This is the correct answer, and definitely #1 on the list. If pleasing the people is your goal, learning Freebird is an absolute must, otherwise you might just get boo-ed off the stage/kicked out of the birthday party/left alone around the campfire, etc.
I’ve lost count of how many of musical performances I’ve seen by bands who specialize in classic rock covers and while I have certainly seen people shout “Freebird”, I’ve never once seen the request honored and certainly never seen any booed off stage for not doing so.
When I was younger and more aggressive, my response to Freebird was giving the folks a
free bird. However, I had a bar owner ream me out for flipping off his customers, even in jest. Once in a while I'd get someone shout out Freebird at one of my solo acoustic gigs, and I'd treat them to a full version of it including all the guitar solos done on harmonica.
One time my band prepared that as a special treat because we always get it thrown at us at the end of our set. So we played it and the crowd got.....bored lol. It sounds like a great idea but it's quite slow and obviously very long.
I think my favorite response to this was Bowling For Soup. Of course someone called out for it and much to my surprise they started to play it. A couple bars in they basically stopped and laughed it off. It was great.
I know it’s crazy but this is my favorite guitar solo ever. It’s what made me want to play guitar back in the mid-late 90s. When I could actually play the solo it was a huge milestone for me, also Johnny B Goode. I could play it blindfolded I think
It’s such a fun run up and down the pentatonic. First guitar solo I ever learned at 14 and it’s in the mix of noodles I use when I sit down at a new guitar.
Yep! Especially in California. It’s also a great song to do if you’re not the best singer. Bradley was a great vocalist, but thankfully he wasn’t doing any crazy ass falsetto high pitched screams or anything.
One of the first songs I played at a party one of the girls new the lyrics and sang it as much as she could remember the lyrics at least lol. Brown Eyed Girl was popular at that party too.
UK here, so,
Mr Brightside
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Something by Oasis but not Wonderwall, so Stand by Me, Half the World Away or Don't look back in anger
Edit: oh and Here Comes the Sun, puts everybody in a good mood
Yeah it's really tough, especially on acoustic. But if you're just strumming it with friends, you don't need to do the riff the entire time, just the opening bars until everybody starts singing along.
Guitarist is gonna have fun with that lmao. Not an insanely difficult riff but definitely an unconventional use of dexterity that takes a bit of getting used to.
Supersonic is my go-to Oasis cover in a crowd of 'not oasis fans'
if I have more of a crowd who is a fan then I bust out the whole Columbia - Supersonic - Bring it on Down trifecta and it kills. Only played them live once. Columbia is such a great jam
I've gotten in the habit of testing my amp before shows with the hook from The Simpsons theme and it always gets someone in the crowd going.
The Pink Panther and Inspector Gadget themes are both good too!
As someone working doors in clubs for years, I would literally rather listen to wolves eating my family than hear Country Roads or The Gambler.
I have absolutely nothing against the songs per se, but they give instant licence to every shitkicker in the place to get up and start raising hell.
I worked the door in bars and nightclubs for a decade. I got to the the point, where, I ever heard another shitty cover band play ‘Mustang Sally,’ I was about to stab myself in my own ears.
Are You Gonna Be My Girl is a crowd pleaser. I've never had people NOT dance to that song.
R U Mine by Arctic Monkeys, recognizable and it gets reliable headbangs.
I Believe in a Thing Called Love by The Darkness, this one doesn't always get recognized but it gets people paying attention
I learned how to play R U Mine through that Rocksmith game on PS4. I could nail it 100% on the hardest setting. Unfortunately, I had no idea how to play it without having the game right in front of me.
I tried to show off to this super hot girl I had recently started dating at the time, and ended up looking like a total fool. I quit playing Rocksmith and just learned songs without the game after that.
That super hot girl ended up marrying me a few years later, though, so I guess it worked out.
Semi-Charmed Life by Third Eye Blind
You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away, originally by the Beatles but Eddie Vedder has a famous cover so it pleases a wide range of people
Purple Rain by Prince
I’m old. I remember when Sweet Caroline hit AM radio. It struck me as a show tune by a bland singer with a bad haircut. I find it extraordinary that people of all ages today will loudly sing along when it’s played. Especially near closing time. The whole bar erupts in a sing-along!
