Posted on Mar 8, 2016

13 Karaoke Songs For People With No Musical Ability

Must love air guitar.

by Grace Spelman

BuzzFeed Staff

Why this song is easy: Joan Jett does a lot of low, grumbly singing in this song. You don't need to hit all the notes perfectly, and the chorus is shouted, not sung.
Performance notes: In the video, Joan Jett is mean-mugging throughout the entire thing. She looks so bad-ass. It's important to emulate this attitude. There are many opportunities for audience participation in this song. If singing isn't your thing, invite the audience to sing with you. Get them to sing on the "Yeah, me" parts and the chorus. — youtube.com

Why this song is easy: Joan Jett does a lot of low, grumbly singing in this song. You don't need to hit all the notes perfectly, and the chorus is shouted, not sung.
Performance notes: In the video, Joan Jett is mean-mugging throughout the entire thing. She looks so bad-ass. It's important to emulate this attitude. There are many opportunities for audience participation in this song. If singing isn't your thing, invite the audience to sing with you. Get them to sing on the "Yeah, me" parts and the chorus.

youtube.com

Why this song is easy: Joan Jett does a lot of low, grumbly singing in this song. You don't need to hit all the notes perfectly, and the chorus is shouted, not sung.
Performance notes: In the video, Joan Jett is mean-mugging throughout the entire thing. She looks so bad-ass. It's important to emulate this attitude. There are many opportunities for audience participation in this song. If singing isn't your thing, invite the audience to sing with you. Get them to sing on the "Yeah, me" parts and the chorus.

Why this song is easy: This is another song where the actual notes don't matter. Steve Harwell's vocal range in this song is very small. Plus, the verses aren't even sung — they're rapped.
Performance notes: Everyone knows this song because of Shrek. I mean, it was on the radio and stuff, but really its most important role was as the opening song of Shrek. Your audience will most likely be singing along. During your actual performance, you can jump around on stage a bit. It's totally appropriate for this song.
(P.S. ... Dane Cook is in this music video?????) — youtube.com

Why this song is easy: This is another song where the actual notes don't matter. Steve Harwell's vocal range in this song is very small. Plus, the verses aren't even sung — they're rapped.
Performance notes: Everyone knows this song because of Shrek. I mean, it was on the radio and stuff, but really its most important role was as the opening song of Shrek. Your audience will most likely be singing along. During your actual performance, you can jump around on stage a bit. It's totally appropriate for this song.
(P.S. ... Dane Cook is in this music video?????)

youtube.com

Why this song is easy: This is another song where the actual notes don't matter. Steve Harwell's vocal range in this song is very small. Plus, the verses aren't even sung — they're rapped.
Performance notes: Everyone knows this song because of Shrek. I mean, it was on the radio and stuff, but really its most important role was as the opening song of Shrek. Your audience will most likely be singing along. During your actual performance, you can jump around on stage a bit. It's totally appropriate for this song.
(P.S. ... Dane Cook is in this music video?????)

Why this song is easy: The key to doing "Barbie Girl" is nailing the whiny, nasally voice. You could get every single note wrong, but if you're trying your hardest to do a high nasally voice, you'll put on a good performance.
Performance notes: If you're doing the song by yourself, do both voices. The audience will get a kick out of it. When you're singing the Barbie parts, you can do stereotypical feminine physical moves like flipping your hair over your shoulders or miming lipstick application. If you're really dedicated, take on the Barbie role by not bending your knees or arms throughout the whole performance. Don't forget about the dialogue at the end of the song. — youtube.com

Why this song is easy: The key to doing "Barbie Girl" is nailing the whiny, nasally voice. You could get every single note wrong, but if you're trying your hardest to do a high nasally voice, you'll put on a good performance.
Performance notes: If you're doing the song by yourself, do both voices. The audience will get a kick out of it. When you're singing the Barbie parts, you can do stereotypical feminine physical moves like flipping your hair over your shoulders or miming lipstick application. If you're really dedicated, take on the Barbie role by not bending your knees or arms throughout the whole performance. Don't forget about the dialogue at the end of the song.

youtube.com

Why this song is easy: The key to doing "Barbie Girl" is nailing the whiny, nasally voice. You could get every single note wrong, but if you're trying your hardest to do a high nasally voice, you'll put on a good performance.
Performance notes: If you're doing the song by yourself, do both voices. The audience will get a kick out of it. When you're singing the Barbie parts, you can do stereotypical feminine physical moves like flipping your hair over your shoulders or miming lipstick application. If you're really dedicated, take on the Barbie role by not bending your knees or arms throughout the whole performance. Don't forget about the dialogue at the end of the song.

