know?

Great Balls of Fire runs under two minutes, and Song 2 by Blur barely passes two. Both are loud enough that nobody notices how quickly they end.

Should I pick a short song for karaoke?

On a busy night, yes: the list moves faster and the host notices. Short songs are kinder on nerves too, because if it goes badly it is over quickly.

What karaoke songs are too long for a busy bar?

Anything past six minutes, or with long instrumental stretches. American Pie, Hotel California and Purple Rain can wait for a quieter night.

Also try

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