There’s a lot of debate over what the perfect night with friends would be like. The venue, food and travel can differ, but there’s usually one constant – a fun soundtrack. Songs can really help to set the mood of a night in or out, but when outside, you can’t control what you’re listening to.

Fortunately, that’s not the case for a big girls’ night in. It’s possible to play any song of your choice at home, but which songs are the most popular, and why are they chosen so much? In the UK, a survey conducted by Ladbrokes Bingo revealed some surprising (and not so surprising) choices.

Tuned in

Some of the stats from the survey revealed that being able to control what music they can listen to was a major reason behind staying in instead of heading out to the nearest nightclub or bar. A considerably large 38% of respondents said staying in meant they could choose their own music.

Other reasons were given in the survey for wanting to have a night in. 18% stated that they could do karaoke from the comfort of their own living room, while 13% liked the idea of playing their favourite songs as loudly or quietly as they wanted to.

Back to the 80’s

The gaming firm also asked women about what songs they would like to play during a girls’ night in. The list of popular songs features a number of classics from the 1980’s, when many online bingo fans will have been in their teens or early 20’s, but some of them might not seem like ideal party tunes.

Perhaps the best party tune of the 1980’s was this one-hit wonder by Dead or Alive. Even though Pete Burns’ outfit failed to score any other hits, this is still a favorite among women (and men) who were growing up at the time.

Get your hairbrush out

One of the joys of a night in is being able to sing along to classics without having to worry about looking ridiculous in front of a big crowd. The list of songs from the survey has quite a few which are begging to be sung, no matter how badly!

Tina Turner’s rousing anthem is the ultimate “hairbrush” classic. Like many other songs mentioned during the survey, it’s practically an invitation to bellow at the top of your voice, especially when the night in is in full swing.

Winding down

Some of the songs such as Simple Minds’ “Don’t You Forget About Me” and R.E.M.’s “Stand” are a little more downbeat, but no less fun. They’re good to help end a night in, and often leave everyone feeling nostalgic, which is what makes choosing the music yourself so fun.