Why this song is easy: This is another song where the vocalist doesn't really sing. In "Hollaback Girl," Gwen Stefani talk-sings her verses. (The only part that's really sung is "Oooh, this my shit. )
Performance notes: This song strongly resembles something you'd hear from cheerleaders on the sideline of a football game. So this song requires a lot of energy and enthusiasm. Also, it's essentially a diss track, so it needs a lot of attitude. There are many opportunities for call-and-response. — youtube.com

Why this song is easy: This is another song where the vocalist doesn't really sing. In "Hollaback Girl," Gwen Stefani talk-sings her verses. (The only part that's really sung is "Oooh, this my shit. )
Performance notes: This song strongly resembles something you'd hear from cheerleaders on the sideline of a football game. So this song requires a lot of energy and enthusiasm. Also, it's essentially a diss track, so it needs a lot of attitude. There are many opportunities for call-and-response.

youtube.com

Why this song is easy: This is another song where the vocalist doesn't really sing. In "Hollaback Girl," Gwen Stefani talk-sings her verses. (The only part that's really sung is "Oooh, this my shit. )
Performance notes: This song strongly resembles something you'd hear from cheerleaders on the sideline of a football game. So this song requires a lot of energy and enthusiasm. Also, it's essentially a diss track, so it needs a lot of attitude. There are many opportunities for call-and-response.

Why this song is easy: OK, so the first three minutes of this song are actually kind of hard to sing. But when this song plays in a bar, everyone just ends up screaming it anyway. The breakdown is the real part everyone's waiting for. It's a lot of chanting, which will be easy to pull off.
Performance notes: The beginning of this song is tricky to sing, so try to distract this audience with your stage presence. Do some dance moves to draw attention away from your singing. — youtube.com

Why this song is easy: OK, so the first three minutes of this song are actually kind of hard to sing. But when this song plays in a bar, everyone just ends up screaming it anyway. The breakdown is the real part everyone's waiting for. It's a lot of chanting, which will be easy to pull off.
Performance notes: The beginning of this song is tricky to sing, so try to distract this audience with your stage presence. Do some dance moves to draw attention away from your singing.

youtube.com

Why this song is easy: OK, so the first three minutes of this song are actually kind of hard to sing. But when this song plays in a bar, everyone just ends up screaming it anyway. The breakdown is the real part everyone's waiting for. It's a lot of chanting, which will be easy to pull off.
Performance notes: The beginning of this song is tricky to sing, so try to distract this audience with your stage presence. Do some dance moves to draw attention away from your singing.

Why this song is easy: This cult favorite is a song that's spoken rather than sung. The chorus is the only part that is sung.
Performance notes: Whenever a woman's name is mentioned in this song, point to someone in the audience. This song has the characteristics of a swing song and plays on the genre of the big band leader in a nightclub during the 1930s and 1940s. Play along with that while you're performing. — youtube.com

Why this song is easy: This cult favorite is a song that's spoken rather than sung. The chorus is the only part that is sung.
Performance notes: Whenever a woman's name is mentioned in this song, point to someone in the audience. This song has the characteristics of a swing song and plays on the genre of the big band leader in a nightclub during the 1930s and 1940s. Play along with that while you're performing.

youtube.com

Why this song is easy: This cult favorite is a song that's spoken rather than sung. The chorus is the only part that is sung.
Performance notes: Whenever a woman's name is mentioned in this song, point to someone in the audience. This song has the characteristics of a swing song and plays on the genre of the big band leader in a nightclub during the 1930s and 1940s. Play along with that while you're performing.

Why this song is easy: Late 90s and early 2000s punk music involved a lot of shout-singing and jumping up and down. Vocal quality and vocal performance aren't that important.
Performance notes: An easy way to pull off this song is to mimic Tom DeLonge's unique voice. ("All the small theengs. True care, truth breengs.") It doesn't really matter if you don't nail every note. The audience will be like, "Haha! That's funny! Tom DeLonge does sound like that!" If you have trouble pulling off this voice, an easy trick is to just sing the whole song with your mouth in a smile. — youtube.com

Why this song is easy: Late 90s and early 2000s punk music involved a lot of shout-singing and jumping up and down. Vocal quality and vocal performance aren't that important.
Performance notes: An easy way to pull off this song is to mimic Tom DeLonge's unique voice. ("All the small theengs. True care, truth breengs.") It doesn't really matter if you don't nail every note. The audience will be like, "Haha! That's funny! Tom DeLonge does sound like that!" If you have trouble pulling off this voice, an easy trick is to just sing the whole song with your mouth in a smile.

youtube.com

Why this song is easy: Late 90s and early 2000s punk music involved a lot of shout-singing and jumping up and down. Vocal quality and vocal performance aren't that important.
Performance notes: An easy way to pull off this song is to mimic Tom DeLonge's unique voice. ("All the small theengs. True care, truth breengs.") It doesn't really matter if you don't nail every note. The audience will be like, "Haha! That's funny! Tom DeLonge does sound like that!" If you have trouble pulling off this voice, an easy trick is to just sing the whole song with your mouth in a smile.

