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November 30, 2006

Top Five Drunken Sing-Along Songs

When we post "shit list"s it's usually 'cause they're undeniably shitty. (Greatest Punk Albums, anyone?) But College Humor's suggestions for best songs to belt while blasted ain't bad! Their criteria included: immediately recognizable opening, easy to remember lyrics, and killer solo for air guitarring (their words, we approve). Here's the list (via Whitney):

5. "Paradise City" - Guns N' Roses
4. "Baba O'Riley" - The Who
3. "Sweet Home Alabama" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
2. "Livin' On A Prayer" - Bon Jovi
1. "Don't Stop Believin'" - Journey
Now dig deep for a remembrance of drunken-nights past, and hit us with your favorite tunes to booze and croon to. Let karaoke be your guide.

Posted at 11:39 AM in




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117 Comments

Billy Joel, Piano Man.

Posted by: colleen at 11/30/06 11:50 AM | Reply
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John denver - country road.

while your walking past empty store's and houses with a bottle of whiskey


or when you're drunk in the morning

SUBLIME - WHAT I GOT O++++++

Posted by: Frank at 11/30/06 11:51 AM | Reply
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Bohemian Rhapsody anyone? HELLO!

Posted by: Chris at 11/30/06 11:52 AM | Reply
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THE REPLACEMENTS---"Treatment Bound" :)

Posted by: Dayne at 11/30/06 11:53 AM | Reply
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Bohemian Rhapsody anyone? HELLO!

Posted by: Chris at 11/30/06 11:55 AM | Reply
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Surprisingly enough, "I Want It That Way" never fails to get the house singing, though it doesn't provide any opportunities for air guitarring.

And more recently, "Since U Been Gone".

Posted by: your sister's gay boyfriend at 11/30/06 11:55 AM | Reply
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Bon Jovi - Livin' on a prayer

Posted by: Jexy at 11/30/06 11:56 AM | Reply
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Never liked REM's "...End of the World..." but learned to HATE it in college. It was the only song on our favorite dive bar's jukebox sure to inspire a rousing drunken singalong. To this day, I have an irrational hatred of Le-o-nard fucking Bernstein.

Posted by: meme at 11/30/06 11:56 AM | Reply
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Anything by Stockhausen or Xenakis does it for me. When I really want to get crazy something by Sonic Youth

Posted by: dudesweet at 11/30/06 11:56 AM | Reply
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Come on, people.

Louie, Louie.

Posted by: James at 11/30/06 11:58 AM | Reply
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Bon Jovi - Livin' on a prayer

Posted by: Jexy at 11/30/06 11:58 AM | Reply
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Uh, what about Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline? COME ON!!!

Posted by: Ariel at 11/30/06 12:00 PM | Reply
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#1: The Pogues - For A Pair Of Brown Eyes

By the far the most fun song about getting wasted to sing while wasted.

Posted by: 3RA1N1AC at 11/30/06 12:03 PM | Reply
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There's Bowie's "Fiiiiive Years!"

Posted by: janine at 11/30/06 12:04 PM | Reply
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My Way - Sinatra
Ladies Night - Kool & The Gang (It is your night tonight; everythings gonna be alright...)

Posted by: Pete at 11/30/06 12:05 PM | Reply
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Neil Diamond! Fuck yeah.

Van Morrison, brown eyed girl.

Sang alotta velvet underground drunk, just becasue "she was sucking on my ding dong" sounds great in unison.

Posted by: Jack at 11/30/06 12:08 PM | Reply
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Alive - Pearl Jam

Posted by: Michael at 11/30/06 12:09 PM | Reply
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snoop-gin and juice

Posted by: justin at 11/30/06 12:12 PM | Reply
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Lord, "Don't Stop Believin'" got me in SO much trouble the last time my buddies and I karaoked. Haha.

Posted by: kibbe at 11/30/06 12:13 PM | Reply
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What about The Band? The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down?

Posted by: pv at 11/30/06 12:13 PM | Reply
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Rick Springfield's Jessie's Girl!

Posted by: Crystal at 11/30/06 12:15 PM | Reply
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Seven Bridges Road by the Eagles - Belted out by the brothers at every drunken frat party I ever went to at the University of Colorado Boulder. You could actually feel the testosterone level rise.

Posted by: Megan at 11/30/06 12:16 PM | Reply
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am i the only one who heard "i will survive" at every college party i ever went to?

Posted by: mikey at 11/30/06 12:17 PM | Reply
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Rick Springfield's Jessie's Girl!

Posted by: Crystal at 11/30/06 12:17 PM | Reply
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#1: The Pogues - For A Pair Of Brown Eyes

By the far the most fun song about getting wasted to sing while wasted.

