Rock/punk duets for karaoke?

February 25, 2020 6:55 AM

I have a friend who, like me, enjoys karaoke. But she really likes performing with people. What songs can we try?

My go-to karaoke songs are ’90s rock/alternative, whereas she doesn’t confine herself to one genre or style. She does, however, have an affinity for punky music from the last, say, twenty-five years. To give you some idea of our vocals, bands I usually pull from include Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, and Bush, whereas her popular choices are by Alanis Morissette, KT Tunstall, and Toadies.

Suggestions for what songs might fit both our tastes? And it doesn’t have to be written as a male-female duet, nor does it need to be from the ’90s onward (our most recent collab was The Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me”). I would recommend the songs not be too obscure; the karaoke joints we’ve visited generally don’t have much by way of deep cuts.

Thanks!

posted by xenization to Media & Arts (19 answers total)

B52s - Love Shack is the one that springs to mind immediately, but Linkin Park stuff works well for this - one can do the rapped parts, one can do the sung parts.
posted by corvine at 7:14 AM on February 25, 2020 [3 favorites]

Under Pressure!
posted by implied_otter at 7:19 AM on February 25, 2020 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Hunger Strike by Temple of the Dog, always a crowd pleaser.
posted by pazazygeek at 7:21 AM on February 25, 2020 [4 favorites]

Don't You Want Me by The Human League!
posted by toby_ann at 7:27 AM on February 25, 2020

The Postal Service's Nothing Better
posted by niicholas at 7:37 AM on February 25, 2020

Don't Go Breaking My Heart by Elton John and Kiki Dee
posted by dgeiser13 at 8:07 AM on February 25, 2020 [1 favorite]

Stop Draggin' My Heart Around
posted by bgrebs at 8:50 AM on February 25, 2020 [3 favorites]

Veruca Salt? More obscure now than they used to be, but you might be able to find Volcano Girls or Seether
posted by dismas at 9:03 AM on February 25, 2020 [1 favorite]

Best answer: +1 on hunger strike!

me and my buddy have been talking about doing Closer to Fine by the Indigo Girls
posted by stinkfoot at 9:21 AM on February 25, 2020

If the track's available, how about the 1995 Joan Jett and Paul Westerberg cover of Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)?
posted by northernish at 9:35 AM on February 25, 2020

The Pogues - Fairytale of New York
posted by namewithoutwords at 9:40 AM on February 25, 2020 [2 favorites]

Concrete Blonde - Joey
posted by sacrifix at 10:00 AM on February 25, 2020

Bryan Adams and Mel C - When You're Gone
posted by yellowbinder at 11:08 AM on February 25, 2020

So, after you sing Shallow, you might try Metallica’s The Memory Remains. It’s a lower register for both of you though.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 11:21 AM on February 25, 2020

Candy (Iggy and Kate Pierson)
Space Oddity
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 4:59 PM on February 25, 2020 [1 favorite]

Anything by Dropkick Murphys, especially "The Dirty Glass" or "Worst Day Since Yesterday."
posted by erst at 6:39 PM on February 25, 2020 [1 favorite]

Ozzy Osbourne and Lita Ford -- If I Close My Eyes Forever
posted by erst at 6:45 PM on February 25, 2020

Oh, and Evanescence: "Bring Me To Life"
posted by Huffy Puffy at 7:10 PM on February 25, 2020

Meat Loaf: Paradise by the Dashboard Light
posted by rjs at 10:23 PM on February 25, 2020 [1 favorite]