Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody leads this tally of the best karaoke songs, turning up on 18 of 20 published rankings and charts. ABBA’s Dancing Queen and The Killers’ Mr. Brightside are on 16 each, and I Will Survive and Shallow on 15. This is a count of those lists, read on November 10, 2026, not a poll of singers.
Five of the 20 are charts from karaoke companies: two apps, a bar chain, a karaoke-track shop and a machine maker, though only one of them, Singa, says it counts what people sing. The other 15 are picks: by editors at magazines and websites, by one bar, by a singing-advice site, and by the curators of Stingray, a karaoke company. Below: the 24 songs on at least nine lists, what the count shows, and sections on crowd-pleasers, easy songs, songs labeled for women or for men, duets and group songs, and country, each built from sources that use that label.
The 24 karaoke songs on the most lists
Ties share a rank and run oldest first. “Company charts” counts the five lists from karaoke companies. The year is the first release of the recording the lists name, on an album or a single, whichever came first.
| Rank | Song | Artist | Year | Lists (of 20) | Company charts (of 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bohemian Rhapsody | Queen | 1975 | 18 | 5 |
| 2 (tie) | Dancing Queen | ABBA | 1976 | 16 | 4 |
| 2 (tie) | Mr. Brightside | The Killers | 2003 | 16 | 4 |
| 4 (tie) | I Will Survive | Gloria Gaynor | 1978 | 15 | 3 |
| 4 (tie) | Shallow | Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper | 2018 | 15 | 5 |
| 6 (tie) | Sweet Caroline | Neil Diamond | 1969 | 14 | 5 |
| 6 (tie) | Don’t Stop Believin’ | Journey | 1981 | 14 | 3 |
| 6 (tie) | I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) | Whitney Houston | 1987 | 14 | 3 |
| 9 (tie) | Jolene | Dolly Parton | 1973 | 12 | 4 |
| 9 (tie) | Livin’ on a Prayer | Bon Jovi | 1986 | 12 | 3 |
| 9 (tie) | Wonderwall | Oasis | 1995 | 12 | 4 |
| 9 (tie) | I Want It That Way | Backstreet Boys | 1999 | 12 | 3 |
| 9 (tie) | Before He Cheats | Carrie Underwood | 2005 | 12 | 2 |
| 14 (tie) | Don’t Go Breaking My Heart | Elton John and Kiki Dee | 1976 | 11 | 1 |
| 14 (tie) | Love Shack | The B-52’s | 1989 | 11 | 1 |
| 14 (tie) | Man! I Feel Like a Woman! | Shania Twain | 1997 | 11 | 2 |
| 14 (tie) | Since U Been Gone | Kelly Clarkson | 2004 | 11 | 1 |
| 18 | Islands in the Stream | Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton | 1983 | 10 | 2 |
| 19 (tie) | Total Eclipse of the Heart | Bonnie Tyler | 1983 | 9 | 2 |
| 19 (tie) | Friends in Low Places | Garth Brooks | 1990 | 9 | 3 |
| 19 (tie) | Wannabe | Spice Girls | 1996 | 9 | 1 |
| 19 (tie) | …Baby One More Time | Britney Spears | 1998 | 9 | 3 |
| 19 (tie) | No Scrubs | TLC | 1999 | 9 | 2 |
| 19 (tie) | Call Me Maybe | Carly Rae Jepsen | 2011 | 9 | 1 |
Just below the cut, eleven songs are on eight lists each, among them Like a Prayer, Let It Go, Africa, Party in the U.S.A., Teenage Dirtbag and Take Me Home, Country Roads.
What the count shows
- One song is close to universal. Bohemian Rhapsody is missing only from BuzzFeed’s list and The Corner’s. Lucky Voice, a karaoke bar chain, says it is the song its customers pick most every year.
- Beyond the top, the lists rarely agree. They name 799 different songs, 165 of them only on Stars and Catz’s 371-song list. Eighteen reach ten or more lists, and 459 turn up on a single list.
