Top 20 Karaoke Songs of 2017

Millions of karaoke songs were sung during 2017. Which ones were the most popular? Karaoke Cloud has used its massive database of karaoke plays, spread over 200 million data points, to bring you the ultimate list of the most popular karaoke songs for 2017. Here they are:

20) Copacabana – Barry Manilow

Number 20: Copacabana – Barry Manilow

Released in 1978, it remains one of the most popular karaoke tunes ever. Part of the appeal is the fact that everyone knows the chorus, so it’s great for sing-alongs and beginners at karaoke night. The story-song is a genre that’s easy to like, as it has a clear narrative, and the story of a love triangle gone horribly wrong is engaging. And in spite of the rather sad ending, the music is upbeat and fun.

 

19) Take Your Time – Sam Hunt

Number 19: Take Your Time – Sam Hunt

Sam Hunt’s second consecutive single from Montevallo was a powerhouse at karaoke night. Originally released four years ago, it’s the first appearance for Hunt on the Karaoke Top Twenty. The half-spoken delivery may help boost the song’s appeal among karaoke newbies.

 

18) Karma Chameleon – Culture Club

Number 18: Karma Chameleon – Culture Club

Making a leap up seven spots from where it finished last year, it’s the group’s only Number One in the US, and was the biggest selling single in 1983, so it seems their star may still be rising at karaoke night. Worldwide, the single has sold over 5 million copies and topped a total of 17 charts overall. And it’s fun as hell to sing.

 

17) Buy Me A Boat – Chris Janson

Number 17: Buy Me A Boat – Chris Janson

“Money can’t buy happiness, but it could buy me a boat.” Now that’s a sentiment any self-respecting scratch-card-buying  individual can get behind. And it’s resonating with karaoke audiences – after all, who doesn’t want to win the lottery? Don’t knock it just because this song is about wish-fulfilment. Almost every love song ever written is wish-fulfilment too.

 

16) Who Let The Dogs Out – Baha Men

Number 16: Who Let The Dogs Out – Baha Men

Get used to seeing this song on the Top Twenty Karaoke list. Like, every year. Forever.

 

15) Uptown Girl – Billy Joel

Number 15: Uptown Girl – Billy Joel

Billy Joel’s entire catalog is enjoying a resurgence. “Uptown Girl” is exactly the kind of happy, hyped-for-the-future sing-along that gets the crowds on the karaoke singer’s side instantly. The song’s protagonist is the ultimate optimist, and anyone listening is immediately carried on the tide of happiness. This is how good times are had.

 

14) Budapest – George Ezra

Number 14: Budapest – George Ezra

This song’s been up and down on the charts all year. It finally comes to rest just inside the Top 15. Using the first three guitar chords Ezra ever learned (don’t pretend you can’t tell), it still managed to be a massive hit, in spite of (or perhaps because of) this.

 

13) We Built This City – Starship

Number 13: We Built This City – Starship

You may think that because this song figures prominantly on virtually every “Worst Song Ever” chart that it would be massively unpopular for karaoke. You’d be wrong. For a song that everyone claims to hate, it sure gets requested at karaoke night. A lot.

 

12) Total Eclipse Of The Heart – Bonnie Tyler

Number 12: Total Eclipse Of The Heart – Bonnie Tyler

Like “Somewhere Over The Rainbow”‘s chart appearance last year, this song benefited from a singular event, in this case, an astronomical (heh) amount of interest in the total eclipse enjoyed in the USA in August of 2017. It should be noted however that Jim Steinman, who wrote and produced the tune, is a master at songcraft. This one is a prime example of his talent. It’s theatrical, bombastic, and builds to a great crescendo, which is perfect for karaoke night divas.

 

11) Humble And Kind – Tim McGraw

Number 11: Humble And Kind – Tim McGraw

This song shot way up the charts from its previous position last year. Part of a trend we’ve seen in 2017 is an increase in popularity for songs that have positive messaging. This one is a fine example, as a mentor gives advice on a happy life to the listener. It’s good advice, and a great song.

 

10) Baby Got Back – Sir Mix-A-Lot

Number 10: Baby Got Back – Sir Mix-A-Lot

This song hits the list every year. Demographics seem to suggest that it’s particularly popular in metro areas with a mid-to-large college campus nearby. Go figure.