Posted by: 3RA1N1AC at 11/30/06 12:18 PM | Reply
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Mr. Big - To Be With You
Starship - We Built This City
The Outfield - I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love Tonight

Posted by: Stephen at 11/30/06 12:18 PM | Reply
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Piano Man? How many bars close to this one?

Posted by: Mike Howe at 11/30/06 12:19 PM | Reply
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James - Laid
Cheap Trick - Southern Girls

Posted by: awmercy at 11/30/06 12:20 PM | Reply
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"Second Hand News" by Fleetwood Mac is a great one. I also second "The Night They Drove Ol' Dixie Down". That's some good stuff.

Posted by: mallory at 11/30/06 12:20 PM | Reply
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my personal favorite is definitely "i will survive" because damned if everybody doesn't know the bloody words.

cake - "never there" or "the distance" works pretty well.

Sir Mix A-Lot - baby got back.

in my small circle of lawyers, "Fuck the Police" gets some love when we're drinking, too.

but we like to karaoke sober, so there aren't many songs we won't sing to if we know the words, i guess.

Posted by: ford at 11/30/06 12:20 PM | Reply
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Total motherfuckin eclipse of the motherfuckin heart.

turn around, bright eyes.

Posted by: BAM! at 11/30/06 12:22 PM | Reply
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Hey Jude. Or any song that has Na Na Nas.

Posted by: Liz at 11/30/06 12:24 PM | Reply
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"Sister Christian" by Night Ranger

I've only heard the song in the cases of drunken singalongs.

Posted by: kristina at 11/30/06 12:25 PM | Reply
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I second "Bohemian Rhapsody". That is the clear front runner. It came to mind before I'd finished reading the post title.

And nothing brings a room full of drunken ladies together like "Like A Prayer". For three beer-fueled minutes, they fucking LIVE that shit.

Posted by: nerdelite at 11/30/06 12:26 PM | Reply
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"The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" is a favorite for us Stereogummers in Mississippi. "Golddigger" by Kanye also owns--"WE WANT PRE-NUP, YEAHHHHH" being the punch!

Posted by: gorjus at 11/30/06 12:28 PM | Reply
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props to someone actually making a good list.

they absolutely nailed it.

Posted by: alvysinger at 11/30/06 12:28 PM | Reply
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Sweet Caroline, esp the "DUN DUN DUNNNN"
Creep
Total Eclipse of the Heart
Don't Stop Believin'

I'd pass on all that hair metal and faux country.

Posted by: justind at 11/30/06 12:36 PM | Reply
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#1: The Pogues - For A Pair Of Brown Eyes

By the far the most fun song about getting wasted to sing while wasted.

Posted by: 3RA1N1AC at 11/30/06 12:39 PM | Reply
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oasis - champagne supernova yet. or pretty much any oasis song. i think the ability of a band's material to be sung while drunk is very important in determining a band's awesome-ness.

Posted by: jl3969 at 11/30/06 12:40 PM | Reply
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third eye blind - semi charmed life (doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo, doo doo doo....)

Posted by: ian at 11/30/06 12:41 PM | Reply
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pennywise - bro hymn tribute

Posted by: d at 11/30/06 12:41 PM | Reply
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Buy the Guided By Voices greatest hits record, get drunk, and THEN consider this list.

Posted by: Glitch at 11/30/06 12:42 PM | Reply
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AC/DC "You shook me all night long"

Posted by: chloe at 11/30/06 12:43 PM | Reply
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these comments prove that 60% of stereogum readers don't leave the house

Posted by: dan at 11/30/06 12:43 PM | Reply
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WHERE THE SHIT IS "PIANOMAN"?

Posted by: jack at 11/30/06 12:46 PM | Reply
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#1: The Pogues - For A Pair Of Brown Eyes

By the far the most fun song about getting wasted to sing while wasted.

Posted by: 3RA1N1AC at 11/30/06 12:46 PM | Reply
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For some reason, so many friends of mine end up getting wasted and belting out

WHITNEY HOUSTON --- I HAVE NOTHING


I know! Right?

Posted by: Patrik at 11/30/06 12:46 PM | Reply
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For some reason, so many friends of mine end up getting wasted and belting out

WHITNEY HOUSTON --- I HAVE NOTHING


I know! Right?

Posted by: Patrik at 11/30/06 12:49 PM | Reply
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For Neil Diamond, it has to be "Cracklin' Rosie"!

Posted by: Amy at 11/30/06 12:54 PM | Reply
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It begins and ends with "American Pie". Best served with a generous helping of whiskey and rye.

Posted by: Bob at 11/30/06 12:56 PM | Reply
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what about FRIENDS IN LOW PLACES?!??!?!

in the immortal words of Gob Bluth...C'MON!

Posted by: kory at 11/30/06 1:02 PM | Reply
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this list needs more pogues. i'd go with "fairytale of new york" or "if i should fall from grace..."

though my most memorable drunken singalong is probably "build me up buttercup" at some bar in london...

