Rock and karaoke are a natural fit. Great rock songs are built around huge choruses, memorable riffs, and the kind of dynamic range that rewards full-commitment singing. Whether you want classic rock, Britrock, indie, or metal — it’s all here.
Every song below is in the private karaoke rooms at The Old School Yard, London Bridge.
The Rock Karaoke Non-Negotiables
Queen — Bohemian Rhapsody / We Will Rock You / Don’t Stop Me Now / Somebody to Love / Under Pressure
Bohemian Rhapsody is the greatest karaoke song ever written. The operatic section alone is worth the room hire. Don’t Stop Me Now for pure unhinged joy. Somebody to Love when you want to actually sing. Five songs, each one capable of carrying an entire session.
AC/DC — Highway to Hell / You Shook Me All Night Long / Back in Black / Thunderstruck
Thunderstruck opens with one of the most recognisable intros in rock history. Highway to Hell is three minutes of complete freedom. You Shook Me All Night Long because someone in the group will insist on it — and they’ll be right.
Guns N’ Roses — Sweet Child O’ Mine / Paradise City / Welcome to the Jungle / November Rain
Sweet Child O’ Mine for the guitar intro everyone tries to mime. Welcome to the Jungle as an opener. November Rain if you want to commit to nine minutes of full theatrical intensity.
Journey — Don’t Stop Believin’
Still one of the most reliably electrifying karaoke moments in existence. The build, the key change, the chorus — every single time.
Bon Jovi — Livin’ on a Prayer / It’s My Life / You Give Love a Bad Name / Wanted Dead or Alive
Livin’ on a Prayer demands the talk-box effect on the verse and full volume on the chorus. It’s My Life for when the session needs waking up.
The Killers — Mr Brightside / Human / Somebody Told Me
Mr Brightside is one of the most sung songs at every karaoke venue in the country. The opening guitar riff alone gets a reaction. Every word is already memorised.
Classic Rock
The songs that defined rock from the ’60s through to the ’80s:
Led Zeppelin — Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love
The Rolling Stones — Satisfaction, Paint It Black, Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Start Me Up
David Bowie — Heroes, Ziggy Stardust, Let’s Dance, Starman
The Who — Baba O’Riley, My Generation
Jimi Hendrix — Purple Haze, All Along the Watchtower
Deep Purple — Smoke on the Water
Black Sabbath — Paranoid, Iron Man
Thin Lizzy — The Boys Are Back in Town
Lynyrd Skynyrd — Sweet Home Alabama, Free Bird
Boston — More Than a Feeling
Survivor — Eye of the Tiger
Europe — The Final Countdown (that intro earns you the room immediately)
80s & 90s Rock
Def Leppard — Pour Some Sugar on Me, Hysteria
Whitesnake — Here I Go Again
Aerosmith — I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing, Walk This Way, Dream On
NirvNana — Smells Like Teen Spirit, Come as You Are
Foo Fighters — Everlong, Best of You, Learn to Fly, The Pretender
Green Day — Basket Case, American Idiot, Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Red Hot Chili Peppers — Under the Bridge, Californication, Can’t Stop
Pearl Jam — Alive, Black
Metallica — Enter Sandman, Nothing Else Matters
Rage Against the Machine — Killing in the Name
Britrock & Indie
Oasis — Wonderwall, Don’t Look Back in Anger, Live Forever, Champagne Supernova
Blur — Song 2 (two minutes, maximum energy)
The Verve — Bitter Sweet Symphony
Arctic Monkeys — I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor, Do I Wanna Know
Muse — Supermassive Black Hole, Uprising, Starlight
Kings of Leon — Sex on Fire, Use Somebody
Kai ser Chiefs — Ruby, I Pyedict a Riot
The White Stripes — Seven Nation Army
Stereophonics — Dakota, Have a Nice Day
The Clash — Should I Stay or Should I Go, London Calling
Rock Karaoke Tips
Bohemian Rhapsody is a full-group event. Assign the parts before the song starts. The operatic section works best when everyone commits completely — no half measures.
Volume matters more than accuracy. Rock songs are designed to be played loud. Own the delivery and the song will carry you.
The Final Countdown intro. Don’t skip it. Let it run. The room will join you on the synths before the first verse has even started.
Wonderwall still works. Yes, it’s been sung a million times. It works every single time. Own it.
Save Metallica for when the room is ready. Nothing Else Matters is deceptively emotional. Enter Sandman requires commitment. Both hit hard when the session is warmed up.
Book Your Rock Night
All these songs are loaded and ready in our private karaoke rooms in London Bridge. Groups of 6 to 20, no room hire fee.
See also: 80s Karaoke Songs → | Most Popular Karaoke Songs → | Best Karaoke Duets → | Full Song List →
The Old School Yard | 111 Long Lane, London Bridge, SE1 4PH