Best Group Karaoke Songs: 30 Songs the Whole Room Will Sing

The best moment of any karaoke night isn’t a great solo. It’s the song where everybody on the sofa is suddenly on their feet, someone grabs the second mic and the person who swore they’d never sing is shouting the chorus.

You can plan for that moment. It mostly comes down to picking the right song at the right time.

Quick answer: The best group karaoke songs have a chorus everyone already knows and space for the crowd to join in. “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Mr. Brightside,” “Livin’ on a Prayer,” “Shout” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” work at nearly every party. Open gently, save the biggest anthems for the peak, and close with something everyone can sway to.

What makes a song work for a group

A chorus people know without the screen. If half the room is squinting at the lyrics, they’re reading, not singing.

Gaps for the crowd. The best group songs have built-in shout-backs: “SO GOOD!”, “Ba ba ba!”, “Hey!” Nobody has to be a singer to yell on cue.

No single impossible note. Group songs get sung by people who don’t normally sing. A massive high note in the chorus just turns into twelve people wincing at once.

A clear start. Songs that kick straight into something recognizable get people up. Long intros let the energy drain away.

Openers: warm the room up

Early in the night, people are self-conscious. Pick songs that are fun to join but don’t put anyone on the spot.

1. “Build Me Up Buttercup” - The Foundations
Why it works: Bouncy, sweet and very hard to resist.
Tip: Ideal as the very first song. It tells everyone this is a silly night.

2. “Happy Together” - The Turtles
Why it works: A soft verse that blows up into a chorus everyone knows.
Tip: Everyone joins on the “ba-ba-ba-ba” part.

3. “September” - Earth, Wind & Fire
Why it works: Instantly recognizable, and the “ba-dee-ya” hook needs zero lyrics.
Tip: Start it as people are still arriving. It pulls them into the room.

4. “Dancing Queen” - ABBA
Why it works: Universal, joyful and easy to sing.
Tip: Get one brave person on the mic and the rest will gather.

5. “Mamma Mia” - ABBA
Why it works: Short, punchy lines and a chorus that sings itself.
Tip: Follow “Dancing Queen” with it and you’ve got a run.

6. “Lean on Me” - Bill Withers
Why it works: Simple, slow, and everyone knows the chorus.
Tip: Pass the mic around for the verses.

Peak of the night: the anthems

The room is loose now. This is where you play the big ones.

7. “Don’t Stop Believin’” - Journey
Why it works: Undefeated. The slow build makes the chorus explode.
Tip: The verses are low. The chorus is the room’s job.

8. “Livin’ on a Prayer” - Bon Jovi
Why it works: The key change before the last chorus is the most famous moment in karaoke.
Tip: Point at the ceiling when it hits. Nobody can hit that note, and nobody cares.

9. “Mr. Brightside” - The Killers
Why it works: A fast, relentless chorus that people scream rather than sing.
Tip: The song repeats its first verse. Don’t panic, it’s supposed to.

10. “Bohemian Rhapsody” - Queen
Why it works: Different sections for different people, and the opera bit is a free-for-all.
Tip: Split it up: one soloist for the ballad, everyone for “Galileo,” the loudest person for the rock section.

11. “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” - Whitney Houston
Why it works: Nobody sounds like Whitney, which takes the pressure off. Everyone sings it anyway.
Tip: Have a group on backup “with somebody who loves me” lines.

12. “Africa” - Toto
Why it works: A singalong chorus that people somehow know every word of.
Tip: The chorus is high. Sing it as a group and nobody hears the misses.

13. “Hey Ya!” - OutKast
Why it works: Non-stop energy and plenty of shout-backs.
Tip: Have the room do the “hey ya!” and “what’s cooler than being cool?” calls.

14. “All Star” - Smash Mouth
Why it works: Narrow, talky verses and a chorus everyone knows thanks to Shrek.
Tip: Ironic and sincere at the same time. Both are correct.

15. “Wannabe” - Spice Girls
Why it works: Multiple voices built in, and a chorus that’s mostly shouting.
Tip: Assign Spice names before the song starts.

*16. “Bye Bye Bye” - NSYNC
Why it works: Short phrases, punchy chorus, and dance moves everyone half-remembers.
Tip: Somebody will do the choreography. Let them.

