Carpool Karaoke: a definitive ranking – who was best?

Photo credit: CBS
Photo credit: CBS

From Digital Spy

Who knew that a British talk show host driving around and having a bit of a sing-song would become such an internet sensation? But James Corden's Carpool Karaoke on The Late Late Show has become a proper phenomenon – every one a treat. So which is the best? Here's our totally official and legit ranking:

BONUS: CHRISTMAS CARPOOL!

Tracklist: 'All I Want For Christmas Is You'. Obviously.

This edition of Carpool Karaoke doesn't really count. It's only three minutes and 30 seconds long. But we couldn't bear to put it low down our ranking because it's CHRISTMAS and JOYFUL, so we're including it as a bonus entry. What could be more festive than Mariah Carey leading a sing song of her iconic 'All I Want For Christmas Is You', featuring Adele, Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas, Elton John, Selena Gomez, Lady Gaga, Gwen Stefani, Chris Martin and the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS CLAPPING ALONG?!

The only thing that bothers us is that some of these poor folk will have had to film their segments in the heat of summer, which frankly is just not right.

40. Adam Levine

Tracklist: 'Moves Like Jagger', 'This Love', 'She Will Be Loved', 'Sugar' and 'Wait'.

Best moment: Watching Adam jump out of the car to show off his special talent. Yes, he really can balance anything - even a life-size cardboard cut-out of James Corden - on his face.

39. Shawn Mendes

Tracklist: 'There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back', 'In My Blood', 'Mercy', 'Treat You Better' and 'Lost in Japan.'

Best moment: Commuting across LA while belting out some of Shawn's music, the conversation quickly turned to his love of Harry Potter (Dumbledore wig included). And any fellow spell-casters rate highly in our book.

Oh and, fun fact, he'd happily pay up to $500 for a pair of Justin Bieber's underpants.

38. Foo Fighters

Tracklist: 'All My Life', 'Learn to Fly' and 'Best of You' as well as their new single 'The Sky Is a Neighbourhood'

Best moment: It wasn't the best episode of Carpool to be honest. The most interesting moment didn't come until after the clip had aired, when frontman Dave Grohl said he found the shoot "a little uncomfortable".

"Y'know, I don't mind singing my own songs at Glastonbury or The O2," he told NME, "but if I had to sing you a song right now, I'd be too embarrassed."

We wonder what James made of that!

37. Justin Bieber post-Grammys

Tracklist: 'Uptown Funk', the theme to The Late Late Show (sort of)

Best moment: The pair comparing their Grammys goodie bags (Justin's iPad, Rolex, diamond bracelet and trip to the Maldives vs James's chap stick, Danielle Steele book and map of Los Angeles).

This doesn't really count as a proper Carpool Karaoke, because it's very short, and let's be honest, James does all of the work on 'Uptown Funk' – he's definitely carrying Justin. That said, the moment where they come together in a mutual love-fest – and James can't help but crack up – makes it worth a watch. And the white tuxes are fancy.

36. Broadway – with Lin-Manuel Miranda, Audra McDonald, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Jane Krakowski

Tracklist: 'Alexander Hamilton', 'Guns and Ships', 'Seasons of Love', 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You', 'One Day More'

Best moment: Everyone in the car belting out: "I love you baby!" like everyone who listens to 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You' in a car, ever. Joyous.

Carpool Karaoke is a solid format that will never let us down, but it has to be said – the special episodes tend to be the weakest. They're shorter, they're broader; there's just not quite enough time to really get meaty. On the other hand, this does have Lin-Manuel Miranda doing songs from Hamilton and frankly that's enough for us. Get the others in and it's a true, Broadway-esque spectacular, with huge tunes and lots and lots of love and cuddles. We just want a follow-up now, though – there are too many Broadway classics that need to get the Carpool treatment.

