Top 12 songs you can sing at the top of your lungs

TheGrio has put together the perfect top 12 list for your next night out with friends at a karaoke bar or for practicing singing in the shower.

June is Black Music Month and to celebrate, theGrio has created several top 12 lists throughout the month. Have you ever sung a song and found yourself out of breath by the end? Well, this top 12 list is all about songs that will make you sing along at the top of your lungs.

12. “I’m Going Down” by Mary J. Blige

The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul covered this heartbreaking ballad in 1994. The song was originally sung by R&B group Rose Royce in 1976 and both versions were very successful, charting on the US Billboard Hot 100. “I’m Going Down” was the second single from Mary J. Blige’s legendary album “My Life”.

11. “U Got It Bad” by Usher

It felt like every time you turned on the radio, “U Got It Bad” was playing on at least one station. This single from Usher’s third studio album, 2001’s 8701, was written by Usher, Jermaine Dupri, and Bryan Michael-Cox. Earlier this year, Rolling Stone ranked this song 11th on its list of the 25 best Usher songs, and they’re not wrong. The music video, featuring his then-girlfriend Chili from TLC, will forever be stuck in our heads.

10. “Kiss” by Prince & the Revolution

The legend Prince knew what he was doing when he composed, wrote and produced his 1986 single “Kiss.” New Musical Express voted this song the best single of 1986, and Rolling Stone ranked it 85th on its 2021 list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. After Prince’s death in April 2016, the song re-entered the Billboard Hot 100. This is a song that stands the test of time.

9. “Maria, Maria” by Santana feat. The Product G&B

Featuring Santana on guitar, Wyclef Jean on ad-libs, and Product G&B on vocals, this 1999 track was guaranteed to be a hit. This song is the perfect mix of summer vibes and a carefree vacation night. This song won the award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards.

8. “No Air” by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown

Following her win on American Idol in 2007, Jordin Sparks released her eponymous debut album. “No Air” was the second single from “Jordin Sparks” and earned the singer her first Grammy nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 51st Grammy Awards. Sparks and Chris Brown’s voices blend so well together that we’re surprised they haven’t done another song together since.

7. “Reasons” by Earth, Wind & Fire

If you’re in your 30s or 40s, there’s a good chance your mom woke you up with this song on Saturday mornings when you were a kid. Earth, Wind & Fire’s 1974 love ballad comes from the group’s sixth studio album, That’s the Way of the World. Although listeners and fans consider this a love song, band members say it tells the story of a one-night stand.

6. “Dangerously in Love” by Beyoncé

“Dangerously in Love” was originally recorded for Destiny’s Child’s album Survivor, but the song was rearranged for Beyoncé’s debut solo album of the same name. The track showcases Beyoncé’s vocal range tremendously, but she outdoes it in live performances.

5. “All My Life” by K-Ci & JoJo

At some point in your life, this has been on your “wedding songs” playlist. The 1998 single starts off with 12 “babies” sung in a way that will hook you from the start. The track is a beautiful love ballad by K-Ci & JoJo that expresses, “All my life, I’ve been praying for someone like you.” This track was the first successful single release by brothers Cedric (K-Ci) and Joel Hailey (JoJo).

4. “We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey is used to singing songs at the top of her lungs, but her 2005 single “We Belong Together” may be the absolute smash hit. This track is taken from her tenth studio album, “The Emancipation of Mimi.” This song broke chart records in the United States, becoming Carey’s 16th chart-topper on the US Billboard Hot 100 list. Can you hold the note at the end of this song?

3. “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston originally wrote and recorded the song in 1973 by singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. In 1992, she recorded a pop ballad arrangement for the film “Bodyguard.” This track became the world’s best-selling single of 1992 and earned Whitney Houston a Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The soundtrack to “Bodyguard” won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

2. “Love” by Keyshia Cole

Keyshia Cole’s debut album, The Way It Is, has had one hit after another, but “Love” is one song that never gets old. It was released in 2005, but you can play the instrumental alone in the middle of a party, during halftime at a basketball game, or at a concert and everyone will finish singing the lyrics.

1. “And I Am Telling You” by Jennifer Hudson

Whether you like the original version performed by Jennifer Holliday for the Broadway musical Dreamgirls or Jennifer Hudson’s 2006 recording for the film adaptation, it’s safe to say that this song will forever be a jaw-dropper. This song not only showcased Hudson’s strength as a singer, but also as an actress. Both singers’ voices reach into areas not often heard. If you’re not on the floor gasping for air by the end of the song, you’re doing it wrong.

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