Best Karaoke Songs for Women: 52 Picks From Crowd-Pleasers to Showstoppers

I split this list into seven groups: crowd-pleasers, big showstoppers, fun and silly picks, easy songs for first-timers, newer hits, alto-friendly songs for lower voices, and duets where the female part steals the show. Scan the table for difficulty and length, then jump to any song for why it works at the mic.

Universally loved, instantly recognized, and forgiving where it counts. The vocal demands are moderate and the room does half the work for you.

"Since U Been Gone" — Kelly Clarkson

The verses sit low and chatty, then the chorus turns into therapeutic yelling set to a guitar wall. The crowd is with you from the first riff, and nobody minds if the big chorus gets a little shouty.

"Dancing Queen" — ABBA

Pure joy with zero risk of awkward silence. The melody floats a bit high in the chorus, but the whole bar sings it with you, so the top notes are a team effort.

"Girls Just Want to Have Fun" — Cyndi Lauper

Attitude beats accuracy here. The verses are basically talk-sung, and the title hook is so familiar the room fills it in before you get there. Grab your friends and make it a group number.

"Shake It Off" — Taylor Swift

Modern, bouncy and in a range most voices can handle. The spoken breakdown in the middle is your chance to ham it up, and people start dancing by the second chorus.

"Respect" — Aretha Franklin

The spelled-out bridge is built-in crowd participation, and at two and a half minutes it's over before nerves set in. You don't need Aretha's pipes, just her swagger.

"Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" — Shania Twain

The spoken intro shout gets the room hyped before you sing a note. It's all attitude and a mid-range melody, which makes it the go-to opener for bachelorette parties.

"Toxic" — Britney Spears

That string riff hits and everyone turns around. The breathy verses are easy, but the chorus jumps around fast, so know it cold before you go up.

"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" — Whitney Houston

Whitney's big notes are no joke, but this one is so happy the crowd forgives anything. Keep the verses light, save your energy for the last chorus, and let the room carry the ad-libs.

"I Will Survive" — Gloria Gaynor

The slow, dramatic opening lets you set the mood, then the disco beat kicks in and the whole bar joins. The melody stays in a comfortable middle range almost the entire way.

For when you want to hold the room in your hands. These need real vocal confidence, but the payoff is legendary.

"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney Houston

The Everest of karaoke. The quiet a cappella start is exposed, and after the key change the notes get very high and very long. Land it and you get a standing ovation; miss it and you still get respect for trying.

"My Heart Will Go On" — Celine Dion

The long, gentle build gives you time to find your footing before the key change and the final chorus, which is where heroes are made. People always pull out their phones for this one.

"Total Eclipse of the Heart" — Bonnie Tyler

Raspy, dramatic and weirdly forgiving, because imperfect, gravelly vocals actually suit it. Get a friend to do the echoing call-backs and it becomes a two-person show.

"Rolling in the Deep" — Adele

Power and emotion without the stratospheric notes of a Whitney song, but the chorus is loud and sustained, so you need breath support. It lands best for fuller, lower voices.

"Alone" — Heart

The verses are quiet and low, then the chorus rockets up into full belt. Ann Wilson's part is brutal, but the build is gradual, so you can pace yourself toward the big moments.

"It's All Coming Back to Me Now" — Celine Dion

Epic, theatrical and over the top in all the right ways. It's over seven minutes, so check the room's patience first, then commit fully to the drama.

"At Last" — Etta James

Smooth and sultry, and more about feeling than fireworks. The slow tempo gives you room to linger on notes, and it's a favorite for couples at the bar.

"I Have Nothing" — Whitney Houston

Less overdone than her other big ballad, with a key change and a final sustained note that bring the house down. Only pick it if you're warmed up and confident up top.

A quick tip for the big ballads: ask the KJ to drop the key a step or two if the chorus is out of reach. Almost every karaoke system can do it, and nobody in the crowd will notice, they'll just hear you nailing it.

Songs where the goal is laughs, dancing and a little chaos. Nobody's grading you, so commit to the bit.

"Wannabe" — Spice Girls

Fast, chaotic and pure nostalgia. The rap-ish verses move quickly, so split them among friends and assign everyone a Spice. Precision is optional.

"Barbie Girl" — Aqua

The squeaky high part plus the deep spoken male part make it a built-in comedy duet. Drag a friend up for the low voice and ham it up.

"Before He Cheats" — Carrie Underwood

A revenge fantasy the whole bar gets behind, even people who don't like country. The chorus climbs, but the storytelling verses are easy and the crowd yells along.

"Goodbye Earl" — Dixie Chicks

A cheerful, bouncy tune about something very dark, which is exactly why it gets laughs. The melody is simple and chatty, and it's even better with two or three friends harmonizing.

"Good as Hell" — Lizzo

Short, sassy and made for hair flips. The spoken bits give you time to play to the crowd, and it's under three minutes, so it never drags.

"Oops!... I Did It Again" — Britney Spears

Everyone remembers the spoken interlude in the middle, so act it out. The melody is catchy and mid-range, with a couple of quick runs you can fake.

"What's Up?" — 4 Non Blondes

The wordless chorus hook turns every bar into a choir, which is its own kind of hilarious. The verses sit low and the chorus gets high, so pace yourself.

Want more laughs? The funny karaoke songs list has novelty songs, parodies and picks for people who swear they can't sing.

First time up? These have narrow ranges, simple melodies and built-in crowd support. Pick one you know by heart.

