When it comes to karaoke, picking the right song can either make or break your night.
Now, an expert has revealed the scientifically-backed singalong tunes to guarantee a good evening.
Oxford University mathematician Dr Tom Crawford has devised a formula that combines the number of verses, repetition of chorus, beats per minute (BPM) and the year the song was released.
The equation generates a score out of 100 and, from this, Dr Crawford has come up with the top 10 mood-boosting classics of all time.
So, whether you’re a Mariah-in-the-making or simply can’t hold a tune, these will help you find joy, he says.
‘There’s some serious maths behind a karaoke belter,’ he explained.
Coming in first place is Bon Jovi’s ‘Livin’ On a Prayer’, which generated a score of 91. Released in 1986, it is mathematically proven to increase dopamine levels, Dr Crawford said.
Close behind are Whitney Houston’s ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’, which scored 90, and ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ by Oasis, which reached an impressive 89.
Dr Crawford’s formula combines the number of verses, repetition of chorus, beats per minute and the year the song was released
Coming in first place is Bon Jovi’s ‘Livin’ On a Prayer’, which generated a score of 91. Pictured: The singer performing at the Animal Rights Music Festival in 1989
Whitney Houston’s ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’ placed second. Pictured: The singer performing on stage at Wembley Arena in 1988
In joint fourth place is ‘Queen of country pop’ Shania Twain with her iconic ‘Man! I Feel Like a Woman’ and – pivoting to a completely different category – ‘500 Miles’ by Scottish rock duo The Proclaimers.
Both of these tracks scored 88, according to the formula.
ABBA comes in sixth place with their song ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!’, which scored 85, while the 2004 hit ‘Unwritten’ by Natasha Beddingfield came in joint seventh with a score of 84.
Adele, known for her power ballads, also placed seventh with her melancholy ‘Someone Like You’ alongside the catchy pop single ‘Wannabe’ by the Spice Girls.
Finally Mario’s signature song ‘Let Me Love You’ – which was released in 2004 – took tenth spot with 83 points.
Dr Crawford’s method is based on data collected from 2,000 karaoke lovers across the UK.
‘People love a fast-paced song with an average 126 BPM and three repeated chorus’ for every two verses, just like most pop songs – hence why common favourites are scoring highly in the research,’ he said.
‘With ABBA dominating the 70’s, through to Adele in the 2010’s, the average release year of a karaoke classic is 1995.
‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ by Oasis reached an impressive 89, placing it in third. Pictured: Liam Gallagher performing earlier this month
‘Queen of pop’ Shania Twain’s ‘Man! I Feel Like a Woman’ came in joint fourth place, scoring 88 according to the formula
In a rather dramatic pivot, Scottish rock duo The Proclaimers (pictured) also placed fourth, the equation revealed, with their song ‘500 Miles’
‘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!’
The research, carried out on behalf of Three UK and Samaritans, also found that nine out of 10 people say singing gives them an ’emotional uplift’ while 70 per cent said it was cathartic.
While a third of people surveyed said pop music was their favourite karaoke genre, a fifth said they prefer rock songs to let rip.
The majority of participants revealed they have a ‘go-to’ karaoke tune with ABBA, Adele and Taylor Swift being the most popular artists to turn to.
The top 10 endorphin-boosting belters will be available for music fans to sing their hearts out to in new ‘Kathartic Karaoke’ booths, launching at festivals this summer.
The booth will launch this week at Latitude Festival in Suffolk, before being moved to The Mound at Edinburgh Fringe.
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.’
Swedish pop sensation ABBA (pictured here in 1975) reached sixth place with their song ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!’, which scored 85
Adele, known for her power ballads, placed joint seventh with her melancholy song ‘Someone Like You’
The catchy song ‘Wannabe’, by the Spice Girls, came joint seventh. Pictured: Geri Halliwell (left) with Mel B (middle) and Emma Bunton (right)
The news comes shortly after a study into the origins of blushing, which required teenagers to sing karaoke and then watch the videos back.
As part of research, carried out by researchers from the University of Amsterdam, 40 16-20-year-olds first took part in a karaoke session.
Participants sang four songs: ‘Hello’ by Adele, ‘Let it go’ from Frozen, ‘All I want for Christmas is you’ by Mariah Carey and ‘All the things she said’ by tATu.
These songs were chosen because several music experts judged these songs to be very difficult to sing – ensuring that participants would be embarrassed watching themselves singing them.
As they were shown the videos of themselves and others singing their cheek temperature – an indicator of blushing – and brain activity were measured.
The results revealed that blushing was stronger when participants watched themselves sing.
