Rule #1 - Take Control of the Jukebox

What is worse than walking into your favorite bar on a Friday or Saturday night then no tunes? Everybody loves the sweet melodic sounds of music to go with their drinking. Beer and music, its simply meant to be. So some of you out there on the internet may not know what to do if you walk into a bar and hear no music (being an internet person the fact you don’t know what to do may result from a high degree of social awkwardness and poor personal hygiene practices; please consult a doctor first). So let me give you a quick list of 10 songs that are sure to get the bar rocking. There is nothing better than being the Friday night hero because you chose the right songs. There is also nothing worse than being the Friday night asshole because you picked 98 Degrees because you thought it would make things "hot". So here you go.

10) Pretty much any Sublime song - "What I Got" is of course the most recognizable, but pretty much any Sublime song will do the trick of creating a mellow, cool kind of flow to the bar. Its the Sam Adams of bar music, always a good choice.

9) Whitesnake "Here I Go Again" - There is a very good chance you will get drunken women to try to imitate Tawny Kitaens dance from the video. This alone is worth the price of admission on making this one of your bar selections. Don’t fuck it up kid.

8) Dire Straits "Money For Nothing" - Everybody knows it, everybody loves it but usually people forget about it! Don’t expect blocky, circa 1986 computer graphic movers to come to the bar though, despite that still will get people singing along. After all we all know that you can get your money for nothing and the chicks for free.

7) Foreigner "Cold as Ice" - The opening lick and subsequent "You're as cold as ice!" is certainly one of the more anthemia parts of music. It will certainly get more than one person who knows no other part of the song except that mumbling uncomfortably with you and then belting itout. An awesome power.

6) Bon Jovi "You Give Love a Bad Name" - Ideal for the patented sing-along and point at someone technique. Its always good if when a song is playing if you can imitate in someway the words as you are singing along, it makes it so much more effective. This will undoubtedly end in a bar full of people pointing at each other. Eh, you could do worse.

5) O.A.R. "Crazy Game of Poker" - Personally, I go for this first, but it is a tad obscure for most people. Those who know it and get it will love you. Those who don't will just sigh and say "What the fuck is this shit, its like 20 minutes long". Oh well, you are taking a chance here but you will be a hero to some.

4) AC/DC "You Shook Me All Night Long" - You will see at least one person do the Angus guitar hop. It will happen and you will laugh. Everybody loves AC/DC. How can you not?

3) Def Leppard "Pour Some Sugar on Me" - This is just a great god damn song. You have no excuse if you do not play this. the sexual overtones, the cranking guitar riffs and the chorus that the entire world knows. A winner will be you my little internet friend.

2) Bon Jovi "Livin on Prayer" - Yes, Bon Jovi on the list twice. Yes, they are that awesome and in an expanded list you would see more Bon Jovi. This however, is the ultimate Bon Jovi song. Nobody can hit that high note on the second "wooo-oh Living on prayer", but nobody cares. The song rocks way too much to give a shit.

1) Journey "Dont Stop Belivin" - The number one, can’t miss hit in bar songs everywhere. No matter where you go, no matter what time, when this comes on the bar sings along. There is possibly no better song ever written for drunken bar crowds than this. You sir, will be king when you put this in the old jukebox. I guarantee it.

There you have it folks. You play these 10 songs and you will find success on your bar jaunts. Of course, there are many, many more that will elicit positive reactions from the bar, but you are going to have to find those out for yourselves friends.