A great ballad in a karaoke room is a different thing from a great ballad on a record. The room goes quiet. Everyone actually listens. And when the singer hits the big note — or gloriously doesn’t — the reaction is unlike anything else in karaoke.
These are the songs built for that moment. Every one is in our private karaoke rooms at The Old School Yard, London Bridge.
The Ballads You Cannot Skip
Adele — Someone Like You / Hello / Rolling in the Deep / Set Fire to the Rain / Easy on Me
Someone Like You is the karaoke ballad. The quiet verses, the devastating chorus, the collective singalong once the room realises what’s happening. Hello for the power. Rolling in the Deep if you want something with more drive. Easy on Me as the slower, more modern Adele moment.
Whitney Houston — I Will Always Love You / Greatest Love of All / I Have Nothing / Run to You
I Will Always Love You is the ultimate vocal challenge in karaoke. The key change is the whole point. Commit to it. Greatest Love of All for the sustained notes that reward proper singing.
Celine Dion — My Heart Will Go On / The Power of Love / It’s All Coming Back to Me Now / All by Myself
My Heart Will Go On has one of the most recognisable intros in music. All by Myself requires absolute commitment to the high note — which is exactly why it’s brilliant.
Robbie Williams — Angels / Feel / She’s the One
Angels is the singalong ballad that every group session should build toward. The room will join you on every chorus without prompting. Feel for the slower, more intense version.
Lewis Capaldi — Someone You Loved / Before You Go
Someone You Loved is one of the defining ballads of recent years. The stripped-back verses and the swell into the chorus make it one of the most emotionally effective songs to perform.
Jeff Buckley — Hallelujah
The definitive version of the most covered karaoke song. The verses are quiet and intimate. The full-voice choruses hit completely differently in a room with people listening.
Big Ballad Powerhouses
Songs for singers who want to really use their voice:
Mariah Carey — Hero, Without You, Vision of Love, We Belong Together
Jennifer Hudson — And I Am Telling You (one of the most extraordinary vocal performances in karaoke)
Christina Aguilera — Beautiful, Hurt (Hurt is devastatingly effective in a quiet room)
Alicia Keys — If I Ain’t Got You, No One
Beyoncé — Halo, Listen
Lady Gaga — Shallow, Always Remember Us This Way
Sam Smith — Stay with Me, Writing’s on the Wall, I’m Not the Only One
Bonnie Tyler — Total Eclipse of the Heart (maximum drama, maximum commitment required)
Emotional Classics
Songs that the whole room will sing at some point in the session:
Elton John — Your Song, Candle in the Wind, Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me
George Michael — Careless Whisper, One More Try
Elvis Presley — Can’t Help Falling in Love, Always on My Mind
The Righteous Brothers — Unchained Melody
Ben E. King — Stand by Me
Meat Loaf — I’d Do Anything for Love (the answer to the question is the whole point)
Sinead O’Connor — Nothing Compares 2 U
Modern Ballads
Ed Sheeran — Thinking Out Loud, Perfect, Photograph
John Legend — All of Me (every note matters)
James Arthur — Say You Won’t Let Go
Tom Odell — Another Love (builds to one of the great karaoke crescendos)
Coldplay — Fix You, The Scientist, Yellow
Snow Patrol — Chasing Cars, Run
James Blunt — You’re Beautiful, Goodbye My Lover
Calum Scott — Dancing on My Own
Christina Perri — A Thousand Years
Emeli Sandé — Read All About It
The Power Ballad Section
For when you want maximum drama and absolutely no restraint:
Bonnie Tyler — Holding Out for a Hero
Eric Clapton — Tears in Heaven, Wonderful Tonight
Bryan Adams — Everything I Do, Heaven
Aerosmith — I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing
Phil Collins — Against All Odds, One More Night
Air Supply — All Out of Love
REO Speedwagon — Can’t Fight This Feeling
Foreigner — I Want to Know What Love Is
Berlin — Take My Breath Away
Chicago — Hard to Say I’m Sorry
Ballad Karaoke Tips
Let the verses breathe. Ballads live in the dynamic between the quiet and the loud. Don’t push the verses — save everything for the chorus.
The key change is the moment. Most great karaoke ballads have a modulation somewhere. That’s the peak of the performance. Know it’s coming and commit to it completely.
The room will join you. For Adele, Whitney, Robbie — the whole room will be singing by the second chorus. You don’t have to carry it alone.
Don’t skip the emotional peak. Someone You Loved, Hallelujah, Angels — there’s a moment in each where the room goes still. Let it happen. That’s the whole point.
Book Your Ballad Night
Our private karaoke rooms in London Bridge are perfect for a big ballad session. No audience, no judgement — just your group and the songs.
See also: Most Popular Karaoke Songs → | Hen Party Songs → | Best Karaoke Duets → | Full Song List →
The Old School Yard | 111 Long Lane, London Bridge, SE1 4PH