Karaoke Forums

About a year ago, I started a funny feature at some of my karaoke shows, called "Crowd Killers". Now, this does not mean songs that ruin or slow down a karaoke night (or songs I cannot stand) but songs that force you to ask "Why did they make THIS for karaoke??" It could be a great song, but for karaoke? Sunfly and SBI seem to be the best go-to for songs outside of the box (which are always my favorites. I run a "different" kind of karaoke show)

What are some songs which always leave you scratching your head as to why they were produced? Be for-warned. I will argue with you if I think the song should always be sung no matter what kind of night

Examples:

"Falling" from Julee Cruise. Many of you may know this as the love theme from "Twin Peaks"

"Great Gig in The Sky" by Pink Floyd. No words, just soulful wailing and moaning. But they entered the "lyrics", and they always say "Woooooahh woaahh ahhhh ohh haaa". Awesome!

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Wam bam thank you m'am.

Tequila?

Color My World--a great song but you don't get to sing too much! Long intro.....long outro... I've sung it a couple times

Tequila? Ha ha, that would be the perfect song for someone who's too scared to sing karaoke! Good party song and minimal effort required to get a great hand

"La Grange" by ZZ Top always seems to shortchange the singer with about a minute of singing and two minutes of outro.

There was a karaoke singer I used to know who called me King of the Long Arsed Outros, because there were several songs I sang that had really long outros, and not just instrumental outros--these are long vocal outros. To list two of them:

Strawberry Letter 23
Love Is Thicker than Water

Actually I like singing both of them, but you tend to run out of breath on them. I'm glad they were made...

There is one that Sound Choice put out from the group Band Of Horses called "Is There is Ghost". I was shocked they made that one out of all the "indie" rock songs they could have picked. Two-Three minutes long, repeats the same lyrics over and over again, PLUS I don't have too many people clamoring to sing Band Of Horses, let alone who've even heard of them (personally I wouldv'e have chosen a better song of theirs)

Also, "Hallelujah" both the Rufus Wainwright and Jeff Buckly versions. I realize that this song gained more attention from AmIdol a couple of years back, but the Buckley version is 6 minutes long with long instrumental breaks. I sing this one to really mess with my audience

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Wam bam thank you m'am.

Okay, I've got one... "Rock 'n Roll Part 2" by Gary Glitter.

"Come On Down To My Boat" - Every Mother's Son. As far as I know, I'm the only one in the world who sings it...

If you want a good list, check Cueball. THERE'S a man with an eclectic library....

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

As goofy as it is, "Tequila" is a great "ice breaker" for the timid singer. I always start with, "I've got a song I KNOW you can do..."

I get up there with them, get everyone "big shoe dancing" and just have fun with it. It's good for a laugh, and get the non-singers involved. For those that come to my show regularly, and are "in the know" they help me out by encouraging the person to "trust me", and go ahead.

Howling good times.

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Good music, good friends, howling good times!

I often get singers who won't sing songs that they WANT to sing, for the reason "No-one is going to know it." Which I tell them is a great thing, because if that is the first time some one in the crowd has heard that particular song, the next time they hear it, be on the radio, or in a store, they are going to think about you, and not the artist who is singing it. Always good advice for a confidence (or ego) boost.

So in essence, "Tequila" isn't a gonzo song at all. Everyone knows it and sings along. "Dinah Moe Hum" on the other hand...

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Wam bam thank you m'am.

Let me say in advance that I believe singers should sing whatever they want at karaoke. I would much rather hear songs that 'don't belong' than the same 20 standards I've heard a million times.

With that said:

Unchained Melody is number one for me, at the very top of the list. Not karaoke fare.

Fantastic song for fantastic singers, but for a karaoke crowd it loses its message and appeal.

It isn't something I want to hear at karaoke. I love the song to death, I think it's one of the best songs ever made, but in a karaoke environment it just doesn't fit.

My personal 'curveball' is "Gravedigger" by Dave Matthews. Totally not karaoke fare, but I can sell it to the audience and make them believe in it.

There is one family that always makes theiir daughter sing AMAZING GRACE dedicated to her grandmother who passed away last year.

This has been happening for the last 2 years

Vic in Sydney

PS: While we're on the topic of Amazing Grace, did I tell you about the guy who offered me 100 bucks to sing amazing grace for his mother? If she could only see the state he was in when he made me the offer...

I agree totally. Sing what you want, I don't hold anyone back, even if I have my own personal "blacklist" (I did outlaw "Don't Stop Believing" for a year. My reasoning: sanity, plus I spend so much money on songs, I would like to have my investment used somehow )
Any other oddball songs you've seen out there?

Why I love SBI and Sunfly: "Song To The Siren" by This Mortal Coil, and "Teadrop" by Massive Attack. Nothing stranger than Liz Frasier for karaoke

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Wam bam thank you m'am.

Six Underground by the Sneaker Pimps. If you like Massive Attack...

Anything "gospel" in a "sports bar".....

Goes over about as well as opening a beer in church....

(not that I've actually tried opening a beer in church..... nope, that wasn't me...)

Then on to Portishead. Nothing like a man singing "Give me a reason to be a woman" in a bar full of jocks. I like to skirt on the edge.

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Wam bam thank you m'am.

Portishead...yup! That song is called Glory Box which makes no sense to me. I like that song.

Nothing wrong with hearing "Don't Stop Believin'" or "Unchained Melody" at karaoke... if the person doing it can actually SING!

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
American Pie

Both songs are way too long and at the karaokes I've been to, been sung by those that made the songs seem even longer with in-your-face-ruination