Singing in a talent show is challenging.
The competition is fierce, the stakes are high, and your nerves will be shot – how can you give yourself the best chance at winning?
A great first step is picking a song that is going to knock people out.
The best advice I can give is to pick a song that you feel comfortable with.
There is no need to stretch yourself thin learning something brand new or incredibly different if you already have some songs that are guaranteed winners.
That said, it may be helpful to make a list of songs you can pick from.
For this guide, we've compiled 25 songs that will work for various voice types, styles and skill levels.
Check them out!
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Contents
Powerful Talent Show Songs In An Easy Range
Here are a few options that are great for showing off your middle range without going too high or low.
“Firework’”– Katy Perry
This song has a huge chorus, a great beat and an inspiring message.
The melody is fairly stagnant and repetitive in the verses and it’s easy to remember and find your way around it.
You’ll be able to blow people’s heads off in the chorus, with the soaring melody and impactful lyrics!
“Love Yourself” – Justin Bieber
This is another powerful song with an inspiring message.
The hooks are easy to remember and the song was popular enough you’ll have people singing along in no time!
The range should be comfortable, but if you have problems, it’s also an easy one to transpose.
“Love Song” – Sara Bareilles
This song is a total anthem – the chorus is super catchy and the verses are sassy.
Despite how powerful the chorus is, it’s not hard to sing.
Just throw some attitude behind it and enjoy.
“Blank Space” – Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift songs are great options if you’re worried about your range.
Her songs are super catchy, well-constructed and the melodies don’t tend be no-frills.
She’s not huge on runs and the range is solidly in most female vocalist's happy place.
There’s a reason why there are so many cover versions online!
Show Stopping Ballads That'll Do Great In Talent Competitions
If you can pull off a show-stopping ballad, I say do it.
These songs give strong vocalists time to emote, build a vibe and improvise.
“Thinking Out Loud” – Ed Sheeran
This tune is a modern classic.
If you can pull it off, you can steal the show.
It’s not an easy song to sing because it has some big jumps and a lot of challenging runs.
Give it a shot – people love it, and they’ll love you for singing it!
“All Of Me” – John Legend
Another modern classic, John Legend’s ‘All Of Me’ is sure to bring the house down, if you can nail the powerful soaring chorus.
It’s hard than it looks to project the way this song calls for.
“Someone Like You” – Adele
Adele’s songs are great audition songs.
Surprisingly, they are in a fairly cozy range for many vocalists, female and male.
They are well-known, and almost universally powerful.
As she is such a powerful singer, she tends to write and release songs that showcase her vocal prowess, for this reason, they can be a great choice for you!
“I Will Always Love You” – Whitney Houston
Maybe this song is overdone. So, what?
If you can nail it, I say go for it.
It’s a classic, it’s beautiful, and it will bring the house down if you can belt that chorus – especially the key change!
Cute Songs To Win Over The Audience
Sometimes you don’t need to blow the audience’s heads off, you just need to win their hearts.
A cute song can unlock a lot of doors.
Here’s a few options.
“Bubbly” – Colbie Caillat
Has a cuter song been written?
If you have a honey sweet voice and the charm to match, ‘Bubbly’ is a well-loved song.
This song offers some surprising room for improvisation and vocal riffing, so feel free to make it your own!
“I Won’t Give Up” – Jason Mraz
I mean, you can’t go wrong with this one.
It has all the making of a great talent show songs – a powerful inspirational chorus, catchy melodies, and room to make it your own.
It’s cute, it’s romantic, it’s classic Jason Mraz.
“Your Song” – Elton John
This is easily one of the most beautiful love songs ever written.
It’s not a terribly easy one to sing or play, the melodies are long and there are a lot of lyrics, but if you can nail it, it’s very effective.
People love this song!
“Just The Way You Are” – Billy Joel
Another one of the best love songs of all time, “Just the Way You Are” gives you a lot of room to show of your beautiful voice.
The melodies in this song are sweeping and long.
If you find the key too low, move it up!
Retro AuditionSongs
Sometimes digging into the archives can yield great results.
These songs are classic and ripe for your to put your own special spin on!
“Big Yellow Taxi” – Joni Mitchell
Anything by Joni would be a great place to start looking for songs to sing.
Her melodies are beautiful and twisting.
They jump all over the place and if you have the right voice, you could really make something special out of them!
“Fly Me To The Moon” – Frank Sinatra
This is a classic Sinatra cut that has been sung many times before, but that’s no reason not give it a shot.
Part of the reason I suggest Sinatra is how fun it is to sing.
The melodies are beautifully written and they feel so classic.
Take some hints from Michael Buble on modern renditions of these songs!
“Like a Natural Woman” – Aretha Franklin
You should really only do Aretha if you can absolutely knock it out of the park – but hey, if you never try, you’ll never know.
Aretha is one of the most influential singers of our time and her songs prove it.
“Like a Natural Woman” is a classic soul song that can really get people going.
“Come Sail Away” – Styx
If you’re a tenor, Styx is a dream.
You have to have a great range and a powerful voice to sing it, but I feel this song is underrated.
It definitely gives you the ability to show off on an unusual, but classic song.
“You’re My Best Friend” – Queen
You obviously have to be pretty darn good to sing Queen, but ‘You’re My Best Friend’ is actually quite doable.
Other Queen songs can also be showstoppers, you just have to have the range!
Great Country & Roots Songs For Talent Show Performances
Country talent shows tend to be a different ball game altogether, potentially worth their own guide.
Nonetheless, here are a couple great options if country is your jam!
“Take Me Home, Country Roads” – John Denver
A bit of a country-rock-folk crossover, John Denver makes for great singing.
Lovely range, easy to play and sing at the same time.
“Jolene” – Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton has some of country music’s finest melodies.
A powerhouse vocalist herself, show off your chops by covering one of her most famous songs!
Check out Miley Cyrus’ versions for inspiration.
“Wide Open Spaces” – Dixie Chicks
Anything by the Dixie Chicks is going to have a killer chorus and expansive melodies.
These songs just take you to that ‘country’ feeling right away and they are sure to make a crowd go nuts.
“Amarillo by Morning” – George Strait
If you have a penchant for the classic country sound, start singing some George Strait.
Easily one of country’s most celebrated singers, George Strait serves up classic country melodies that are super fun to sing.
Classic Talent Show Songs
If you’re not looking to reinvent the wheel, give these old standbys a try!
“Hallelujah” – Leonard Cohen
This song has been covered by many artists and will be covered for years to come.
Hauntingly beautiful and immediately recognizable, this song is hard to make a ‘new’ version of, but if you can sing it well, it will do the trick.
“Imagine” – John Lennon
This song is easy to learn on the piano or guitar and feels great to sing.
It’s been sung many times and many ways, but there always seems to be room for someone else to speak to its classic ideas.
“What A Wonderful World” – Louis Armstrong
This is without a doubt one of the most beautiful songs ever written, and the enduring quality makes it relevant today.
The melody is easy to sing and the lyrics are so classic that you probably already know them!
“Respect” – Aretha Franklin
Are you feeling like a diva?
Sing this song and put all your sass into it.
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