Karaoke is like marmite. It can be the best or worst few minutes of your life depending on your voice (or your self-confidence). But what was once a cringey way to end the office Christmas party has become a booming industry and popular social activity all year round. 

It seems more and more of us are looking for new ways to escape the pressures of today’s world by blurting out a ballad or two with friends. “Karaoke room” is now searched an average of almost 3,000 times every month in the UK and pubs across the country are hosting dedicated karaoke nights. A quick Google also reveals you can even hire a karaoke instructor.

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The research.

Wondering what tune to go for? We've got you covered.

We've analysed Billboard’s top 100 karaoke songs, looking at factors including key, BPM, length and wordcount to find the easiest to sing – either on your own or a duet with someone else.

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Tackling a duet? Here are the top tunes.

According to the study, the easiest duet to take on is Love is Strange (1956) by Mickey and Sylvia. If you’re a fan of the classic Dirty Dancing, you’ll remember the scene where Baby and Johnny mime words in the rehearsal room. The song scores a near-perfect 9.7 out of 10 based on a range of factors including BPM (122), length (02:53), word count (111) and key (C).

In second place is A Whole New World from Disney’s Aladdin, scoring 9.5 out of 10. The iconic love song is one of the shortest in length of those studied at 2 minutes 41 seconds, has a BPM of 121 and 215 words. This is at the starting point of Allegro (120-168 BPM) indicating a ‘fast and bright’ tempo. Similarly, its key is also C Major – one of the easiest to get right for the average singer.

The third easiest duet is Johnny Cash and June Carter’s Jackson (1967), scoring 9.4 out of 10. The song became an instant hit when it was first performed by the duo and offers the perfect opportunity for a duo to stun crowds with a country classic. With a BPM of 128 and a C Major, the song is perfect for those who prefer not to belt out a ballad. The casual conversational lyrics also lend themselves perfectly to a duo that doesn’t want to take karaoke night too seriously.

Easiest Karaoke Duets

Artist	Song	Score
1 Mickey & Sylvia	Love Is Strange	9.72
2 Aladdin (Aladdin & Jasmine)	A Whole New World	9.50
3 Johnny Cash & June Carter	Jackson	9.43
4 Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell	Ain’t No Mountain High Enough	8.83
5 Gotye feat. Kimbra	Somebody That I Used to Know	8.74
6 High School Musical (Troy and Gabriella)	Breaking Free	8.64
7 John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John	You’re the One That I Want	8.51
8 Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande	Rain on Me	8.44
9 Queen & David Bowie	Under Pressure	8.29
10 Lee Wilkof & Ellen Greene (‘Little Shop of Horrors’)	Suddenly Seymour	8.02

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Flying solo?

If you’re performing alone, then your safest bet is Kelly Clarkson’s Since U Been Gone (2004).  The first-ever winner of American Idol solidified her role as a popstar with her second album Breakaway. Since U Been Gone, from the album, is her most popular song to date with over 892 million streams on Spotify. The song’s low speechiness is perfect for a soloist while a bpm of 131 is just upbeat enough for a fun singalong, without straining a causal karaoke singer. 

Another strong solo choice is Jessie’s Girl by Rick Springfield, a classic from 1981. It’s slightly longer than other songs in the list, but with 293 words and a BPM of 132, it’s still perfectly do-able for an amateur singer. 

It turns out that songs from the 80s are among the easiest to sing along to. Of the 100 songs analysed, 12 songs from the 80s are featured in the top 50. But 1967 emerges as the ultimate year for karaoke classics: three songs from that year feature in the top 10, including Ain’t No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and Aretha Franklin’s legendary Respect.

For those looking for a challenge, Empire State of Mind by Alicia Keys and Jay-Z features lowest on the list, thanks to its high speechiness, while its B key may be more challenging for the average singer. Nuthin’ But A G Thang by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg and Regulate by Warren G and Snoop Dogg, also rank low on the list, posing a bigger challenge to any amateur karaoke singers. 

Easiest Karaoke Solos

Artist	Song	Score
1 Kelly Clarkson	Since U Been Gone	9.27
2 Rick Springfield	Jessie’s Girl	9.11
3 Dolly Parton	Jolene	9.03
4 Bon Jovi	Livin’ on a Prayer	8.92
5 Aretha Franklin	Respect	8.80
6 4 Non Blondes	What’s Up	8.63
7 Temple of the Dog	Hunger Strike	8.56
8 LadyGloria Gaynor	I Will Survive	8.41
9 Frank Sinatra	My Way	8.39
10 The Killers	Mr. Brightside	8.36

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It’s not necessarily about technical perfection, it’s about accessibility. Songs in friendly keys like C Major, with a moderate tempo and manageable word count, give even the most hesitant singers the freedom to perform without fear.

- Adam, Startle's CEO