Who doesn't love a good throwback jam? From Jesse McCartney to TLC, everyone has at least one song from before the last decade that makes you just feel good and get happy. Whether it's at a dance party or karaoke night, you have to stick with your list of classic songs that will never fail to make every person in the place sing along. Here are my top 11 go-to thowback songs for karaoke nights.
11. "Bye Bye Bye" by *NSYNC
Oh how I miss the days of JT's ramen noodle hair and all-denim outfits. Probably the most well-known of *NSYNC's songs is this one, so if you plan on using them for a karaoke night, be sure to learn the choreography as well.
10. "A Thousand Miles" by Vanessa Carlton
Thanks to the movie "White Chicks," this song quickly became one of the most stereotypical "basic" girl jams. There's no telling how many car rides, sleepovers and karaoke nights this one has sound tracked. Regardless, it will always have the most "awww" moments when it comes to me and my friends.
9. "Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani
How else did we remember how to spell "bananas" before this song came out? This is the OG girl power anthem reminding us to never be that booty call or "hollaback" girl. You just can't sing this song quietly.
8. "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers
This song will always be one of my favorites no matter what. It's another one of those "must yell" songs that should be accompanied by your car windows rolled down at 3 a.m. I still haven't met a single person who doesn't like this song.
7. "No Scrubs" by TLC
Ok, so I'm pretty sure TLC invented this definition of "scrub," and even though it's not an official definition when you google the word, it's absolutely the most important one in my book. I remember listening to this when I was little and feeling like a total badass as I was sitting there telling off my nonexistent boyfriend. Like boy, bye.
6. "Beautiful Soul" by Jesse McCartney
Jesse McCartney was arguably the OG Justin Bieber. This teenage heartthrob gave us this gem of a song, and I dare you to find one girl who won't sing along when it comes on the radio.
5. "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" by Shania Twain
This music video alone earned this 1997 country hit a spot on this list. Shania Twain was probably most Southern boys' first celebrity crush and for good reason. This song is just poppy enough to make you feel like you don't have to be sitting in the back of a pickup truck to enjoy it. It's also a jam if you just feel like prancing around in a big t-shirt with no pants.
4. "Dirty Little Secret" by The All-American Rejects
There's no denying that Tyson Ritter is one of my constant celebrity crushes, and this song about secret lovers always had me preparing to run away with him. I still have a fond memory of hearing some girl scream-sing this in the residence halls my freshman year.
3. "Stacy's Mom" by Fountains of Wayne
The amount of stuffed animals that I named "Stacy" just so I could be "Stacy's mom" is actually quite amazing. All millennials have probably thought about naming their daughter Stacy once or twice just because of this song and to be honest I don't really blame them.
2. "Just the Girl" by The Click Five
"John Tucker Must Die" anyone? This song had all us girls wanting to be bittersweet and knock some guy off his feet, and it falls right in with all of those angsty playlists that we probably had.
1. "Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks
I mean, are you even surprised? I bet anyone who works somewhere that hosts a karaoke night is probably sick of this song by now, and every country western bar owner never wants to hear it again, but it is obviously a must have. This song had me thinking that I was a drifter in the third grade and that "my people" were no good down-and-outs. Regardless of how strange of a child I was, it has always been a dream of mine for this to be the first song I ever sing on a karaoke night, so be prepared world.
Now this is just some of what me and my friends play on a typical weekend, but if you have any more suggestions I would be happy to add them on to the list! Throwbacks will never get old or go out of style so love them while you still can.