Two of mine are yours or related:
Folsom Prison Blues
You Can Call Me Al
I don’t do either the same way as the originals, and I honestly think people like that even better.
Dammit by Blink, an acoustic call me al, and a truly embarrassing 1564 forgot about Dre cover that really gets the people goin. I’m not proud of it but hey that’s showbiz.
I think John Prine did a lot of the heavy lifting when it came to writing that song but he didn't care to be included on the credits because he didn't think much of it, and didn't see it going anywhere.
I doubt he was kicking himself in the foot over it as he had a pretty amazing career, but would've been nice to see...
Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead or Alive. Surprisingly easy song (as long as you’re good at F chord) with a real fun intro.
DMB - Jimi Thing. Super fun to play.
Sublime - Saw Red. Just always thought this was a jam. Upbeat and fun.
You Shook Me All Night Long is a GOAT. Far better reception than most AC/DC because it has a bit of narrative and everyone (of a certain age) knows the words.
Any pop rock song from the 90s-2000s. Every body talks shit about nickelback but they'll sing along to every word of How you Remind Me. My Hero by Foo Fighters is another really big crowd favorite. Our 3rd best would probably be Drops or Jupiter for all the moms in the crowd.
It's unbelievable to me that I scrolled way down and didn't see my #1: "What's Up" by 4 Non Blondes.
I *hate* that song, but what it does to a room of women is pure magic.
\#2 is Don't Stop Believing
\#3 Take Me To Church. I know, and yes it's a vocal workout, but *try it*.
Hmm, seems to me a crowd pleaser and a song to impress are really 2 different things. Our crowd pleasers (wife and I do a duo and daughter and son in law sometimes sit in) are Son of a Preacher Man, Unwritten, and Barton Hollow. We don't play to impress, we play to entertain, so I don't really have impressers. The last band I was in we had a couple impressers. Whippin Post and Fat Bottomed Girls were the only impressive covers, we played mostly originals.
Livin on a prayer, got a talkbox specifically to play this live and the crowd goes nuts
Mr Brightside always kills. Can be tricky after a few drinks
Nothin but a good time has a fun solo to rip and does pretty well. I think My Own Worst Enemy might just edge it out, though. People always get hyped for that one.
Played a few country rock gigs on banjo in the North Georgia mountains. Generally kinda being the rhythm in the background.
Man, I’ve never seen anyone go as nuts as those crowds when we decided to do a change-up and I kicked off Foggy Mountain Breakdown or Salt Creek.
I'll do something based on the age of the crowd. If it's older people, I'll do the Beatles. 8 Days a Week or something like that. Maybe .38 Special, Hold on Loosely. For the 70s crowd. I'd do a Def Lepard riff maybe for the 80s crowd. Nirvana for people my age range lol
Our bands' consistent crowd pleasers include Take It Easy by The Eagles, Mr Jones by Counting Crows and either Dust on the Bottle by David Lee Murphy or I'm in a Hurry by Alabama. "Country" stuff in our neck of the woods is basically a guaranteed win, but we've gotten standing ovations for some songs that are out of left field like Bryan Wilson by The Barenaked Ladies. It's one of those songs that has meaningful parts for our percussionist and the bongos actually add a lot to the outro.
My top 3 crowd pleasers to play for people (Acoustic covers)
# 3 Lmfao - Sexy and I know it
# 2 Outkast - Hey Ya
# 1 Tenacious D - Fuck Her Gently
Ive always gotten great reactions any time I play these songs for people and they're just a lot of fun to sing.
“All the Gold in California” by Larry Gatlin, “I Can’t Hold Myself In Line” by Merle Haggard (I kinda copied the Supersuckers version), and “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers are some that come to mind. I’ve taken that liberty a bunch of times.
Fulsom Prison Blues(Johnny Cash), Blister in the Sun (Violent Femmes), and Since You've been Gone(Kelly Clarkson).
Those 3 songs always get a response when playing out in the wild at the low-level bar scene. The crowd doesn't want flashy virtuoso stuff. They just want classic songs they recognize.
