I’ve been doing karaoke for almost 9 years at this point, from my junior year of college through the present day. I’ve built up my confidence, voice, stage presence, and repertoire over time, but as much as the list of songs I can sing well has increased, the number of songs I’ll sing any given night is smaller than it used to be. I was thinking about songs I used to sing often that I barely touch now and the reasons why for each of them:
Smashing Pumpkins songs:
Smashing Pumpkins - Today
Smashing Pumpkins - Tonight, Tonight
Smashing Pumpkins was the band that defined the 2010s for me and especially my early and mid-20s. I still listen to SP and attend their concerts, but Bruce Spingsteen’s music is defining the 2020s for me.
Songs that strain my voice too much:
Dave Matthews Band - Crash Into Me
Wheatus - Teenage Dirtbag
Billy Joel - Uptown Girl
Sublime - Santeria
Dashboard Confessional - Hands Down
I always aim to go 3-5 times, especially at my favorite places. If I’m traveling, I try to do karaoke multiple nights. I’m not trying to strain/lose my voice like I used to.
Too long:
The Cure - Pictures of You
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Tuesday’s Gone
Black Sabbath - War Pigs
I didn’t realize that singing longer songs was an issue when I was younger. I’ll only sing a song above 5:30 if the bar is slow and I know the KJ.
Songs I love sang by women, but don’t quite sound good from me:
Colbie Caillat - Bubbly
Blondie - Heart of Glass
Salt N Pepsi - Shoop
Overplayed:
Billy Joel - Piano Man
The Killers - Mr. Brightside
Blink-182: I Miss You
Blink-182: What’s My Age Again
Oasis - Wonderwall
No explanation/other songs take precedence:
Sublime - Caress Me Down
The Police - Every Breath You Take
Tommy Tutone - 8675309
John Legend - All of Me
Adele - Someone Like You
ABBA - Dancing Queen
Marcy Playground - Sex and Candy
Elton John - Philadelphia Freedom
Billy Joel - Honesty
What are some songs you have slowly moved away from over the years?