- The company charts and the editors’ lists lean different ways. Three songs are on all five company charts: Bohemian Rhapsody, Shallow and Sweet Caroline, which Singa’s app data puts first in the US. None of the five company charts includes Like a Prayer, though eight editors’ lists do; Bye Bye Bye, Girls Just Want to Have Fun and Pour Some Sugar on Me are in the same position, with seven each. Going the other way, My Way, New York, New York and A Million Dreams each sit on four company charts but on three, two and zero editors’ lists.
- The top is mostly older music. Of the 24 songs, Sweet Caroline is the only one from the 1960s; five are from the 1970s, six from the 1980s, seven from the 1990s, three from the 2000s, and two from 2010 on: Call Me Maybe and Shallow.
The top 24, one line each
- Bohemian Rhapsody (1975; 18 lists): It has no chorus; Queen strung together five movements, from a ballad through an opera section to a hard rock stretch. Britain made it the 1975 Christmas No. 1, and it held the top spot for nine weeks.
- Dancing Queen (1976; 16 lists): Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson wrote it, and it remains the only ABBA single to reach No. 1 in the US.
- Mr. Brightside (2003; 16 lists): Brandon Flowers and Dave Keuning had it ready in the group’s earliest days; Hot Fuss, the first Killers LP, carries it.
- I Will Survive (1978; 15 lists): Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris wrote Gloria Gaynor’s breakup anthem, which took the Grammy for Best Disco Recording.
- Shallow (2018; 15 lists): Lady Gaga wrote it with Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt for A Star Is Born, and it won the Oscar for Best Original Song.
- Sweet Caroline (1969; 14 lists): Neil Diamond has explained its origin in different ways over the years. Since 2002 every Red Sox home game at Fenway Park has played it during the eighth inning.
- Don’t Stop Believin’ (1981; 14 lists): Steve Perry, Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain share the credit on this single from Journey’s album Escape.
- I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) (1987; 14 lists): Boy Meets Girl’s George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam wrote Whitney Houston’s lead single from her album Whitney.
- Jolene (1973; 12 lists): Parton is both writer and singer. Rolling Stone placed it 63rd when it revised its all-time song ranking in 2021.
- Livin’ on a Prayer (1986; 12 lists): Desmond Child co-wrote it with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora; it was the second Bon Jovi single in a row to lead the Hot 100.
- Wonderwall (1995; 12 lists): Noel Gallagher wrote it and took the title from George Harrison’s album Wonderwall Music.
- I Want It That Way (1999; 12 lists): Max Martin and Andreas Carlsson wrote it, and it led off the Backstreet Boys album Millennium as its first single.
- Before He Cheats (2005; 12 lists): Chris Tompkins and Josh Kear wrote Carrie Underwood’s revenge song, which stayed on the Hot 100 for 64 weeks in a row.
- Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (1976; 11 lists): Elton John and Bernie Taupin wrote this duet under the made-up names Ann Orson and Carte Blanche, first hoping to sing it with Dusty Springfield.
- Love Shack (1989; 11 lists): The band had faded after guitarist Ricky Wilson died in 1985; this Don Was production marked their comeback.
- Man! I Feel Like a Woman! (1997; 11 lists): Shania Twain wrote it with Robert John “Mutt” Lange for Come On Over, and it won her the 2000 Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. Billboard’s staff ranking puts it first.
- Since U Been Gone (2004; 11 lists): Kelly Clarkson was the third singer offered this Max Martin and Dr. Luke song: Pink turned it down, and Hilary Duff could not reach its high notes.
- Islands in the Stream (1983; 10 lists): The Bee Gees wrote it, and Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton’s recording topped the Hot 100.
- Total Eclipse of the Heart (1983; 9 lists): Jim Steinman wrote and produced it for Bonnie Tyler, and Rory Dodd sings with her. It led the US chart for four weeks.
- Friends in Low Places (1990; 9 lists): Brooks issued it ahead of the rest of No Fences, and it held No. 1 among country songs for a month.
- Wannabe (1996; 9 lists): Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard co-wrote the Spice Girls’ first single with them, a song that puts mates before boyfriends.
- …Baby One More Time (1998; 9 lists): Max Martin wrote Spears’ debut. No single sold more in Britain in 1999.
- No Scrubs (1999; 9 lists): This was the first TLC single with Chilli on lead vocals, and it took two Grammys.
