Looking for "well-known" crowd-pleaser upbeat karaoke songs that ALSO "show off" vocal range

https://www.reddit.com/r/singing/comments/173fxo3/looking_for_wellknown_crowdpleaser_upbeat_karaoke/

created by sylverfalcon on 09/10/2023 at 01:41 UTC*

61 upvotes, 35 top-level comments (showing 25)

The song has got to be something that the crowd recognizes right away, they can participate with (whether that is dancing along to and/or singing along to), up-tempo, but have part or parts that the karaoke singer can really 'wow' the crowd.

I know songs that "show off" vocal range and powerful vocals but they're usually slower songs and/or not as popular or well known.

So I need songs that check off everything, please help!

These are what I have thought of so far but I'm not even sure they hit the mark for what I'm looking for. Would you recognize these and/or consider them vocally impressive?

all I want for Christmas is you, mariah Carey
let it go, Idina menzel
ain't no mountain high enough, Diana ross
respect, Aretha franklin
before he cheats, Carrie underwood
how will I know, Whitney houston
since u been gone, behind these hazel eyes, or stronger, kelly clarkson
sorry not sorry, or heart attack, demi lovato
leave get out / too little too late, jojo
bang bang, Jessie j/Ariana grande/Nicki Minaj

And even the last few are getting less well-known.

I recognize by "well-known", this will vary widely depending on region, culture, and age. I guess I'm hoping to get as broad as possible. For example, I think mariah carey and Whitney houston are known throughout many generations and many countries.

Comments

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Comment by iamlacykay at 09/10/2023 at 02:59 UTC

21 upvotes, 2 direct replies

The ones on your list that I think hit the categories you’ve outlined are

respect
before he cheats
since you’ve been gone

I’d like to suggest

I wanna dance with somebody, Whitney
You shook me all night long, AC/DC
Rolling in the deep, Adele
Don’t stop believing, Journey
livin on a prayer, Bon Jovi
like a prayer, Madonna
chandelier, Sia
Fallin, Alicia Keys (maybe too slow)
I will survive, Gloria

Comment by egodemo at 09/10/2023 at 04:41 UTC*

16 upvotes, 2 direct replies

idk but in my experience most average people perceive high notes *relative* to other notes you've sung. someone mentioned rolling in the deep, most of my friends who are untrained singers or non-singers think that adele's B4s in that song are "crazy high" because they're the top note of the song (edit: however these notes are belted and well-executed, otherwise i don't think they'd sound impressive). i've talked to them a lot about these topics and they don't even notice that for instance adele never sings as high as kelly clarkson, because they're only paying attention to the relative pitches (i guess they don't have absolute pitch). there was another song i can't remember, with a female singer who only sang up to like A4 the whole song and people were commenting that she "nailed the high note"

Comment by Dry-Ice-2330 at 09/10/2023 at 04:23 UTC

8 upvotes, 2 direct replies

The darkness, I believe in a thing called love

Comment by bagemann1 at 09/10/2023 at 02:38 UTC

9 upvotes, 2 direct replies

Basically anything by Journey

Comment by SnooHesitations9295 at 09/10/2023 at 02:53 UTC

7 upvotes, 2 direct replies

These are all over the place as far as "show off" goes. Lol.

For example "before he cheats" is so easy that it cannot be even compared to the rest of the list.

While "all I want for Christmas is you" is hard asf.

I would vouch for "since u been gone" as it's reasonably hard, but really shows off some range.

"let it go" is good too.

I would also add:

Sam Brown - Stop (but maybe it's too slow)

Weather Girls - It's Raining Men

Jenifer Lopez - Let's Get Loud

Sia - Chandelier (if you can pull it off, probably easier in -3 pitch)

Beyonce - Love On Top (the ending is absolutely devastating for people who don't have the range)

Kiesza - Hideaway

Ariana Grande - Focus

Dunno about generations though, the majority of the "vocal acrobatics" songs are pretty new...

Comment by Hitmonstahp at 09/10/2023 at 05:39 UTC

4 upvotes, 1 direct replies

Don't Stop Me Now, Queen!

Comment by singingsongsilove at 09/10/2023 at 10:01 UTC

4 upvotes, 3 direct replies

Upbeat, very well known and sporting a 2 + 1/2 octave vocal range is "Take on me" by A-HA.

As the lowest note is a A2 and the highest note is an E5 (or something nearby, haven't re-checked), you will have to transpose it to fit your range (maybe a major 6th up, range will be F#3 to C6 then). There is a cover by a woman on youtube, but she's heavily cheating, keeping the original key and transposing the lower parts one octave up (resulting in a song that's easy to sing for a female singer).

As you mentioned Idina Menzel, Into the Unknwon from Frozen 2 goes a step higher in the belting part, if you somehow manage to sing the background, too, this has a C6 by Aurora at the end.

Comment by gogahzee at 12/05/2024 at 02:06 UTC

3 upvotes, 0 direct replies

You could add:

"I Wanna Dance With Somebody" Whitney Houston

"P.Y.T." or "Rock With You" Micheal Jackson

"Only Girl In The World" Rihanna

"Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" Wham!

"Candyman" or "Come On Over Baby" Christina Aguilera

"Want You Back" Cher Loyd

"Young Hearts Run Free" Candi Station

"This Will Be An Everlasting Love" Natalie Cole

"Jump" Van Halen