It’s the classic rock anthem that’s top of the class when it comes to karaoke – and that’s according to mathematicians, not music critics. Bon Jovi’s Livin’ On a Prayer came in at number one in a new chart ranking the greatest singalong songs of all time.
Put together by Oxford professor Dr Tom Crawford, the custom formula factored in how fast the beat was, number of verses, chorus repeats and even the release date of the song.
“My research showed a preference for a faster pace, with an average beats per minute of 126, as well as a ratio of three chorus repetitions for every two verses,” he said. “This fits with the standard structure of most pop songs – hence why you’ll see your favourites scoring highly!”
Livin’ On A Prayer took top spot with a score of 91 out of a possible 100, closely followed by Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance with Somebody (90). In third place was Oasis’ iconic Don’t Look Back In Anger (89).
Dr Crawford devised his formula using research from a poll of 2,000 karaoke lovers, commissioned by mobile giant Three and suicide prevention charity Samaritans.
The study found 90% of people feel happier after a sing-along, with 81% getting an emotional uplift and 70% finding it therapeutic.
And the research also identified the best year for karaoke gold.
“With ABBA dominating the 70s, through to Adele in the 2010s, the average release year of a karaoke classic is 1995,” Dr Crawford said. “This captures the boyband craze, as well as Brit pop with Oasis, and girl power in the form of the Spice Girls, showing there’s some serious maths behind a killer karaoke belter!”
Three and Samartians are running the Kathartic Karaoke initiative to support people with their mental health.
There will be a special booth at the Latitude Festival in Suffolk (July 24 to 27) and The Mound at Edinburgh Fringe (August 15 and 16).
Rob Winterschladen, Consumer Director at VodafoneThree, says: “We are delighted to be partnering with Samaritans for the first time at music festivals, to create joyful spaces for people to connect to one another and experience our ‘Kathartic Karaoke’ for themselves.”
The experience is designed to help festival goers boost their mood with music and singing, while also offering guidance on accessing support from Samaritans.
The top 10
1 Livin’ On a Prayer – Bon Jovi
2 I Wanna Dance with Somebody – Whitney Houston
3 Don’t Look Back in Anger – Oasis
4 Man! I Feel Like a Woman – Shania Twain
5 I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) – The Proclaimers
6 Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) – ABBA
7 Unwritten – Natasha Bedingfield
8 Someone Like You – Adele
9 Wannabe – Spice Girls
10 Let Me Love You – Mario
