The good, the bad and the ugly karaoke songs

Karaoke is a contact sport. It's a battle to see who's stronger -- the audience's bleeding ears vs. one man and a microphone. Unfortunately the ears rarely win.

In this week's Preview, I share my adventures in karaoke. Although I never held the microphone or took the stage myself, I heard a lot of really good songs and some horrifying hits as well.

The escapade sparked conversation in The Times office and some staffers began chatting about the best and worst songs for karaoke.

Here's how the list has shaped up. Of course not everyone agreed -- therefore I established a category for hit-and-miss songs.

Yes: Songs you can't go wrong singing

• "Like a Virgin" by Madonna
• "Pour Some Sugar on Me" by Def Leppard
• "Black Velvet" by Alannah Myles
• "When a Man Loves a Woman" by Percy Sledge
• "Wanted Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi
• "You Better Shape Up" by Olivia Newton John
• "Raspberry Beret" by Prince
• "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen
• "Take This Job and Shove It" by Johnny Paycheck
• "Lady" by Kenny Rogers
• "I'd Do Anything for Love" by Meatloaf
• "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers
• "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" by Meatloaf
• "If I Had $1,000,000" by Barenaked Ladies
• "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey
• "Mr. Jones" by Counting Crows
• "Proud Mary" by Tina Turner
• "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond
• "Shoop" by Salt and Peppa

Risky: You may or may not wow with these hits

• "Hey Jude" by The Beatles
• "Strokin'" by Clarence Carter
• "Love Lift Us Up"by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes

No: We weren't ready to leave yet, so don't sing these

• "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeplin
• "Sound of Silence" by Simon Garfunkel
• "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses
• "You Light Up My Life" by Debbie Boone
• "Star Spangled Banner"
• "I Will Survive"by Gloria Gaynor
• "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston
• "Gin and Juice" by Snoop Dogg
• "I Touch Myself" by DiVinyls
• "Funkytown" by Lipps Inc.
• "Achy-Breaky Heart" by Billy Ray Cirus
• "I Got Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks
• "Sweet Child of Mine" by Guns N' Roses

Your suggestions are welcomed. Perhaps there's a song we missed along the way. Or maybe you really like to sing "You Light Up My Life" -- feel free to fight us on it.

(Carie Cotter sings "Proud Mary" by Tina Turner at Camelot Lounge on Oct. 20.)