April 24th, 2009 by admin

Karaoke has its roots in 1970s Japan. The Kobe City port was an international mecca, often referred to as “the gateway of fashion and trend.” In fact, instant noodles, automated ticket gates and saunas all stemmed from this region. Whenever a strolling guitarist canceled a gig, bar owners would bust out accompaniment tapes for their patrons to sing along to, which would up becoming a popular pastime not just in Japan, but around the world. Perhaps it was the suppression of individualism, the pent-up frustrations of working such long hours or the exportation of karaoke around the world that ensured the karaoke party never stopped.

So how did karaoke move from Japanese bars to become embedded into the American culture? In small Japanese enclaves such as San Jose, California’s “Japantown,” little traditional karaoke houses opened up playing Japanese songs on cassette tapes for Japanese patrons to sing along to. The club featured several private 12 ft x 12 ft rooms with pillow seating on the floors and busy hostesses to fills drink orders and runs the karaoke machines. These intimate parties attracted a very narrow audience but gradually the patrons began taking a greater interest in American music, particularly with the rise of pop icons in the 1980s. Simultaneously, Americans became fascinated with Japanese anime like Robotech, cartoons like Transformers and video games like Nintendo. So naturally, the karaoke party was poised for widespread acceptance in American culture too.

At the turn of the millennium, karaoke took on a more serious note in American culture. With the advent of shows like “American Idol,” aspiring talent saw the opportunity to sing karaoke as pop star or rock star practice. In the past, the best singers would occasionally receive a standing ovation, a free drink at the bar or a small pot of prize money. Today, however, singers can get recruited by agents hidden in the audience and awarded with lucrative multi-million-dollar contracts. Everyone enjoys a good sing-a-long these days and Numark was quick to revolutionize karaoke equipment with the KMX01, KMX02 and CDN25+G, which make performances even more professional-sounding.

While there are thousands of karaoke songs to choose from, some reign supreme. Guys should try belting out Bruce Springsteen’s “Born In the USA,” which is a good beginner song that can’t possibly sound any more discordant than the original. To rock out with their inner rockstar, guys should also consider ACDC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long,” Bon Jovi’s “Livin On A Prayer,” Steppenwolf’s “Born To Be Wild,” Motley Crue’s “Girls Girls Girls,” Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar On Me” or Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Popular karaoke tracks for girls include: Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” Gloria Gayner’s “I Will Survive,” No Doubt’s “Just A Girl,” Aretha Franklin’s “Respect,” Madonna’s “Like A Virgin,” Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock N Roll,” Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You,” Shania Twain’s “I Feel Like A Woman,” Britney Spears’ “Womanizer,” Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” Carole King’s “It’s Too Late” or Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made For Walking.”