 

9) Jingle Bells – Christmas

Number 9: Jingle Bells – Christmas

While holiday and seasonal tracks are strong back-catalog, it was a surprise to see it place so highly on the year-end chart. It’s pretty widely accepted as one of the most popular Christmas songs in the repertoire, but this year’s performance is exceptional to say the least. What fun it is to ride and sing a sleighing song tonight!

 

8) Piano Man – Billy Joel

Number 8: Piano Man – Billy Joel

Another surprise – this one’s longer than the typical karaoke song, though nowhere near “Paradise By The Dashboard Light” territory. This is Joel’s second big score on the chart this year, and it’s not that hard to see why –  the sing-along chorus and crowd-pleasing melody is a natural for karaoke night.

 

7) OMG – Usher ftg. will.i.am

Number 7: OMG – Usher ftg. will.i.am

This one is tracking quite a bit lower than the Number 2 position that it enjoyed last year. The original featured auto-tuned vocals, which many found annoying, but of course that’s not an issue at karaoke night, unless your local KJ is fully kitted-out. The beat is hard to resist, and it’s fun for two guys to sing together for the luls. Try it.

 

6) I’m Too Sexy – Right Said Fred

Number 6: I’m Too Sexy – Right Said Fred

Boasting and sexual innuendo never seem to go out of style. Everybody knows this one, so it’s a crowd-pleaser, and just as long as the singer doesn’t begin to disrobe during the performance, it’s almost guaranteed to be a ton of fun on a bun.

 

5) I Believe I Can Fly – R. Kelly

Number 5: I Believe I Can Fly – R. Kelly

Positive messaging, as mentioned above, seem to be on a general upswing. This may be due to the current social/political climate, but it’s impossible to fault anyone for wanting to feel good. Karaoke is all about having a great time, and this song is definitely swings that way.

 

4) I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor

Number 4: I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor

A perennial favorite that holds serve. Jilted lovers everywhere want to sing this. Always.

 

3) Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd

Number 3: Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd

Pretty powerful performance from an old staple. May have something to do with the national football brand.

 

2) Save It For A Rainy Day – Kenny Chesney

Number 2: Save It For A Rainy Day – Kenny Chesney

Kind of a sleeper, so its position this high on the chart raised a few eyebrows. It’s good to see country music maintaining a strong presence in karaoke request, and this is another positive message in the face of heartbreak that seems to be powering karaoke selections all over the world this year.

 

1) Cheerleader – OMI

Number 1: Cheerleader – OMI

Probably comes as no surprise. It was Number One in 20 countries, and it’s got a fun, happy-time melody and beat. Enjoy.

You can sing all these great songs and tons more on our consumer platform at Karaoke Cloud. The playlist for these Top 20 Karaoke Songs of 2017 can be found here.

 

Concert Mishaps

Image courtesy of Rony Alwin (via ABC News Radio)

A lot can go wrong during a concert and often times do.  Katy Perry is no stranger to malfunctions at her shows (such as walking off the stage). Most recently, Perry was stuck flying high over the audience at her concert in Nashville, TN. She was stuck on planet Saturn at her show, at least it wasn’t Uranus (ha! get it?).

“I’m really stuck,” she told concert attendees. “This is the first time that I’ve been stuck in space. I know I’m kind of a space cadet, but actually, this thing is being stuck right now.”

 

 

Another recent concert mishap happened to Marilyn Manson. Mr.Manson was minding his own business performing at the Hammerstein Ballroom when all of a sudden the props of two large guns held together with scaffolding fell, crushing him. He was rushed to the hospital were Ms. Tolles (his publicist) did not detail the nature or severity of Mr. Manson’s injuries or offer specifics about how they happened but did make a statement that said, “Manson hopes to return to the stage soon.”

If you want to watch Mr.Masons prop fall performance (which I know you do and you know it too) you can check it out here.

 

Those are just two of the many concert mishaps that have happened over the years. With that said, performs beware.

Tom Petty was a key voice of my generation

I’m not young, but every time one of our icons passes, it serves to take me back in time to when the influence those icons bore on me were yet new, and simultaneously, bring me crashing back to the present.

When Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers first burst upon the scene, it was with “Breakdown”, a song that would indelibly etch his band’s style into the conciousness of the rock music world, and one he’d never surrender. As a freshman in high school, I was umbilically attached to our local AOR radio station, where Petty would follow up those inroads with “Refugee”, “Don’t Do Me Like That” and “Stop Dragging My Heart Around” with the magical Stevie Nicks. Like an indestructable tractor plodding through the corn fields of my youth, Petty’s music wore well-rutted paths in the dusty and impressionable roads of my youthful brain.

Top 6 Most Outrageous Music Laws From Around The World

Most people are told from an early age that you must follow the rules. When you get older, you are told to follow the laws in addition to the rules you have been following you’re whole life.

However, with so many rules, it’s almost like they are meant to be put to the test or at the very least, broken. Here are our top 5 most outrageous music laws from around the world.

With that said, here are our top 5 most outrageous music laws from around the world:

1. New Hampshire:  It is illegal to tap your feet or nod your head to the music in a tavern, restaurant, or cafe.
2. India: The music video for Paris Hilton’s song, “Stars Are Blind,” is banned in India.
3. Kansas: In Russel, Kansas, it is illegal to have a musical car horn.
4. Finland:Taxi drivers in Finland must pay a copyright fee for the music they play in their car while a customer is in the backseat.
5. South Carolina: Musical instruments may not be sold on Sunday.
6. Argentina: Argentine nightclubs must play the same amount of tango music as all other forms of music combined.

I don’t know about you but I always nod my head or at the very least move my feet to the beat of whatever music I happen to be listening to. In fact, sometimes I do so without even realizing it, New Hampshire. So get real.

It seems like India is on to something in regards to that crazy law – I understand why Paris Hilton’s song “Stars Are Blind” was banned. Sorry Paris.

Alright, Kansas, time to have a talk. I like my musical car horn, and I am going to keep it! Musical car horns are how I know it is time to chase after the ice cream truck. If they don’t have their musical car horn, how will I know to grab some change and head out for ice cream? (Shout out to all my fellow ice cream lovers out there!)

Really, Finland? That’s a ridiculous law don’t you think? I mean, if I was to go through the trouble of having to get music I want to play in the car when I have customers licensed, they would be listening to a whole lot of nothing.

South Carolina, I am calling you out! There is no bad time or day to listen to music, let alone sell a musical instrument so that one can play. By denying people the ability to buy a musical instrument just because it is a Sunday is downright wrong. Check yourself, South Carolina, check yourself.

Argentina, I get it, you’re passionate about your tango music, but not everyone is. The whole point of going to a nightclub is to jam out to the blaring music flowing from the surround sound speakers, and that the music is from a large variety of music genres. Time to take it down a notch with your “same amount of tango as all other forms of music combined” craziness!

What music laws did you find most outrageous and why? Comment below!

 

Top 10 Karaoke Night Songs

It’s karaoke night and you’re ready to roll. You’ve got your crew, you’ve got a drink and your game face says “it’s time to sing.” The only problem? The fateful songbook that leaves you staring dumbfounded, wondering what in the world you are going to sing.

You don’t want to cave and sing that one song your friend’s DYING for you to join in on (because you know NONE OF THE WORDS). Don’t resort to standing in the back and hyping up the jam, we’ve got the top 10 songs for you to sing on karaoke night.

 

Sing ‘em at a karaoke party or out at the club, we’ve got your back:

1. I Want It That Way- The Backstreet Boys
2. Chicken Fried- Zac Brown Band
3. Heaven Is a Place on Earth- Belinda Carlisle
4. Collide- Howie Day
5. Sk8er Boi- Avril Lavigne
6. It’s My Life- No Doubt
7. No- Meghan Trainor
8. Geronimo- Sheppard
9. Trap Queen- Fetty Wap
10. Locked Away- R. City ftg Adam Levine

The End of an Era: Fare Thee Well, Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead has led an impressive and incredible musical journey since their reign began back in 1965. Fifty years later, their days of performing unique improvisational music came to an end. The band reconvened one last time (with the addition of Phish’s lead singer Trey Anastasio) to celebrate not only the band’s legacy, but the community that has formed around the Grateful Dead, who lived and died by their music.

Above: The Grateful Dead welcome the fans to kick off of their July 4th weekend.

Trey Anastasio perfectly summed up the Grateful Dead’s musical legacy when he said, “Jerry Garcia was a great American master and the Grateful Dead are not just a genuine piece of musical history, but also an important part of American history. This is a band, born right at the beginning of electric rock, that took the American tradition and moved it forward. They really embodied the American concept of freedom, rolling around the country with a ginormous gang of people and the mindset that ‘you can come if you want, you can leave if you want. We don’t know what’s going to happen. All we know is we’re not looking back.’ What could be more American?”

