Top 10 Songs Everyone Hates at Karaoke
#10: "I'll Make Love to You" (1994) Boyz II Men
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The song won a Grammy, spent 14 weeks at number one, and was Billboard’s third-best-performing song during that decade. The popularity of the song isn’t in question here and the audience might have an initial rush of excitement when they hear those opening notes. However, things with this one go from excited to awkward pretty fast when the person on stage starts belting out lyrics like, “Throw your clothes on the floor, I'm gonna take my clothes off too,” and of course, “I'll make love to you, Like you want me to.” At that point, it just becomes a lesson in avoiding direct eye contact.
#9: “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” (1978) Meat Loaf & Ellen Foley
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P. T. Barnum supposedly said you should “Always leave them wanting more.” And while he probably wasn’t talking specifically about karaoke, it definitely applies. This is just one reason why “Paradise By The Dashboard Light” is not the best choice for your next karaoke night. The song clocks in at over eight minutes long, which is about 4 minutes longer than any audience wants to see any one person singing karaoke. Even the “Glee” gang edited it down to about 4 minutes and they had a whole dance routine to go with it. And let’s not forget about that whole middle section of the song with the baseball announcer. In the video, Meat Loaf just makes out during that part. What’s your plan?
#8: “Stairway to Heaven” (1971) Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” might’ve been the most requested song on U.S. FM radio stations in the 1970s, but that doesn’t mean karaoke audiences are requesting it from you. First off, this track is another one that breaks the 8-minute marker. Which for teens in the 90s meant more time to nervously rock from side to side with their crush at the end of the high school dance. But for karaoke audiences means more time to listen to someone who isn’t Robert Plant try to sing the song. And given the lengthy guitar solo it’s very tempting for anyone doing this song to break out their air guitar which, despite how good you think you are at it, no one wants to see.
#7: “Thong Song” (2000) Sisqó
There are certain songs that might seem like a good idea for karaoke because everyone knows the chorus. But what you have to remember is that you have to sing all the verses to get to that chorus. Which means, between “Ooh that dress so scandalous” and “She had dumps like a truck, truck, truck,” there are a bunch of lyrics most people actually don’t know and end up fumbling their way through to get to the “good stuff.” And yes, we know the words are displayed on the monitor. But reading and singing is like walking and chewing gum for some people if they don’t know the words beforehand.
#6: “It Wasn’t Me” (2000) Shaggy feat. Rikrok
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And speaking of songs where everyone only knows the chorus, may we present “It Wasn’t Me.” This one even starts out with Rikrok’s chorus, putting the audience in the palm of your hands for about the first 20 seconds or so. However, that is followed by Shaggy’s verse and for 99% of us that’s where everything falls apart. And sure, the chorus provides a momentary reprieve from the maddening crowds. But the impending return of another Shaggy verse will leave you more frightened than when the other famous Shaggy saw a ggghhhooost!
#5: “Baby” (2010) Justin Bieber feat. Ludacris
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While you might be able to get away with “Peaches,” there’s very little chance of winning the audience over with your karaoke version of this Justin Bieber single off his debut album. That is assuming this is karaoke night in a bar with adults and not at a sweet sixteen party in the suburbs filled with Beliebers. You might also be able to get away with it if it’s say, a night out with your friend who just found out she’s pregnant, and you’re rocking out to various “baby” songs in her honor. Otherwise, pick something else!
#4: “My Way” (1969) Frank Sinatra
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We know what you’re thinking. How can this song be hated, everyone does this one at Karaoke. And there you have it. Maybe, if you get there early and can be the first one to sing it that night it’ll be okay. But if you arrive later in the evening, there have probably been about 10 other Frank Sinatra wannabes who’ve already done it their way. Which, let's be honest, is pretty much the same way everyone does it. Unless you’re a cool mouse wearing a suit and a fedora, leave this one off your karaoke repertoire.
#3: “Set Fire to the Rain” (2011) Adele
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In her review of Adele’s second album “21,” Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly wrote that “Set Fire to the Rain” surges “on the pure force of [Adele’s] titanic wail.” Do you have a titanic wail? Probably not. In fact, the only thing titanic about most karaoke singer’s voices is that they sound like they’ve rammed into an iceberg. When a song’s success is so attached to the amazing voice of the singer, it probably means we shouldn’t be singing it - especially in front of an audience. Let’s all just agree to set fire to this track on our list of go to Karaoke songs.
#2: “Lose Yourself” (2002) Eminem
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Look. If you had one shot, or one opportunity at karaoke night to seize everything you ever wanted. Would you capture it, or just let it slip away by trying to sing Eminem’s “Lose Yourself?” Sure, in our cars with the track blasting, we all think we can rap. But when it’s just the music playing and the lyrics are quickly passing by on the monitor in front of you, that’s when we all snap back to reality and realize we can’t. So, as much as we all love this song, try it at karaoke and be prepared to get chewed up and spit out and booed off stage.
#1: “I Will Always Love You” (1992) Whitney Houston
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Speaking of titanic wails… There may not be a more iconic note in the history of pop music than the “Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii” in Whitney Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You.” And when it comes to karaoke or auditions on singing competition shows, that is the make or break moment of the song. The moment everyone is waiting for: to either turn their chair or turn on the singer. And since most of us don’t have the pipes for “Set Fire to the Rain” we definitely don’t have the pipes for “I Will Always Love You.” So, pick another song and the people with you at the karaoke bar will always love you for it.