35. Carrie Underwood

Tracklist: 'Smoke Break', 'Jesus Take The Wheel', 'Before He Cheats', 'Wake Me Up Before You Go Go'

Best moment: The pair's battle to see who can hold a note the longest, which dissolves into them completely losing it.

We love a bit of Carrie Underwood, but this instalment of Carpool Karaoke takes a little while to get going. It still has its highlights, though, from Carrie talking about her ice hockey husband knocking someone's tooth out ("It was hot") to James's horror about how much cowboy boots actually cost (Carrie not being able to pull off the shoes he had tried on is a truly wonderful moment).

34. Jennifer Hudson

Tracklist: 'Trouble', 'Spotlight', 'And I Am Telling You'

Best moment: Jennifer and James taking a selfie by Jennifer's Hollywood Walk of Fame star.

This Carpool Karaoke gets off to a bit of a weird start with James complaining about Jennifer being late… which would be fine, except they play it really seriously and it feels a little bit awkward. Luckily, before long Jennifer is singing James's drive-thru order ("Girlllll give me a cheeeeeeseburger"), sings at a bus, uses her water bottle as a microphone and gives it her all for a stunning rendition of 'And I Am Telling You'.

33. Mariah Carey

Tracklist: 'Always Be My Baby', 'Fantasy', 'Vision Of Love', 'Thirsty'

Best moment: When Mariah flirts with James by flicking him on the neck.

Alright, so technically this Carpool Karaoke instalment – the first – is not really a classic. But it's just a treat to see Mariah doing anything, isn't it? Back when we were watching Gavin & Stacey, who would have thought that a few short years later we'd see Mariah teaching Smithy how to do a good Brooklyn accent?

32. Lady Gaga

Tracklist: 'Perfect Illusion', 'Bad Romance', 'Edge of Glory', 'Born This Way', 'Liquid Dreams' by O-Town (really), 'Poker Face', 'Million Reasons'

Best moment: James having a little snack of ham from his meat dress.

We feel kind of bad about putting Lady Gaga so far down. She's certainly game and up for it, but this is one of the few Carpool Karaokes that has failed to make us laugh out loud. It starts out looking good – she swears within the first couple of seconds – but it turns out to be James doing most of the work (wearing Gaga's iconic outfits; talking of his love of O-Town; reacting when Gaga takes the wheel and it's a bit dicey).

Gaga does give a few insights, but she's kind of unable to see the funny side about things like her collection of Michael Jackson outfits. Mind you – what a bunch of utter tunes she's got in her back pocket.

31. Sia

Tracklist: 'Chandelier', 'Diamonds', 'Elastic Heart', 'Alive', 'Titanium'

Best moment: When Sia talks about her belief in aliens and utterly blows James's mind.

You know this is going to be a good Carpool Karaoke right from the off, as the pair make a joke about Sia's wig being so long that she can't see where she's going and has to be guided into the vehicle. And obviously it's all up from there, because Sia has some absolutely cracking tunes that are ripe for a good singalong.

She's honest about her history of alcohol abuse and drug addiction, James wears a black and white wig and does some amazing dancing, and Sia proves that she can carry a dozen eggs on the backs of her hands, which is frankly possibly even more incredible than her ability to hit the high notes.

30. Iggy Azalea

Tracklist: 'Fancy', 'Black Widow', 'Trouble', 'Pretty Girls'

Best moment: James pretending to lead Iggy down the aisle in a wedding dress shop

Iggy might start this Carpool Karaoke a little cool, but once she's warmed up she and James are on fire, from their synchronised dancing to all the talk about her wedding. And she's actually interesting about her upcoming nuptials, too, from revealing that Demi Lovato is going to be one of her bridesmaids to announcing: "Nick really wants to have R Kelly perform at our wedding so he can sing 'Marry The Bitch'." That's the kind of gossip we're after – and seeing James and Iggy singing 'Pretty Girls' in wedding dresses gave us welcome Friends flashbacks.

