Singing pop music can be surprisingly hard. The great pop singers make it look easy, but trying to sing an Ariana Grande song might leave you breathless!
Many pop singers have a big vocal range and use it to give fans the kind of energy they expect from a pop anthem.
That said, there are tons of pop songs that are simple and easy to sing – which is part of what makes them so great! You can sing along in the car, cover it on the guitar, and it just rolls out of your mouth.
Here is my definitive list of easy pop songs to sing for beginners.
Contents
“You Belong With Me” by Taylor Swift
Song year: 2008
This is a crossover pop classic! “You Belong With Me” was the third single from Fearless in 2008. The lives of teenage girls across North America wereforever changed when this song came out over the airwaves.
“You Belong With Me” also has the famous music video, wherein Taylor Swift has a love affair with the cute boy in the adjacent house. The same music video won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video, at the 2009 MTV Video Awards – this is the year when Kanye West famously interrupted her acceptance speech.
Anyways, it is a great song and it is easy to sing.
“I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz
Song Year: 2008
I promise this is not a list of songs that came out in 2008. But “I’m Yours” is an acoustic pop staples from the 2000s era. Everyone has heard a fedora-wearing, acoustic guitar-slinging dude sing this song in a café or at a talent show.
It’s in a nice key, it is easy to sing, and there is no need to do any of the vocal licks that Jason Mraz does. It is also an easy one to play on the guitar or piano, and can be easily transposed into any key.
“Imagine” by John Lennon
Song Year: 1971
“Imagine” is John Lennon’s best-selling song of his solo career. Its lyrics encouraged fans to imagine a world at peace, without borders or divisions. It’s a beautiful sentiment and it resonates to this day.
Perhaps this song has been overplayed by amateur musicians, but who cares? It is a classic song with a good message. It is easy to sing, easy to play on the piano, and when you play it, everyone will sing along.
“Call Your Girlfriend” by Robyn
Song Year: 2011
This song is by Swedish artist, Robyn. It was a smash hit that persists to this day. Although the original version is a straight up synth-pop banger, there are dozens of popular versions that are acoustic based.
The version that made me include it in this list, is the cover version by Erato. It became the famous “cup song” that was covered by many singers around the world.
This song makes the cut, because it is an easy one to sing with a simple melody. It is also a fun one to learn with friends, sing harmonies to, and maybe even learn the cup percussion trick!
“Royals” by Lorde
Song Year: 2013
This catchy tune off Lorde’s debut EP became a huge hit in 2013. “Royals” starts with a very low part, which might be hard for some singers, but the rest of the song is in a very sing-able register.
Part of what makes the song so fun and easy to sing is the melody. It has a sing-song type melody that makes it feel natural to sing. The harmonies are also simple and fun if you have some friends to sing with.
“Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Elvis Presley, Another Easy Pop Song To Sing
Song Year: 1961
We’ve all heard “Can’t Help Falling In Love”, and you may already know that it is an easy one to sing. For one, the melody is so recognizable, that there is barely any learning required! Just learn the lyrics, and sing away.
The song is actually based on a popular French love song called “Plaisir d’amour”, written in 1784. Perhaps, this is what made the song such an instant classic.
The song is easy for most men to sing, because Elvis is singing in his low register – very accessible for Baritone voices, which makes up the majority of male voices.
However, there are hundreds of cover versions on YouTube sung by female voices. It is an easy one to transpose into a comfortable key!
“Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga
Song Year: 2009
“Bad Romance” off Lady Gaga’s album The Fame Monster is a massive pop hit. It is an anthem for those who feel drawn to lonely relationships, and it won the Grammy award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
And yet, it is not very hard to sing! Sure, the end brings Gaga to a full-throated belt, but the range is still achievable for most singers and it is a guaranteed good time.
Also, the music video is iconic. Gaga gets kidnapped by a group of supermodels who then sell her into the Russian mafia. The ending of the video is amazing – watch it and find out!
“How To Save A Life” by The Fray
Song Year: 2006
“How To Save A Life” was a big hit for The Fray off their debut album of the same name. It is the seventh longest charting single on the Billboard Hot 100 and The Fray’s biggest hit.
This song was everywhere for what felt like years! It is a great song to sing along to, because the range is consistent throughout the entire song. The melody doesn’t have many hard jumps, but it is nonetheless powerful to sing.
“Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster The People
Song Year: 2011
“Pumped Up Kicks” was the song of the summer in 2011. You couldn’t leave your house without hearing the song coming out of car stereos, played overhead in malls, or remixed in the club.
This song is in a higher-register for the male voice, but it is not terribly hard to sing. The melody in the verses stays around the same couple notes for most of the song. The chorus is pretty high for a male voice, but doesn’t have any difficult jumps.
For either a tenor male voice or almost any female voice, “Pumped Up Kicks” is a great tune to pick at karaoke!
“9 To 5” by Dolly Parton
Song Year: 1980
I’m so excited to put a Dolly Parton tune on this list, because well, I love Dolly Parton. This absolute classic was written for the comedy film of the same name. It was released as a single in 1980, and ended up winning the Grammy for Best Country Song and Best Female Country Vocal Performance that year.