"Torn" — Natalie Imbruglia

Talk-sing verses and a chorus that sits right in the middle of most voices. Anyone who lived through the late 90s knows every word.

"Valerie" — Mark Ronson feat. Amy Winehouse

Upbeat, sassy and narrow in range. The horn-heavy production is so strong the song basically carries itself, and people dance from the first bar.

"Walking on Sunshine" — Katrina and the Waves

Simple, happy and impossible to overthink. It gets a little high in the chorus, but the energy matters far more than the notes.

"I Love Rock 'n' Roll" — Joan Jett & the Blackhearts

Three chords and attitude. The vocal line barely moves, it sits low, and the crowd shouts the chorus with you. Great for lower voices.

"9 to 5" — Dolly Parton

Fun, relatable and short. The verses are quick and wordy, but Dolly's delivery is more personality than vocal fireworks, and everyone joins the chorus.

"Complicated" — Avril Lavigne

Pop-rock with talk-sing verses and a catchy chorus that stays manageable. Millennials in the crowd will mouth along with every line.

"Call Me Maybe" — Carly Rae Jepsen

A sweet, bouncy melody in a comfy range, and the string stabs cue you in every time. The chorus is a guaranteed room-wide sing-along.

"Like a Virgin" — Madonna

Short phrases, a small range and a campy vibe that invites a little performance. Play it up and the crowd plays along.

Still nervous? The full list of easy karaoke songs is sorted by difficulty, with short songs you can get through in under three minutes.

Recent songs the younger crowd knows word for word. Great when the bar skews 20-something.

"Flowers" — Miley Cyrus

It sits low and steady, so it suits most voices, and it's an empowering anthem people love hearing. The groove does a lot of the lifting.

"good 4 u" — Olivia Rodrigo

The verses are snarky and talky, then the pop-punk chorus lets you scream it out. Under three minutes of pure catharsis.

"drivers license" — Olivia Rodrigo

Quiet and intimate until the bridge, where it suddenly opens up into a big belt. The room goes silent for this one in a good way.

"Espresso" — Sabrina Carpenter

Cheeky, playful and short. The rhythm is tricky and the words come fast, so practice the phrasing, but the attitude sells it.

"Cruel Summer" — Taylor Swift

The bridge is the moment, and the crowd will yell it louder than you. The chorus sits a little high, but it's all adrenaline.

"Anti-Hero" — Taylor Swift

Chatty, low-ish verses and a chorus you can nearly speak. Self-deprecating lyrics make it fun to perform with a wink.

For more recent chart-toppers, check out the pop karaoke songs list, organized by decade.

If high notes aren't your thing, these sit lower and more comfortably. No whistle tones, no falsetto required.

"Dreams" — Fleetwood Mac

Stevie Nicks sings like she's having a conversation set to music. Low effort, high emotional impact, and the groove is hypnotic.

"Jolene" — Dolly Parton

The simple, repetitive melody stays mostly in the middle of the voice and works for nearly anyone. The crowd always joins on the name.

"Back to Black" — Amy Winehouse

Amy's whole vibe was low, smoky and soulful, and this song rewards that tone. The phrasing is slow and moody, so lean into the drama.

"Zombie" — The Cranberries

The verses are low and nearly spoken, building to a chorus that's more primal wail than singing. Accessible for deeper voices and a huge release.

"Black Velvet" — Alannah Myles

Smoky, sultry and right in the lower register, with a bluesy swagger. A dark-horse pick that always impresses.

"Royals" — Lorde

Sparse beat, low melody and barely any range to speak of. It's all cool detachment, which is easy to fake even if you're nervous.

If your voice sits low, lots of songs made famous by men land right in your zone too. Browse the baritone picks in the best karaoke songs for men and sing them an octave up. Or go straight to the karaoke songs for altos, where every pick comes with its vocal range.

A good duet lets you rest during the other person's lines, then come in strong on yours.

"Shallow" — Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper

The quiet-to-explosive build is all in the female part. Bradley's verse gives you a breather, then the wordless wail brings the house down.

"A Whole New World" — Brad Kane & Lea Salonga

The female line soars above the male part, and the Disney magic makes the whole bar smile. Comfortable range for most voices.

"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" — Elton John & Kiki Dee

Playful call-and-response where both parts are easy, but the female answers are the most fun to sass up.

"Endless Love" — Diana Ross & Lionel Richie

Romantic and smooth, and a little cheesy in the best way. Diana's part is elegant without being demanding.

"No Air" — Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown

A modern R&B duet with a soaring chorus that lets the female voice dominate. The runs are tough, so pick it if you've got some chops.

"Summer Nights" — John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John

The whole bar joins the backing-chorus questions, and Sandy's part is sweet and straightforward. Grab a group to play the gang.

"Somebody That I Used to Know" — Gotye feat. Kimbra

Kimbra's section comes late and steals the whole song. Great when you want your friend to set it up so you can take it home.

"Islands in the Stream" — Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton

Easy, warm and universally loved. Dolly's part is bright and fun, and the harmony chorus sounds good even when it isn't.

Need more two-person songs? Here's the full list of best duet karaoke songs.

For the complete karaoke song bible, head over to Best Karaoke Songs. Going with a country crowd? Try the best country karaoke songs. And before your first night out, a quick read of karaoke etiquette never hurts.

FindKaraoke is the directory of karaoke nights and private rooms across the country.
Find Karaoke near you →