- Call Me Maybe (2011; 9 lists): The pop hit is Josh Ramsay’s production of a song Carly Rae Jepsen and Tavish Crowe had written as folk.
Crowd-pleasers: what the karaoke companies’ charts favor
These 12 songs are on at least four of the five company charts. The charts are built in different ways. Singa counts a year of plays in its US app, and Sing to the World ranks 20 years of its own track sales. Singing Machine’s 2021 list was reported as tracks its users picked. Lucky Voice’s page claims its 100 are what Britain sang most in 2026, then says they were “carefully selected”; KaraFun presents Top US as a playlist its own team crafted.
| Song | Artist | Year | Company charts (of 5) | Editors’ lists (of 15) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bohemian Rhapsody | Queen | 1975 | 5 | 13 |
| Sweet Caroline | Neil Diamond | 1969 | 5 | 9 |
| Shallow | Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper | 2018 | 5 | 10 |
| Dancing Queen | ABBA | 1976 | 4 | 12 |
| Mr. Brightside | The Killers | 2003 | 4 | 12 |
| Jolene | Dolly Parton | 1973 | 4 | 8 |
| Wonderwall | Oasis | 1995 | 4 | 8 |
| Let It Go | Idina Menzel | 2013 | 4 | 4 |
| Take Me Home, Country Roads | John Denver | 1971 | 4 | 4 |
| My Way | Frank Sinatra | 1969 | 4 | 3 |
| New York, New York | Frank Sinatra | 1980 | 4 | 2 |
| A Million Dreams | The Greatest Showman cast | 2017 | 4 | 0 |
The first seven are described above. The other five:
- Let It Go (2013; 8 lists): Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez wrote it for Frozen, where Idina Menzel sings it as Elsa. It was the first Disney cartoon musical number in the Hot 100’s top ten since 1995.
- Take Me Home, Country Roads (1971; 8 lists): Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert wrote it with John Denver, and it climbed to No. 2 on the Hot 100.
- My Way (1969; 7 lists): Paul Anka put English words to a French song, Comme d’habitude. Sinatra’s recording stayed in Britain’s top 40 for 75 weeks.
- New York, New York (1980; 6 lists): John Kander and Fred Ebb wrote it for the 1977 film, where Liza Minnelli sings it. Sinatra recorded it for his album Trilogy, and it was his last Top 40 hit.
- A Million Dreams (2017; 4 lists): Ziv Zaifman, Hugh Jackman and Michelle Williams sing it in The Greatest Showman. Sing to the World also lists a recording by Pink, counted as a separate song.
Easy karaoke songs
Eleven sources label songs as easy: the easy sections of The Knot, Stingray, Gigwise and uDiscover Music, Time’s section for people who “struggle to hold a tune,” whole easy-song lists from Merriam Music’s music school (leaving out its section of worst karaoke songs), PureWow and Gear4music, Singa’s two easy lists, one for women and one for men, and the six songs Stars and Catz grades at its lowest level, beginner. Stars and Catz is the only one that grades difficulty song by song; the other ten publish no difficulty score or vocal range, so this is mostly a count of what they call easy. Seven songs are on at least four of the eleven, and the table adds the level Stars and Catz gives each.
| Song | Artist | Easy sources (of 11) | Stars and Catz level | Lists in the main count (of 20) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mr. Brightside | The Killers | 5 | intermediate to advanced | 16 |
| I Want It That Way | Backstreet Boys | 5 | intermediate | 12 |
| Livin’ on a Prayer | Bon Jovi | 5 | intermediate to advanced | 12 |
| Man! I Feel Like a Woman! | Shania Twain | 5 | intermediate | 11 |
| Girls Just Want to Have Fun | Cyndi Lauper | 5 | no level shown | 7 |
| Wonderwall | Oasis | 4 | intermediate | 12 |
| I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll | Joan Jett and the Blackhearts | 4 | intermediate | 6 |
- I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll (1981; 6 lists): The Arrows, an English glam band, had it first in 1975; two of its members, Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker, wrote it. All six lists credit the 1981 recording by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, which the Hot 100 had at No. 1 for seven weeks in 1982.
- Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1983; 7 lists): Lauper reworked the words of Robert Hazard’s 1979 original, and in 1983 it launched her solo career. In the questions at the end of its women’s list, 30 Day Singer, a singing-lesson site, calls it easy for women because it does not need a wide range.
The other five are in the top 24 above. Stars and Catz rates none of the seven as beginner songs: it calls Mr. Brightside and Livin’ on a Prayer intermediate to advanced and four of the others intermediate, and its saved page shows no level for Girls Just Want to Have Fun. Its six beginner songs are Lean on Me, Margaritaville, Y.M.C.A., Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, I Want Candy and Take Me Home, Country Roads. Eighteen more songs are on three of the easy sources, including Dancing Queen, Sweet Caroline, Call Me Maybe and A Thousand Miles. Time’s easy pick, Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer, shows what these lists mean by easy: in Time’s words, Leigh Nash “barely raises her voice above a whisper or strays from a five-note melody cluster.”
Best karaoke songs for women
Women’s lists or sections come from The Knot, Merriam Music, Singa (an easy set for women) and 30 Day Singer. Stars and Catz has no women’s section; it tags each song it describes with the kind of voice it suits, and the ones it tags soprano, mezzo-soprano or contralto, which it files under female voices, are counted here as its picks for women. The four labeled lists give no vocal range for their picks, and they do not all mean the same thing: Merriam’s women’s table includes Ed Sheeran’s Perfect, and 30 Day Singer frames its list around higher voices, with Guns N’ Roses and Led Zeppelin on it. Nine songs are on three or more of the five.
| Song | Artist | Sources for women (of 5) | Lists in the main count (of 20) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oops!… I Did It Again | Britney Spears | 4 | 5 |
| I Will Survive | Gloria Gaynor | 3 | 15 |
| Man! I Feel Like a Woman! | Shania Twain | 3 | 11 |
| Call Me Maybe | Carly Rae Jepsen | 3 | 9 |
| Wannabe | Spice Girls | 3 | 9 |
| A Thousand Miles | Vanessa Carlton | 3 | 8 |
| Mamma Mia | ABBA | 3 | 6 |
| Toxic | Britney Spears | 3 | 2 |
| Complicated | Avril Lavigne | 3 | 1 |
- Oops!… I Did It Again (2000; 5 lists): Its spoken bridge nods to the film Titanic, and Max Martin and Rami Yacoub wrote it.
- A Thousand Miles (2001; 8 lists): Interlude was Vanessa Carlton’s working name for it; Ron Fair, who ran A&M Records, made her change it. Its first release was on the 2001 Legally Blonde soundtrack, as A Thousand Miles (Interlude), a year before the single.
- Mamma Mia (1975; 6 lists): Benny Andersson’s late choice of marimba gives it its clicking intro, writes Carl Magnus Palm.
- Toxic (2003; 2 lists): Britney Spears’ only Grammy win, for Best Dance Recording. 30 Day Singer notes it sits low in the verses and climbs in the chorus.
- Complicated (2002; 1 list): Avril Lavigne’s debut single held No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Top 40 for 16 weeks in a row. 30 Day Singer suggests it because parts of the verses are closer to speech than singing.
I Will Survive, Man! I Feel Like a Woman!, Call Me Maybe and Wannabe are in the top 24 above.
Best karaoke songs for men
The Knot, Merriam Music and Singa (its easy picks for men) each publish a men’s list or section, and the Stars and Catz songs tagged tenor, baritone or bass, which it files under male voices, are counted here as its picks for men. As with the women’s lists, the three labeled lists give no ranges. Seven songs are on three or more of the four.
| Song | Artist | Sources for men (of 4) | Lists in the main count (of 20) |
|---|---|---|---|
| I Want It That Way | Backstreet Boys | 4 | 12 |
| Livin’ on a Prayer | Bon Jovi | 3 | 12 |
| Ring of Fire | Johnny Cash | 3 | 7 |
| Sweet Home Alabama | Lynyrd Skynyrd | 3 | 6 |
| Eye of the Tiger | Survivor | 3 | 3 |
| Hallelujah | Leonard Cohen | 3 | 2 |
| Hotel California | Eagles | 3 | 2 |
- Ring of Fire (1963; 7 lists): June Carter and Merle Kilgore wrote it, and June’s sister Anita recorded it first. Cash’s recording was the No. 1 country single for seven weeks.