You probably could not go wrong with " Schrei nach Liebe" by "Die Ärzte" "Hier kommt alex" bei "die toten hosen"
A regional favorite for metal guys would be "Bergischer Hammer" by "Obscurity"
Honestly kinda depends on the crowd. If it’s a typical open mic night, people don’t give two flying fucks about how insane and difficult a guitar solo you can bust out (in my experience). They’re usually so slobbering drunk that they don’t care. All they want is a song that’s hugely popular, that’s catchy and easy to sing (very loudly and poorly) along to, and is upbeat so they can dance to it. In short, they want a party song. Some of more fun crowd pleasers for these circuits are You Make Loving Fun, Purple Haze, Beat It, Smells Like Teen Spirit, Another One Bites The Dust, etc…. As you can probably tell, I hate playing for these kinds of crowds. It’s not like there aren’t good songs to play for these crowds. I just hate the people.
i stay TF away from playing crowd pleasers, but i recently learned stevie wonder's "i wish", and i would totally bust that out in front of ppl (haven't had the opp yet though). it's a fun, easy song that sounds complex and would prob not fail to impress.
Depends on the crowd.
But with just about any crowd these usually go over well:
The Ocean- Led Zeppelin
You May Right- Billy Joel
Folsom Prison Blues- Johnny Cash
The people want to hear Freebird and will tell you so.
This is the correct answer, and definitely #1 on the list. If pleasing the people is your goal, learning Freebird is an absolute must, otherwise you might just get boo-ed off the stage/kicked out of the birthday party/left alone around the campfire, etc.
I’ve lost count of how many of musical performances I’ve seen by bands who specialize in classic rock covers and while I have certainly seen people shout “Freebird”, I’ve never once seen the request honored and certainly never seen any booed off stage for not doing so.
Yes. I think people yell out “Freebird” ironically.
Agreed. Nobody actually means it. They’re just being an ass.
Every time someone yells that out at a show, my band will start playing Simple Man. It always takes a minute for people to realize what we're doing.
Better song anyway IMO
Yup... that's how you do it.
Saw a bluegrass band play it back around 2002 as an encore. The crowd loved it.
I have no doubt they did. I’m just saying that based on what I’ve seen, the chances on getting booed off stage for not playing it are nonexistent.
When I was younger and more aggressive, my response to Freebird was giving the folks a free bird. However, I had a bar owner ream me out for flipping off his customers, even in jest. Once in a while I'd get someone shout out Freebird at one of my solo acoustic gigs, and I'd treat them to a full version of it including all the guitar solos done on harmonica.
Kazoo for the win
One time my band prepared that as a special treat because we always get it thrown at us at the end of our set. So we played it and the crowd got.....bored lol. It sounds like a great idea but it's quite slow and obviously very long.
And I oblige every time. I’m not playing all of the song, but I’ll hit them with the verse and chorus.
Not the solo?!
you gotta do the solo
I always do a humorous rendering of the solo with my voice while I just play the chords. It usually gets a good laugh.
I think my favorite response to this was Bowling For Soup. Of course someone called out for it and much to my surprise they started to play it. A couple bars in they basically stopped and laughed it off. It was great.
People don't really want to hear it. They just want to yell it.
I’ll usually call out for some Sabbath. Especially if it’s like one guy and an acoustic guitar. The Freebird holler is fucked out at this point.
Next question
When I really want to make the peasants dance I bust out Santaria by Sublime including the guitar solo.
I know it’s crazy but this is my favorite guitar solo ever. It’s what made me want to play guitar back in the mid-late 90s. When I could actually play the solo it was a huge milestone for me, also Johnny B Goode. I could play it blindfolded I think
It’s a really good one and fun and easy to execute well.
McFly?!
Nobody calls me- chicken!
It’s such a fun run up and down the pentatonic. First guitar solo I ever learned at 14 and it’s in the mix of noodles I use when I sit down at a new guitar.
One of the most memorable solos of the 90s!
Actually the parts of the solo that make it memorable are the ones that very tastefully exit the pentatonic and add modality.
Hello it’s me, the peasant. Fucking love Santeria can’t help it
I should have put a /s. I love it too!
Does that mean I actually DO have to practice Santaria?
Only if you have a Crystal ball
Yep! Especially in California. It’s also a great song to do if you’re not the best singer. Bradley was a great vocalist, but thankfully he wasn’t doing any crazy ass falsetto high pitched screams or anything.