Posted by: bza at 11/30/06 1:16 PM | Reply
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First, Wonderwall by Oasis. Garunteed to get almost everyone singing plus it's way shorter than Champagne Supernova, everyone's attention span is not that long while drinking.

And in my group of friends, as soon as No Children by The Mountain Goats comes on, it's an instant sing along.

Posted by: Cole at 11/30/06 1:17 PM | Reply
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Fairytale of New York...it's the holdays, come on!

Posted by: pat at 11/30/06 1:24 PM | Reply
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Golden Smog - Until You Came Along

Posted by: Victoria at 11/30/06 1:32 PM | Reply
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Boyz II Men -- On Bended Knee, End of the Road, I'll Make Love to You. Depends on the occassion, really.

Posted by: sgt. puddingpants at 11/30/06 1:36 PM | Reply
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i second the "brown eyed girl" van morrison suggestion.

but also:

"victoria" by the kinks. and "blankest year" by nada surf.

Posted by: madison at 11/30/06 1:39 PM | Reply
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Yes, Bob, definitely "American Pie." I have a friend who's a bartender. One night, she and I had a bet: put "American Pie" on the jukebox and count the number of people who, in the crowded bar, sang along. I guessed 10, she guessed 15. We both walked around and counted 22 drunks either mouthing the words or belting them out.

Posted by: Jen O. at 11/30/06 1:55 PM | Reply
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I'll never forget the 15 of us, shouting along to an old Irish folk-singer covering "I Would Walk 500 miles," at a pub in San Francisco.

Posted by: thebillionaire at 11/30/06 1:59 PM | Reply
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every single house party i've ever participated in has centered around "Worlds Apart" by Journey.

Imagine a dark old filthy flophouse at 2 am, huge DJ rig blaring it, drunk kids standing on every thrift store couch in the place air drumming and doing the epic vocal sing-along grab-air hand thrusts... kids slipping on beer and vomit in the giant old kitchen, spilling out onto the back porch and lawn, smoking, drinking, journey.

"some day love will find you!
break those chains that bind you!"

seriously...

Posted by: jon at 11/30/06 2:02 PM | Reply
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I would do anything for love... contest over.

Posted by: dannygutters at 11/30/06 2:03 PM | Reply
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for us southerners, "I Got Friends in Low Places" by Garth. Hardcore country fans won't admit that they love it, but at the end of a night of long drinking you will find yourselves singing this song arm and arm with your buds. Happens every time.

Posted by: Chris at 11/30/06 2:15 PM | Reply
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Last Night by the Strokes is a good one.

Posted by: Exena at 11/30/06 2:21 PM | Reply
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Rocky Top is a great one too, especially for all the Tennessee Vols fans out there.

And whoever said Sweet Caroline is totally a Red Sox fan!

Posted by: Chris at 11/30/06 2:33 PM | Reply
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The Divinyls - I Touch Myself

Posted by: o.J. at 11/30/06 2:44 PM | Reply
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Where are the Eagles in all of this? Or how about Hank Jr.'s "Family Tradition"? Or David Allen Coe's "You Never Even Called Me By My Name?" Both have wonderful sing-along choruses. I don't really care about guitar solos when I am drunk, and country songs can't be beat when you're looking for a good drinkin' song.

Posted by: Maggie at 11/30/06 2:51 PM | Reply
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Where are the Eagles in all of this? Or how about Hank Jr.'s "Family Tradition"? Or David Allen Coe's "You Never Even Called Me By My Name?" Both have wonderful sing-along choruses. I don't really care about guitar solos when I am drunk, and country songs can't be beat when you're looking for a good drinkin' song.

Posted by: Maggie at 11/30/06 3:08 PM | Reply
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Rolling Stones - Honky Tonk Women

The song practically sounds drunk anyway! Not to mention Keith's slithery perfect-for-air-guitar playing!

Posted by: jawshoulder at 11/30/06 3:21 PM | Reply
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"Can't Take My Eyes Off You". For evidence see Deerhunter.

Posted by: Matt at 11/30/06 3:36 PM | Reply
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The Band - The Weight. Surprised Up on Cripple Creek was mentioned but not this one?

Posted by: Nat at 11/30/06 3:37 PM | Reply
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Tiny Dancer!

and we play a fun game where you get in a big circle and play acdc's thunderstruck..... one person starts drinking, everytime the word thunder is heard, they can stop and the next person starts..... there are 2 or 3 really long intervals in between a few thunders and those people get the shit and have clearly been thunderstruck...

and also ramjam black betty....

Posted by: Buckeye at 11/30/06 3:43 PM | Reply
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Say It Ain't So - Weezer

Clearly...

Posted by: Nate at 11/30/06 4:05 PM | Reply
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"Roxanne" - The Po-lice. What.

