Top 10 Karaoke Songs

Top 10 Live Band Karaoke Songs

We see a lot of top 10 lists out there these days.  Things like – top 10 worst karaoke songs, top 10 ways to get fired, and top 7 Tips for Rocking the Stage with a Live Band.  We’ve been playing San Diego’s best live band karaoke show since 2006, so we thought we’d create our own top 10 list of tunes that get chosen most frequently.  Our list is far from scientific; just a record of the most popular songs chosen at our weekly live shows and private event gigs.  Behold, the top 10 most popular live band karaoke songs:

10.  Plush – Stone Temple Pilots:  Early 90’s grunge wasn’t limited to Seattle.  In fact, many people don’t know that STP built a following right here in San Diego (at least according to the stoners who wrote the STP entry in Wikipedia).  We hear a lot of great Scott Weiland impressions at Rock Out Karaoke, so this one kicks off our list.

9.  Santeria – Sublime:  Another Southern California favorite, you simply can’t go wrong with a little Sublime karaoke.  Santeria gets the entire crowd singing along with you.

8.  You Oughta Know – Alanis Morissette:  Nothing says, “I love the 90’s” more than AM’s first single from the 1995 album “Jagged Little Pill.”  That’s right, sister.  Just let it out. Once upon a time even former American Idol judge Kara Dioguardi rocked this song with us at a private event.

7.  Wanted Dead or Alive – Bon Jovi:  Rock Out Karaoke fans love this 1987 Bon Jovi/Sambora-written tune that starts with the windy acoustic intro, crescendos into a face-melting guitar solo, and ends back on the signature riff.  Anyone with the moxie to tackle this one is frequently rewarded with lots of praise from the crowd.

6.  Use Somebody – Kings of Leon:  Not all of the most popular tunes are “oldies.”  This 2009 smash hit from Tennessee family band Kings of Leon has gotten lots of radio play and gets lots of love from those who take the stage with us.

5.  Before He Cheats – Carrie Underwood:  American Idol’s fourth season winner, Carrie Underwood, found a hit with this tune about smashing headlights and slashing tires. Guys, watch out for the girl who sings this one…

4.  Rebel Yell – Billy Idol:  This 80’s classic by sneering, spike-haired rocker Billy Idol is what Rock Out Karaoke is all about.  Raw, real, intense rock and roll, led by an energetic frontman from the audience.

3.  Hit Me With Your Best Shot – Pat Benatar: like Billy Idol, this one is a staple of our song list and gets lots of love by fans young and old.

2.  Sweet Child O Mine – Guns N Roses:  Another great rock anthem that lets our karaoke singers really unleash their inner rock star.  This tune has been on the ROK song list since day 1, and it’s no wonder why people choose to belt it out week after week.

1.  Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey:  There are two types of people in this world.  Those who love Journey and those who are liars.  This crowd favorite is guaranteed to get the entire bar singing along with you.  We’ve seen many a bachelorette/birthday groups rock this one and capture the attention of everyone within earshot.

So there you have it, sports fans.  The top 10 most-chosen tunes at Rock Out Karaoke.  We certainly hope to see you on stage with us soon, rocking one of these songs or one of the other 190-some-odd (and counting) songs on the list.

Honorable mention goes to the following great songs as well: Folsom Prison Blues – Johnny Cash; Alive – Pearl Jam; Love Shack – the B52s; and Possum Kingdom – the Toadies.

PB Idol is Back!

Perfectly timed with the start of Season 10 on American Idol, we’re bringing back PB Idol for the spring!  The contest will happen during our regular Thursday night gigs at the 710 Beach Club in Pacific Beach starting on February 3rd. The winner will be crowned during the PB Idol Finals night at 710 Beach Club on April 2.  See our show calendar and details below.  Start warming up those voices!

