When it comes to karaoke, you will find three kinds of people: those who openly admit to loving it, those who just haven’t tried it yet, and those who lie about not loving it.
The reality is that karaoke is one of the greatest interactive party elements for one simple reason: it brings people together.
Wandering down Ste-Catherine St., between the Concordia and McGill campuses, many people were unable to answer what their favourite karaoke song was. This is largely due to the fact that like the age old question of “what is the meaning of life,” there is no simple answer. All we know is that we take our karaoke very seriously.
The students that did voice their favourites, definitely displayed a few commonalities.
“My two go-to songs are Enrique [Iglesias]’s “Hero” and Britney [Spears] ’s “Hit Me Baby One More Time,” said 23-year-old student Haaris Khan. “Hero” is the ultimate drunken serenade song to whip out for your girlfriend or the girl you’re macking on. Britney just allows every shy girl to break out her inner slut.”
“Because I Got High” by Afroman. That’s the only one,” said Concordia science student George Simeo.
David Crete could not decide on one song in particular. This may have been because the question launched him into a bout of nostalgia. “Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys, pretty much any song from the ‘90s will do. It’s like all the 20-somethings in the room are kids again.”
Then the classics started rolling in.
Many students named Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” as their absolute song of choice. Among them, 21-year-old Jeff Araujo.
“Even after 30 years, it’s still one of the top 20 downloaded singles on iTunes. And it’s crazy fun to sing!”
After asking several students about their top karaoke tunes, it became evident that one track in particular might be the karaoke champ: Queen’s classic “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
More than half the people who were asked what their definitive track to belch out (while sober or completely wasted), agreed that “Bohemian Rhapsody” was their number one.
Student Bryden Lundell-Streeter recounted what many karaoke-goers have surely experienced, or must experience at least once in their amateur vocalist careers.
“When “Bohemian Rhapsody” comes on, it starts slow and that’s the perfect way to get everyone in the bar’s attention. Once they hear those first few lines, everyone is on board. The greatest moment I’ve ever had was with a few work friends at Andrew’s Pub. Everyone in the bar started off as strangers, but by the end of the song everyone had become best friends. There’s nothing greater than singing into a microphone with 40 other people singing along, no matter what your state of sobriety,” said Lundell-Streeter.
Whether it’s a ‘70s rock classic or a ‘90s pop single, students know why they love to sing it and what songs get the bar crowds going.
