Whether you're partying with friends or breaking out the hairbrush microphone at home, who doesn't love a good sing-along?
Well, not only is it huge fun, singing is scientifically proven to be good for your mental health.
Mobile phone provider Three has teamed up with the Samaritans charity to support mental health and wellbeing. They commissioned research to create a list of the UK's favourite karaoke songs and determine the impact singing has on our mood.
This research found that 90% of people felt that singing gave them an emotional uplift, 81% said it made them feel empowered, and 70% found it cathartic.
Previous research has also suggested that music improves happiness by reducing stress and producing endorphins (the happiness hormone), while singing can have physical benefits like improved breathing, posture and muscle tension.
Three and Samaritans worked with Dr. Tom Crawford, an Oxford University mathematician, to reveal the UK's most feel-good karaoke anthems.
So, how did he do it?
Dr. Tom came up with a formula. He graded each song with a score out of 100 using a few different components: data from 2,000 karaoke lovers, the number of verses in the song, the repetition of the chorus, the song's beats per minute (BPM), and the year the song was released. All of these came together into an equation which revealed the UK's favourite karaoke songs.
Dr. Tom explained the results a little further:
"People love a fast-paced song with an average 126 BPM and 3 repeated chorus' for every 2 verses, just like most pop songs – hence why common favourites are scoring highly in the research. With ABBA dominating the 70’s, through to Adele in the 2010’s, the average release year of a karaoke classic is 1995. This captures the boyband craze, as well as Brit pop with Oasis, and girl power like the Spice Girls, showing there’s some serious maths behind a karaoke belter!"
So, here are the top 10 on that list, which are guaranteed to boost your mood and help you find joy through the power of song.
10. Let Me Love You - Mario
With a score of 83%, this 2004 hit is a favourite among Brits behind the mic. The chill beat makes swaying side to side with your mates positively irresistible.
9. Wannabe - Spice Girls
Something a little more upbeat next, this 1996 banger continues to be a favourite across generations. If you haven't all assigned yourselves a Spice Girl for your performance, are you even karaokeing right?
8. Someone Like You - Adele
That famous piano intro means it's time to get emotional. Even though it's a change of pace from the previous two, there can be few things more cathartic than belting this heartrending ballad at the top of your lungs.
7. Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield
This song has had a bit of a resurgence recently due to its prominence in the 2023 rom-com Anyone But You, starring Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney. It's easy to see why this is a favourite in the karaoke booth, with its upbeat backing track and uplifting message.
6. Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) - ABBA
Throwing it back to 1979 now, we have an ABBA classic to add to the list. With a famous backing track and a disco beat that makes it hard not to boogie, the lyrics are also fun to yell out for anyone wanting to "chase the shadows away".
5. I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) - The Proclaimers
Halfway through the list now, and with a score of 88%, what else could it be but this cheery tune by Scottish duo the Proclaimers? The catchy call-and-response is just one of the things that makes this rousing and romantic tune so popular.
4. Man! I Feel Like a Woman - Shania Twain
Let's go, girls! Nothing says empowerment and freedom like this 1997 track, which tells women it's their "prerogative to have a little fun" and to "do what [they] dare."
3. Don't Look Back in Anger - Oasis
Nothing is guaranteed to lift your mood like forgetting about the past and looking ahead to what's to come. That's exactly what Oasis sing about in this Britpop ballad from the 1995 album (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, which remains popular for people of all generations 30 years after its release.
2. I Wanna Dance with Somebody - Whitney Houston
The runner-up in this list has been helping people chase their blues away since 1987. The iconic chorus is sure to get people on their feet and banish any lonely hearts for the night.
So, what is the nation's favourite karaoke classic? Which song is mathematically proven to be the best at increasing our dopamine levels and making us feel good?
1. Livin' On a Prayer - Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi's 1986 anthem tops the list of Dr. Tom's research with a huge score of 91%. Aside from its upbeat track and stirring guitar, the lyrics are sure to lift your spirits no matter what is going on: "We've gotta hold on to what we've got / It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not / We've got each other and that's a lot for love / We'll give it a shot".
The good news doesn't stop there. These top ten endorphin-boosting belters will be available for Brits to sing along to in new 'Kathartic Karaoke' booths, which Three and Samaritans are launching at festivals this summer. The experience has been designed to help festival-goers boost their mood with music and singing.
Sonya Trivedy, Executive Director of External Engagement at Samaritans, said:
"Music has a unique power to have a positive impact on our mental health. Singing, in particular, can help people process emotions, ease stress and boost mood. Through this pitch-perfect partnership with Three, we’re turning up the volume on wellbeing, using music as a carefree way to connect, express, and take care of your emotional health."
The karaoke booth is launching this week at Latitude Festival (24th-27th July) before moving to The Mound at Edinburgh Fringe (15th-16th August). Samaritans volunteers will also be at Latitude throughout the festival, which coincides with Samaritans Awareness Day on 24th July, highlighting the important services the charity provides.