29. Selena Gomez

Tracklist: 'Same Old Love', 'Come And Get It', 'Hands To Myself', 'Kill Em With Kindness', 'Love You Like A Love Song', 'Shake It Off'

Best moment: James cacking it – but still bravely attempting to sing 'Come And Get It' – while on a huge rollercoaster.

We always kind of suspected that Selena Gomez was a bonafide badass, and sure enough, she shows that nothing can rattle her in this fun ride – whether it's a terrifying rollercoaster or a disgusting ginger shot that leaves James' eyes streaming. The only time she really looks rattled is kind of adorable, as James begs the McDonalds' Drive Thru to get her a cup with her lyrics on it.

Admittedly, things do get a little tense in the car when James complains about Taylor Swift's squad not having any men in it – but it doesn't last long as the pair 'Shake It Off' quite successfully indeed.

28. Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas

Tracklist: 'Heart Attack', 'Chains', 'Stone Cold', 'Cake By The Ocean', 'Close', 'Jealous' (a capella), 'Confident'

Best moment: Nick Jonas feeling desperately uncomfortable when questioned about his love life.

The best thing about Carpool Karaoke is that it feels so warm, so how joyous to have besties Nick Jonas and Demi Lovato on the show at the same time. They have that charming BFF dynamic, which mainly seems to revolve around Demi mercilessly ripping the piss out of Nick and him feeling mildly uncomfortable – but all in the most affectionate of ways, obviously.

This edition of Carpool Karaoke perhaps isn't the most incident-packed – aside from the group's busking, of course, when bystanders can't wait to hand over their hard-earned cash – but watching it is still like a cuddle. Also, there's purity ring talk. We love purity ring talk.

27. Jason Derulo

Tracklist: 'Talk Dirty', 'Want To Want Me', 'Wheels Of A Dream' from Ragtime (really), 'Wiggle', 'Talk Dirty' (reprise)

Best moment: Jason teaching James how to dance in a carpark

Who knew this Carpool Karaoke would be such a treat? But it is, partly because James neatly skewers all of Jason's rock and roll pretensions. He might roll into the car claiming that he was up until 6am, but before long James is scoffing at his use of the word "Gucci" to mean good and admonishing him for having a circular bed ("I don't even know where I would purchase such a thing – where do you buy sheets for a round bed?").

But Jason's also quite charming, whether he's singing classically, revealing that he used to be silent during sex ("This one girl told me it was weird") or joining James to give some unsuspecting passengers on a Star Tour bus a rather unorthodox trip.

26. Red Hot Chili Peppers

Tracklist: 'Can't Stop', 'Heemi Lheemey', 'Give It Away', 'Californication', 'Dark Necessities', 'Under The Bridge', 'The Zephyr Song', 'By The Way'

Best moment: James pulling over so he can wrestle Anthony Kiedis on some unsuspecting citizen's front lawn (and then losing because he was laughing so much).

James certainly loved his drive with RHCP, gushing about how much fun it had been ("People say, 'Don't meet your heroes', but I don't think they ever met the Red Hot Chili Peppers"). We're not quite so sure it was one of his best, but it definitely had its high points, most notably Anthony and James's wrestling, some topless singing, and the debut of 'Heemi Lheemey' (a track written by Anthony and Flea when they were 15 and stoned – and yes, it shows).

There are plenty other little tidbits to keep this one entertaining, too – we were particularly taken by Anthony's story of Cher being his babysitter, or the story about two fans at a gig fighting each other with their prosthetic legs – but perhaps this is the first Carpool to have some serious off-screen drama too, as Anthony later revealed that he SAVED A BABY'S LIFE during filming. No biggie.

25. Bruno Mars

Tracklist: '24K Magic', 'Locked Out Of Heaven', 'Jailhouse Rock' (a capella), 'Grenade', 'Versace On The Floor', 'If I Knew', 'Uptown Funk'

Best moment: Bruno dancing so excitedly to 'Uptown Funk' that we were worried for James's personal safety.

