Group Karaoke Songs: 35 Picks for Parties, Birthdays & Private Rooms

Every pick here has a part for everyone, whether that's a chorus the room shouts back, verses that split cleanly between friends, or a big dramatic moment that's only fun with people you trust. The table gives you the difficulty and length at a glance, and each song has a short note on how to split it.

Songs where the person holding the mic barely matters, because everyone else is singing too. Queue one when the energy dips.

• "Don't Stop Believin'" — Journey — The verses are gentle, but the chorus sits high for most voices. With a group it doesn't matter, because the whole room takes the chorus for you. It's the classic closer for a reason.
• "Bohemian Rhapsody" — Queen — Six minutes, three moods and an opera section that's impossible solo and hilarious with a crowd. Assign the high and low opera voices before the song starts. Everyone knows the head-banging part.
• "Mr. Brightside" — The Killers — Fast verses, a chorus that stays in one place, and a room that will shout every word. The hard part is the pace, not the notes. Nobody sits down during this one.
• "Sweet Caroline" — Neil Diamond — The easiest crowd song ever written. The melody is simple and the room fills in the horn stabs and shout-backs for you. Perfect for a group with some nervous singers.
• "Livin' on a Prayer" — Bon Jovi — The key change in the last chorus is brutal alone, but with ten friends yelling it, nobody hears who missed it. Split the verses and join on the chorus. Guaranteed fist pumps.
• "Hey Jude" — The Beatles — The long wordless outro is the whole point, since anyone can sing along without knowing the verses. It's over seven minutes, so pick a moment when the room is feeling warm and slow. Sways guaranteed.
• "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" — The Proclaimers — A narrow melody, a stomping beat and a wordless chorus that the whole room will shout. You don't need a Scottish accent, but it helps. Great for groups of guys who say they don't sing.
• "Take Me Home, Country Roads" — John Denver — Gentle, slow and in a range almost anyone can hit. The chorus turns into a group hug. Good late-night pick when voices are tired.
• "Friends in Low Places" — Garth Brooks — Sits low and easy, and the whole room joins the chorus. The last note dips very low, so just have fun with it. Works in any bar or room, country fans or not.

Written for groups, so the parts split themselves. Decide who takes which verse before the song starts.

• "Wannabe" — Spice Girls — Five Spice parts, fast rap bits and a lot of attitude. The verses move quickly, so read ahead. Assign everyone a Spice and let chaos win.
• "I Want It That Way" — Backstreet Boys — Built for four or five voices trading lines, then everyone joins for the chorus. The last chorus gets higher, so let your strongest singer lead it. The room always sings along.
• "Tearin' Up My Heart" — *NSYNC — Quick lines to split up, harmonies to mess up, and a chorus everyone knows. It's more fun if you commit to the boy-band moves. Great for friends who grew up on TRL.
• "No Scrubs" — TLC — Three voices, a laid-back melody and a chorus every woman in the room will sing loudly. It sits in a comfortable mid range. A safe, fun pick for a girls' night.
• "Waterfalls" — TLC — Smooth, mid-tempo and split among three singers, including a rap verse. The chorus is the part the room knows. Gives everyone a solo moment without too much pressure.
• "Love Shack" — The B-52's — Half shouting, half singing, with male and female parts that trade back and forth. There's almost nothing hard about the melody. Pure party energy for a group of three or four.
• "Shoop" — Salt-N-Pepa — Split the verses among three friends and let the room do the hook. The raps are steady, not fast. Brings the flirty energy every time.
• "Summer Nights" — John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John — A duet with a built-in chorus of friends, so split the room into guys and girls. The call-and-response is the fun part. Easy range and everyone knows the story.

Just two of you? The best duet karaoke songs are split by pairing, and the Disney karaoke songs are great if there are kids in the group.

Songs for the guest of honor to lead, with the rest of the crew backing them up.

• "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" — Shania Twain — The spoken intro is the moment, so let the bride-to-be take it. After that, it's a simple, mid-range chorus the whole group shouts. The number-one bachelorette opener.
• "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" — Cyndi Lauper — The chorus jumps up a bit, but with a group behind you it doesn't matter. Everyone knows it, so it fills the room fast. Classic for a girls' night.
• "Dancing Queen" — ABBA — A few high notes in the chorus, but the whole group will carry them. Sing it to the birthday person and point at them on the key line. Makes everyone feel seventeen.
• "Birthday" — The Beatles — Shouty, short and loud, with a rock riff everyone recognizes. It's under three minutes. Much more fun than the other birthday song.
• "Celebration" — Kool & the Gang — Simple melody, a chant chorus and a groove that makes people dance. You don't need to sing well at all. A good way to open the party.
• "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" — Beyoncé — The melody is repetitive, but it moves quickly and needs attitude. Do the hand wave on the chorus. Every bachelorette party needs it once.
• "I Gotta Feeling" — Black Eyed Peas — Mostly chanting, with lots of parts to pass around. The build-up gets the room jumping. Great for the start of a big night out.
• "Party in the U.S.A." — Miley Cyrus — A mid-range melody and a chorus everyone knows, even if they won't admit it. Hand gestures optional but encouraged. Nobody sits it out.
• "I Will Survive" — Gloria Gaynor — Starts slow and dramatic, then turns into a disco anthem. The belted chorus is easier with the whole group. A great send-off for anyone leaving single life, or leaving an ex.
• "Since U Been Gone" — Kelly Clarkson — Soft verses, then a chorus that explodes. Singing the chorus with a group is way easier and way more fun. Good for a divorce party too.

A few things make a birthday or bachelorette karaoke night go smoothly. Book a private room if the group is bigger than six. Bar karaoke rotations get long, and your group might only get one song an hour. Let the guest of honor go first and pick the opener. Queue a few whole-room anthems early so the shy people warm up before anyone has to go solo. And save the big ballads for later, when everyone's loosened up.

The songs you'd never do in front of strangers at a bar, but with your own crew and a closed door, go for it.

• "My Heart Will Go On" — Celine Dion — The key change and the big last chorus are a mountain. In a private room, nobody cares if you miss it. Everyone will hum along to the tin whistle intro.
• "Total Eclipse of the Heart" — Bonnie Tyler — Pure drama, with a call-and-response the group can handle. Overact on purpose. Perfect for a room where everyone is ready to be dramatic.
• "I Will Always Love You" — Whitney Houston — The a cappella start is quiet and the final chorus is famously hard. In a room with friends, attempting it is the fun part. Someone will film it.
• "Barbie Girl" — Aqua — A silly duet with a high part and a low part, both easy. The room will be laughing by the first chorus. Private rooms were made for this.
• "Toxic" — Britney Spears — Breathy verses and a chorus everyone knows, with a violin hook you'll hum. Not too high, just sultry. Great in a room with pop fans.
• "Shallow" — Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper — Bradley's part is easy; Gaga's big wail in the middle is not. Doing it with friends means someone else can take the wail. Always a moment.
• "Golden" — HUNTR/X — The KPop Demon Hunters hit, with a very high chorus that's best split three ways like the film's trio. Kids and adults both request it. See the K-pop list for more from the movie.
• "Baby Got Back" — Sir Mix-a-Lot — Pass the mic after every verse and let the group do the opening bit as a chorus. The raps are steady, not fast. Guaranteed laughs in a private room.

Private rooms are also where K-pop shines. Here are the K-pop karaoke songs that work for groups, including the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack. For prices and booking tips, read the private karaoke room guide, or go straight to the private karaoke rooms near you.

Looking for more? Start with the Best Karaoke Songs guide, or brush up on karaoke etiquette before your group takes over the bar.

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