The common thing between many songs is that they have a broad range and complicated melody; thus, the artist has to learn, remember, and practice more.
Often only skilled, experienced singers who can showcase a wide vocal range and hit various notes will choose these songs to perform.
Indeed, the most difficult songs are an effective tool to train and perfect your singing, challenging you to sing better.
There are numerous hard songs to sing from different genres, and the 15 titles below are those we believe will be a challenge for any vocalist.
Top 15 Hard Songs To Sing and Train Your Voice
Most accomplished singers have difficulty nailing these songs. It goes without saying that you shouldn’t choose them for your first performance.
#1. Back In Black – AC/DC
This track tells the story of a boy who desires to pursue rock & roll but falls short of money. For him, everything is all black without the chance to achieve the rock & roll dream.
The song starts with “I’ve been too long away,” walks through other lines, and repeats the same verse. The repeated part keeps on for about two minutes.
This track will end after five repetitions and seven verses, lasting for four minutes in total. The easy-to-remember chorus makes it a viral song at the time.
It initially was only a single in 1980, then became the most famous soundtrack of Iron Man 2. The melody was on during the first flying scene in a substitute ending.
#2. I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston
One of the hardest songs to sing ever must be “I will always love you.” How can a list of challenging tracks be without a title from the great diva Whitney Houston, alright?
To nail this complicated tune, you will need to involve a variety of intensely qualified skills, superior breathing techniques, and lots of stamina.
Another problem that those attempting to give this song a shot may encounter is the exceedingly high, continuous pitches. Only if you show off an excellent belting technique can you perfect your performance.
#3. Stairway To Heaven – Led Zeppelin
“Stairway to Heaven” is the most well-known and successful single by Led Zeppelin. It’s a touching rock ballad incorporated with a folk musical motif.
Guitarist and composer Jimmy Page wrote this track for his band’s fourth unfurled studio album in 1971.
A calm acoustic intro with guitar sets a mysterious mood. But the sound of heavy electric guitar joins in, creating one of the iconic riffs of the hard rock genre.
The lyrics tell a story of a boy who travels through an imaginary realm, then ends up returning to Earth through a stairway, where he finds salvation.
#4. Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
We’re big fans of Queen, and some of their songs are incredibly tricky to perform. Freddie Mercury’s singing techniques simply stand out and are unique in the industry.
We remember when he gained a vast reputation, there weren’t things like autotune.
We consider “Bohemian Rhapsody” a hard song because Freddie Mercury let his voice vibrate at such a high frequency that few singers could do the same. That’s what makes his style distinct. Any time you listen to Queen’s performance, you’ll be mesmerized.
Apart from the higher frequency, this song challenges singers with a great length and frequent rhythm and tempo changes. Even many long-term singers have to practice a lot to perform it smoothly.
#5. My All – Mariah Carey
It would be a remarkable omission if we didn’t include “My All” in a list of the top hardest songs to sing.
Mariah Carey, an American singer, songwriter, actress, record producer, is one of the most renowned artists in the 90s.
And the song “My All” contributes significantly to her reputation, well-known as a tremendously difficult track to sing.
The primary problem is that it requires the artist to have a superb belting technique that can be tremendously arduous even to reach close to.
Besides, the song features multiple bouncing beats, possibly making your voice jump out of beat if you can’t handle it properly.
#6. Rolling in the Deep – Adele
A widely popular song at the beginning of the 2000s, “Rolling in the deep,” is many singers’ choice when they want to show off their broad vocal range, though not many can manage to sing beautifully.
Adele was born with the natural gift of using her falsetto, particularly when hitting high notes, and that is where many vocalists fail.
Though Adele went through several throat operations to remove the vocal fold nodules from the throat because of frequent falsetto singing, it’s undeniable that this singing style is the soul of the song.
For more tips on falsetto singing, check out this video:
#7. Chandelier – Sia
We’ve added “Chandelier” to our acapella playlist, too. This one may sound relatively easy to perform for an untrained ear, but it’s all wrong.
Many vocalists have trouble dealing with the continuous high pitches and fail to accommodate the great power required to sing this song.
Sia has nailed it with superior stability and power and a broad vocal range while still adding her unique “husky” voice to the recording.