Turns out Bruno has a lot of hits in his back pocket – this mammoth playlist and still no room for our personal fave, 'Treasure'. That led to a pretty packed Carpool Karaoke without an awful lot of space for banter, but Bruno's such a positive sort of fellow that the whole thing was filled with a sense of warmth. Aww.

From the discovery that Bruno can literally make any hat look cool (and his self-deprecating admission that he only wears them because he doesn't know what to do with his hair) to his revelation that he was a 4-year-old Elvis impersonator to his attempts to teach James how to sexy dance, it's impossible for this edition of Carpool Karaoke not to make you feel better about the world. Nice work, Bruno.

24. Gwen Stefani

Tracklist: 'Don't Speak', 'The Sweet Escape', 'Used To Love You', 'Rich Girl', 'Hollaback Girl', 'We Are The Champions'

Best moment: Actual George Clooney singing along to 'Hollaback Girl'. You have not lived until you have seen George Clooney singing along to 'Hollaback Girl'.

We love Gwen Stefani, so what a joy to have her in James's car – she's the sort of star who just seems like she could be your BEST FRIEND (the one that makes amazing cocktails for your ironic sleepovers – i.e. the best one). But just when we were enjoying a nice singalong to her surprising number of pop bangers (and laughing at her teaching James the words to 'The Sweet Escape' or her shock that the aubergine emoji means something else altogether), George Clooney and Julia Roberts got involved and made the whole thing even better.

We're still chuckling about George's reaction when James swooned over Notting Hill ("Good God"), while the ending – a joyous and uplifting rendition of 'We Are The Champions' – is how we're going to start every day from now on.

23. Pink

Tracklist: 'What About Us?', 'Get The Party Started', 'Beautiful Trauma', 'Raise Your Glass' and 'Just Like A Pill'.

Best moment: The best bit is when the pair end up upside down and giggling their heads off – poor Late Late Show host James looks like he's turning into a beetroot when he gets stuck the wrong way around.

22. Christina Aguilera

Tracklist: 'Fighter', 'Dirrty', 'Genie in a Bottle' and 'Beautiful'.

Best moment: James Corden's attempt at nailing that Xtina-signature raspiness may have sounded like Fozzie (of Muppets fame), but we applaud him for giving it a shot.

Aguilera also SPILLED THE TEA about her early days in the Mickey Mouse Club with Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears and Ryan Gosling(!). In fact, it turns out that the Notebook heartthrob may have held a little flame for the 'Hit Me Baby One More Time' singer back in the day.

Oh, and let's not forget that Melissa McCarthy cameo.

21. Michelle Obama

Tracklist: 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours', 'Single Ladies', 'This Is For My Girls', 'Get Ur Freak On'

Best moment: Michelle exuberantly yelling "HOLLA!" during her exuberant rapping to 'Get Ur Freak On'.

Michelle Obama here, just calmly breaking the mould by being the first non-musician to take the lead in a Carpool Karaoke. This is basically 14 minutes of utter joy, as you watch the then-First Lady of the United States having a whale of a time and throwing herself into every song. It's impossible to watch without a smile, and though she's more guarded than other Carpool guests for obvious reasons, she still lets slip her secret service codename ('Renaissance', FYI, which is suitably badass).

There are some missed opportunities – Missy Elliott is great but we were obviously hoping for a Barack Obama cameo. And why oh why did Michelle not sing Fifth Harmony's 'BO$$' ("MICHELLE OBAMA!")? That aside, though, it's difficult to fault how game FLOTUS is, how much it made us smile, and how much we want her to make us a grilled cheese sandwich at 3am.

20. One Direction

Tracklist: 'What Makes You Beautiful', 'Story Of My Life', 'Best Song Ever', 'No Control', 'Perfect', 'Drag Me Down'

Best moment: James's incredible rap in the middle of 'Drag Me Down'.