- Sweet Home Alabama (1974; 6 lists): It was Lynyrd Skynyrd’s reply to Neil Young’s Southern Man and Alabama. Van Zant, Rossington and King, who wrote it, came from Florida and California.
- Eye of the Tiger (1982; 3 lists): Sylvester Stallone wanted Queen’s Another One Bites the Dust for Rocky III; when Queen said no, he brought in Survivor, who wrote this instead.
- Hallelujah (1984; 2 lists): It became widely known only after Shrek used John Cale’s 1991 cover in 2001; Leonard Cohen’s own recording had made little impact. The lists also name Jeff Buckley’s and Alexandra Burke’s recordings, counted separately.
- Hotel California (1976; 2 lists): Don Henley sings lead, and Don Felder and Joe Walsh trade the closing guitar solo. It won the Grammy for Record of the Year.
Duet karaoke songs and group songs
Eight sources have a section for duets or for singing with friends: Stingray, Gigwise, Merriam Music, Teen Vogue (one section for duets and one for groups, taken together), Time, Parade, BuzzFeed (its songs for a karaoke partner) and uDiscover Music. These eight songs are named by at least three of them and appear on four or more lists in the main count.
| Song | Artist | Duet or group sources (of 8) | Lists in the main count (of 20) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shallow | Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper | 7 | 15 |
| Don’t Go Breaking My Heart | Elton John and Kiki Dee | 6 | 11 |
| Islands in the Stream | Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton | 5 | 10 |
| Ain’t No Mountain High Enough | Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell | 4 | 8 |
| Summer Nights | John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John | 4 | 8 |
| A Whole New World | Brad Kane and Lea Salonga | 4 | 7 |
| You’re the One That I Want | John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John | 3 | 7 |
| (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life | Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes | 3 | 5 |
- Ain’t No Mountain High Enough (1967; 8 lists): Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell had the first hit with this Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson song. Three years later Diana Ross’s own version reached No. 1 in the US, a first for her away from the Supremes.
- Summer Nights (1978; 8 lists): Grease had this Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey number on stage before the 1978 movie, where John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John turned it into a hit.
- A Whole New World (1992; 7 lists): Brad Kane and Lea Salonga sing it as Aladdin and Jasmine in Disney’s Aladdin. Alan Menken and Tim Rice wrote it, and it took the Oscar for Best Original Song.
- You’re the One That I Want (1978; 7 lists): Added for the 1978 movie, it is a John Farrar song that the musical’s first stage run never had.
- (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life (1987; 5 lists): Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes recorded it for Dirty Dancing. Franke Previte, John DeNicola and Donald Markowitz wrote it, and it won an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a Grammy.
The other three are in the top 24 above. All eight are duets for two voices.
Country karaoke songs
Five sources have a country section: The Knot, The Corner (a bar in Ferndale, Michigan), Merriam Music, Teen Vogue and uDiscover Music. Gigwise’s section mixes rock and country, so it is left out. These nine songs are in two or more of the five and on four or more lists in the main count.
| Song | Artist | Country sections (of 5) | Lists in the main count (of 20) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before He Cheats | Carrie Underwood | 5 | 12 |
| Jolene | Dolly Parton | 3 | 12 |
| Man! I Feel Like a Woman! | Shania Twain | 3 | 11 |
| Friends in Low Places | Garth Brooks | 3 | 9 |
| Ring of Fire | Johnny Cash | 3 | 7 |
| Wagon Wheel | Darius Rucker | 3 | 6 |
| Redneck Woman | Gretchen Wilson | 3 | 4 |
| Take Me Home, Country Roads | John Denver | 2 | 8 |
| 9 to 5 | Dolly Parton | 2 | 6 |
- Wagon Wheel (2013; 6 lists): The lists credit Darius Rucker’s 2013 cover. The song grew from a chorus Bob Dylan recorded in 1973, which Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show finished with verses of his own 25 years later.
- 9 to 5 (1980; 6 lists): Parton wrote it for the 1980 comedy 9 to 5. It earned an Oscar nomination and two Grammys.
