Karaoke Forums

A recent thread asked about great songs NOT being sung at karaoke shows. I'm not sure what makes for a great song, but I'd like to hear what great songs you believe ARE being sung at karaoke these days.

Here are some of the "great" songs" I enjoy singing:

Cara Mia - Jay & The Americans
I'm Gonna Be Strong - Gene Pitney
Stone In Love - Stylistics
Another Saturday Night - Sam Cooke
Collide - Howie Day
Heard It In A Love Song - Marshall Tucker
Above And Beyond - Buck Owens
Wait In Vain - Bob Marley
Divers Do It Deeper - David Alan Coe
Fruitcakes - Jimmy Buffet
Two Out Of Three - Meatloaf
Longest Time - Billy Joel
Crocodile Rock - Elton John

Please note that there are very few current songs I've been attracted to

I don’t know what makes a “great” song, either.

I do have my own favorites, as does everyone else.

I guess it’s special for me to hear a song that’s difficult to sing, sung well.

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Define great? Your list I hardly know any of the songs & the ones I do they are ok, but far from great IMO. Heard It In A Love Song would be closer to the great side. It's like the old saying, one man's garbage is another man's treasure.
Great to me is the 70's 80's hard rock, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, etc.

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I think it has to do a lot with what part of the country you are in. I imagine that in the north east as well as north west most of the rock or pop songs are the most popular (great songs) being sung, but down here in the southern parts of the U.S.A. most if it is country.

Lone Wolf

Great songs in the country genre would not cut it locally where I am, and vice versa. As stated "Great songs" is entirely subjective and depends on a persons geographic location, venue type, participant age (both singer and listener).. Similarly in a "hiphop" type venue NOTHING I even recognise would be popular.

Need to break it down at least into the following categories- Age group, and genre of music. It appears that decent percentage of what you are referring to as "great songs" are actually

"top 40 pop radio ballads of the 1970's"

Meaning the Billy Joel, Elton John, Stylistics (R&B), Meatloaf, Marshall Tucker type "FM Pop-40 radio hits" of the 1970's ballad genre. Really what you are looking at style-wise are songs that were popular throughout BBC (western) pop radio late 1960's thru 1980's...


Folks in their 60's+ would want more Elvis and Frank Sinatra rat pack stuff in the same geographic locations. Folks younger would want more Nirvana, and Pearl Jam type styles etc... You like the classic ballad songs of around the 1970's.. It is pretty important to categorize when making a statement such as "great songs" because Opera and classical lovers exist too... and what we get into is essentially

"What's the nicest color"
"What's the best food"

and this really is contingent on important underlying factors.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

"PBTDBL".... Sorry... I couldn't resist! MFAO!!!

Don't hurt me... Face it... It may be on everyone's top 10 most overdone song list, but it has staying power, and it's done almost ever night no matter where you might be located geographically. A song like that, that's done that often, must be great.

It isn't done everywhere, not even close. I have never heard it done once in the area I live in. I have now visited about 150 different karaoke shows across the country, in twenty different states and provinces. I have heard it done a handful of times at best.

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[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
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[quote="cueball @ Sun Sep 14, 2008 12:07 am]Don't hurt me... Face it... It may be on everyone's top 10 most overdone song list, but it has staying power, and it's done almost ever night no matter where you might be located geographically. A song like that, that's done that often, must be great.[/quote]

No clue on what this one is??? Never even had a request for it.

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It’s interesting how people assume what happens in their area is universal.

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Hate is like taking poison, hoping the other guy gets sick

Cueball (steve) is referring to "Paradise by The Dashboard Lights" by Meatloaf. It isn't performed but once a month or so here in hawaii. My past shows on the mainland had it sung at least once a week. It's a great duet if sung well, but is a terrible waste of 7 minutes of your life if a bunch of drunk doofuses can't follow along fast enough.

Our list of 'great' songs are what people know best and are familiar with...and get any crowd going. KJs that sing obscure or not generally known songs seem to be singing for themselves..apparently NOT trying to entertain the crowd- but themselves.

That being, unless it is a request. The SHOW is supposed to be about THEM and getting THEM involved. Any decent or professional dj or kj should know this or can READ AND LEARN THIS NOW.

THIS being my opinion- although a d-a-m-n good one, .

-seen toooooooo many kjs glorifying themselves at their shows without realising that they're NOT entertaining anything but their own desires and then wonder why everyone left and went elsewhere....

Win over the crowd and you have commradery. Fulfill your own selfish desires and you ostracize everyone.

I believe this industry should be regulated or at least have some online courses newbies could take or older out-of-the-loop kjs could learn up all the popular songs old and new, and learn how to dance or at least teach it to be more entertaining.

..and learn how to run a good rotation and WHEN to pull themselves OUT of it. They should publish a MOBILE BEAT for karaoke hosts- great info in those magazines and what true involved professionals in this industry SHOULD read.

Aloha everyone. J.R.

As an aside, Mobile Beat DID for awhile publish a karaoke magazine called "Singer". I wrote an article for their first issue on a Japanese "box" karaoke establishment in Seattle. I also wrote a monthly column for Mobile Beat.

The magazine has since changed owners and discontinued "Singer" magazine. I'm not sure they knew if it was for KJ's, karaoke enthusiasts or both. Turned out to be neither.

I don't want to derail this thread, but it would be interesting to have a discussion about what type of "regulation" or online courses you think would work for the karaoke industry.

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Yeah I realize that now . I was being rushed to leave & didn't really read the whole question. It looked like "Don't Hurt Me" was the song name he was talking about.
Paradise gets done on occasion here, never felt it was a great song - even in it's original state. Never cared alot for Meatloaf personally.

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