Tickets to see their weekend long show sold out in under 5 seconds, and were selling for over 1k online. Over 220 fake tickets were seized over the weekend, but many still got their “miracle ticket” thanks to an amazing event staff. The band played on Sunday night at Chicago’s Soldier Field as part of their “Thee Well, A Tribute To The Grateful Dead” tour, and the stadium said 71,000 tickets were sold for the show, the Associated Press reports—more than any other event held at the stadium. The entire city of Chicago was a buzz with excitement of the 3-day show, even creating a Snapchat filter and Grateful Dead pizza boxes. Farewell Thee was celebrated all over the world; while the Dead were jamming in Chicago, the Empire State building was celebrating the Dead and America in NYC by synchronizing to the Dead’s performance of “U.S. Blues”.

The Grateful Dead has been a part of my life since before I even knew what music was, as my nickname is “love child” around my house. I was blessed with a free-spirit family who knows good music, and who taught me the same. Although I did not have the opportunity to see the Grateful Dead, I celebrated the end of their era from right here in Knoxville, Tennessee. Although their days of performing are over, their music will live on forever.

The performance ended with a memorable and endearing close. “The feeling we have here — remember it, take it home and do some good with it,” Mr. Hart said in closing. “I’ll leave you with this: Please, be kind.”

“Sometimes you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right.”

-The Grateful Dead-

CMA Awards 2014 Winners and Recap

Last night, the 48th annual Country Music Awards aired at 8/7pm on ABC network.The show was hosted again this year by Carrie Underwood, whose baby bump stole the show, and Brad Paisley. Both country performers gave great shows singing their newly released singles “Something In The Water” and “A Perfect Storm”.

Carrie Underwood shows off her new baby bump while still looking flawless on the 2014 CMA Awards Red Carpet

Luke Bryan was the star of the night winning Entertainer of the Year!

Luke Bryan on the Red Carpet at the 2014 CMA Awards

Album of the Year, Female Vocalist of the year, and Single of the Year went to Miranda Lambert. It was also an impressive night for Lambert’s husband, Blake Shelton, who won Male Vocalist of the Year!

Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton on the 2014 CMA Awards Red Carpet

Other winners included:

New Artist of the Year: Brett Eldridge

Vocal Group of the Year: Little Big Town

Vocal Duo of the Year: Florida Georgia Line

Music Video of the Year: Dierks Bentley “Drunk On A Plane”

Song of the Year: Kacey Musgraves “Follow Your Arrow”

Katy Perry Chosen as This Years Super Bowl Halftime Performance

The National Football League has chosen pop icon, Katy Perry, to perform during the Super Bowl halftime show this February. Perry was picked over other stars, Rihanna and Coldplay, for the job! We think she is going to KILL it, how about you?!

Photo credit: Christie Goodwin/ Getty

Famous songwriter helps education startup get off the ground

Three-time Emmy nominee and Sesame Street songwriter Mark Radice performs at the SoKnox Studios Grand Opening on April 8, 2014. Photo courtesy Cathy Vangieri.

Children’s Media Studio has debuted the release of their new Christmas album, Sing And Spell Christmas Sing-Along, presenting nine classic Christmas favorites and two new original songs, with featured arrangements by Mark Radice, the three-time Emmy-nominated composer who has written songs for Sesame Street, Elmo’s Christmas Countdown, The Jim Henson Hour and The Muppets at Walt Disney World. Children’s Media Studios released all of the music videos for viewing on their YouTube channel, with complimentary holiday coloring pages also offered on their website.

Bruce Springsteen and Chris Martin fill in for Bono at World AIDs Day concert

Bruce Springsteen and Chris Martin perform with U2 band at World AIDs Day concert in Times Square.

Monday night, Bruce Springsteen and Chris Martin performed in place of Bono with the U2 band at a surprise concert for World AIDs Day in Times Square. Bono, lead singer of U2, was injured last month in a biking accident that has made him unable to do any performances at the moment. Luckily, U2 was able to appear at the concert with more than suitable men for the job! Watch the video of Springsteen/ Martin/ U2 rock duo rock out!