A weekly scrape along the bottom of the pop culture barrel

The sound of the city is. . . grunge? No. Garage? Please. The New Pop? Think again. Reggae? Get real.

The sound of the city is unhip, not to say unhinged. We're talking karaoke, that aural torture cum audience participation that puts stars in eyes and frogs in throats and makes Auntie Sadie get up after three sweet sherries to render 'I Left My Heart in San Franciso'. . . why oh why oh why couldn't she have left her voice there too?

Strangely enough, the Tony Bennett classic doesn't feature in the list of most requested Karaoke songs, compiled by Pioneer LDCE, just in time for the Christmas rush. Otherwise it's round-up the usual suspects:

Rock Around the Clock

Venus

Shout

I Wanna Dance With Somebody

Word Up

It's My Party

Blue Suede Shoes

Tiger Feet

Ain't No Stopping Us Now

Celebration

Billie Jean

Girls Just Want to Have Fun

Hi Ho Silver Lining

Doo Wah Diddy Diddy

It's Not Unusual

You'll Never Walk Alone

What, no Bryan Adams?

(Photographs omitted)