The Late Late Show: The 10 Best Carpool Karaokes So Far

Adele can take this award and drop it on top of her pile of Grammys. Between her and Corden’s angelic harmonizing, her instantly recognizable and hilarious cackle, and, best of all, her astounding rendition of Nicki Minaj’s “Monster,” Adele’s Carpool Karaoke takes the cake.

Who wouldn’t want Stevie Wonder to drive with them to work? During their ride, Wonder gives Corden’s wife Julia a call to prove he’s really there with her husband—and, of course, gives her a short serenade on Corden’s behalf. From the very beginning—which finds Wonder in the driver’s seat as Corden says, “Are you sure you’re O.K. to drive, because this is making me a bit uneasy?”—it’s clear these two are going to be a lot of fun. And indeed, their rapport is priceless. Wonder’s British accent might need some work, but his performance as a Carpool Karaoke guest was flawless.

This will go down in history as the clip that made us all want Jennifer Hudson to join us on our fast-food runs. Hudson delivers one of the show’s most astounding vocal performances ever—from her seat in a car—while making impromptu pit stops with Corden for fun L.A. activities like posing with her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In short, these two seemed to be having a fantastic afternoon, and it’s a blast just to be a fly on the wall for a few minutes of it.

This one’s another example of ineffable chemistry, as Corden goofs around with the band. Flea, especially, appears to be having a grand time as they sing their way through some of the band’s biggest hits and stage a wrestling match. Oh, and also, there’s the after-the-fact revelation that Anthony Kiedis rescued a baby during filming. A behind-the-scenes yarn like that is hard to beat.

What can we say? We’re suckers for anything holiday-related. But this one’s also an impressive feat simply because of how much planning obviously went into it. To execute this idea, Corden asked several artists who joined him in his car throughout the year to join him in belting out Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You”—including the Elusive Chanteuse herself. Try not to smile while watching this merry band of gifted vocalists belting out one of the most festive songs ever written. If you manage that task, you truly are a grinch.

One of Corden’s earliest Carpool Karaokes, co-starring Justin Bieber, makes the top 10 not only because of its entertainment value, but also for how it proved—so early on—what a valuable publicity tool Carpool Karaoke could be. Entertainment writers largely picked up on what Bieber was doing when he hopped in Corden’s car: it sure seemed like a stop on a redemption tour as the singer prepared to release a new album, Purpose, later that year. More importantly? It worked. By the time Purpose dropped, Bieber had redeemed himself—largely—in the public eye. And Corden had proven that his show can be an effective tool for celebrities looking to show a new face to the public.

Also, never forget that this was when Bieber revealed that he wears each pair of his Calvin Klein underwear only once before throwing it out. Think what you want of the guy, but that is the very definition of a fun fact.

When it was announced that Corden would host theater’s biggest night, most of his loyal viewers had a feeling a super-packed Carpool Karaoke was on its way. Sure enough, Corden delivered: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Audra McDonald, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Jane Krakowski piled into the car to sing songs from classics like Les Miserables and newer hits like, of course, Hamilton. The group’s final number—a riveting rendition of “One Day More”—could have earned a spot on this list on its own.

He might not think very highly of the MTV generation, but Sir Elton John sure did seem game to play along with the times during his stop in Corden’s car. The two jammed out—with some fancy costumes—and sang all the classics, from “Your Song” and “Crocodile Rock” to “The Circle of Life” and “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.” The two have great chemistry, and are clearly having a good time. Plus, their voices harmonize like pure magic.

This one makes the cut partially because of the sheer novelty: a First Lady singing in a car with a late-night host and a rapper. Missy Elliott’s surprise appearance gives the segment an extra surge of energy, but even before she shows up, there’s just something special about watching the former FLOTUS singing Stevie Wonder and letting loose. Admittedly, there might also be some Obama-era nostalgia at play in our ranking here, but what can we say? The heart wants what it wants.

It doesn’t happen too often, but every now and again, a non-singer sneaks into James’s car—and one of the most delightful examples was basketball star Steph Curry, who belted out some Frozen and Moana tunes. His appearance was short and sweet, but it’s also a prime example of one of the segment’s main draws: watching two lovable celebrities being silly.