One Direction were obviously absolutely knackered by the time they climbed into James's SUV, but they still managed to make this Carpool Karaoke an entertaining one. There's the standard 1D banter – Harry needs a wee! Someone's messing about with Liam's seat heater ("My arse is on fire")!

But the foursome prove that they've always been worthy of a singalong and throw themselves into James's 'No Control' choreography, complete with denim shirts. And they also give us an insight into their whirlwind lives – as when Louis tells the story of a woman who brought milk to his house when he tweeted that he couldn't have a cuppa, and when Liam quietly says he's looking forward to the break because he'll be able to see his mum and dad.

19. Britney Spears

Tracklist: 'Oops!... I Did It Again', 'Womaniser', 'Make Me...', 'Toxic', '... Baby One More Time'

Best moment: Britney admitting that she wants three more children and then singing a bit of Ace of Base.

We didn't know how this Britney Carpool Karaoke was going to go. We all know that her stint on The X Factor USA wasn't exactly an unqualified success – but what a joy to see her looking relaxed and having a ball during her Carpool... and she actually did sing, too, for all of us who feared it might be Mime City.

In fact, she did mime along to the legendary Titanic bit of 'Oops!... I Did It Again', but that was perfect – and actually, if there's one thing Carpool Karaoke can do brilliantly, it's reminding us how many utter tunes someone has in their back pocket. Add in Britney's funny confessions, from swearing off men ("I might French kiss someone"), to discussing new bondage trends, to the names she uses to check into hotels (our fave: 'Anita Dick') and you have a real treat. We just wish it had been longer.

18. Tom Hanks

Tracklist: Kim Wilde's 'Kids in America' – with a bunch of American kids.

Best moment: When a bunch of American school kids appeared from nowhere on the school bus and completely took over as part of XQ Super School Live.

The XQ special, which "invited the public to help rethink the future of American high schools", featured loads more artists and celebrities, including U2, Justin Timberlake, Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, JJ Abrams, Samuel L Jackson and Mahershala Ali.

17. Madonna

Tracklist: 'Vogue', 'Bitch I'm Madonna', 'Papa Don't Preach', 'Don't Cry For Me Argentina' (a capella), 'Express Yourself', 'Ray Of Light'

Best moment: Madonna casually snarking about James's choice of shirt, on multiple occasions. "It's very Seattle 1990s."

Alright, first, we're going to get one thing off our chest: we're not completely on board with this tracklist. No room for 'Like A Virgin'? REALLY? Our only hope is that this is just Madonna's first journey with James with a follow-up featuring more classics to come, because she's one of the most enjoyable Carpool Karaoke guests we've watched.

Spilling all about her smooch with Michael Jackson (and giving him chardonnay beforehand to get him to "loosen up"), twerking, sticking her legs out of the window, admitting that she used to have a "perverse" desire to be a nun, and castigating James for not giving a bus driver what for when he got cut up, everything about Madonna's trip was a complete delight. She made us very nervous by not wearing her seatbelt, though.

16. Rod Stewart (& A$AP Rocky)

Tracklist: 'The First Cut Is The Deepest', 'Everyday', 'Do Ya Think I'm Sexy', 'Maggie May', 'Ooh La La'

Best moment: A nearby driver spotting Rod and yelling: "That's Rod Stewart! GOD BLESS YOU ROD STEWART!"

Rod Stewart is at the stage of his career where he really doesn't have to worry about anything… which is what makes this Carpool Karaoke so magnificent. Yes, his songs are good, but Rod's also open about his rock and roll lifestyle ("Drinking and shagging and drinking and shagging"), explains why he used to smash up hotel rooms, talks about checking in as Fleetwood Mac when the Faces were banned from Holiday Inns, and even chats about losing his virginity… with just a cheeky grin and a request to change the subject when he feels he might be going too far. And of course there's the wonderful moment when A$AP Rocky pops up in the back seat for a performance of 'Everyday' – and then disappears again.

