Karaoke Music

History of Karaoke Music

The birth of karaoke is hard to pinpoint, as there are various opinions on where it started. One story has it beginning in a snack bar in Kobe. Legend has it that over twenty years ago, the owner of this snack bar booked a singer that didn’t show. In order to fill his slot, this owner put in a tape recording of music and asked patrons if they wanted to sing along.

The invention of karaoke has also been attributed to Japanese singer Daisuke Inoue. A popular lounge singer at the hotel Utagoe Kissa in the 1970’s, he was reportedly asked by a group of fans if they could have a tape recording of his songs for a company sing-along. Inoue obliged and, seeing the possibility of repeat business, designed the world’s first karaoke machine.

Growing Popularity of Karaoke Music

Although no one can quite agree when and where it began, karaoke has been around at least since the early 1980’s. Music has always been a form of entertainment in Japan during meals and cocktail hour. Japanese businessmen are especially fond of the hobby. It is the Japanese man’s equivalent of knocking back a few beers after work at a sports bar. However, the trend moved west and found its way to Europe and America.

In America, karaoke is often synonomous with drunkeness, although it has found residence in places beyond bars and nightclubs. Singing to popular songs is something that Americans have really grabbed onto, even creating karaoke bars and home machines. Music stores often have a section of karaoke music, which can include many different genres, from country to heavy metal.

Karaoke Technology

Originally, karaoke music was played on cassette tapes. Over the years, it has been sold on laser discs, CDs, and DVDs. Many karaoke machines, particularly the larger ones in bars and clubs, have multiple television screens hooked up to it. One screen will be turned to the singer so he/she can see the lyrics and the other screens will be facing the audience. Often, there is a generic “music video” playing on the screen, with the lyrics lighting up on the bottom. Home machines are usually a scaled-down version, although both are often found with a device that can change the pitch of the music. Changing the pitch allows amateur singers to better match the music with their voice.