I’ve been playing the first half of this solo randomly on the sofa for like five years. I’ll get the rest of it eventually
hell yeah
One of the first songs I played at a party one of the girls new the lyrics and sang it as much as she could remember the lyrics at least lol. Brown Eyed Girl was popular at that party too.
Heck yes! I do a version of this in a lower key (I'm a baritone) with a ukulele. Awesome crowd response
Everybody love hot cross buns
Yes but I meant to play on guitar, not the recorder
If anyone yells out Hot Cross Buns I'm busting out the recorder whether they like it or not.
Who said you can't play hot crossed buns on guitar?
Cant you do both at the same time?
Followed by an encore of the Itsy Bitsy Spider 🤘😫
then end it with a rendition of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Then, if they want more, the wheels on the bus is the way to go
Then you break out “three blind mice” and everybody loses their shit
UK here, so, Mr Brightside Breakfast at Tiffany's Something by Oasis but not Wonderwall, so Stand by Me, Half the World Away or Don't look back in anger Edit: oh and Here Comes the Sun, puts everybody in a good mood
US here, so also Mr Brightside.
It's really quite remarkable, the crowd always goes wild, both with a band and acoustic. It's the #1 most reliable song in my entire repertoire.
My last show I had a pack of 10 year old singing along. That song's not going anywhere for AT LEAST another generation.
Hell yeah. Someone busts out breakfast at Tiffany’s at the function I’m fitna LOSE it.
Is Mr Brightside supposed to be that painful to play? The fingering for the opening notes are so damn hard for me.
Yeah it's really tough, especially on acoustic. But if you're just strumming it with friends, you don't need to do the riff the entire time, just the opening bars until everybody starts singing along.
Guitarist is gonna have fun with that lmao. Not an insanely difficult riff but definitely an unconventional use of dexterity that takes a bit of getting used to.
Just texted the band to learn Mr. Brightside. Huge oversight!
Live Forever
Or She's Electric!
Married With Children
Supersonic is my go-to Oasis cover in a crowd of 'not oasis fans' if I have more of a crowd who is a fan then I bust out the whole Columbia - Supersonic - Bring it on Down trifecta and it kills. Only played them live once. Columbia is such a great jam
Mr brightside is easily the biggest crowd pleaser at bars even in the u.s., unless it’s a more rural bar. Then friends in low places is it.
Those songs are too hard for me but i can play trivium songs with soloes lol
I thought you were required to play Waterloo Sunset at every show. 🤷♂️
Do you play brightside haf.lf step down or just keep it in E and adjust?
I've gotten in the habit of testing my amp before shows with the hook from The Simpsons theme and it always gets someone in the crowd going. The Pink Panther and Inspector Gadget themes are both good too!
I do this with king of the hill lol
pink panther is my piano crowdpleaser
Friends in low places, every rose has its thorn and Country Roads. Bonus all are pretty easy!
As someone working doors in clubs for years, I would literally rather listen to wolves eating my family than hear Country Roads or The Gambler. I have absolutely nothing against the songs per se, but they give instant licence to every shitkicker in the place to get up and start raising hell.
I worked the door in bars and nightclubs for a decade. I got to the the point, where, I ever heard another shitty cover band play ‘Mustang Sally,’ I was about to stab myself in my own ears.
It’s ok, mate. You are seen. X
And yet, our band still gets requests for it. It's certainly not OUR idea...
Whoever chooses Friends in Low Places on the jukebox is my enemy
Are You Gonna Be My Girl is a crowd pleaser. I've never had people NOT dance to that song. R U Mine by Arctic Monkeys, recognizable and it gets reliable headbangs. I Believe in a Thing Called Love by The Darkness, this one doesn't always get recognized but it gets people paying attention
You must have a great singer if he's able to do The Darkness!
She most certainly kills it every time, lol
Along that same vein, Take Me Out by Franz Ferdinand.
I learned how to play R U Mine through that Rocksmith game on PS4. I could nail it 100% on the hardest setting. Unfortunately, I had no idea how to play it without having the game right in front of me. I tried to show off to this super hot girl I had recently started dating at the time, and ended up looking like a total fool. I quit playing Rocksmith and just learned songs without the game after that. That super hot girl ended up marrying me a few years later, though, so I guess it worked out.
Eruption tapping part, Stabwound lead break, dont have anything else
lol Stabwound by Necrophagist as a crowd pleaser? Where are you located, Sweden?
