"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

Funky Town

The Champs - Tequila

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

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

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.

Puscifer - Conditions of my Parole

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

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.

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

Arch Enemy - Stolen Life

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

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

Tequila 😎

Duality - slipknot

Suffragette city

It's gonna depend on my mood.

Currently the mood is Ænima by Tool.

"Mad World" by Gary Jules.

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

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

Train - Hey, Soul Sister

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

dancing in the moonlight

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.

I'd probably shoot for Bruno mars and regret it.

Promised Land- Elvis version.

im sliding up to the first woman i see wym

Mosquito song

"It's the end of the world and I know it!"

Feelings

Orville Peck - C'mon Baby Cry

Every time this plays at my house everyone is belting it out. Nobody can hit the high notes.

Tequila.

Thunderball - Tom Jones

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

Radio, Radio by Elvis Costello.

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.