Posted by: Speedy at 11/30/06 4:07 PM | Reply
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"Because the Night" by Patti Smith. Done.

Posted by: eric at 11/30/06 4:12 PM | Reply
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Brown-eyed Girl is still my favorite. Although, if I happen upon a bluegrassy band at a bar, I always seem to drunkenly request Rocky Top (even though I don't live in Tennessee).

Posted by: Shawn at 11/30/06 4:16 PM | Reply
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Well, if you were from a rural town in Ohio, you would have to add any Hank Williams, Jr. song to the list!

Posted by: Justin at 11/30/06 4:19 PM | Reply
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Rick Springfield - "Jesse's Girl"

Posted by: the management at 11/30/06 5:34 PM | Reply
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Most Bowie singles (Space oddity, life on mars, sound and vision, john im only dancing)

-Benny and the Jets
-Subterranean Homesick Blues
-Paradise by the Dashboard Light
-Rock Lobster
-Whip It
-1979

Posted by: jeff at 11/30/06 5:40 PM | Reply
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Don't Luke Backkk Yin Angehhh, I heeaad ye saaay - Bloody Fookin' Oaaaasis.

Mr. Jones - Counting Crows, it takes forever to get to to the chorus, so you'll have some guy yell out "Mister Jooones an' me - oh wait, not yet."

Cryin'/Crazy/Amazing - Aerosmith... hell, all three are interchangeable.

Posted by: Blu at 11/30/06 5:44 PM | Reply
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I agree with nate on say it ain't so by Weezer. Especially if you have someone who can play the song on guitar, then its epic. "this wayyyyy, is a waterslide away from me that take you further everyday..."

Posted by: beto at 11/30/06 5:47 PM | Reply
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"you...

you got what i need...

but, you say you're just a friend...."

LONG LIVE THE BIZ!

Posted by: maya lucia at 11/30/06 6:44 PM | Reply
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Glory Days by Bruce
The Swish or Killer Parties by Hold Steady

Posted by: Alex at 11/30/06 6:45 PM | Reply
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2. "Livin' On A Prayer" - Bon Jovi
+ Goldschläger

Posted by: sean at 11/30/06 7:37 PM | Reply
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What does "Sweet Caroline" have to do with the Red Sox? It gets 'em singing in every bar where I've ever heard it, and I've never even been to Boston.

Do they play it at Fenway or something? Sorry if this is well known. I don't pay attention to the American League.

Posted by: Rich at 11/30/06 8:11 PM | Reply
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Come on, people.

"Throw the Jew Down the Well"

Duh.

Posted by: Rich at 11/30/06 8:19 PM | Reply
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I would posit perhaps Pussy Control by your captain with no name speakin' who is here to rock your world.

That would be Prince.

Posted by: heather at 11/30/06 8:29 PM | Reply
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Trooper - "We're Here For A Good Time (Not A Long Time)"
Spirit of the West - "Home For A Rest"
(note: If you are going to do a drunken fake jig to the pennywhistle solo at a folk festival, do not expect your $19.99 Ikea festival chairs to survive the experience.)
The Beastie Boys - "Fight For Your Right To Party"

Posted by: arto at 11/30/06 9:29 PM | Reply
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if you suggested anything under 90 bpm you are a fucking tool and a virgin.

particularly piano man. five years is stupid because it is too slow and the intro fades in and not that many people know it. votes for "jessie's girl", "livin' on a prayer", and "say it ain't so"

Posted by: kyle at 11/30/06 9:39 PM | Reply
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Eddie Money -- Take Me Home Tonight. Oh hell yes.

Posted by: paul at 11/30/06 9:50 PM | Reply
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One that my boss and I just drunkenly sang tonight:

"Rudie Can't Fail" - The Clash

"Drinking brews for breakfast..."

COME ON!

Posted by: johnny reb at 12/01/06 1:34 AM | Reply
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blister in the sun.

Posted by: m at 12/01/06 2:24 AM | Reply
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"The Brews" by NOFX works nicely w/ the right crowd.

Posted by: Rufus at 12/01/06 2:49 AM | Reply
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I don't like mondays.

Posted by: Arty at 12/01/06 4:33 AM | Reply
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Maybe this is just a DC thing, but while I've heard all the others get the whole place singing, there is nothing like O.A.R's "That Was A Crazy Game of Poker".

Seriously, like 9 minutes of the whole damn bar singing.

Posted by: Brian Drew at 12/01/06 8:22 AM | Reply
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I think mine is pretty weird. "The Amorous Humphrey Plugg" by Scott Walker. Perfect tune for getting smashed and singing by yourself. Try to reach Scott's high notes in front of people would be an exercise in both futility and humiliation.

Posted by: Kern at 12/01/06 11:05 AM | Reply
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