Surprisingly, this is not a terribly hard song to sing. Sure, it is hard to imitate Dolly’s signature vibrato and country drawl, but you don’t need to sing it like Dolly. It is in a reasonable range for most singers including men, if you put it down an octave.
The verse is nice and low, but the chorus is so much to sing, you won’t even care if you are doing a good job!
“Mamma Mia” by Abba
Song Year: 1975
This is a classic tune by Swedish pop group ABBA. The second Swedish pop tune on the list (lots of pop music is written by Swedes, look it up) was released in 1975 on ABBA’s self-titled album.
The song is easy to sing – the chorus and the verse are in almost the same register, and the whole song is in a nice range for most female singers. The song also never really gets to a full “belt.” It’s cutesy-pop from start to finish.
If you pull this out at a cover gig or karaoke party, I can almost guarantee that it will get the crowd singing. Even people who don’t like ABBA like singing along to ABBA.
“Banana Pancakes” by Jack Johnson
Song Year: 2005
“Banana Pancakes” is one of Jack Johnson’s most enduring tunes. Sure, it is a little cheesy. Yeah, maybe it has been covered too many times. But hey, that’s not what this list is about; this song is easy and fun to sing.
In fact, if you go back far enough in my embarrassing Facebook history, you could probably find a fedora-clad young lad singing this song. I was not a terribly good singer as a teenager, due to major voice cracks, but this is the perfect song for beginning singers with low voices.
The only hard part about singing this song is memorizing all of the somewhat nonsensical lyrics.
“Budapest” by George Ezra
Song Year: 2014
George Ezra released this song in 2014. It became a big hit all over the world, and you should try singing it! It’s a nice and easy one to get your head around.
The hardest part of singing this song is the jumps in the verses. However, I would encourage you to give it a try. This is a good song to practice your falsetto with!
The rest of the song is nice and low, easy to remember, and easy to sing.
“Bad Guy” by Billie Eilish
Song Year: 2019
“Bad Guy” is Billie Eilish’s smash breakout single from When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?. The song is catchy, driving, and completely unique sounding – although many are now trying to be the next Billie Eilish!
“Bad Guy” is an easy song to sing, because the song stays in the low register the entire time. The melody centers around a few notes and relies on great lyrics and interesting rhythms to keep the listener hooked.
There is no big belting in Eilish’s songs, so many of them make good covers for people who don’t feel they can belt out Mariah Carey.
“Bubbly” by Colbie Caillat
Song Year: 2007
This is a cute pop song from 2007 – it was a big hit for Colbie Caillait. It hit the Top Ten in America and was a number one hit in Australia and Brazil.
This tune can be sung simply. It is meant to be a soft love song, and it doesn’t need to show off. The freestyle scat in the middle of thesong is like the scatting in “I’m Yours” – it is cool, but you don’t need to do it if it is too much!
“All The Small Things” by Blink-182
Song Year: 2000
This track is one of the most instantly identifiable pop-punk songs of all-time. In fact, the band wrote the song because they needed a song that was “really catchy and basic”. Well, it worked!
This song is based around just four notes, and the melody remains similar throughout the entire song. It is an easy one to sing and it's fun for anyone.
This song is a guaranteed hit at any karaoke party, because everyone knows the words… at least to the part that goes, “Na na, na na, na na na na”.
“Iris” – Goo Goo Dolls
Song Year: 1998
This song was one of my favorites growing up, and it definitely meets the criteria for an easy song to sing. The melody is simple and low. There are no big jumps or crazy runs, and it just works!
“Iris” is one of the biggest crossover hits of all-time, crossing over from modern rock to pop radio and adult contemporary radio. The song was actually written for the soundtrack to the 1998 film City of Angels .
“Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers
Song Year: 1971
“Ain’t No Sunshine” is a Bill Withers classic from 1971. It is a classic cover song for bands just learning to play together and it is a great song for singers of any level. The tune is in A minor, it stays in the same range the whole time, and just cruises along, in the signature Bill Withers style.
The string arrangements on the original track were done by Booker T. Jones, who is one of the best-known record producer of all time. This track and the entirety of Bill’s album Just As I Am are works of genius.
Sing it!
“So What” by P!nk
Song Year: 2008
I wanted to include another female pop anthem in this list, but it is hard, because there are so many incredibly gifted female pop singers. Their songs are often hard!
After some searching, I remembered “So What” by P!nk, which was a massive hit for P!nk of her fifth album, Funhouse. It went number one in the United States and became her highest selling single of all-time.
It’s an aggressive song, but it is not too hard to sing. The melody in the verse is very repetitive, and though the chorus is a little high at the end, it is a shout-y, rocking chorus that almost anyone can belt out. Just try it from the safety of your car first!
Interesting note – this song was written by famous Swedish pop writer Max Martin, and came out in 2008. The lesson here, is that Swedes are good at writing catchy songs, and 2008 was a good year for catchy songs.
Easy Pop Songs To Sing, Final Thoughts
This list is subjective, but I believe that any of these songs would be good options for singers that are just starting out. Depending on your voice, some will be easier than others. Jack Johnson is great for dudes with lower voices. P!nk is great for chicks that like to rock.
Enjoy singing your new songs!
