The best songs to sing in the shower

For the best spot to practice your cantabile skills

By Caroline Ho, Arts Editor

The shower: The most convenient, non-judgmental, sequestered space for honing your vocal talents. There’s nothing quite like a hot, steamy, soapy session of serenading yourself and your bathroom. However, sometimes you don’t want to just belt out whatever annoying Top 40 song you have in your head at the moment, so here is a convenient list of some shower classics to try out next time.

Whitney Houston – “I Will Always Love You” (1992)

Such an iconic song and such a great vocal cord workout with its characteristic melisma. This song is especially awesome for its lyrical simplicity—sure, there are other verses, but the chorus is really all you need. Also, soulfully belting “I Will Always Love You” in public is generally frowned upon, so it’s best reserved for the shower.

Any Disney Song

An obvious choice, since these songs are designed for ultimate singalong-ability. Personally, I advocate for “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” from Mulan, especially if you’re the morning shower type, because it’s sure to start your day off with proper motivation. “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid is also quite thematically fitting.

Green Day – “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” (2004)

Let’s assume you’re alone in the tiny enclosed space of your shower stall, which is perfect for singing about your inescapable isolation. It’s just you, your own fogged-up reflection, and the steam-muffled echo of your own voice reminding you that you walk alone.

Harry Chapin – “Cat’s in the Cradle” (1974)

A timeless folk tune with a relatively simple yet lively melody. Since showers have such a distinguished reputation for nurturing thoughts, they’re ideal spaces for imagining your entire future over the course of one song. Luckily, the shower will also wash away all the tears that your overly-emotional rendition will no doubt incur.

Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody (1975)

Hands down the best shower song. “Bohemian Rhapsody” starts off with just vocals, so you don’t even have to hum any introductory instrumentals to compensate. The song then gradually builds into sheer epicness, so you can demonstrate all of your passionate vocal dexterity in choral, balladic, and operatic genres. If you really want to impress your roommates (who can probably hear you far more clearly than they’d like), launch straight from “Bohemian Rhapsody” into Don McLean’s “American Pie”—also a good way to time your shower to be approximately 14 minutes.