American Anthems

You know what I love regarding karaoke? I love that the songs on one person’s “greatest karaoke songs ever” list are also on another guy’s “worst karaoke songs ever” list. Ah, these are songs we love to sing! And so we sing ‘em until every one else can’t stand it. As a amusive point of interest, it is a fact that numerous of those same “favorite” karaoke songs are on Rolling Stones “20 Most Annoying Songs” list.

But who cares! We just want to sing for strangers like we sing in the shower. What songs ought to you sing at the karaoke microphone in the local pub? Well, don’t sing anything off of either of the lists here. Pick a song from the basi list if you want to lead a roaring sing-along. Pick a song from the second list and the audience will loathe you.

I’m calling this basi list anthems – not best, top, or favored karaoke songs. These are the songs that each karaoke audience worth their salt knows by heart and unquestionably wants to sing. I think KJs must lead whole audience performances of these songs as share of each show. Anyone who tries to sing them as a solo will get drowned out by the audience anyway!

The 10 Anthems of Karaoke

1. Love Shack

2. Don’t Stop Believin’

3. (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction

4. Summer of ’69

5. Roxanne

6. Born to Be Wild

7. Cecilia

8. Sweet Caroline

9. Imagine

10. American Pie (the shorter Madonna cover, please)

Of the thousands of songs available, you would think we would be competent to turn the page and find something new. But no, we like what we like. Don’t fight the tide.

What makes picking the right song perplexed is that so a good deal of would-be singers don’t know what they can’t sing. So they butcher their bestloved tune, feel horrified surprise at their unanticipated failure, and end up slinking off the stage with karaoke shame.

DJs and KJs have the further and added problem of sustaining the energy of the show in spite of our lame song selection. When three groups of persons all want to sing “Bohemian Rhapsody,” you recognise the audience is going to revolt. (Seriously, the odds are you CAN’T sing Bohemian Rhapsody!) Many KJs are instituting a one time per night limit on songs just because they can’t bear playing the same stuff over and over. Plus KJs want to have a reason to tell people “no” when the song is a show killer.

So at the peril of alienating my entire readership, I now submit a second list of ten – the train wrecks. These are the songs that you shouldn’t sing. Some outstanding songs are on this list and some actually irritating songs are, too. Either way, the songs are very difficult for 99% of performers to sing. Or they have been sung so a great deal of times they make us suicidal to listen to again. Whether it is repetitious or uncomfortably sexual lyrics, long stretchings of instrumentals, the four octave vocal range, or the disability of the performer to keep up with the impossibly fast lyrics, odds are these songs will result in the audience despising you before your song is over.

The 10 Train Wrecks of Karaoke:

1. Bohemian Rhapsody

2. I Touch Myself

3. Total Eclipse of the Heart

4. Barbie Girl

5. Paradise by the Dashboard Light

6. I Will Always Love You

7. Baby Got Back

8. Anything for Love

9. I Got You Babe

10. Beat It

Don’t make us secretly hate you while we politely golf clap your performance. Pick something else! And being drunk will not make you sing these train wrecks better, believe me. Some of them are over 8 minutes long, so we will have a great deal of time to hate you, drunk or sober!

American Anthems Pic

American Anthems Pic

American Anthems Picture

American Anthems Picture

Most helpful client reviews

8 of 8 humans found the following review helpful.
Great Patriotic CD
By band guy
This is a outstanding CD if you ever need or want to have patriotic music. American music played by an American brass band. This group sounds terrific. For those of you unfamiliar with brass band, it is comprised of 25 brass players and 2 or 3 percussionists. You get a rich, full sonority and these guys play GREAT! This CD is HIGHLY commended to all brass players who want to listen tone quality, timbre, intonation, and more. Band managers would be wise to use this as a model for their students for everything from pitch to phrasing. Everybody else would be wise to pick it up if you like Americana. I recognise people who use this for their commute because it is upbeat and uplifting. Excellent CD!!!! You may also want to check out their second CD entitled “Christmas Time Is Here”. Also highly recommended.

4 of 4 humans found the following review helpful.
Outstanding Performance and Collection of Songs
By elviswoman
I am impressed with the quality of the Gramercy Brass Ensemble’s performance of these conventional American Patriot pieces.

Beautiful sound, outstanding musicianship, classic yet spirited arrangements, and wide assortment from national anthems to branch-specific armed forces hymns.

I would commend this recording to any person looking to listen American Patriotic music at it is best. A very nice CD.

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