17. “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” - The Proclaimers
Why it works: The “da da da da” part is basically a stadium chant.
Tip: Stomp on every “da.” Make the floor shake.

18. “Party in the U.S.A.” - Miley Cyrus
Why it works: Talky verses and a chorus that’s pure fun.
Tip: Hands up on “and the Jay-Z song was on.” Everyone knows it.

Call-and-response songs

Built for groups, with a leader and a crowd. Great when you want everyone involved but only one or two people want the mic.

19. “Shout” - The Isley Brothers
Why it works: The leader calls, the crowd shouts back, and the “a little bit softer now” section is a party trick.
Tip: Get everyone crouching low on “softer now” and jumping up at the end.

20. “Y.M.C.A.” - Village People
Why it works: Arm movements nobody needs to learn.
Tip: The person on the mic sings. Everyone else spells.

21. “Sweet Caroline” - Neil Diamond
Why it works: “Ba ba ba!” and “So good! So good!” are the crowd’s job.
Tip: Point the mic at the room every time. They’ll get louder each round.

22. “We Will Rock You” - Queen
Why it works: Stomp, stomp, clap. You need no singers at all.
Tip: Start the stomp before the track, so the room is already in time.

23. “Seven Nation Army” - The White Stripes
Why it works: The riff is chanted at stadiums all over the world.
Tip: The verse is short and low. The riff chant is what everyone’s waiting for.

24. “Livin’ La Vida Loca” - Ricky Martin
Why it works: Short lines, a shouted chorus and horn stabs to react to.
Tip: “Upside, inside out!” is everyone’s line.

Closers: end on a high

The last songs are the ones people remember. Bring the energy down slowly and end on something everyone can put their arms around each other for.

25. “Hey Jude” - The Beatles
Why it works: Four minutes of “na na na” for everyone.
Tip: Turn the music down halfway through the outro and let the room carry it.

26. “Piano Man” - Billy Joel
Why it works: A waltz everyone sways to, with a chorus that brings the room together.
Tip: Arms around shoulders. It’s tradition.

27. “Wonderwall” - Oasis
Why it works: Everyone knows the words, even people who say they hate it.
Tip: Better as a late-night singalong than a performance.

28. “Take Me Home, Country Roads” - John Denver
Why it works: Simple, nostalgic and impossible not to join in.
Tip: The perfect “okay, last song” song.

29. “We Are the Champions” - Queen
Why it works: A grand, slow anthem made for raising a glass.
Tip: Save it for the true last song. It works as a goodbye.

30. “Total Eclipse of the Heart” - Bonnie Tyler
Why it works: So dramatic that a whole room singing it becomes a comedy duet.
Tip: Split it: one person takes the lead line, everyone else does the “turn around” echoes.

Hosting tips for big singalongs

Have two mics. One for the lead, one that gets passed around. A single mic makes a group song turn into a crowd around one person.

Turn the vocals up on the backing track for group songs. Many karaoke modes let you keep some of the original vocal. For a room full of non-singers, that guide helps everyone stay together.

Don’t let the music drown everyone out. When a whole room is singing, it’s tempting to crank the speakers. Keep the music just below the crowd so people can hear themselves. That’s when they get louder.

Watch out for delay. If the sound from the speakers lags behind the singers, a group singalong falls apart fast because everyone drifts off the beat. If you’re shopping for a setup, check how it handles latency.

Planning the whole night? Our home karaoke party guide covers the setup, and for the friends who need a gentle start, send them to easy karaoke songs for beginners or the best karaoke duets.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best group karaoke song?

“Don’t Stop Believin’” is hard to beat. Everyone knows it, the chorus is built for a crowd, and the slow build gives the room time to join in.

What’s a good first song for a karaoke party?

Something light and well known that doesn’t put anyone on the spot, like “Build Me Up Buttercup” or “September.” Save the big anthems until people have loosened up.

What karaoke songs get people dancing?

“September,” “Dancing Queen,” “Hey Ya!,” “Y.M.C.A.” and “Shout.” They all have a strong groove and parts the crowd can do without singing well.

What’s a good last song for karaoke night?

“Piano Man,” “Take Me Home, Country Roads” or “We Are the Champions.” Slow enough to sway to and known well enough that everyone sings the final chorus together.