15. Usher

Tracklist: 'Yeah!', 'Burn', 'Caught Up', 'I Don't Mind', 'OMG'.

Best moment: Tracking down Usher's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and giving it a polish.

Usher's always a fun guy to be around, and he proved it with this joyous Carpool Karaoke episode.

From teaching James how to walk with swag into a club (and James getting caught up with jazz hands), to helping out a stranded motorist across the road, this was a smile-fest from start to finish.

14. Elton John

Tracklist: 'Your Song', 'I'm Still Standing', 'Crocodile Rock', 'Tiny Dancer', 'Looking Up', 'Circle Of Life', 'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me'

Best moment: Elton stealing the lion mane James wore for 'Circle Of Life'… but not being able to put it on properly.

Just look at that tracklist – you can't argue with that. Elton deserves a high spot in our ranking just for bringing those solid gold tunes with him, but he's far more entertaining than that, adding in ad-libs to the songs and gamely playing along with James at every turn (the feather boas and silly sunnies for 'Crocodile Rock' are obviously wonderful).

On top of that, he throws out the revelations willy-nilly, from openly admitting that he once became such a diva that he asked someone to "do something about the wind" to confessing: "Arlene Phillips said I was the worst dancer she ever worked with. Bitch." There's other stuff too – he doesn't have a phone! He loves Grimes and Ed Sheeran! – and Elton's just so willing to take part that he makes this Carpool Karaoke an easy ride.

13. Miley Cyrus

Tracklist: We Can't Stop', 'The Climb', 'Party in the U.S.A', 'Younger Now', 'Wrecking Ball' and 'Malibu'

Best moment: This probably would have to be when the pair pulled up outside a random person' house and decided to try and make each other cry.

James did end up crying – tears of laughter. Lol.

12. Justin Bieber (v1)

Tracklist: 'Baby', 'Boyfriend', 'Where Are Ü Now', 'The End Of The Road'

Best moment: The editing between Justin and James going absolutely wild to 'Where Are Ü Now' and Justin doing a Rubik's cube.

Justin Bieber has quickly become a Carpool Karaoke favourite. He might not be the longest-serving star in James's phonebook, but with a public image to turn around he throws himself right into it all and comes across as, well, really likeable.

Alright, so he admits that he gets so many Calvin Klein pants that he only wears a pair once before chucking them, but he almost seems normal, and we feel like we're getting a little insight into his life when he starts texting a girl ("Have you kissed her yet?" "No."). He's wonderfully self-deprecating, too, from joking that he only put "fondue" into his song 'Boyfriend' because it rhymed to proudly talking about 'Baby': "It's got the most dislikes on the internet."

11. Ed Sheeran

Tracklist: 'Shape of You', 'Sing', 'Thinking Out Loud', 'Love Yourself', 'What Makes You Beautiful', 'Castle on the Hill'

Best moment: Saying how he was an "unfortunate looking kid" and that God looked at him and went "you need help getting laid, mate".

If you needed more evidence as to how Ed Sheeran is the most humble celebrity on the planet, here you go. It's a sweet episode from start to finish, from Ed fitting 55 Maltesers in his mouth at once, to him explaining how he smacked Justin Bieber in the face with a golf club.

10. Adele

Tracklist: 'Hello', 'Someone Like You', 'Wannabe', 'All I Ask', 'Monster', 'Rolling In The Deep'

Best moment: Adele drinking tea from a John Lewis mug, spilling a bit, and then downing the whole lot. A true Brit.

Adele is not only one of the biggest stars on the planet, but she's also naturally charismatic and funny, so this Carpool Karaoke was always going to be brilliant. And luckily, it lives up to those high expectations. Adele's natural giggle carries it, obviously, but there are so many high points – how could you not admire her astonishing ability to rap to 'Monster' or relate to her love of the Spice Girls?