PB Idol 2009 Finals

Here’s a quick rundown of how it will work:

  • PB Idol begins Feb 3, and runs 8 weeks (ending March 24).   Six contestants per night, two per set, one winner each night.  Finals will be held on Saturday April 2.
  • ROK will take sign-ups for the preliminary rounds here: http://goo.gl/qzHKc (feel free to share the link with others).  Contestants will sign up for a first and second choice date, but not a specific time slot (you will be able to select a time slot and tune the night of your preliminary— first come, first served).  We anticipate all spots will fill up fast, so sign up now to get the date you want.
  • Contestants will be judged in 3 categories:
  • Prizes:  Cash money prizes will be awarded!
  • Misc:
    • Contestants may compete in only one preliminary round.
    • If you sign up for a time slot and don’t show, you won’t be able to sign up a second time.
    • No-show time slots will be filled by others who are present that night (first come/first served)

So who’s ready to show us what you got???

Rock Out Karaoke is San Diego’s most dynamic live music performance group, combining the raw power of a live rock band with the fun of audience participation, where individual singers take center stage with the live band! Complete with lyrics displayed on a monitor in real-time with the music, nothing is missing from this unique karaoke show!

Twitter Friends

San Diego’s best live band karaoke is all over the internet:  blogging, Facebook, Yelp!, YouTube, and even Twitter.  You might wonder why we spend time on all this stuff.  Sure, we need a website (or in our case a WordPress blog) and Facebook makes sense for us to post our pictures, but what about Twitter?  Lots of folks have pretty big misconceptions about what Twitter really is and how it is useful.  Have you heard these before?

“Isn’t that just for teeny boppers?”

“Why do I care what you had for lunch?”

Fact is, most Twitter users are old (insert reliable, well-cited statistic here).  And while a few people are sharing what they had for lunch, many more are actually sharing great ideas, websites, and in this case, events.

Thursday, October 28th marked the first (hopefully of many) “Tweetup” with Rock Out Karaoke.  A Tweetup is a meetup for folks on Twitter.  Now I’ve been to a few of these before, and it’s always pretty neat to find someone who knows your name, logo, and online persona but has never met you in person.

We had the chance last week to not only meet some of our “tweeps” at this particular 710 Beach Club show, but we had a great time when they joined us on stage for some great live band karaoke!

The event was inspired by @gingeranderson (a Twitter “handle” always begins with @) after an ongoing conversation about the TV show Glee.  Ginger created the incredibly user-friendly invitation and response website using Tweetvite – an easy way to spread the word about events, register, and let others know you’re coming.

Those in attendance included @californiakara, @nataliewardel (the artist formerly known as @mrsnatalie), @iizliz, @babyblooze (those last two may or may not be the same person), @sugarjones, @socalsally … notice a pattern here?  They’re all women!  I think there were a couple of token guys there, husbands and whatnot, but who really pays attention to dudes anyway?  Ok, fine, thanks to @dannyboy72, @babyface_GM (our Tweep from waaaay back when), and the other husbands/arm candy for coming as well!  Hope I didn’t miss anyone.

We even got a couple of sweet blog mentions from Sugar and Natalie afterward.  Be sure to subscribe to both of their blogs – great reading on a variety of topics.  Also, here’s a video of Natalie’s husband and one of Kara rocking it on stage with us!

It was pretty cool to finally meet some of these folks in person and even more fun knowing that they enjoyed the show.  Here’s hoping the #sdrockout Tweetup becomes a monthly event!  Thanks, Twitter.  You can be our friend…

Rock Out Karaoke is San Diego’s first and best live band karaoke – since 2006. Find us on Twitter and ask how we can rock your next party.

7 Tips for Live Band Karaoke

Singing karaoke with a live band is a completely new ball game for most of us and can be pretty intimidating.  Not only are you on a bigger stage, but you’ve got to adjust to the (increased) stage volume and high energy.  Luckily, we’ve got some helpful hints for you.  After playing in San Diego’s original live band karaoke show for over 4 years, we’ve learned a thing or two about how to be successful.  Read on and be the rock star that you know you can be.

