The Ultimate Pub Setlist: Songs to Keep the Crowd Alive
There’s something uniquely magical about the atmosphere in a lively pub. The clinking of glasses, the hum of conversations, and the unmistakable energy that fills the air when the right song comes on. Crafting the perfect pub setlist is an art—one that requires a blend of timeless classics, sing-along anthems, and modern hits that keep the energy high and the patrons coming back for more.
Classic Pub Singalongs
These anthems are staples in pubs, guaranteed to have everyone singing along:
"Sweet Caroline" – Neil Diamond
"Don't Stop Believin'" – Journey
"Livin' on a Prayer" – Bon Jovi
"Wonderwall" – Oasis
"Bohemian Rhapsody" – Queen
"Piano Man" – Billy Joel
"I Will Survive" – Gloria Gaynor
"Brown Eyed Girl" – Van Morrison
"500 Miles" – The Proclaimers
"Summer of '69" – Bryan Adams
"Hey Jude" – The Beatles
"Build Me Up Buttercup" – The Foundations
"Dancing Queen" – ABBA
"Y.M.C.A." – Village People
"I Love Rock 'n' Roll" – Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
"Mr. Brightside" – The Killers
"Friends in Low Places" – Garth Brooks
"American Pie" – Don McLean
"Take Me Home, Country Roads" – John Denver
"I Want to Break Free" – Queen
Irish & Folk Ballads
These traditional tunes are often heard in pubs, evoking a sense of nostalgia and camaraderie:
"The Wild Rover" – The Dubliners
"Whiskey in the Jar" – Thin Lizzy / The Dubliners
"The Fields of Athenry" – Paddy Reilly
"Dirty Old Town" – The Pogues
"Molly Malone" – Traditional
"The Parting Glass" – Traditional
"Seven Drunken Nights" – The Dubliners
"The Irish Rover" – The Pogues & The Dubliners
"Finnegan’s Wake" – The Dubliners
"Black Velvet Band" – Traditional
"Danny Boy" – Traditional
"The Rare Auld Times" – The Dubliners
"Galway Girl" – Steve Earle
"I'll Tell Me Ma" – Van Morrison & The Chieftains
"The Rocky Road to Dublin" – The Dubliners
"Wild Mountain Thyme" – The Corries
"The Town I Loved So Well" – Phil Coulter
"The Auld Triangle" – The Dubliners
"Sally MacLennane" – The Pogues
"The Green Fields of France" – Eric Bogle
Top 100 Australian Pub Songs by Category
Rock Anthems & Pub Classics
Khe Sanh – Cold Chisel
You Shook Me All Night Long – AC/DC
Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again – The Angels
The Boys Light Up – Australian Crawl
Eagle Rock – Daddy Cool
Beds Are Burning – Midnight Oil
Working Class Man – Jimmy Barnes
Run to Paradise – Choirboys
Bow River – Cold Chisel
It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll) – AC/DC
Cheap Wine – Cold Chisel
Back in Black – AC/DC
Never Tear Us Apart – INXS
Power and the Passion – Midnight Oil
The Real Thing – Russell Morris
Evie (Parts 1, 2 & 3) – Stevie Wright
High Voltage – AC/DC
Take a Long Line – The Angels
Prisoner of Society – The Living End
What About Me – Moving Pictures
Singalongs & Crowd Favourites
The Horses – Daryl Braithwaite
You're the Voice – John Farnham
Throw Your Arms Around Me – Hunters & Collectors
I Was Only 19 – Redgum
Great Southern Land – Icehouse
To Her Door – Paul Kelly
Down Under – Men at Work
Holy Grail – Hunters & Collectors
Sounds of Then (This Is Australia) – GANGgajang
Treaty – Yothu Yindi
Reckless – Australian Crawl
True Blue – John Williamson
Solid Rock – Goanna
Better Be Home Soon – Crowded House
Don't Dream It's Over – Crowded House
My Happiness – Powderfinger
Come Said the Boy – Mondo Rock
I Touch Myself – Divinyls
Pleasure and Pain – Divinyls
Howzat – Sherbet
Aussie Pub & Folk Favourites
A Pub with No Beer – Slim Dusty
Duncan – Slim Dusty
Chunder in the Old Pacific Sea – Frankie Davidson
I Love a Sunburnt Country – Frankie Davidson
Beer, Beer, Beautiful Beer – Frankie Davidson
The Bloke Who Invented Beer – Frankie Davidson
Come On Aussie Come On – Frankie Davidson
Have a Drink on Me – AC/DC
Roll Out the Barrel – Traditional
The Last Keg on Earth – Frankie Davidson
Modern Aussie Rock & Indie Hits
Are You Gonna Be My Girl – Jet
Tomorrow – Silverchair
On My Mind – Powderfinger
Better – The Screaming Jets
Berlin Chair – You Am I
Black Betty – Spiderbait
Early Warning – Baby Animals
The Nosebleed Section – Hilltop Hoods
My People – The Presets
Sweet Disposition – The Temper Trap
Geronimo – Sheppard
Riptide – Vance Joy
Hoops – The Rubens
Big Jet Plane – Angus & Julia Stone
Scar – Missy Higgins
Adore – Amy Shark
Chandelier – Sia
Somebody That I Used to Know – Gotye feat. Kimbra
Lanterns – Birds of Tokyo
Plans – Birds of Tokyo
Timeless Classics & Influential Tracks
Friday on My Mind – The Easybeats
Cool Change – Little River Band
Georgy Girl – The Seekers
Shadow Dancing – Andy Gibb
Into My Arms – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
I Got You – Split Enz
Hopelessly Devoted to You – Olivia Newton-John
I Want You – Savage Garden
Love Is in the Air – John Paul Young
Age of Reason – John Farnham
Chains – Tina Arena
Buses and Trains – Bachelor Girl
Absolutely Everybody – Vanessa Amorosi
Not Pretty Enough – Kasey Chambers
Tucker's Daughter – Ian Moss
No Aphrodisiac – The Whitlams
Cry – Dragon
Computer Games – Mi-Sex
Send Me an Angel – Real Life
Out of Mind Out of Sight – Models
Heaven (Must Be There) – Eurogliders
Counting the Beat – The Swingers
I See Red – Split Enz
One Perfect Day – Little Heroes
The Unguarded Moment – The Church
Love My Way – The Psychedelic Furs
Under the Milky Way – The Church
Electric Blue – Icehouse
Man Overboard – Do-Ré-Mi
State of the Heart – Mondo Rock
