A drunken rendition of any song can easily turn you off to the track. That’s the grueling reality of karaoke night. Many karaoke nights lack originality, and certain songs receive an eye roll as soon as the track starts. That doesn’t necessarily mean the song is bad; it’s just been ruined and overplayed. Here are four pop classics that, as much as it pains us to say it, have been ruined by karaoke night.
“I wanna dance with somebody (who loves me)” by Whitney Houston
This 1987 track was an instant hit for Whitney Houston. It’s irresistibly catchy and makes you want to find somebody to dance with. That’s what made this song a No. 1 hit all around the world. But after hearing a drunken rendition at nearly every karaoke night, the song can easily get old. Given this, rarely does anyone want to dance along to the song anymore. It’s a tragedy as it’s one of Whitney Houston’s biggest hits, and undeniably dominated the charts in the late 1980s.
“picture” by kid rock and sheryl crow
Upon release, “Picture” by Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow was a brilliant duet by two major stars. Over time, the song has become one of the most common duets performed at karaoke nights. Though it’s truly a great choice for a duet, it’s been done time and time again. It’s sure to generate eye rolls all around the bar. That doesn’t exactly mean it’s a bad song. In fact, it’s a great song and a true heart-tugging tear-jerker. Just heavily overplayed at karaoke nights.
“I WANT IT THAT WAY” BY BACKSTREET BOYS
The two most dominant boy bands of the late 90s and 2000s were Backstreet Boys and NSYNC. Many fans, mostly young girls, picked one and stuck with it. In modern day, “I Want It That Way” is often covered on karaoke nights by a group of guys. What a turn of events, as many young boys would’ve been picked on for liking these boy band songs. In modern day, young drunk guys all over join their friends on stage as they drunkenly belt out “I Want It That Way”. This has mostly ruined the song for Backstreet Boys fans who date back to the band’s heyday.
hey ya! by outkast
Outkast’s “Hey Ya!” is a common feature on karaoke night due to its call-and-response bridge section. “Alright now, fellas (yeah?) Now, what’s cooler than being cool? (Ice cold). Okay, now ladies (yeah?) Now, we gon’ break this thang down, in just a few seconds.” Andre 3000 knew exactly what he was doing when he penned this hit.
Undeniably, the song is Outkast’s biggest success, with André 3000 performing all the instruments himself. It spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 in 2003, paired with a popular music video. Despite how overplayed the track is, you have to remember how far André 3000’s musicianship had come since the group’s debut in 1994.
Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP via Getty Images
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