What are your irresistible sing-along songs?

verbistheword

Active member
Joined
Aug 14, 2012
Messages
35
Reaction score
0
Location
Washington, DC
Hey UUers!

I started playing ukulele in large part because I adore sing-alongs.

Which songs get the most participation when you play them for informal groups, like friends or family?

I'm especially looking for the songs that folks love so much, they start singing without prompting. If a song goes over best with a certain group, feel free to specify.

As for me, I've had good luck with family (60yo parents and 25yo brother) joining in on All Together Now by The Beatles.

Thanks!
Veronica
 
Depends on who I'm playing for. If it's at a family gathering then everyone starts singing King of the Road as soon as I begin playing it.
 
darn, I was hoping to get some ideas too from this thread. I sometimes play in small groups (mixed ages but leaning toward 50s,60s plus) and would like to have some reliable songs that most people find easy to sing along to (ones that they usually already know the words, or at least the chorus and with a range that most folks can handle w/o straining)
 
For years a couple friends of mine and I have had a running competition. The rules... Start singing Bohemian Rhapsody in a group of 10+ people, and you win if no one sings along. No one has ever one.

On the flip side, that's a really difficult song to learn.

You could always look for pub songs of various cultures. Few are likely to know them, but they're designed to be quickly learned (the chorus at least)

I really hope something comes from this thread though. I'd like to know song good simple songs I could play, and sing along too myself.

Ain't no rest for the wicked has worked for me a couple times, now that I think about it.
 
Louie Louie
My Girl
Twist and Shout
 
On Top Of Spaghetti
Hey Good Lookin'
 
The lion sleeps tonight
 
An incomplete compendium. I may revisit later.

1960's
You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', The Righteous Brothers
Natural Woman, Aretha Franklin/Carole King
Brown Eyed Girl, Van Morrison
Space Oddity, David Bowie
Rainy Day Women #12 & 35, Bob Dylan
The Lion Sleeps Tonight, The Tokens
Under the Boardwalk, The Drifters
Do Wah Diddy, Manfred Mann
My Girl, The Temptations
Me and Bobby McGee, Janis Joplin

1970's
Sweet Caroline, Neil Diamond
I Will Survive, Gloria Gaynor
The Joker, Steve Miller Band
Drift Away, Dobie Gray
Down on the Corner, Creedence Clearwater Revival
Tiny Dancer, Elton John
Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen
The Gambler, Kenny Rogers
American Pie, Don McLean
Fire and Rain, James Taylor
Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown, Jim Croce
Hotel California, Eagles
Piano Man, Billy Joel
My Sharona, The Knack
Baba O'Riley, The Who
The Weight, The Band
Lola, The Kinks
Rock and Roll All Nite, Kiss
Lean On Me, Bill Withers

1980's
Jack and Diane, John Mellencamp
Come On Eileen, Dexy's Midnight Runners
Don't Stop Believin', Journey
Free Fallin', Tom Petty
In Your Eyes, Peter Gabriel
Walking On Sunshine, Katrina & The Waves
Livin' on a Prayer, Bon Jovi
Tainted Love, Soft Cell
Faith, George Michael
Eye Of The Tiger, Survivor
Should I Stay or Should I Go, The Clash
Blister in the Sun, The Violent Femmes
Sister Christian, Night Ranger
Like a Prayer, Madonna
I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles), The Proclaimers
I Love Rock 'n' Roll, Joan Jett
Just a Friend, Biz Markie
Purple Rain, Prince

1990's
Waterfalls, TLC
Word Up, Cameo
Alive, Pearl Jam
I Want it That Way, Backstreet Boys
The Rooster, Alice in Chains
What I Got, Sublime
Santeria, Sublime
Where It’s At, Beck
Friends in Low Places, Garth Brooks
I'll Make Love to You, Boys II Men
Today, Smashing Pumpkins
Stay, Lisa Loeb
Say it Ain't So, Weezer
Creep, Radiohead
Give Me One Reason, Tracy Chapman
Livin' La Vida Loca, Ricky Martin
Under the Bridge, Red Hot Chili Peppers
MMMMBop, Hanson
What's Up?, 4 Non Blondes
You Oughta Know, Alanis Morissette
Smells Like Teen Spirit, Nirvana
 
Those were the days

It's the only song where everybody finally sang along at a small cookout where I played for my closest friends...
 
That Franky Valli song, Can't Take My Eyes Off of You.
People even sing the horn part.
 
Newly updated! Items added from later in the thread start with a ">".


Hello everyone,

What a great list! Thank you, bunnyf for getting the thread going again.

Below is a compiled list, ordered by decade, following seeso's lead. If a song doesn't have a "via" at the end, then it's part of his awesomely thorough listing.

