Bar and Pub Night Playlist

Updated October 2026 · 30 songs · Titles and artists only

A bar playlist works when people know the words. This list leans on rock, country and pop songs that a full room will sing. It builds from easy early-evening songs to loud closers.

The playlist

Early evening

Easy classics while people settle in.

1. Hotel California — Eagles
2. Brown Eyed Girl — Van Morrison
3. Piano Man — Billy Joel
4. Folsom Prison Blues — Johnny Cash
5. Ring of Fire — Johnny Cash
6. Jolene — Dolly Parton
7. Margaritaville — Jimmy Buffett
8. Take Me Home, Country Roads — John Denver
9. Whiskey in the Jar — Thin Lizzy
10. Tennessee Whiskey — Chris Stapleton

Peak hours

Songs the whole bar knows.

11. Mr. Brightside — The Killers
12. Seven Nation Army — The White Stripes
13. Wonderwall — Oasis
14. Sweet Home Alabama — Lynyrd Skynyrd
15. Friends in Low Places — Garth Brooks
16. Wagon Wheel — Darius Rucker
17. Jessie's Girl — Rick Springfield
18. Come On Eileen — Dexys Midnight Runners
19. Africa — Toto
20. Dancing in the Dark — Bruce Springsteen
21. Born to Run — Bruce Springsteen
22. Walk This Way — Aerosmith
23. Are You Gonna Go My Way — Lenny Kravitz

Closing sing-along

End loud and together.

24. Sweet Caroline — Neil Diamond
25. Don't Stop Believin' — Journey
26. Livin' on a Prayer — Bon Jovi
27. Pour Some Sugar on Me — Def Leppard
28. I Want It That Way — Backstreet Boys
29. Bohemian Rhapsody — Queen
30. Dog Days Are Over — Florence + The Machine

Tips for your bar and pub night music

• Match the volume to the room. People should still hear a friend across a small table.
• Avoid dead air between songs. A queue that always has songs waiting prevents it.
• Put the biggest sing-alongs after 10 p.m., when the room is ready for them.
• If you run a licensed business, check your music license rules. A personal Apple Music account is for personal use.
• Mix genres. A bar crowd rarely agrees on one style.

Let guests vote instead of playing DJ

Jukebox works well for a home bar, a garage bar or a private party at a venue. Guests scan a QR code, vote for the next song and request their own, so the music follows the room. For a licensed commercial bar you may need a business music service, as our Rockbot guide explains.

Here is how it works. The host starts a session from Apple Music. Guests join by 6-digit code, QR code or by being nearby. They vote on songs, request their own and vote to skip. The most-voted song plays next. Guests need no account, and only the host needs Apple Music.

Frequently asked questions