As part of Post-Grunge Week, we’re planning your next post-grunge karaoke night by putting together the perfect playlist. You’ll find most of these songs on our 50 Best Post-Grunge Songs list, but be prepared for some unexpected selections.
Months before Post-Grunge Week was even a glimmer in the eyes of our editors, the idea of the perfect post-grunge karaoke night was planted in my head. My friends and I were at a karaoke bar and decided to do a final round where we secretly picked each other’s songs. That’s how Stephen ended up bringing down the house with Creed’s “Higher.”
He’s known for his grunge-y choices, so it seemed obvious in retrospect. But seeing everyone in the place singing along, and feeling the heady invigoration of belting it out myself, it struck me that “Higher” may just be the perfect karaoke rock song. By extension, post-grunge — once derided as “butt rock” — might just be the perfect karaoke genre.
Thankfully, when it came time to plan out the perfect post-grunge karaoke night, I had our list of the 50 Best Post-Grunge Songs to work off of — but be ready for a curveball or two. The idea here was to create just the right flow in the evening, keep the crowd’s energy aligned with yours, mixing up the challenging stuff with the easy winners. We’ve even ranked each tracks’ skill level from one to five microphones (🎤), so you know exactly what you’re getting into.
You arrive at the bar around 8:30 p.m. You put in your first song as you enjoy your first drink. You order a second round just before your name is called. Get ready to take the stage, because here’s the perfect post-grunge karaoke night in 10 kick-butt rock songs.