Tons of people like karaoke and one thing that almost always ends up happening, especially with duets, is someone singing broadway songs for couples, ballads and other showtunes at karaoke nights. It doesn’t matter if you are at a straight bar, a gay bar or anywhere else, if they have karaoke there is probably going to be a showtune somewhere in the book and someone is going to perform at least one of the most popular broadway songs. Here are a list of ten popular broadway songs for karaoke and the shows they are from.
1. Summer Nights from Grease
Everyone knows this one and it almost always gets everyone in the audience singing along. Summer Nights from Grease is probably one of the most popular broadway karaoke songs that people like to sing. It’s fun to sing a long to and almost always in the song list at every club. Besides we go together or hopelessly devoted, Summer Nights from Grease is probably the most sung karaoke showtune and one that will always be around.
2. Suddenly Seymour from Little Shop of Horrors
Although many straight karaoke bars don’t always have this one, because of the movie that came out a couple of decades ago, this became one of the most popular karaoke showtunes at gay bars, some straight bars and for duets. It is usually available if there is a large enough song book, and you can find it on sale almost anywhere as it is one of the more popular songs. It is another one that people love to sing a long too, but it’s also one that gets annoying and old fast.
3. I Believe from The Book of Mormon Karaoke
This one came out of nowhere. For some reason people started adding I Believe from The Book of Mormon to their karaoke lists and tons of guys are trying to sing it. Not everyone can hit the higher notes in the song, but everyone who loves the show loves to join in and sing a long to their favorite lines. Not only is it funny, but because it is very new it gets everyone excited and laughing if they’ve never heard the song before. This is a definite song to get applause if you can sing and hit the notes and also get everyone laughing, unless they don’t have a sense of humor. I Believe karaoke is definitely one of the newer popular broadway karaoke songs and one that you should definitely add to your playlist if you want to keep broadway people happy.
4. A Whole New World from Aladdin
Whether you are at a gay or a straight bar, someone is going to sing this song if they have it. People love this Disney showtune and now that Aladdin is going to Broadway, we are probably going to hear it even more. This song has been sung to death, beaten and then sung again. People love it because it is a fun one and it is hard to mess up, but it is also one that gets annoying after a while. If you want to sing it, go ahead but you should also try to find one that hasn’t been done a million times over and over again.
5. Seasons of Love from Rent
This song is another one that is old and overdone. I love Rent and definitely sing it way to often, but this song is never done well. It takes a group of people that aren’t tone deaf and although everyone tries it, I have never heard it done well. The song is a lot harder than it sounds and when you’re drunk you think you can do it well…until you hear the recording the next day your sober friends took with their phones.
6. When You’re Good to Mama from Chicago
This is another popular one that has faded. The reason it’s popular is that it is easy to sing and impossible to mess up. The song was extremely popular when the movie version of the show came out and a ton of people will remember it and pay attention when you sing it. A few might join in as well. The song is fun and easy to do which is why everyone likes it.
7. Cabaret from Cabaret
Liza made this one famous and because of it’s fun nature and because you can overact it, it is always a popular one to sing at a karaoke night. Everyone loves it and almost everyone forgets the words. If you mess up and sing the wrong verse, don’t worry, everyone else probably did the same. You can change it to any tone or pitch and the song will still work and sound good. If you over drank so you could get up and sing, the song still works. Cabaret from Cabaret is a classic karaoke showtune that everyone loves and will definitely join in and sing with you.
8. Don’t Rain on My Parade from Funny Girl
This is one of my favorite showtunes to sing at karaoke. Not only is it a hard one, but it is one that always gets people to cheer for you. Even if you don’t do it well, everyone loves to hear it performed and everyone knows how ridiculously hard the song can be to sing. That’s why they always cheer and give you applause for doing this song. It is an amazing song and one that you can turn and make your own extremely easily. Because you can add or change the tone and pitch with most of the song, add scales or even your own inflections, it is extremely hard to mess up, even though the song is hard to do. This is definitely one of the best broadway songs for karaoke and one that always get an applause.
9. Gimme Gimme from Thoroughly Modern Millie
Oddly enough I’ve heard this song done a million times and randomly at different karaoke nights. For some reason there is always someone when you go to a showtunes themed or gay bar that does karaoke that does this song. I actually love this song and love when people do it. I tried it once and failed miserably so I am always excited when I hear someone sing it well. Two other songs that are popular from this show are Forget About the Boy and The Main Theme Song Thoroughly Modern Millie.
10. Any Dream Will Do from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
The reason people always choose do sing this one at Karaoke is because it is very basic. The tune is the same, you can sing off key and it can still work and as long as you can change pitch, you can do a good job. If for some reason you mess this song up, you probably shouldn’t try singing again. This is one of the easiest showtunes to sing and one that is definitely worth trying if you are too scared to go for a harder one.
If you want another list of broadway karaoke songs that are popular, here are a bunch of others.
Don’t Stop Believing – Rock of Ages and Glee
Maybe This Time – Cabaret
There’s Got to be a Morning After – Poseidon Adventure and King of the Hill
On My Own from Les Miserables
Defying Gravity from Wicked
Good Morning Baltimore from Hairspray
I’m Alive – Next to Normal
Ladies Who Lunch – Company
Somewhere Over the Rainbow – The Wizard of Oz
Music of the Night – Phantom of the Opera
Feel free to add your own favorite broadway songs for karaoke by leaving a comment below. You can also buy broadway karaoke cd’s and broadway karaoke mp3s by clicking on the widgets for Amazon and download them. Feel free to also leave a video of yourself singing your favorite showtune or a link to your YouTube Video and I might replace the one from the post with yours. Thank you again for reading and looking forward to hearing your favorite broadway karaoke songs and seeing your videos if you share them.