- Redneck Woman (2004; 4 lists): No other Gretchen Wilson single has reached No. 1 in country; she wrote this, her first, with John Rich.
The rest are covered above. All five country sections also name songs that appear on three or fewer lists in the main count; they are left out of the table.
Picking a song, a key and a microphone grip
Advice here comes from three places: a vocal coach writing for the Singa app, the music school School of Rock, and the backing-track shop Karaoke Version.
- Choose by range first. Writing for Singa, Camille van Niekerk of 30 Day Singer puts range first: know where your voice sits, then choose music that sits there too. Singa’s app can shift a song’s pitch to suit the singer.
- Warm up, or use the intro. In her view a warm-up readies the body for the job, for example engaging the stomach or letting the jaw fall open on some notes. Short of time? Karaoke Version’s advice is to use the song’s opening bars: hear the starting pitch silently and keep breathing evenly instead of holding your breath.
- Learn the words. Her advice is to memorize, using the on-screen text only as a fallback.
- Hold the mic still and slightly to the side. School of Rock’s guidance: a plain, steady hold without cupping, tilted about 45 degrees and slightly to one side, an inch or two from the mouth. Move it away when you get louder and nearer when you drop into a low register.
- Keep it away from the speakers. A mic pointed near a speaker sets off the howl known as feedback.
How these karaoke songs were counted
On November 10, 2026, this guide fetched and saved published lists of top karaoke songs, found through the US Google results for “best karaoke songs” (via Semrush) and web searches, logged every entry and counted how many lists name each song. A list qualified if it came from a named outlet or karaoke company, covered karaoke songs in general and could be read in full, with one list per outlet. Twenty qualified. This is a count of these 20 lists only, not a poll and not a census of every list in print.
| Source | Type | Entries | Date on the page | What it says about its basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singa | Company chart (app) | 100 | Updated May 27, 2026 | A year of plays by US users of the Singa app |
| KaraFun | Company chart (app) | 100 | No date; read November 10, 2026 | Titled Top US; the page description calls it a playlist crafted by KaraFun’s team of karaoke experts |
| Lucky Voice | Company chart (bar chain) | 100 | May 17, 2026 | Calls them the UK’s most sung songs of 2026 and also says they were carefully selected; no method given |
| Sing to the World | Company chart (karaoke tracks) | 100 | No date | Over 20 years of its own sales; lists Never Enough twice |
| Singing Machine | Company chart (karaoke machines) | 20 | Page data May 7, 2021 (Audacy report) | Tracks its users picked, first reported by Billboard and read in Audacy’s copy; Loudwire called the method unclear and the list part of a promotion |
| Billboard | Editors’ picks | 100 | Page data October 5, 2022; modified October 17, 2025 | Staff list with comments from karaoke hosts and bar staff; ranked 100 to 1 |
| BuzzFeed | Editors’ picks | 130 | Page data November 21, 2022; modified March 24, 2026 | |
| Time | Editors’ picks | 48 | September 26, 2019; page data February 24, 2026 | Four sections of picks, from classics to songs for friends, then four songs to skip, which are not counted |
| Teen Vogue | Editors’ picks | 128 | Page data December 4, 2020; modified February 8, 2024 | Numbering repeats 71 and skips 86 |
| Elle | Editors’ picks | 25 | Page data September 2, 2025 | Elle’s own page showed 20 of 25; read in full in AOL’s syndicated copy |
| Parade | Editors’ picks | 86 | Page data November 4, 2021; modified December 12, 2023 | |
| uDiscover Music | Editors’ picks | 129 | Page data August 18, 2025; modified March 10, 2026 | Lists Sweet Caroline twice |
| The Knot | Editors’ picks | 84 | Page data March 6, 2025 | Seven sections |
| The Corner | Bar’s picks | 42 | Page data September 19, 2023 | A bar in Ferndale, Michigan; grouped by genre |
| Stingray | Karaoke company’s picks | 9 | November 16, 2022; page data November 6, 2024 | Chosen by its music curators; three sections |
| Music Grotto | Editors’ picks | 101 | December 19, 2023 | |
| Gigwise | Editors’ picks | 111 | Page data July 17, 2026 | Six sections |
| Blavity | Editors’ picks | 10 | Page data March 25, 2024 | |
| WHO (Australia) | Editors’ picks | 10 | Page data November 2, 2018; modified June 4, 2024 | |
| Stars and Catz | Editors’ picks (singing-advice site) | 371 | Page data July 17, 2023 | Its team chose every entry, it says; top ten first, the rest A to Z; most entries carry a voice type and a difficulty grade; seven songs appear twice |
“Page data” means the date comes from the page’s metadata. Time also says its classics section holds some of the songs played most in karaoke bars, but it gives no figures, so it is counted with the editors’ picks.
