The Best Karaoke Songs Of The 90s

Wonder what the best karaoke song is? It is important to note that the 1990s was a decade of great music and memorable karaoke hit songs. Ranging from boy bands to girl groups, and from pop to rock, the 90s offered a diverse array of karaoke classics that are still popular to this day.

Meanwhile, Karaoke is a type of interactive entertainment in clubs and bars, that allows people to sing along to recorded music using a microphone. Most times the music is an instrumental version of a popular hit song.

Popular music in the 1990s was teen pop and dance-pop whose trends had emerged in the 1970s and 1980s. Furthermore, hip-hop grew and continued to be highly successful in this decade. Besides rap, reggae, and contemporary R&B, urban music in general remained extremely popular throughout the decade. Urban music in the late 1980s and 1990s often blended with styles such as soul, funk, and jazz which led to genre fusion.

Similarly to the 1980s, rock music which many great karaoke performances came from was also very popular in the 1990s.

Below is a list of some of the best karaoke songs of the 90s.

“Barbie Girl” by Aqua

Barbie Girl” is a song by the Danish-Norwegian dance-pop group Aqua. This pop song came out in April 1997 as the third single from the group’s debut album. The said debut album’s title is Aquarium.

The song’s writers are Søren Rasted, Claus Norreen, René Dif, and Lene Nystrøm, and the song producers are Johnny Jam, Delgado, Rasted, and Norreen.

The song topped the charts worldwide, particularly in European countries such as the United Kingdom. It also peaked at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100. Not a bad song to make a karaoke performance out of.

“Wannabe” by the Spice Girls

This song is the debut single of the English girl group Spice Girls. “Wannabe” is a dance-pop song in moderation. The song’s writers and composers are the group members in collaboration with Matt Rowe and Richard “Biff” Stannard during the group’s first professional songwriting session.

Rowe and Stannard produced the song for the group’s debut album, Spice which was released in November 1996. “Wannabe” is undoubtedly one of the best songs to perform on karaoke nights.

“All Star” by Smash Mouth

“All Star” is a song by the American rock band Smash Mouth from their second studio album, Astro Lounge, which was released in 1999. Equally important is that the song was written by Greg Camp and produced by Eric Valentine. “All Star” came out on May 4, 1999, as the first single from Astro Lounge.

Furthermore, the song was one of the last tracks to be written for Astro Lounge, after the band’s record label Interscope requested more songs that could be released as singles.

The song received generally positive reviews from music critics. It got a nomination for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 42nd Grammy Awards. “All Star” should get your karaoke party going.

“MMMBop” by Hanson

“MMMBop” is a song by the American pop-rock band Hanson. It came out on April 15, 1997, as the lead single from their debut full-length studio album, Middle of Nowhere. The album came out in 1997.

The song got nominations for two Grammys at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards. It is the band’s most successful single to date.

Without a doubt, “MMMBop” was a major success worldwide, reaching number one in at least 12 countries, including Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Is it your number-one karaoke song from the 90s?

“Genie in a Bottle” by Christina Aguilera

“Genie in a Bottle” is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera from her self-titled debut studio album in 1999. The song’s writers were Pam Sheyne, Steve Kipner, and David Frank. Kipner and Frank are the producers of the song.

The song came out on May 11, 1999, by RCA Records as the album’s lead single. It is a teen pop and dance-pop song which incorporates elements from R&B.

“Genie in a Bottle” received generally favorable reviews from contemporary music critics because it is simply one of the best karaoke songs to perform.

“I’ll Be There For You” by The Rembrandts

This alternative rock or power rock is undoubtedly a karaoke classic and is sure to get the crowd singing along. The song’s memorable chorus and uplifting lyrics make it the perfect karaoke song for those who want to show off their vocal skills.

“I’ll Be There for You” is a song by the American pop-rock duo the Rembrandts. The song was written by David Crane, Marta Kauffman, Michael Skloff, and Allee Willis as the main theme song to the NBC sitcom Friends.

“Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears

“Baby One More Time” is Britney Spears’ debut single and one of the defining songs of the 90s, and a must-have karaoke song. The upbeat pop beat and catchy chorus are sure to get the crowd dancing and singing along. So will you be trying it out this weekend with your friends?

“I Want It That Way” by Backstreet Boys:

“I Want It That Way” is a song by the American boy band Backstreet Boys. It came out on April 12, 1999, as the lead single from their third studio album, Millennium. It was written by Max Martin and Andreas Carlsson, while Martin and Kristian Lundin produced it. The pop ballad tells of a relationship strained by matters of emotional or physical distance.

Critically, the song was met with positive reception, with many critics commending its catchiness, also calling it the pop ballad of the year. It is one of the biggest karaoke hits of the 90s, and a must-have for any karaoke night.

“Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana

This song has been considered by many to be the greatest song of all time. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is a song by the American rock band Nirvana. It is the opening track and the lead single from the band’s second album, Nevermind in 1991, released on DGC Records.

However, the unexpected success of the song took Nevermind to the top of several album charts at the start of 1992, an event often marked as the point when grunge entered the mainstream. It was Nirvana’s biggest hit, charting high on music industry charts around the world in 1991 and 1992. It is also a good song for a karaoke night.

These are just a few of the best karaoke songs of the 90s. The argument of the best is subjective as much as it is relative so it is okay to find your own best karaoke song. You can find out the best karaoke songs from the 80s in the next article.