She's funny about taking on Taylor Swift's squad, too ("They're Amazonian, they're all so tall – they'd kick us with their long legs") and her endless shocked facial expressions at James's vocal stylings are prime gif material.

9. Sam Smith and Fifth Harmony

Tracklist: 'Too Good at Goodbyes', 'Lay Me Down', 'I'm Not the Only One', 'Money on My Mind', 'Stay With Me', 'Pray' and 'Work'

Best moment: This was supposed to be Sam's big moment, but after James found out he was a super fan of Fifth Harmony, the comedian decided to surprise him.

When the girls climbed into the back of the car to surprise Sam, his face was priceless.

8. Justin Bieber (v2)

Tracklist: 'Never Say Never', 'What Do You Mean', 'Stronger', 'Ironic', 'Sorry'

Best moment: Justin hiding James from the paparazzi ("HE LIVES HIS LIFE IN A FISHBOWL, DUDE").

After such a good outing in his first Carpool Karaoke, it was a risk for Justin to do it again. Luckily, this time around was even more entertaining, as it feels like we're just having a peek at two mates having a laugh. The undisputed highlight is Justin shielding James from the paps, but they seem like they're having a whale of a time all the way through it – especially when they pick out clothes for each other in a fancy boutique.

Justin even gives us an insight into some of his more unexpected tastes, as he admits to crying at The Notebook and being a big fan of Alanis Morrisette's 'Ironic'. And he also opens up in a charming way about those full-frontal snaps, admitting that he was worried about, ahem, "shrinkage".

7. Jennifer Lopez

Tracklist: 'Love Don't Cost a Thing', 'Booty', 'Jenny from the Block', 'Locked Out of Heaven', 'Qué Hiciste', 'On the Floor'

Best moment: Obviously the bit where James gets excited about all the famous folk on J-Lo's phone and texts Leonardo DiCaprio: "Hey baby, I'm kind of feeling like I need to cut loose. Any suggestions? J-Lo, you know, from the block." AND LEO REPLIES ASKING HER OUT TO A CLUB.

Jennifer dispelled most of those diva rumours with the utter tune 'Jenny from the Block', but if there were any lingering doubts, this amazing Carpool Karaoke must have got rid of them. Game for everything – from ridiculous music video dancing to talking about the FIVE proposals she's received – Jenny is fun, goofy, sweet and funny.

And when James apologises on behalf of all men after Jennifer's angry rendition of 'Qué Hiciste'? "I don't know if, on behalf of all women, I accept your apology." It's all great, great stuff.

6. Chris Martin

Tracklist: 'A Sky Full Of Stars', 'Adventure Of A Lifetime', 'Yellow', 'Hymn For The Weekend', 'Viva La Vida', 'Heroes', 'Us Against The World', 'Paradise', 'Fix You'

Best moment: The duo buying lemonade from a kid on a street corner and getting an instant sugar rush, especially Chris shouting: "I WANT TO PUNCH AN ELEPHANT".

Chris Martin's Carpool Karaoke is one of the longer ones, but boy, is every moment worth it. Yes, the songs are good – and there's a lovely tribute to David Bowie with 'Heroes' – but the pair are also just ridiculously entertaining to watch. And with a different premise from normal (Chris needs a lift to San Diego for the Super Bowl), there's more they can pack in – it's a mini road trip, with Chris's Bruce Springsteen impression, the pair buying snacks in a gas station and the duo spending a night in a motel together.

There are so many funny moments, but we couldn't fail to mention the moment where James gets the lyrics to 'Viva La Vida' wrong. "You can sing whatever you like," Chris smirks.

5. Take That

Tracklist: 'Shine', 'Greatest Day', 'Babe', 'Giants', 'Never Forget', 'Back for Good', 'It Only Takes a Minute', 'Do What U Like', 'A Million Love Songs', 'Pray'

Best moment: When James attempts to get Americans to get into Take That with an impromptu performance of 'Pray' in a local store.

