The Greatest Song Ever Sung (Poorly)

In their 1978 song “Who Are You,” The Who asked “who are you? Who, who, who, who,” and in this episode, Adam and Ed ask the same question: who are you… at karaoke? Are you the same person on and off stage? Do you change who you are for different venues, different crowds? The trivia focuses on the same, sort of: artists who have crafted and released music under other personas (the trivia intro songs just keep getting worse and worse...

While their tastes in punk rock are a little different, punk is a genre that Adam and Ed both adore. This week, The Greatest Song Ever Sung (Poorly) tackles a weighty question: is karaoke, in a way, kind of punk? The Karaoke Trivia Bullpen focuses on punk music, as does Adam and Ed’s conversation on that heady question, as well as their favorite punk songs to do at karaoke, and suggestions for those who want to bring that punk rock...

Listen. There’s really nothing Adam and Ed love more than karaoke–that should be obvious nearly two years into this podcast. But as much as they love regular karaoke, they recognize that there’s something special about one of the varieties of it–that’s live band karaoke, the closest they’ll ever feel to being rockstars. And they want you to be rockstars, too, which is why they talk about some of the bands and places around the coun...

If there’s one thing folks lose over time–even in a pursuit as wild and zany as karaoke–it’s the fun, the joie de vivre that makes everything that much better. While Adam and Ed have always tried to carpe de karaoke and make nights more fun, adding some structure and formats to that has really amped up their karaoke nights just the way that the Karaoke Trivia Bullpen has amped up this podcast. They cover everything from the low tec...

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows at “The Greatest Song Ever Sung (Poorly)” this episode, just like it isn’t all raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens at your average karaoke night. No, sometimes villainy creeps in, and puts a slight stain on an otherwise awesome night of songs and drinks and friends and strangers. Adam and Ed dive into the villains of a karaoke night: the mic droppers, the stage hoppers, the fake-namers, the...

If there’s one thing that podcasting lacks, it’s people giving you lists of ways to improve something in your life. Since Adam and Ed noticed this – this absolute dearth of self-improvement out there in the podcast-o-sphere – they decided they’d provide a corrective and give direct, actionable advice. They are pleased to provide you, the loyal listener who loves karaoke, with the Seven Habits of Highly Effective Karaoke People. Jus...

Before anything else, this episode starts with a pre-roll on the SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. For more information on what a staggering amount of the podcast community is doing, please visit podvoices.help, and for more information about abortion support systems, please click this link: Abortion Advocacy Links — podvoices.help.

With everything happening around us right now, stepping into a fictional world ...

What’s creepier than being misunderstood? Adam and Ed kick off with a “women of the blues” Karaoke Trivia Bullpen challenge before diving into the karaoke songs that are often sung without really contemplating the meaning behind those lyrics. Which boy band from the ‘90s is like “if bubble gum pop and Jean-Paul Sartre had a baby?” Which dance pop hit would chart on a “nice guys” forum in addition to the Billboard charts? Why is the...

June’s a lot of things, but the first thing it is here at The Greatest Song Ever Sung (Poorly) is Pride month. We’re kicking things off with announcing three new pieces of merch (all proceeds from which will go to The Trevor Project and the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, so if you want to support that, buy those, and if you want to support the show, buy something else, too). The Karaoke Trivia Bullpen focuses on quee...

This week, The Greatest Song Ever Sung (Poorly) gets… weird (weirder?). After a Weird Al themed trivia challenge that ends up turning into a sing-a-long a few times, Adam and Ed get into what’s weird at karaoke (already a fundamentally weird endeavor). If you have any weird karaoke advice questions for them, they’ve signed up for Podinbox–leave a voice message with your question, and they may include that on the upcoming adv...

Let's be honest--when it comes to talking about hip hop, you probably don't want to hear two middle-aged white guys wax philosophical about it. Hell, neither do your hosts Adam and Ed. But when it comes to talking about hip hop at karaoke, that? That's their wheelhouse. They talk about great hip hop songs to do at karaoke, songs that are surprisingly difficult to pull off, and the word you should never say on a karaoke mic if ...

Karaoke is all about singing, right? That should be obvious, but what's a little less obvious is finding your voice. Do you sing like yourself, in your natural voice?  Do you try to imitate the original artist? Ed makes the bold claim that he is "the voice of karaoke" (and that isn't about the quality of the singing), and Adam and Ed talk about taking songs originally performed by women, and why that's a great way to expand yo...

In the movie BLOOD IN, BLOOD OUT, one of the characters says “life’s a risk, carnal.” Life is absolutely a risk–and so is karaoke. After this episode's Karaoke Trivia Bullpen challenge, Adam and Ed talk about the risks and rewards of karaoke, and the risks associated with starting a mobile KJ business–chiefly, the cost it takes to set one up in the first place.

Why business? Are the guys transitioning into the world of bu...

Hey, look at us, posting on a Friday! Today, we’re the podcast that takes etymology *exactly* as seriously as it should be taken. Well, we don't, but The Endless Knot (alliterative.net) does–it’s April Fool’s Day, and Operation Switcheroo, so we’ve switched places with Mark and Aven–their listeners are hearing one of our episodes, and you’re hearing one of theirs. Their notes for this one, from 2018, are as follows:

"We he...

This week on "The Greatest Song Ever Sung (Poorly)," Adam and Ed reminisce about some fantastic karaoke regions--from Japan and the Phillipines, to New York City, Portland Oregan, Florida and, of course, western Pennsylvania, where they both cut their baby karaoke teeth and became the karaoke-obsessed people they are today. Naturally, the Karaoke Bullpen Trivia Challenge has a place connection, too, as Ed quizes Adam about places i...

This week, Adam and Ed get a little serious–they talk about all things health and wellness, and how they relate to karaoke. Even the Karaoke Trivia Bullpen focuses on it, as Adam quizzes the notoriously morose Ed on songs about happiness. But they also share some of the benefits of singing and karaoke.

As the fellas both say, neither of them is licensed or certified for anything, which is why they bring in Angel Shamsa (https://ang...

Disclaimer: there is no actual singalong, but Adam and Ed do interview Frank Turner, the musician and songwriter responsible for that line from his song “The Gathering,” part of his ninth album F.T.H.C. releasing 11 February 2022.

Prior to the interview, Adam and Ed debut their new, more formal trivia game "The Karaoke Trivia Bullpen" with some questions on songs Frank Turner has covered, and then cover some topics at the ...

This week, The Greatest Song Ever Sung (Poorly) finishes up its look back on its inaugural season, including the final four quickfire rounds. In these fifty-nine minutes, you'll hear from:

Terry and Naomi Clark (owners of Black Parakeetz in Nyack, NY): 4:33
Honey Leavitt (host, "The Honey Leavitt Show" podcast): 17:12
Christian Swain (host, "Rock N Roll Archaeology" podcast): 25:48
Douglas Wolk (author, "All of the Marv...