Why this song is easy: I don't know if you've caught on, but a lot of the songs on this list are goofy and iconic one-hit-wonders. If you're bad at singing, these songs are great because a) the audience doesn't take these songs seriously (they already think it's funny before you even open your mouth) and b) A lot of these songs happen to be spoken rather than sung, so the audience is not expecting to be blown away by your voice.
Performance notes: Tubthumping is a song that is chanted, and not sung. A female voice sings "Oh Danny Boy, Danny Boy, Danny Boy" and "Don't cry for me, next door neighbor" throughout the song. You don't need to sing this. But if you do sing it, you can do an exaggerated version of a woman's voice. The audience will get a kick out of that. — youtube.com

Why this song is easy: I don't know if you've caught on, but a lot of the songs on this list are goofy and iconic one-hit-wonders. If you're bad at singing, these songs are great because a) the audience doesn't take these songs seriously (they already think it's funny before you even open your mouth) and b) A lot of these songs happen to be spoken rather than sung, so the audience is not expecting to be blown away by your voice.
Performance notes: Tubthumping is a song that is chanted, and not sung. A female voice sings "Oh Danny Boy, Danny Boy, Danny Boy" and "Don't cry for me, next door neighbor" throughout the song. You don't need to sing this. But if you do sing it, you can do an exaggerated version of a woman's voice. The audience will get a kick out of that.

youtube.com

Why this song is easy: I don't know if you've caught on, but a lot of the songs on this list are goofy and iconic one-hit-wonders. If you're bad at singing, these songs are great because a) the audience doesn't take these songs seriously (they already think it's funny before you even open your mouth) and b) A lot of these songs happen to be spoken rather than sung, so the audience is not expecting to be blown away by your voice.
Performance notes: Tubthumping is a song that is chanted, and not sung. A female voice sings "Oh Danny Boy, Danny Boy, Danny Boy" and "Don't cry for me, next door neighbor" throughout the song. You don't need to sing this. But if you do sing it, you can do an exaggerated version of a woman's voice. The audience will get a kick out of that.

Why this song is easy: If you do this song, the audience is going to help you by singing along whether you want them to or not.
Performance notes: If you somehow don't think anyone in your karaoke bar will know this song, don't do it. This song is only good when more than one person is singing it. It's pretty repetitive, so make sure you have energy to keep the song exciting. — youtube.com

Why this song is easy: If you do this song, the audience is going to help you by singing along whether you want them to or not.
Performance notes: If you somehow don't think anyone in your karaoke bar will know this song, don't do it. This song is only good when more than one person is singing it. It's pretty repetitive, so make sure you have energy to keep the song exciting.

youtube.com

Why this song is easy: If you do this song, the audience is going to help you by singing along whether you want them to or not.
Performance notes: If you somehow don't think anyone in your karaoke bar will know this song, don't do it. This song is only good when more than one person is singing it. It's pretty repetitive, so make sure you have energy to keep the song exciting.

Why this song is easy(-ish): The rhythm in this song is a bit tricky. The notes themselves aren't hard to sing, but when exactly to sing them is another issue. You should only do this song if you know it well.
Performance notes: During the chorus, after the "The boys are back in town" line is sung, it happens again, almost like an echo. You can get the audience to sing that part if you want. — youtube.com

Why this song is easy(-ish): The rhythm in this song is a bit tricky. The notes themselves aren't hard to sing, but when exactly to sing them is another issue. You should only do this song if you know it well.
Performance notes: During the chorus, after the "The boys are back in town" line is sung, it happens again, almost like an echo. You can get the audience to sing that part if you want.

youtube.com

Why this song is easy(-ish): The rhythm in this song is a bit tricky. The notes themselves aren't hard to sing, but when exactly to sing them is another issue. You should only do this song if you know it well.
Performance notes: During the chorus, after the "The boys are back in town" line is sung, it happens again, almost like an echo. You can get the audience to sing that part if you want.

Why this song is easy: Brandon Flowers' vocal range in this song is very small. On the verses, he pretty much sings the same note over and over.
Performance notes: Despite its alternative rock characteristics, this is a sad break-up song. If you want to really entertain your audience, play up the Emo Sad Boy character. Don't ignore the angst in this song!
At the end of the song, Brandon Flowers holds out a lot of long notes. If they are too hard for you to do, start fake crying and pretend you are far too emotional to sing correctly. — youtube.com

Why this song is easy: Brandon Flowers' vocal range in this song is very small. On the verses, he pretty much sings the same note over and over.
Performance notes: Despite its alternative rock characteristics, this is a sad break-up song. If you want to really entertain your audience, play up the Emo Sad Boy character. Don't ignore the angst in this song!
At the end of the song, Brandon Flowers holds out a lot of long notes. If they are too hard for you to do, start fake crying and pretend you are far too emotional to sing correctly.

youtube.com

Why this song is easy: Brandon Flowers' vocal range in this song is very small. On the verses, he pretty much sings the same note over and over.
Performance notes: Despite its alternative rock characteristics, this is a sad break-up song. If you want to really entertain your audience, play up the Emo Sad Boy character. Don't ignore the angst in this song!
At the end of the song, Brandon Flowers holds out a lot of long notes. If they are too hard for you to do, start fake crying and pretend you are far too emotional to sing correctly.