#8. Imagine – John Lennon
John Lennon recorded the song in 1971, and it reached the top five across the Atlantic, becoming a go-to Christmas track in Britain.
After that, many artists have covered “Imagine,” including Elvis Costello, Stevie Wonder, Johnny Cash, Bonnie Raitt, and more.
The lyrics walk the listeners through an imaginary world where people worldwide can live in peace without any political or religious divisions.
#9. Hallelujah – Leonard Cohen
When talking about the greatest of all time, “Hallelujah” comes to our minds immediately.
It sits at the seventh position on the “The 500 Greatest Song” list from Rolling Stone, and various TV shows, commercials, and movies have used and played it over the decades.
A prime reason for its fame is that Cohen succeeded in making an emotional, touching connection with the audience through simple, poetic, yet not so abstract lyrics.
The song is about a sweet, romantic wife who does everything nice for him and pleases him, creating a feel-good, bright vibe. But he feels lonely even when he is aware that love exists around him and wants it badly.
#10. Forgot About Dre – Eminem ft. Dr. Dre
Rap-singing is a unique, interesting musical genre that appeals to rap and singing fans. This track by Eminem ft. Dr. Dre will be a fantastic challenge for you among the most complicated rap-singing songs.
Though you can sing it with another co-performer, you’ll still have difficulty managing to follow the fast flow and lyrics of Eminem.
Don’t try singing this song without practicing several times, whether you’re at a karaoke bar or randomly performing in front of a small crowd. The fast-running lyrics will confuse you and make you out of beat soon.
#11. My Way – Frank Sinatra
“My way” is a recognizable title regarding modern music. It came out in 1969 and became a signature song of Sinatra, who didn’t want to perform it at all.
Sinatra was afraid that his loyal fans could think he was putting an end to his career.
“My way” is a sorrowful ballad about the end of beautiful love. In 1973, Paul Anka re-made this song with another version, translated into various languages, including Hindi, Mandarin, Italian, Albanian, and German.
#12. All By Myself – Eric Carmen
Carmen wrote this song in 1974 and officially released it on his first album named “Eric Carmen.”
The composer wanted to tell a story of a guy who has just lost an important person in his life and is looking for ways to get them back. In particular, that person passed away due to an accident.
Loneliness is drowning him, and he feels like the entire world is leaving him. With an emotional, touching, powerful voice, Eric has succeeded in touching millions of hearts out there.
The most challenging part is probably the ability to fully convey the song’s emotions and feelings to the audience, making them understand and feel the story to the fullest.
#13. Dream On – Aerosmith
As one of the most famous tracks of Aerosmith, “Dream on,” written in the 70s, is a challenge yet also an opportunity for lead singers to show off their fantastic vocal range.
Many vocalists have strived to handle this track correctly, but not many managed to nail it due to the continuous pitch changes and the dominance of the Fm key.
#14. Hurt – Christina Aguilera
Should you seek ways to muscle your vocal cords into singing, we strongly recommend you learn to master “Hurt” – a complicated song by Christina Aguilera. She literally sings her heart out when performing it.
The primary problem about “Hurt” is that credibly projecting the right emotions into singing is far from straightforward. Plus, plenty of top notes make the track even more laborious to perform.
#15. The Impossible Dream – Andy Williams
Unsurprisingly, this recording has become a widely beloved song in American music due to the meaningful lyrics and exceptional voice of Andy Williams.
Thanks to the hard work of the great songwriting team Joe Darion and Mitch Leigh, “The impossible dream” is still a legendary recording until now, though its first performance was decades ago.
Andy Williams made the album recording just a few weeks before his death. We can feel how much passion and love he sent into it when listening to the recording.
It’s such a precious masterpiece that connects the feelings of both listeners and singers. Figuring out how to express those feelings through your unique voice is daunting. Without a deep understanding of the background and story behind the song, you can’t perform it perfectly.
Conclusion
The problem with finding hard songs to sing is that each singer has their strengths and flaws. Some might have trouble expanding their vocal range, whereas others might struggle with projecting emotions in their singing.
Whether you’re a professional singer who wishes to promote your vocal techniques or a singing lover who wants to wow everybody at karaoke clubs, we suggest practicing the above songs hard and constantly.
Thank you for reading!