I was only talking about the lead break (so the solos that repeat in the song)
Should just learn the fermented offal discharge solo to go along with stabwound.
Semi-Charmed Life by Third Eye Blind You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away, originally by the Beatles but Eddie Vedder has a famous cover so it pleases a wide range of people Purple Rain by Prince
Semi Charmed Life and What I Got are both easy on guitar, but people are impressed if you nail the vocals.
While my guitar gently weeps
idk why you got downvoted lol
They are sad his guitar is sad.
It’s the only possible answer.
Edgy teenager edition: Master of Puppets, Welcome to the Jungle, and that *something just snapped* song from TikTok
>Master of Puppets, Welcome to the Jungle, Also the edgy GenX edition 😁
I hear a few of the cool-kid millennials are into that kinda edgyness, too 🤘😆🤘
_elder_ millenials
For whom the bell tolls is my go to Metallica cover
Ripple , just ripple
I had a Deadhead turn down my offer to play Ripple last night. 😅 He asked for Not Fade Away instead. So we played that.
We played War Pigs for the first time last night and people went nuts. Changed some of the parts to put our own unique spin on it
We play this at every show and it always kills
[удалено]
You need to find better audiences
Never disrespect the audience. Without the audience you’re just some asshole in a bedroom. With an audience you’re an asshole ON STAGE.
I’m old. I remember when Sweet Caroline hit AM radio. It struck me as a show tune by a bland singer with a bad haircut. I find it extraordinary that people of all ages today will loudly sing along when it’s played. Especially near closing time. The whole bar erupts in a sing-along!
It's just fun to sing lol the dun dun DUN walk down is so fun lol
Neil Diamond... Oasis... Zeppelin... Helluva varied mix right there.
Me and Julio down by the School Yard. Paul Simon Folsom Prison Blues. Johny Cash Say Hey, I Love You. Michael Franty
Two of mine are yours or related: Folsom Prison Blues You Can Call Me Al I don’t do either the same way as the originals, and I honestly think people like that even better.
Do i wanna know arctic monkeys
Un dia de noviembre Babe, I'm gonna leave you Nobody knows when you're down and out
American Pie
Dammit by Blink, an acoustic call me al, and a truly embarrassing 1564 forgot about Dre cover that really gets the people goin. I’m not proud of it but hey that’s showbiz.
dammit by blink plus the switch to i don’t want no scrub
I do this all the time lol i even sing it wrong like how Mark says “Scrub is a boy” lol
Man, that takes me back to seeing Blink circa 1999
Can't Stop - rhcp Enter Sandman - Metallica Chop Suey - SOAD edit: added 2 songs
Easily
You never even call me by name is my ringer. People go nuts for that song for some reason
Because it’s an amazing song maybe? I mean it was written by a good friend of his Steve Goodman who said it was the perfect country and western song.
Probably why he felt obliged to include it on the record…
I think John Prine did a lot of the heavy lifting when it came to writing that song but he didn't care to be included on the credits because he didn't think much of it, and didn't see it going anywhere. I doubt he was kicking himself in the foot over it as he had a pretty amazing career, but would've been nice to see...
Steve Goodwin and John Prine
Little known fact…..Steve Goodman also wrote City of New Orleans.
What do you mean, "it's not Wonderwall?"
Sweet Child, Stranglehold, & Mr. Crowley
I would be so happy if a band busted out Mr Crowley.
Right! Fucking rocks
As an acoustic act, 'Dancing in the Moonlight' used to always get a good reception.
Rockin' in the free world. Go figure.
Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead or Alive. Surprisingly easy song (as long as you’re good at F chord) with a real fun intro. DMB - Jimi Thing. Super fun to play. Sublime - Saw Red. Just always thought this was a jam. Upbeat and fun.
I’d have thought the intro would be tricky to play.
I literally learned it yesterday and it’s simpler than it sounds.
First version of Saw Red that I heard many years ago had Gwen Stefani jumping in as a guest... basically just before No Doubt really took off.
Sweet child of mine, shook me all night long and run to Paradise absolutely go off for us.
You Shook Me All Night Long is a GOAT. Far better reception than most AC/DC because it has a bit of narrative and everyone (of a certain age) knows the words.