Rules.
- A song is a title plus the recording the list names. Spelling differences, featured-artist credits and labels such as “from Frozen” count as the same song.
- A different recording of the same title counts separately: the Fugees’ Killing Me Softly and Roberta Flack’s, Pink’s A Million Dreams and the film cast’s, and the Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley and Alexandra Burke recordings of Hallelujah.
- A list that names a song twice counts it once. Songs a list tells readers to avoid are not counted: Time ends with four songs to skip, All Star, I Want It That Way, Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah and Don’t Stop Believin’.
- Where a list has sections (for women, easy, country and so on), every entry counts toward the main total, and the section labels feed the themed tables above.
Limits. The lists run from 9 to 371 entries and, where dated, from 2018 to 2026, so long lists give more songs a chance; the five shortest are Stingray, Blavity, WHO, Singing Machine and Elle. Lucky Voice ranks what is sung in Britain and WHO is an Australian site, so the count is not a US-only view. Two of the counted lists share an owner: Stingray bought Singing Machine’s home karaoke business in August 2025, and Stingray’s curators say they work with the Singing Machine library. Counted as one source, Bohemian Rhapsody is on 17 of 19 and Dancing Queen and Mr. Brightside on 16, so the top does not change. No other two of the counted lists show the same owner. Stars and Catz, the longest list, names all 24 songs in the table; without it the same 24 lead in the same order, one list lower each, and Party in the U.S.A. and Teenage Dirtbag tie them at the bottom on eight.
Left out. Time Out’s page showed only 10 of its 50 songs, Seventeen’s 20 of 30 and Best Life’s a fraction, and Refinery29’s page returned no list. Quartz repeats Time Out’s top ten in the same order, AOL republishes Elle, and WMGK’s list is Billboard’s. Sing King and KaraFun’s yearly recaps cover one year only, KaraFun’s general Top Karaoke page does not say which chart it shows, and Singa’s all-time list would be a second list from one outlet. Karaoke Media’s list was set aside as unreliable (its top ten runs to 11 songs, one section names a song twice and several titles are misspelled), Stat Significant’s article is itself a tally of playlists, and Spotify and Apple Music playlists, which hold the original recordings, were not counted. Merriam Music, PureWow and Gear4music cover easy songs only, so they appear in the easy section, not the main count.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best karaoke song of all time?
By this count, Bohemian Rhapsody: it is on 18 of the 20 lists and on all five company charts. Other single measures disagree. Singa’s US app data puts Sweet Caroline first, and Billboard’s staff ranking puts Man! I Feel Like a Woman! at No. 1.
What are good karaoke songs for beginners?
The songs that the most easy-song sources agree on are Mr. Brightside, I Want It That Way, Livin’ on a Prayer, Man! I Feel Like a Woman! and Girls Just Want to Have Fun (five of eleven sources each), then Wonderwall and I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll (four). All seven are also on six or more of the 20 main lists. Stars and Catz, the one source that grades difficulty, rates the ones it grades intermediate or harder; its beginner picks include Take Me Home, Country Roads and Y.M.C.A.
What is the most popular karaoke song in the US?
Singa’s app data, a year of US plays, has Sweet Caroline in first place, followed by Lose Control from Teddy Swims and Tennessee Whiskey from Chris Stapleton. KaraFun’s Top US page, read November 10, 2026, shows Tennessee Whiskey first, but KaraFun describes it only as a playlist crafted by its team.
What are the most entertaining karaoke songs?
That is a matter of taste, but the songs on the most karaoke-company charts are a fair guide: Bohemian Rhapsody, Shallow and Sweet Caroline are on all five company charts, and Dancing Queen, Mr. Brightside, Jolene and Wonderwall are among the nine songs on four. Gigwise’s section on the most requested songs at karaoke nights also opens with Bohemian Rhapsody.
