Looking for good songs to sing acapella?

Singing without instruments can be one of the best ways to show off your voice. With no backing track, guitar or piano to hide behind, everything comes down to melody, pitch, tone and emotion.

The good news is that you don’t need to choose the hardest song you can find.

Some of the best songs to sing acapella are actually simple songs with strong melodies, memorable lyrics and plenty of space for your voice.

Whether you’re singing at an audition, practising at home, performing with friends or making a video for social media, here are some great acapella songs to try.

What Does Acapella Mean?

Acapella, also written as a cappella, means singing without instrumental accompaniment.

Instead of using guitars, drums, piano or a backing track, the performance relies entirely on the human voice.

Acapella can involve:

  • One singer performing alone
  • Several singers harmonising
  • Vocal percussion or beatboxing
  • Choir-style arrangements
  • Vocal recreations of instruments

For solo singers, acapella performances can be a great way to demonstrate vocal ability because there is nothing competing with the voice.

What Makes a Good Song to Sing Acapella?

Not every song works equally well without instruments.

The best acapella songs tend to have a few things in common.

A Strong Melody

A clear melody helps the song remain recognisable even when the instrumental disappears.

Memorable Lyrics

Songs with strong lyrics can keep listeners engaged even when the arrangement is extremely simple.

A Comfortable Vocal Range

Choose a song that sits naturally within your voice.

You don’t need huge high notes to make an acapella performance impressive.

Space for Emotion

Slower or more expressive songs often work particularly well because the singer can focus on phrasing and dynamics.

Best Songs to Sing Acapella

Here are some popular songs that can work particularly well without instrumental backing.

1. Hallelujah – Leonard Cohen

Hallelujah is one of the most popular songs for acapella performances.

Its slow tempo and simple melody leave plenty of room for vocal expression.

It can also work across a wide range of voices because singers can easily change the key.

2. Someone Like You – Adele

Adele’s Someone Like You is built around a powerful vocal melody.

Even without the famous piano accompaniment, the song remains immediately recognisable.

It is a good option for singers who want to demonstrate emotional control and dynamics.

3. Stay With Me – Sam Smith

Stay With Me has a simple, gospel-influenced melody that works extremely well acapella.

The chorus is particularly effective when performed with harmonies.

4. Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace has been performed acapella for generations.

Because the melody is so familiar, singers can experiment with phrasing, vocal runs and dynamics without losing the identity of the song.

It is also one of the easier songs to adapt to different vocal ranges.

5. Perfect – Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran’s Perfect has a clear melody and slower tempo, making it a good song to sing without instruments.

It can work particularly well for singers with softer voices.

6. All of Me – John Legend

All of Me is another piano-driven song that translates surprisingly well into an acapella performance.

The melody is strong enough to stand on its own, while the chorus gives singers an opportunity to show more power.

7. When I Was Your Man – Bruno Mars

When I Was Your Man is a strong choice for male singers looking for an emotional acapella song.

It combines quieter verses with a much more powerful chorus.

8. Say You Won’t Let Go – James Arthur

The conversational vocal style of Say You Won’t Let Go makes it suitable for stripped-back performances.

It is relatively straightforward melodically, making it a good option for singers who don’t want something overly technical.

9. Shallow – Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper

Shallow can be adapted into either a duet or solo acapella performance.

The gradual build from quieter vocals into a powerful chorus can make it particularly impressive during auditions or performances.

10. A Thousand Years – Christina Perri

A Thousand Years has a smooth, predictable melody that works well without instrumentation.

It is especially suitable for singers who prefer softer, emotional songs.

Easy Songs to Sing Acapella

If you’re new to singing without a backing track, start with songs that have simple melodies.

Good easy songs to sing acapella include:

  • Stand By Me – Ben E. King
  • Let It Be – The Beatles
  • Lean on Me – Bill Withers
  • Perfect – Ed Sheeran
  • Stay With Me – Sam Smith
  • Count on Me – Bruno Mars
  • Can’t Help Falling in Love – Elvis Presley
  • Someone You Loved – Lewis Capaldi

These songs have strong melodies that are relatively easy to remember.

That matters because singing acapella means you won’t have instruments helping you stay on track.