Intriguingly, several of the songs suggested without an artist specified have been sung by many artists, so I either listed the writers or the person most well known (according to our friend Wikipedia). Note that some have also been popular across time. If you were thinking of a rendition by a different artist or decade, let me know so I can update and folks can be inspired by what inspires you and your sing-a-long friends. :)

Thanks, everyone!
—Veronica


1920s
Show Me The Way To Go Home, Irving King (via timebug)
Side by Side, Gus Kahn & Harry M. Woods (via timebug)
Ain't She Sweet, Milton Ager & Jack Yellen (via timebug)

1930s
The Lion Sleeps Tonight, Solomon Linda (via Freeda)
Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Harold Arlen & E.Y. Harburg (via janeray1940)
Blue Moon, Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart (via Cheeso)
> Minnie the Moocher, Cab Calloway (via igorthebarbarian)

1950s
Hey, Good Lookin', Hank Williams (via peewee)
The Banana Boat Song (Day-O), Harry Belafonte (via Cheeso)
> Witch Doctor, Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. (via ksiegel)
> Jambalaya (On the Bayou), Hank Williams (via vanflynn, seconded by teruterubouzu)

1960s
You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', The Righteous Brothers
Natural Woman, Aretha Franklin/Carole King
Brown Eyed Girl, Van Morrison
Space Oddity, David Bowie
Rainy Day Women #12 & 35, Bob Dylan
The Lion Sleeps Tonight, The Tokens
Under the Boardwalk, The Drifters
Do Wah Diddy, Manfred Mann
My Girl, The Temptations (via seeso and Cheeso)
Me and Bobby McGee, Janis Joplin
King of the Road, Roger Miller (via frisbee fred)
Louie, Louie; The Kingsmen (via Cheeso)
Twist and Shout, The Isley Brothers (and many more) (via Cheeso)
On Top Of Spaghetti, Tom Glazer (via peewee)
Those Were the Days, Gene Raskin (via Olarte)
Can't Take My Eyes Off of You, Franky Valli (via Cheeso)

1970s
Sweet Caroline, Neil Diamond
I Will Survive, Gloria Gaynor
The Joker, Steve Miller Band
Drift Away, Dobie Gray
Down on the Corner, Creedence Clearwater Revival
Tiny Dancer, Elton John
Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen
The Gambler, Kenny Rogers
American Pie, Don McLean
Fire and Rain, James Taylor
Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown, Jim Croce
Hotel California, Eagles
Piano Man, Billy Joel
My Sharona, The Knack
Baba O'Riley, The Who
The Weight, The Band
Lola, The Kinks
Rock and Roll All Nite, Kiss
Lean On Me, Bill Withers
Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen (via Puotta)
> Margaritaville, Jimmy Buffett (via hent)

1980s
Jack and Diane, John Mellencamp
Come On Eileen, Dexy's Midnight Runners
Don't Stop Believin', Journey
Free Fallin', Tom Petty
In Your Eyes, Peter Gabriel
Walking On Sunshine, Katrina & The Waves
Livin' on a Prayer, Bon Jovi
Tainted Love, Soft Cell
Faith, George Michael
Eye Of The Tiger, Survivor
Should I Stay or Should I Go, The Clash
Blister in the Sun, The Violent Femmes
Sister Christian, Night Ranger
Like a Prayer, Madonna
I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles), The Proclaimers
I Love Rock 'n' Roll, Joan Jett
Just a Friend, Biz Markie
Purple Rain, Prince
> I Know What Boys Like, The Waitresses (via coolkayaker1)

1990s
Waterfalls, TLC
Word Up, Cameo
Alive, Pearl Jam
I Want it That Way, Backstreet Boys
The Rooster, Alice in Chains
What I Got, Sublime
Santeria, Sublime
Where It’s At, Beck
Friends in Low Places, Garth Brooks
I'll Make Love to You, Boys II Men
Today, Smashing Pumpkins
Stay, Lisa Loeb
Say it Ain't So, Weezer
Creep, Radiohead
Give Me One Reason, Tracy Chapman
Livin' La Vida Loca, Ricky Martin
Under the Bridge, Red Hot Chili Peppers
MMMMBop, Hanson
What's Up?, 4 Non Blondes
You Oughta Know, Alanis Morissette
Smells Like Teen Spirit, Nirvana

General ideas
Look up pub songs of various cultures (via Puotta)
 
Last edited:
Witch Doctor.

No matter where I play it, regardless of age group, people just have to sing along.

Ross Bagdasarian was a Genius.




-Kurt​
 
If I knew it, Cab Calloway (and the Blues Brothers) Minnie The Moocher. It has a fun call-and-response interactive part to it... Hide dee hide dee hide dee ho....
 
Hello everyone,

What a great list! Thank you, bunnyf for getting the thread going again.

Below is a compiled list, ordered by decade, following seeso's lead. If a song doesn't have a "via" at the end, then it's part of his awesomely thorough listing.

You are awesome! :we're not worthy!:
 
Top Bottom