What is a good karaoke duet?
Top pick: Shallow, named in seven of the eight sections for pairs and groups. Next come Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (six) and Islands in the Stream (five). For two singers who know Grease, Summer Nights appears in four and You’re the One That I Want in three.
How do I pick the right key for karaoke?
Start from your range, the vocal coach writing for Singa advises, and choose songs that sit inside it. Singa’s app can also shift a song’s pitch up or down to suit a voice.
Are karaoke songs for women and for men really different?
The lists that use those labels give no ranges and do not apply them the same way. Merriam Music puts Ed Sheeran’s Perfect in its women’s table, and 30 Day Singer groups its women’s list by higher voices and includes Led Zeppelin. Only Stars and Catz sorts songs by the kind of voice they suit, from bass up to soprano. The vocal coach’s advice above, to start from your own range, applies either way.
Sources
- Singa, The 100 most popular karaoke songs in the United States, updated May 27, 2026
- KaraFun, Top US playlist (100 songs), read November 10, 2026
- Lucky Voice, Top 100 Most Popular Karaoke Songs, May 17, 2026
- Sing to the World, Top 100 Most Popular Karaoke songs of all time, undated, read November 10, 2026
- Audacy (Y98), The Most Popular Karaoke Songs, May 7, 2021, reporting Singing Machine’s list; Loudwire, May 6, 2021, on the same list
- Stingray, Stingray Acquires The Singing Machine Company, August 4, 2025
- Billboard, The 100 Greatest Karaoke Songs of All Time: Staff List, October 5, 2022 (page data October 17, 2025)
- BuzzFeed, 130 Best Karaoke Songs For Singers Of Any Skill Level, page data March 24, 2026
- Time, Best Karaoke Songs: Easy, Fun Songs You Should Sing, September 26, 2019 (page data February 24, 2026)
- Teen Vogue, 128 Best Karaoke Songs Ever to Get the Crowd Going, page data February 8, 2024
- Elle, The 25 Best Karaoke Songs to Kickstart a Memorable Night, September 2, 2025, read in AOL’s syndicated copy
- Parade, 86 Best Karaoke Songs for a Fun Time, page data December 12, 2023
- uDiscover Music, Best Karaoke Songs: 100+ Tunes To Sing At Your Next Session, page data March 10, 2026
- The Knot, The 84 Best Karaoke Songs That Will Win Over the Crowd, March 6, 2025
- The Corner (Ferndale), The Most Crowd-Pleasing Karaoke Songs to Sing, September 19, 2023
- Stingray, Best Karaoke Songs Of All Time, November 16, 2022 (page data November 6, 2024)
- Music Grotto, 101 Best Karaoke Songs Of All Time, December 19, 2023
- Gigwise, 111 Karaoke Songs to Always Get the Crowd Singing, page data July 17, 2026
- Blavity, 10 Best Karaoke Songs of All Time Guaranteed to Shake the Room, March 25, 2024
- WHO, Best Karaoke Songs: Top 10 Karaoke Songs of All Time, page data June 4, 2024
- Merriam Music, Top 100+ Easy Karaoke Songs; PureWow, 75 Easy Karaoke Songs; Gear4music, 43 Easy Karaoke Songs; Singa, 25 easy karaoke songs for women and for men; 30 Day Singer, 15 Best Karaoke Songs For Women; all read November 10, 2026
- Advice pages: Camille van Niekerk on the Singa blog; School of Rock on microphone technique; Karaoke Version on a song’s first note; all read November 10, 2026
- Wikipedia, one page per song, read November 10, 2026, for who wrote it, when it came out and how it did
- MusicBrainz, release-group and recording records for the same songs, read November 10, 2026, as a second source for release years
- Stars and Catz, karaoke list of 371 songs graded by voice and level, page data July 17, 2023, read November 10, 2026
- Semrush, US Google results for “best karaoke songs,” read November 9, 2026
Lead photo: An empty karaoke lounge in Nha Trang, Vietnam, in July 2018. Photo: Christophe95, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped).