1.  Own the stage. So this one might sound a little obvious, but you’ve got to act like you’ve been there before… even if you haven’t.  Even a mediocre singer with great stage presence and dance moves will wow the audience much more than a great singer who just stands there.  Rock Out Karaoke regular, Kristen gives us a textbook example of a singer owning the stage.

2.  Song choice. If you’ve ever watched American Idol, you know that song choice is key.  Make it count.  While we like to think that all our tunes rock (since they pretty much do), there are simply some karaoke tunes that rock somewhat harder than others.  Go for a song you really know by heart, so you can concentrate on tip #1.

3.  Liquid courage. Sure it’s expected that you’ll indulge in a few drinks to lubricate the pipes, but there’s also a point at which you become “that guy (or girl.)”  Enjoy the drink specials and try to find your sweet spot just before you hit the stage.

4.  Bring your own cheering section. Even if you’re not a great singer, having some familiar faces there to cheer you on makes you seem that much more like a rock star.  Plus, they can sing along with you, help calm your nerves, record your performance to post on YouTube, and have that cold beer waiting for you when you return to the table.

5.  Look at the audience. This one goes back to points 1 and 2.  If you can connect with the audience, they’ll love you.  Relax, take your hands out of your pockets, and step up with some confidence.  It’s okay to smile, too.  Look them in the eye and tell them how you’re the Man in the Box.

6.  Stick to the lyrics. Unless you’re singing a Weird Al song, changing the lyrics is probably only enjoyed by you and a couple of your buddies who don’t get to hear the F* bomb enough.  Read what’s on the prompter and rock the original version.

7.  Come back for more. With live band karaoke shows all over the US, you’ve got no excuse for making it part of your social scene more often.  In San Diego, we play about 6-8 public shows each month.  That makes for plenty of opportunities to ‘rehearse.’  The best way to get better at something is practice, practice, practice!

Most of all, enjoy yourself and others will too.  Rock the stage with a live band and brag about it at work the next day!

Rock Out Karaoke is San Diego’s most dynamic live music performance group, combining the raw power of a live rock band with the fun of audience participation, where individual singers take center stage with the live band! Complete with lyrics displayed on a monitor in real-time with the music, nothing is missing from this unique karaoke show! Rock Out Karaoke is available for your San Diego wedding or special event. Contact us today to find out how we can make your party one to remember!

Will you… marry me?

“Will you marry me?”

History was made on the Rock Out Karaoke stage when a local karaoke singer said those words and proposed to his girlfriend in front of a packed house at the 710 Beach Club in San Diego on June 10, 2010.  Brian first gave a stirring performance of Elvis’ “Jailhouse Rock,” complete with hip gyrations, finger pointing, sneering, and of course, great vocals.  He definitely had the crowd’s attention after an awesome performance.  When he asked his girlfriend, Limh, to join him on stage, we knew something was a-brewin’.

Like any gentleman, Brian took a knee and produced a shiny object in a small black box.  He sealed his fate and entered the annals of Rock Out Karaoke history when he asked simply, “Will you marry me?”  Limh said yes and the crowd went into a frenzy.  Exiting the stage, they got plenty of high fives and probably a couple of drinks on the house.

In all the excitement, we failed to get a quality photo of the event.  Here’s a fuzzy depiction of the scene that night just so you know we’re not making all this up.

From Misc

Glad to have our friend Mookie and the 91x crew in the house to witness what was an awesome turn of events.  It has been noted by one Rock Out Karaoke fan that since the proposal happened on our stage, we become the wedding band by default.  Sounds good to us!  Best wishes to Brian and Limh – keep on rocking!

Rock Out Karaoke is San Diego’s most dynamic live music performance group, combining the raw power of a live rock band with the fun of audience participation, where individual singers take center stage with the live band!  Complete with lyrics displayed on a monitor in real-time with the music, nothing is missing from this unique karaoke show!  Rock Out Karaoke is available for your San Diego wedding or special event.  Contact us today to find out how we can make your party one to remember.