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[2025] Let's Sing at the Chorus Contest! Recommended Western Songs Summary

[2025] Let's Sing at the Chorus Contest! Recommended Western Songs Summary
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[2025] Let's Sing at the Chorus Contest! Recommended Western Songs Summary

When it comes time to choose a piece for the chorus competition, I think many people are thinking, “We don’t want to overlap with other classes!” Since it’s a special competition, you want to pick songs that are uniquely yours and show a performance that stands out from the rest.

In times like that, singing Western music is highly recommended! So in this article, I’ll introduce lots of Western songs that are great for choral performances.

I’ve included not only timeless classics but also recent pop hits, so please use this as a reference when selecting your piece.

[2025] Try Singing These at Your Choir Competition! Recommended Western Songs (1–10)

We Are the WorldUSA For Africa

U.S.A. For Africa – We Are the World
We Are the WorldUSA For Africa
U.S.A. For Africa – We Are the World

USA for Africa is a charity music group formed with the aim of helping the poor in Africa.

It drew attention because top artists like Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder came together.

The chorus of We Are the World is arranged as a group sing-along, which makes it very compatible with typical choral performances and easy to sing.

If you want to make it more powerful, have strong vocalists perform Cyndi Lauper’s and Stevie Wonder’s parts as solos.

Beautiful ThingsBenson Boone

Beautiful Things – Benson Boone – DF Malan High School Choir | Boston ChoirFest 2024
Beautiful ThingsBenson Boone
Benson Boone – Beautiful Things (Official Music Video)

This work is notable for its wistful melody and powerful vocals.

Hailing from the United States, Benson Boone is a singer-songwriter who rose to prominence from his activity on social media and broke through with his debut single, “Ghost Town.” This piece was released to the world as the lead single from his debut album, “Fireworks & Rollerblades,” which came out in January 2024.

It’s a gem of a ballad that conveys gratitude born from love as well as the fear of losing something precious, and it has ranked high on charts around the world.

It has also received high acclaim, including winning Best Alternative Video at the MTV Video Music Awards.

In a choral competition, you can create a moving stage by leveraging the emotionally rich lyrics and beautiful harmonies.

Die With A SmileLady Gaga, Bruno Mars

Die With A Smile – Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars – cover Happy Choir Skłodowska
Die With A SmileLady Gaga, Bruno Mars
Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars – Die With A Smile (Official Music Video)

This song is striking for its grand message interweaving love and death—a soul-stirring duet by American artists Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars.

Released in August 2024, it beautifully blends a retro atmosphere reminiscent of 1970s soft rock with contemporary sensibilities.

Gaga’s dramatic vocals and Mars’s soulful voice intertwine exquisitely, elevating the piece into a sweeping ballad that portrays the end of the world and an eternal bond with a loved one.

It was also featured as the theme song for the film “Eternal Love” and gained attention as music in an Apple commercial.

For choir competitions, it’s a piece that can fully showcase a group’s vocal abilities and create a moving, heartfelt performance.

No OneAlicia Keys

NO ONE (Alicia Keys – Faith Mix) | TCWE Choir
No OneAlicia Keys
Alicia Keys – No One (Official Music Video)

A Grammy-winning song that captivates with rich R&B sounds, themed around true love brimming with poignancy and strength.

It’s a track from New York–born Alicia Keys’s acclaimed 2007 album “As I Am,” which spent five consecutive weeks at No.

1 in the U.

S.

Featured as background music in the film “27 Dresses” and the TV series “Ugly Betty,” the song earned high praise for its powerful vocals.

Its distinctive blend of piano and Mellotron, paired with a heartfelt vocal performance filled with deep devotion for a loved one, resonates deeply.

Alicia Keys is also in the spotlight for headlining Summer Sonic 2025.

If you perform it as a chorus, the key is for everyone to convey that strong, united emotion.

Sweet Child O’ MineGuns N’ Roses

Choir! Choir! Choir! sings Gn’R “Sweet Child O’ Mine”
Sweet Child O' MineGuns N' Roses
Guns N’ Roses – Sweet Child O’ Mine (Official Music Video)

The love song, which begins with a powerful guitar riff and features a beautiful melody and a moving vocal performance, was released in June 1988 as a single from the 1987 album Appetite for Destruction.

For the American hard rock band Guns N’ Roses, this work became their first No.

1 hit in the United States, and it has been loved across generations, appearing in films such as Thor: Love and Thunder.

It was also performed during their Japan tour in May 2025, sending the venue into a frenzy.

Reimagined as a choral piece, it could reveal a new charm that harmonizes the raw energy of hard rock with the gentleness of a ballad.

Having the entire class sing it together would create a deeply moving, heartfelt stage.

Champagne SupernovaOasis

Champagne Supernova – Oasis (Irish Choir Cover)
Champagne SupernovaOasis
Oasis – Champagne Supernova (Official Video)

A band that represents the UK rock scene, Oasis released a track on their 1995 album (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? that stands as a seven-minute epic incorporating elements of psychedelic rock.

Its gradual build from a relaxed tempo and its dreamlike lyrical world offer a universal appeal that invites each listener’s own interpretation.

The song reached No.

1 on the U.

S.

Modern Rock Tracks chart, and a slowed-down version is used in the film The Electric State, scheduled for release in 2025.

Oasis, who announced their reunion in August 2024, are set to embark on the world tour “OASIS LIVE 25” in 2025, with performances planned in Japan as well.

Through choral performance, the song’s grand and beautiful melody can be reimagined in a different form.

Wake Me UpAvicii

Wake Me Up – Avicii | One Voice Children’s Choir | Kids Cover (Official Music Video)
Wake Me UpAvicii
Avicii – Wake Me Up (Official Video)

Avicii’s “Wake Me Up” is a captivating song with an exhilarating, moving melody.

Its fusion of country sounds and electronic freshness has kept it beloved across generations.

Singing it wholeheartedly in a choral competition can feel surprisingly uplifting and may even help you discover a new side of yourself.

With a simple yet powerful beat, it’s enjoyable and approachable for everyone—from beginners to seasoned performers.

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