Some songs were made for karaoke. They have choruses everyone knows, melodies that demand to be sung out loud, and that particular quality where even a dodgy performance feels triumphant. These are the songs our guests queue up week after week — the ones that have stood every test.
All of these are available in our private karaoke rooms in London Bridge.
The Absolute Classics — Songs That Never Fail
Journey — Don’t Stop Believin’
The undisputed king of karaoke. Every room knows it, every room sings it, every room loses its mind at the final chorus. There is no such thing as a bad Don’t Stop Believin’ performance.
Queen — Bohemian Rhapsody
Best tackled as a group. Split the parts, commit completely to the operatic section, and remember: nobody cares how accurate it is. The performance is the point. We also have Don’t Stop Me Now, Somebody to Love, We Will Rock You, and We Are the Champions.
Neil Diamond — Sweet Caroline
Ba ba baaaa. The crowd does half the work for you. Sweet Caroline is the failsafe — the song you queue when confidence is low and you need the room on your side.
The Killers — Mr Brightside
Still undefeated. Something about this song makes a room erupt in a way that very few others manage. Queue it late when the session is at full tilt.
Bon Jovi — Livin’ on a Prayer
The key change is one of the great moments in karaoke. Give the first verse everything, and save the absolute maximum for when that key change hits.
Oasis — Wonderwall
A room full of people who all think they could genuinely do it better than Liam Gallagher. That’s karaoke at its finest. Also try Don’t Look Back in Anger.
ABBA — Dancing Queen
Timeless and completely inescapable. The moment the intro plays you can feel the room light up. We have Mamma Mia, Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! and more.
Robbie Williams — Angels
Every British person over 30 knows every word of Angels. It builds beautifully and rewards a group singalong at the end.
Adele — Rolling in the Deep
The karaoke test. If you can deliver Rolling in the Deep you can deliver anything. Someone Like You and Hello are the emotional alternatives. Set Fire to the Rain is wildly underrated as a karaoke choice.
A-ha — Take On Me
The falsetto challenge. Half the room will be watching to see if you nail the high note. Whether you do or you don’t, it’s entertainment either way.
The Reliably Brilliant
These songs are always in the top performers — crowd-pleasers with strong melodies and choruses that fill a room.
The Beatles — Hey Jude, Let It Be, Twist and Shout, Come Together
Amy Winehouse — Valerie, Rehab
Ed Sheeran — Shape of You, Thinking Out Loud, Perfect, Sing
Bruno Mars — Uptown Funk, Just the Way You Are, 24K Magic, Grenade
Whitney Houston — I Wanna Dance with Somebody, I Will Always Love You, Greatest Love of All
Michael Jackson — Billie Jean, Thriller, Beat It, Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough, The Way You Make Me Feel
Taylor Swift — Shake It Off, Love Story, Blank Space
Lady Gaga — Shallow, Bad Romance, Poker Face, Born This Way
Beyoncé — Single Ladies, Crazy in Love, Halo, Love on Top
Elton John — Your Song, Crocodile Rock, Tiny Dancer, I’m Still Standing
George Michael — Faith, Careless Whisper, Freedom! ’90
Spice Girls — Wannabe, Spice Up Your Life
Toto — Africa (more reliable than anyone will admit)
Dexys Midnight Runners — Come On Eileen
Gloria Gaynor — I Will Survive
Bonnie Tyler — Total Eclipse of the Heart
Survivor — Eye of the Tiger
Gotye — Somebody That I Used to Know
Pharrell Williams — Happy
John Legend — All of Me
Recent Additions to the Canon
Songs that have worked their way into the permanent rotation over the last few years:
Guns N’ Roses — Sweet Child O’ Mine, Paradise City
AC/DC — Highway to Hell, You Shook Me All Night Long
Green Day — Basket Case, American Idiot
Backstreet Boys — I Want It That Way, Everybody
Britney Spears — Baby One More Time, Toxic
Wham! — Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, Last Christmas
The Proclaimers — I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)
Sam Smith — Stay with Me, I’m Not the Only One
Celine Dion — My Heart Will Go On, It’s All Coming Back to Me Now
Meat Loaf — I’d Do Anything for Love
Elvis Presley — Can’t Help Falling in Love, Suspicious Minds, Jailhouse Rock
Tom Jones — It’s Not Unusual, Delilah, Sex Bomb
Take That — Back for Good, Never Forget
NSYNC — Bye Bye Bye
Tips for Picking Your Song
Know the words. Confidence carries a performance further than any vocal ability. Pick something you know well enough to sing even when nerves hit.
Match the moment. Opening the night? Go upbeat. Late in the session? Time for a ballad. Read the room before you queue.
The crowd carry. Songs with choruses everyone already knows — Sweet Caroline, Bohemian Rhapsody, Livin’ on a Prayer — mean the room sings with you. That’s the safety net.
Commit completely. Karaoke forgives everything except half-heartedness. Whatever you pick, go all in.
Book Your Room
Private karaoke rooms in London Bridge for groups of 6 to 20. All these songs are in the booth waiting for you.
Browse more: 80s Karaoke Songs → | 90s Karaoke Songs → | Rock Classics → | Full Song List →
The Old School Yard | 111 Long Lane, London Bridge, SE1 4PH