For night owls and fans of eccentric late-night television, The Late Late Show has been a great way to settle down every weeknight (or morning, technically) since it began in 1995. Following The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, James Corden hosts his own hour of late-night television, packed with creative games, deeply involved interviews, and the musical stylings of Reggie Watts that has led to many moments worthy of YouTube fame over the past three years.
Since taking over hosting duties from fellow brit Craig Ferguson in 2015, Corden has done a hell of a job spicing up The Late Late Show with successful comedy bits and parodies. While his success as a talk show host doesn’t translate into his award show hosting abilities, many of the segments he’s introduced to late-night have quickly become popular online, such as the gag-inducing “Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts.” While watching celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Cher eat absolutely vile food instead of answer personal questions is entertaining, the most popular segment to come from Corden’s leadership on The Late Late Show is “Carpool Karaoke.”
Though the concept originated during a British charity special for Red Nose Day (featuring the late George Michael), “Carpool Karaoke” first premiered on The Late Late Show on Corden’s third night as the newly knighted host. Joined by pop queen Mariah Carey in his SUV, Corden joked that he needed to get to work quickly, but needed a passenger to use the carpool lane, before singing along to some of Carey’s hits in between miniscule interview segments. Before long, “Carpool Karaoke” became an online sensation and had fans around the world begging for appearances from their favorite musicians.
Corden has obliged and continued to please the masses, having an incredible range of artists and celebrities join him for his morning commute, and even creating a spin-off series that brings together other celebrity pairings for their own karaoke sessions. With three years worth of melodious car rides hosted by James, we thought it best to finally rank which “Carpool Karaokes” are most worth your time. In honor of James Corden's 40th birthday, here’s our list of the best “Carpool Karaoke” performances.
10. Paul McCartney
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We all know that Migos is better than The Beatles, but that doesn’t make Paul McCartney any less of a music icon. In one of the longest “Carpool Karaoke” segments thus far, Corden gave us a full 20 minutes of hanging out with McCartney in his hometown, including a visit to the house he grew up in and a pub sing-along with some friendly patrons. But the best bit by far was seeing just how much the people of England still idolize Paul McCartney, reminding us that stanning out isn’t something you grow out of (in other words, stop poking fun at teenagers who love boy bands).
9. Broadway Carpool Karaoke f/ Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jane Krakowski, & Audra McDonald
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Corden brought together a whole gaggle of Broadway stars in this special Tony Awards-inspired “Carpool Karaoke,” which was just as fun as it was harmonic. Lin-Manuel Miranda kicked off the segment with one of his melodies from Hamilton, and was soon joined by veterans of the Broadway stage Jane Krakowski, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Audra McDonald. They harmonized through the streets of New York, singing along to classics from Rent and Jersey Boys, and reminded us why musicals exist in the first place: to make us cry.
8. Stevie Wonder
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Legendary singer/songwriter Stevie Wonder joined Corden in a motown sing along of some of his most well-known songs, including “Superstition” and a special rendition of “I Just Called to Say I Love You,” sang to Corden’s wife over the phone, prompting a few tears to fall from the humbled host. Aside from the sentimentality, Wonder had a grand old time playing a harmonica along with his music, and Corden seemed to genuinely be having a splendid time with one of music’s most beloved artists.
7. Adele
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Adele and Corden teamed up on their home soil for this this edition of “Carpool Karaoke” after Adele’s musical comeback in 2015. Apart from them absolutely killing it with her songs “Hello” and “Someone Like You,” fans also got to see Adele’s sillier side, including stories of her drunken mischief and the superstar bringing a full mug of tea along for the ride. The duo seemed like they’d been friends for years while singing along to “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls, and reminded us just how British they are. Cheerio!
6. Ariana Grande
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Queen of high notes Ariana Grande joined Corden ahead of her highly-anticipated Sweetener release, and the segment was truly a blessing. When she wasn’t hitting (every single) note of one of her own songs, she went back to her Broadway roots, singing “Suddenly Seymour” from Little Shop of Horrors with Corden, who’s also a known Broadway stan. The best part, though, happened in a Starbucks, where Corden gave Ari a piggyback ride to correlate with the rumor that she gets carried everywhere. Grande’s impression of Celine Dion was a close runner-up for moments that made this segment an immediate home run.
5. Michelle Obama
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One of the only guests to star in an installation of “Carpool Karaoke” that isn’t an actual musician, the (sadly) former first lady truly delivered one of the most memorable performances in Corden’s SUV. Michelle Obama’s rendition of “Single Ladies” and a cameo from Missy Elliott made this car ride around the White House grounds a bop fest, and knowing that Corden was welcomed by Madam Michelle makes him that much more likable.
4. Elton John
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Big sunglasses, feather boas, and absurd hats were bound to make an appearance in this “Carpool Karaoke” with Sir Elton John. Another notch in Corden’s belt of musical icons, Elton John put on quite a show with some of the biggest hits from his freaking massive discography. Along the way, Corden learned how “Your Song” came to be written, and why John feels inspired by younger generations of musicians to keep working. Corden also got him to wear a lion’s mane and sing “Circle of Life,” proving that even the most esteemed celebrities are goofballs.
3. Harry Styles
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The sultry voice. The luxurious shirts. The One Direction nostalgia. All of this and more were gifted to us when Harry Styles joined Corden for what was technically his second round of “Carpool Karaoke,” this time as a solo artist. A long-time friend of the show and former guest host, Harry hit it off with Corden, singing along to all the sexy bangers from his solo album. The segment also included a series of shirt changes (to prove that Harry can pull off any look), an incredible reenactment of iconic movie moments, and some spot-on covers of “Hey Ya!” and “Endless Love.” This installment is really for all the Harry stans out there, but 13 minutes of pure unadulterated friendship makes it enjoyable to all.
2. Jennifer Hudson
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Back when "Carpool Karaoke" was still trying to find its bearings, Jennifer Hudson made an appearance in its second installment and left us all shaking in our boots. Though they only sang three songs, Hudson truly gave it her all for eight minutes straight and filled the car with her soulful vocals. After a pit stop at her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and singing Corden’s Astro Burger order at the drive-thru, the guest of honor left our host truly shook towards the end of their time together, going all out for “And I Am Telling You I Am Not Going” from her Oscar-winning performance in Dreamgirls. This pairing set the bar high for all future guests.
1. Justin Bieber’s Collection
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Justin Bieber appearing in Carpool Karaoke not once, not twice, but three times almost makes up for—uh, all that other stuff. Between two full segments of karaoke and one brief Grammy Awards special, Bieber and Corden have shown audiences just how well they get along through singing, banter, and even shopping. They have a surprising amount of chemistry for a middle-aged British late-night host and a Canadian pop sensation, and Corden seems to bring out the side of JB that we all fell for back when “Baby” took over the radio. The duo always seem to have the time of their lives when they’re together.