Technically this wasn't part of The Late Late Show but we're including it anyway. Filmed for Comic Relief, the Take That boys joined superfan James for a trip around LA, and it's utterly hilarious. It's quite astounding just how few people know them in the States, and that's part of the joy of this instalment. Especially when Gary remembers a story of how their label was planning a big push for promotion across the pond, only for Howard to reply: "can't be arsed".

4. Katy Perry

Tracklist: 'Firework', 'Dark Horse', 'Bon Appetit', 'Roar', 'I Kissed a Girl' and 2017's shadiest diss track 'Swish Swish' (that may or may not be about Taylor Swift)

Best moment: Katy finally confirming the worst-kept secret in showbiz – her feud with Taylor Swift. Speaking of Taylor, James Corden tried to settle this now-legendary pop beef between Katy and T-Swift once and for all with a simple text message... And it went surprisingly well!

"What I want to say is that I'm ready for that BS to be done. Now, there is the law of cause and effect," Katy admitted. "You do something, there's going to be a reaction, and trust me daddy, there's going to be a reaction. It's all about karma, right? I think personally that women together, not divided, and none of this petty bullshit, women together will heal the world."

But it wasn't all feud gossip! Katy also dished on her inspirations for her international breakthrough hit 'I Kissed a Girl', and why she decided to ditch her long locks for a blonde pixie cut.

3. Harry Styles

Tracklist: 'Sign of the Times', 'Sweet Creature', 'Hey Ya', 'Endless Love'

Best moment: Harry Styles put a huge smile on everyone's face when he decided to swap outfits with James and slip into a skintight, gold leather top. It then got even better when the comedian handed him a very revealing black fishnet vest to try on instead. Despite admitting it looked a bit "nippley", Harry seemed pretty comfortable in the ensemble.

We also have to mention the former One Direction star reenacting scenes from Pretty Woman and Titanic with James. He absolutely nailed the part of roles of Vivian and Rose, while James gave Richard Gere and Leonardo DiCaprio a run for their money.

2. Paul McCartney

Tracklist: A medley of Beatles hits, including 'Penny Lane', 'Let It Be', 'A Hard Day's Night', 'Love Me Do', 'Back in the U.S.S.R' and, of course, 'Hey Jude.'

Best moment: A definite highlight came when the pair were singing 'Drive My Car', and Paul suddenly found himself behind the steering wheel. Genius.

Taking a nostalgic tour of Liverpool, the birth place of many chart-topping hits as well as the legend himself, they couldn't resist a stop at Penny Lane - Barber Shop included - and Paul's childhood home. Corden even shed a tear at the beautiful story behind 'Let It Be', and we'd be lying if we said we hadn't joined him.

1. Stevie Wonder

Tracklist: 'Superstitious', 'Sir Duke', 'I Just Called To Say I Love You' (sort of), 'Isn't She Lovely', 'Signed Sealed Delivered', 'For Once In My Life' [and 'Uptight (Everything's Alright)' in the outtakes video]

Best moment: Stevie Wonder calling James's wife and making everyone in the world cry

Look, only one celebrity had such a brilliant Carpool Karaoke that The Late Late Show actually posted an outtakes video – but that's how good Stevie Wonder was. To be honest, there aren't any real revelations or surprise moments, and the pair don't leave the car. But Stevie is such a cheeky presence and having such a whale of a time that it's a joy to watch (he tells James off for the way he riffs during 'Superstitious' and warns him off the harmonica: "Don't touch the harmonica. Don't ever do that.").

He likes James enough to suggest that they form a new group called the Wondercats ("We'll sing new lyrics to Stevie Wonder songs") and in the outtakes video chats about Kanye running for president and shows off his British accent. The undisputed highlight, though, is Stevie agreeing to call James's wife – and then singing 'I Just Called To Say James Loves You' down the phone. It's such a wonderful, heartwarming moment that James was actually in tears (and so were we).


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