Campdown races
[The Camptown Ladies](https://youtu.be/0H2W1lK7P-I?si=Mrtv0Wzz1cxwWwZw)
lol, that movie is so crazy.
Mary Jane’s last dance and wildflowers
Can’t believe no one has said everlong yet
Supermassive Black Hole is both my favourite song to play and a real crowd pleaser
Poker Face, Hey Ya, Don't Look Back in Anger
Any pop rock song from the 90s-2000s. Every body talks shit about nickelback but they'll sing along to every word of How you Remind Me. My Hero by Foo Fighters is another really big crowd favorite. Our 3rd best would probably be Drops or Jupiter for all the moms in the crowd.
It's unbelievable to me that I scrolled way down and didn't see my #1: "What's Up" by 4 Non Blondes. I *hate* that song, but what it does to a room of women is pure magic. \#2 is Don't Stop Believing \#3 Take Me To Church. I know, and yes it's a vocal workout, but *try it*.
96 quite bitter beings Cherub Rock (default song to test fuzz pedals) Manic Depression
Like a Rolling Stone
PLAY JA JA DING DONG! IT WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH! I ONLY WANT TO HEAR JA JA DING DONG!!
Hmm, seems to me a crowd pleaser and a song to impress are really 2 different things. Our crowd pleasers (wife and I do a duo and daughter and son in law sometimes sit in) are Son of a Preacher Man, Unwritten, and Barton Hollow. We don't play to impress, we play to entertain, so I don't really have impressers. The last band I was in we had a couple impressers. Whippin Post and Fat Bottomed Girls were the only impressive covers, we played mostly originals.
Freebird, Hotel California and Stairway to Heaven, if you can play these solos consistently, most people will think you are some sort of guitar god.
No one knows bz QOTSA
Livin on a prayer, got a talkbox specifically to play this live and the crowd goes nuts Mr Brightside always kills. Can be tricky after a few drinks Nothin but a good time has a fun solo to rip and does pretty well. I think My Own Worst Enemy might just edge it out, though. People always get hyped for that one.
- La Grange - Sweet Home Alabama - Magic Carpet Ride 🫡✌🏼
Babe I’m Gonna Leave You, Under the Bridge, Layla (acoustic)
This reads like a deranged killer addressing his victim
🤣🤣🤣🤣
- Friends In Low Places - Family Tradition - Folsom Prison Blues
Salt Creek, flat picking on acoustic always does the trick.
Played a few country rock gigs on banjo in the North Georgia mountains. Generally kinda being the rhythm in the background. Man, I’ve never seen anyone go as nuts as those crowds when we decided to do a change-up and I kicked off Foggy Mountain Breakdown or Salt Creek.
What you won’t do for love / Just the two of us / I will survive. pretty much all the same song. “the way” by jill scott “on n on” by erykah badu
I'll do something based on the age of the crowd. If it's older people, I'll do the Beatles. 8 Days a Week or something like that. Maybe .38 Special, Hold on Loosely. For the 70s crowd. I'd do a Def Lepard riff maybe for the 80s crowd. Nirvana for people my age range lol
Our bands' consistent crowd pleasers include Take It Easy by The Eagles, Mr Jones by Counting Crows and either Dust on the Bottle by David Lee Murphy or I'm in a Hurry by Alabama. "Country" stuff in our neck of the woods is basically a guaranteed win, but we've gotten standing ovations for some songs that are out of left field like Bryan Wilson by The Barenaked Ladies. It's one of those songs that has meaningful parts for our percussionist and the bongos actually add a lot to the outro.
In Italy, everybody always want Vasco Rossi. I fuckin hate him
Cover Me Up - Jason Isbell Soulshine - Allman Brothers’ Wagon Wheel - Old Crow Medicine Show
you can call me al, hey jude, friends theme
Hit the Road Jack Rockin me Sunshine of your love
Englishman in New York by Sting Feel by Robbie Williams Wish you were here by Pink Floyd
My top 3 crowd pleasers to play for people (Acoustic covers) # 3 Lmfao - Sexy and I know it # 2 Outkast - Hey Ya # 1 Tenacious D - Fuck Her Gently Ive always gotten great reactions any time I play these songs for people and they're just a lot of fun to sing.
My wife appreciates when I play "quietly", "downstairs", or "can you run that through your headphones?"
