"Check, please!"

If you want one to bring the room to life, the answer is "I Want It That Way" by the Backstreet Boys. It kills 100% of the time--everyone will sing along. You can't help it.

If you want a fun karaoke night, first song(s) need to be something that will get most everyone singing. Younger crowds: something like Tayor Swift "Shake It Off". Middle age crowds, something like Nirvana or Aerosmith. Older crowds any Beatles #1.

I personally like Cyprus Hill "Jump Around" if you're willing to learn it well enough beforehand as to not butcher the lyrics. I've seen Vanilla "Ice Ice Baby" also get a similar reaction of everyone knowing the song and enjoying it enough to give you kudos for choosing it.

After everyone's over the initial hesitation, go belt all your love songs and power ballads; but get the party started first.

A-ha - Take on me

every time

The Champs - Tequila

Funky Town

I have friends who try to convince me to sing, I always tell them "Look, there's only one song I can do and I guarantee they don't have it..."

"Come on man, they have thousands of songs, they have to have it..."

"Fine, if they have it, I'll do it. Green Onions by Booker T and the MGs."

And man, they'll run and look for that song... then they argue...

"I don't think it's a real song!"

"I know it is! I've heard of it!"

The song:

https://youtu.be/0oox9bJaGJ8

My go-to’s are:

Blind Melon - No Rain

Fra Lippo Lippi - Light and Shade

Sting - Englishman in New York

Seal - Kiss From A Rose

Last time I did this, I dedicated (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman to my now ex-wife.

And I’d do it again!

I think I've got enough goofy charm to pull off 24 Hour Cinderella... or at least, I will think that after a few drinks.

I'm playing the Doom theme and fighting my way to the exit as I am clearly in hell.

Puscifer - Conditions of my Parole

Anything by Supertramp or Bad Company.

Whenever I'm in a rather Yee-Haw place, and bars are filled with folks wearing camo and baseball caps, my go-to is Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show, it gets people riled up.

Later in the evening, once folks have had a few drinks in them, Take Me Home Country Roads is unquestionably the song to end with.

Horse With No Name. Has a limited vocal range, and the humans will give no love.

Probably a random Russian, Ukrainian or Italian song I know, because I like to sing in these languages.

Duality - slipknot

Arch Enemy - Stolen Life

And then promptly leave, before I get accused of attempted mass murder

Tequila 😎

"Mad World" by Gary Jules.

But really you want to start off with "Take On Me" and "Never Gonna Give You Up".

Suffragette city

Plush - Stone Temple Pilots. I kill with that one.

I mostly only know parody lyrics, so it will go badly no matter what.

Train - Hey, Soul Sister

It's gonna depend on my mood.

Currently the mood is Ænima by Tool.

dancing in the moonlight

I'm probably leaving the bar. But to answer your question...

Radio, Radio by Elvis Costello.

Promised Land- Elvis version.

I'd go with Girl Fight by Soft Play. Because it's just 10 seconds of shouting and super cool. No one needs to hear what I sound like singing.

Grounds for Divorce by Elbow.

I'm going to sing to one song and one song only...My Humps by The Black-eyed Peas!

Even Flow by Pearl Jam. It's a blast and always gets a laugh when you make it a little goofy. The only hard part is the ~one minute guitar solo. But that's a great time to throw in a "What's up (local city)!? Having a good night!?"

Also it's fun to sort of shout "I know you know the words!" near the start because Eddie Vedder (the lead singer) is difficult to understand.

Bruce Springsteen. I'm not a fan, but it's the only thing my 3-note vocal range can sing. That's three notes, and not three octaves. I barely inflect enough not to be confused with a robot.

Caballo homosexual de las montaaañas

Piano Man

Smallest Church in Saint-Saens, the karaoke song in Disco Elysium.

I think I can pull the raspy voice.