Karaoke night! What’s going to get the crowd up and responding? You want songs the majority of people are familiar with and that get them singing along. Music with the vocals stripped out allows us to step into a fantasy world and become our favorite rock stars—even if it’s only for three and a half minutes.
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Karaoke originated in Japan in the ’70s and spread around the world. In the ’90s, cabbies in South Korea started installing sound systems and microphones in their back seats for their passengers. And the phenomenon’s first appearance in American pop culture was on an episode of Magnum, P.I. (in 1985: “The Man from Marseilles“). The dozens of karaoke bars that would later pop up in Portland, Oregon, earned it the nickname “the Capital of Karaoke” (in the U.S., at least).
1. “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond
Believe it or not, this song had a life before it became the song that plays in the eighth inning at Fenway Park during Boston Red Sox games (just one of the many stadiums and teams that have incorporated the anthem into game festivities). The background lyrics that the audience is always compelled to provide will get any crowd involved. (Bah Bah Bahhhhhh…So Good! So Good! So Good!)
Neil Diamond recorded the song in May 1969 at American Sound in Memphis, Tennessee. It peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2011, in an interview with CBS’s The Early Show, Diamond shared that Caroline Kennedy was the inspiration for the song. The singer had seen a magazine cover with the president’s daughter riding a horse, and the song came from that.
2. “Proud Mary” by Creedence Clearwater Revival and/or Ike & Tina Turner
This one lends itself to two entirely different deliveries. You can take on the original version by Creedence Clearwater Revival, or you can shimmy to the Ike & Tina Turner version that was released a couple years later.
CCR’s John Fogerty wrote the song just after being discharged from the National Guard. The Mary Elizabeth, as the ship on which he was stationed is more formally known, went up and down the Mississippi River from 1928 to 1978. The hit song the vessel inspired peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was covered by artists as diverse as soul crooner Solomon Burke, Star Trek‘s Leonard Nimoy, and country band Brush Arbor. It has also been performed live by Elvis Presley, Neil Sedaka, and in one of the best Super Bowl halftime shows ever, Prince.
[RELATED: Top 10 Songs by John Fogerty]
3. “School’s Out” by Alice Cooper
This rebellious anthem became the signature song of Alice Cooper. The fear of adverse effects from the song caused some teachers and parents to petition their radio stations to ban it at the time of its release in the ’70s. The song peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 all the same, however.
Inspired by a line from an old Bowery Boys movie, “School’s Out” has been used in movies such as Scream, Rock and Roll High School, Dazed and Confused, and I Love You, Beth Cooper. Krokus, A-Teens, and Daphne and Celeste have covered the song, which was written by all five band members of Alice Cooper. Karaoke DJs gigging at clubs near colleges at the end of the spring semester best have this one at the ready.
4. “Rock and Roll All Nite” by KISS
Who doesn’t want to follow this call to arms? Undoubtedly the best-known song by KISS, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons wrote it in response to a challenge from their record label head, Neil Bogart, who wanted them to write an anthem that would better lend itself to their frenetic live extravaganzas.
The recording released on KISS’ third studio record, Dressed to Kill, only reached No. 68 on the Billboard Hot 100. But when their next release, a double-live album called Alive! (don’t forget the exclamation point, as every live album that came after seemed to use one, too) went gangbusters and set the standard for the ’70s live album craze, the live version of “Rock and Roll All Nite” made it to No. 12. Gene Simmons credits Slade’s “Mama, Weer All Crazee Now” as one of the primary inspirations for his legendary band’s signature song. (Come to think of it, that would be a good one for karaoke as well!)
5. “One Way or Another” by Blondie
It’s a sinister lyric with a catchy chorus. Blondie bassist Nigel Harrison wrote the music, while Debbie Harry wrote the words to this stalker anthem.
Harry told Entertainment Weekly, “I was actually stalked by a nutjob, so it came out of a not-so-friendly personal event. But I tried to inject a little bit of levity into it to make it more lighthearted. I think, in a way, that’s a normal kind of survival mechanism. You know, just shake it off, say one way or another, and get on with your life. Everyone can relate to that, and I think that’s the beauty of it.” You don’t necessarily have to be going through a similar stressful stretch to belt this one out at karaoke, though.
6. “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey
This anthem of all anthems builds up to the inevitable conclusion of a roomful of people singing along with the chorus. Inspired by his father’s words of encouragement, keyboardist Jonathan Cain brought Journey the hook and chorus.
When facing despair, Cain’s father would say, “Don’t stop believing, or you’re done, dude.” Guitarist Neil Schon and singer Steve Perry added elements to complete the song. It’s a fantasy about breaking out of your surroundings that everyone can relate to, making it a karaoke favorite in more ways than just its singalongability. (And pay attention to how many people in the room play air guitar when that solo comes around. With over 7 million downloads, it is the best-selling digital track of the 20th century—which is saying something since buying songs was still a thing back then.
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