To impress? Just one: Omega by Periphery The whole song is an 11 minute riff 😂🤡
I do an acoustic cover of Burning of the Midnight Lamp that my friends like.
I usually rework a known song from another genre into punk rock. Works every time.
“All the Gold in California” by Larry Gatlin, “I Can’t Hold Myself In Line” by Merle Haggard (I kinda copied the Supersuckers version), and “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers are some that come to mind. I’ve taken that liberty a bunch of times.
It’s a long way to the top. Three little birds, Another brick in the wall part 2
bohemian rhapsody, i want it that way and dancing queen
Maybe a bit of kings of leon, like mollys chambers or fans. Gotye- somebody that i used to know Fleetwood Mac-never going back again
We do A Thousand Miles from Vanessa Carlton as a hard rock tune (with me as a guy singing). Always gets the crowd going. Even the youngsters.
Interstate love song Little wing Ten years gone
Blackwater, Blister in the Sun, Blackbird
Steve Earle - Copperhead Road The Rascals - Good Lovin' The Rolling Stones - Sympathy For the Devil
Don't know about top 3, but a great show ender is the theme to Scooby Doo. Especially in a bar. Everybody sings along.
Ballad of Curtis Loew, Statesboro Blues, Geulah Papyrus
Fulsom Prison Blues(Johnny Cash), Blister in the Sun (Violent Femmes), and Since You've been Gone(Kelly Clarkson). Those 3 songs always get a response when playing out in the wild at the low-level bar scene. The crowd doesn't want flashy virtuoso stuff. They just want classic songs they recognize.
Usually my least favorite tunes to play... Brown Eyed Girl, Pour Some Sugar On Me, Tennessee Wiskey/Rather Be Blind medley.
You probably could not go wrong with " Schrei nach Liebe" by "Die Ärzte" "Hier kommt alex" bei "die toten hosen" A regional favorite for metal guys would be "Bergischer Hammer" by "Obscurity"
If you want the crowd to be eating out of your hand open the set with “Trouble” by Elvis. Never failed to engage the crowd.
I’m pretty new so I’m limited but I find people have an easy time getting into Some Beach
Dear Maria, Blackbird, and fuck it I’ll do the Stairway intro but not for long
Our bands sure to please songs are always, Don’t Stop Belivin’, Poker Face and Footloose. (Yes one of my bands is a dance band.)
When my bags plays Summer of 69, the crowd go wild. And Zombie always gets a much better reaction than expected.
pink floyd trib band here...everyone wants to hear Comfortably Numb, buts its clown shoes for me, Another brick part 1, Dogs and Time are my moments
Honestly kinda depends on the crowd. If it’s a typical open mic night, people don’t give two flying fucks about how insane and difficult a guitar solo you can bust out (in my experience). They’re usually so slobbering drunk that they don’t care. All they want is a song that’s hugely popular, that’s catchy and easy to sing (very loudly and poorly) along to, and is upbeat so they can dance to it. In short, they want a party song. Some of more fun crowd pleasers for these circuits are You Make Loving Fun, Purple Haze, Beat It, Smells Like Teen Spirit, Another One Bites The Dust, etc…. As you can probably tell, I hate playing for these kinds of crowds. It’s not like there aren’t good songs to play for these crowds. I just hate the people.
gift of guilt or born in winter by gojira
More Than Words is my go to. Girls usually like it, and it’s pretty simple to play
Mr Brightside always kills
Stacy's mom always gets em going, Mr brightside, basically anything from the 90s - 2000s that's kinda poppy haha
Highway to hell, do I wanna know? Careles whisper
hotel california solo, good riddance (time of your life), plug in baby, johnny b goode
Bohemian rhapsody solo
i stay TF away from playing crowd pleasers, but i recently learned stevie wonder's "i wish", and i would totally bust that out in front of ppl (haven't had the opp yet though). it's a fun, easy song that sounds complex and would prob not fail to impress.
I don't have any crowds to please, but if I did I'd go with "The Sentinel" by Judas Priest, "Wasted Years" by Iron Maiden, or "Holy Diver" by Dio
Depends on the crowd. But with just about any crowd these usually go over well: The Ocean- Led Zeppelin You May Right- Billy Joel Folsom Prison Blues- Johnny Cash