Good Acapella Songs for Female Singers

Female singers looking for songs to perform acapella could try:

  • Someone Like You – Adele
  • Easy on Me – Adele
  • A Thousand Years – Christina Perri
  • Because of You – Kelly Clarkson
  • Love on the Brain – Rihanna
  • Drivers License – Olivia Rodrigo
  • When We Were Young – Adele
  • The Climb – Miley Cyrus
  • No One – Alicia Keys
  • I Have Nothing – Whitney Houston

The right song depends heavily on your vocal range.

You don’t need to sing the original song in the original key either.

Changing the key so that it suits your voice will often result in a much stronger performance.

Good Acapella Songs for Male Singers

Some popular acapella songs for male singers include:

  • When I Was Your Man – Bruno Mars
  • Stay With Me – Sam Smith
  • Someone You Loved – Lewis Capaldi
  • Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran
  • Let Her Go – Passenger
  • Say You Won’t Let Go – James Arthur
  • All of Me – John Legend
  • Fix You – Coldplay
  • Ordinary People – John Legend
  • Yesterday – The Beatles

Songs with strong storytelling can work especially well when performed without instruments.

Good Songs to Sing Acapella for Auditions

If you’re choosing an acapella song for an audition, don’t simply pick the song with the biggest high note.

Judges may be listening for:

  • Pitch
  • Timing
  • Tone
  • Breath control
  • Vocal range
  • Emotion
  • Confidence

A simpler song performed extremely well will usually sound better than a technically difficult song that pushes your voice beyond its limits.

Good audition options include:

Hallelujah – Leonard Cohen

A simple melody that allows the singer to focus on tone and emotion.

Stay With Me – Sam Smith

Good for demonstrating vocal control and dynamics.

At Last – Etta James

A classic vocal performance with plenty of opportunities for interpretation.

Amazing Grace

A particularly strong option when you want your voice to be the entire focus.

Someone Like You – Adele

Useful for showing both softer vocals and more powerful moments.

Best Acapella Songs for Groups

Acapella becomes even more interesting when multiple singers are involved.

Groups can recreate bass lines, chords, percussion and even instrumental melodies using their voices.

Popular songs for group acapella arrangements include:

  • Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
  • Somebody to Love – Queen
  • Africa – Toto
  • Stand By Me – Ben E. King
  • Can’t Help Falling in Love – Elvis Presley
  • Take Me Home, Country Roads – John Denver
  • Just the Way You Are – Bruno Mars
  • Viva La Vida – Coldplay
  • Rather Be – Clean Bandit

Songs with clear chord progressions tend to be easier to arrange for several voices.

How to Sing Better Acapella

Singing acapella can initially feel more difficult than singing with music.

Here are a few things that can help.

Find Your Starting Note

Before beginning, make sure you know exactly where your first note is.

Starting too high or too low can make later parts of the song much harder.

Practise With Music First

Learn the song with the original recording or instrumental before trying it without accompaniment.

Record Yourself

Recording yourself is one of the easiest ways to notice problems with pitch or timing.

Don’t Rush

Without drums or instruments, singers sometimes accidentally speed up.

Try to keep a steady internal rhythm.

Choose the Right Key

The original key isn’t necessarily the best key for your voice.

Moving a song up or down a few notes can make an enormous difference.

Can Any Song Be Sung Acapella?

Technically, almost any song can be performed acapella.

But some work much better than others.

Songs that depend heavily on production, complex beats or instrumental hooks may lose some of their impact without the original music.

Songs centred around vocals and melodies are generally easier to convert.

This is why ballads, soul songs, folk songs and slower pop tracks are particularly popular choices.

Should You Sing Acapella for an Audition?

Sometimes.

If an audition specifically asks for an acapella performance, then you obviously shouldn’t use a backing track.

If you have a choice, though, think carefully about what will show your voice at its best.

Singing acapella exposes everything.

That can be an advantage for strong singers, but it also makes small pitch and timing mistakes easier to hear.

Practise the song repeatedly without music before performing it publicly.

Good Songs to Sing Acapella: Final Thoughts

The best songs to sing acapella aren’t necessarily the most difficult songs.

Choose something with a strong melody that suits your natural vocal range.

Songs such as Hallelujah, Someone Like You, Stay With Me, Amazing Grace, Perfect and All of Me are popular choices because their melodies remain powerful even without instrumental backing.

Ultimately, the best acapella song is one that allows your voice to sound natural.

Don’t choose a song simply because it contains impressive high notes.

Choose something you can sing confidently, comfortably and with emotion.

That’s normally far more impressive.