Today, the show might as well be called “The Greatest Song Ever Sung (Slightly Better Than Before),” which is far less catchy, but it captures the theme: it’s all about taking care of your vocal instrument and sounding better at karaoke. Adam and Ed did their research, as they aren’t vocal care professionals, and they share what you should and shouldn’t do if you want to make sure your pipes stay as golden as they can through your karaoke shenanigan sing-a-longs. They didn’t want to do you a...

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). It’s all about personal brands and identity in this hour or...

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 energy to their own karaoke performances. Why this...

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 country you can hit to get that rock star experience: Punk Rock...

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 tech pulling-songs-out-of-hats, to more app-based things, to...

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 line hoppers, the sneaky drinkies, and the showstoppers. Who...

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. Just don’t get too inflated of an ego when you master it, or you...

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 for karaoke sounds like a great escape, doesn't it? And that’s what Adam...

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 song that was #1 on the charts the week Ed was born creepy as...

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 queer music from the 1920s to today, and then Adam and Ed dive...

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 advice episode. All that weird leads right into the interview with...

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 you look like them. Yeah, that one. After that, they talk to...

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 your karaoke repertoire. In terms of impersonation, Ed goes into...

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 business podcasts? Of course not. Their guest, though, Joey Held, talks...

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 head back to the Endless Knot Cocktail Bar to talk about the history of...

You know, doing this podcast has been a journey for Adam and Ed. Or, rather, it's been a step on their own personal karaoke journeys, and that's what this episode is all about. Even the Karaoke Trivia Bullpen focuses on journeys (and, for one question, at least, the band Journey). They relive some of their karaoke history and share some karaoke philosophy along the way. Their guest, too, was a big part of their karaoke journey--Tabitha Ashley was there when Adam and Ed really began...

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 in songs. Some of the great karaoke bars mentioned: Winnie's in...

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://angeluniversal.com), a holistic health coach and shaman, for a...

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 intersection of karaoke and professional music: is a karaoke...

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 Marvels"): 35:32 Then, Adam and Ed reveal some data from the first season,...

This is the second of the season-ender clip shows, bringing back some of listener's favorite "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" quickfire rounds and, as a treat, Adam singing some Adele.  In this episode, you'll hear again from: Episode 11: Dana Babal of Non-stop Broadway (6:31) Episode 12: Ayumi Shinozaki (15:36) Episode 13: Mike Wiston and Joe Rubin (21:45) Episode 14: Brian Raftery (33:18) Episode 15: Andrew Crawford (42:02) Episode 16: DJ Baby Van Beezly (49:01) Two more bonus clip shows to...

Between the holidays and, er, an infection of the... novel variety, we've been pushed back from doing interviews and scheduled episodes. To absolutely and blatantly misquote Rakim, "it's been a long time, we shouldn't have left you / without a karaoke podcast to step to" so, to make up for the delay, we're releasing this bonus episode. If you've never listened before, it'll give you both a taste of the tone of the show and one of its most popular segments. If you've already been with us,...

It’s all about fandom this week: how Adam and Ed are karaoke nerds, and how they are nerds in other ways as well. Adam claims to not be a comics nerd–will he pass the “Challenge of the Nerdy Songs?” They share the nerdiest karaoke-related things they’ve been a part of, and then want to share a give-away with you–-instructions in the show--and if you're the winning entry, you’ll get a Kindle copy of guest Douglas Wolk’s newest book All of the Marvels: A Journey to the Ends of the Biggest Story...

This week, The Greatest Song Ever Sung (Poorly) looks back at history through another music trivia challenge, and then dives headfirst into the history of karaoke, the thing that unites Adam and Ed in holy bromance-trimony despite all their obvious differences. They cover where it originated, who created it, how it came to the US, and some things that laid the groundwork for its popularity in the USA--and how does cartoonist Max Fleischer fit in to that?  Then, they’re joined by guest...