Why this song is easy: Kesha's slurred auto-tuned voice in this song makes it easy to sing. If you're already drunk, the slurring thing should be no problem for you.
Performance notes: In "TiK ToK," Kesha plays the Hot Mess Party Girl character. You can afford to be a little bit sloppy in your movements while you perform this. Just don't get too out of control! If you're an actual drunken mess on stage, you'll just make the audience uncomfortable. — youtube.com

Why this song is easy: Kesha's slurred auto-tuned voice in this song makes it easy to sing. If you're already drunk, the slurring thing should be no problem for you.
Performance notes: In "TiK ToK," Kesha plays the Hot Mess Party Girl character. You can afford to be a little bit sloppy in your movements while you perform this. Just don't get too out of control! If you're an actual drunken mess on stage, you'll just make the audience uncomfortable.

youtube.com

Why this song is easy: Kesha's slurred auto-tuned voice in this song makes it easy to sing. If you're already drunk, the slurring thing should be no problem for you.
Performance notes: In "TiK ToK," Kesha plays the Hot Mess Party Girl character. You can afford to be a little bit sloppy in your movements while you perform this. Just don't get too out of control! If you're an actual drunken mess on stage, you'll just make the audience uncomfortable.

The songs below may not be in every karaoke bar's library — they're mostly instrumental with very few lyrics. Only do these songs if you're 100% confident in your ability to captivate an audience. Your entire performance will be dependent on your ability to do either a) dance moves or b) air instruments (miming the action of playing musical instruments).

These songs are for risk-takers only, but don't require much musical ability.

Lyrics: Honestly, for this song, you can just mumble whatever you want. You can hardly hear what this guy is saying, anyway. The only important lyric in this song is the "A haw, haw, haw" stuff.
Air instruments: Guitar, for the most part. Drum fills appear throughout the song. They're not as important as the guitar, but nailing them would take your performance to another level. — youtube.com

Lyrics: Honestly, for this song, you can just mumble whatever you want. You can hardly hear what this guy is saying, anyway. The only important lyric in this song is the "A haw, haw, haw" stuff.
Air instruments: Guitar, for the most part. Drum fills appear throughout the song. They're not as important as the guitar, but nailing them would take your performance to another level.

youtube.com

Lyrics: Honestly, for this song, you can just mumble whatever you want. You can hardly hear what this guy is saying, anyway. The only important lyric in this song is the "A haw, haw, haw" stuff.
Air instruments: Guitar, for the most part. Drum fills appear throughout the song. They're not as important as the guitar, but nailing them would take your performance to another level.

Lyrics: "Tequila!" is literally the only lyric.
Air instruments: Any type of horn will do. — youtube.com

Lyrics: "Tequila!" is literally the only lyric.
Air instruments: Any type of horn will do.

youtube.com

Lyrics: "Tequila!" is literally the only lyric.
Air instruments: Any type of horn will do.

Lyrics: "Pick up the pieces!"
Air instruments: Horns, guitar, tambourine, and drums. They all play at the same time, so you should switch up instruments throughout the song. — youtube.com

Lyrics: "Pick up the pieces!"
Air instruments: Horns, guitar, tambourine, and drums. They all play at the same time, so you should switch up instruments throughout the song.

youtube.com

Lyrics: "Pick up the pieces!"
Air instruments: Horns, guitar, tambourine, and drums. They all play at the same time, so you should switch up instruments throughout the song.

Lyrics: The only word you need to know for this song is "Hey!"
Air instruments: You should play the air guitar for this song, but do actual clapping. If you can't think of something to do while you're on stage, just go back to clapping for a bit. This will get you through the song. — youtube.com

Lyrics: The only word you need to know for this song is "Hey!"
Air instruments: You should play the air guitar for this song, but do actual clapping. If you can't think of something to do while you're on stage, just go back to clapping for a bit. This will get you through the song.

youtube.com

Lyrics: The only word you need to know for this song is "Hey!"
Air instruments: You should play the air guitar for this song, but do actual clapping. If you can't think of something to do while you're on stage, just go back to clapping for a bit. This will get you through the song.

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