Back to the 1980s - Karaoke

Photo by BRUNO CERVERA on Unsplash

Have you ever wondered where karaoke came from, and why it suddenly took over the world in the ’80s? Let’s hit play and find out!

What does karaoke mean?
Karaoke (in Japanese カラオケ) literally means “empty orchestra” (kara = empty, oke(stra) = abbreviation for orchestra). In other words, only the accompanying music comes from the tape—no vocals.

Karaoke was invented by Shigeichi Negishi, who developed and marketed the Sparko Box in 1967. In 1971, Daisuke Inoue followed suit, renting out homemade karaoke machines to bars in Kōbe. Since he did not patent the concept, the machines, playback tapes, and later CDs were soon manufactured by entertainment companies, meaning Inoue earned virtually nothing from his invention.

Early karaoke was mostly local to Japan, in bars or small venues. It wasn’t mass-marketed globally yet.

The rise of compact cassette tapes, affordable sound systems, and later CDs made it easy to distribute karaoke tracks. In the 1980s, Japan had an economic boom, and nightlife culture flourished. People wanted group entertainment after work. TV and pop culture helped: music videos, idol culture, and the international spread of pop and rock hits made it easy to sing along to songs people already knew.

By the mid-to-late ’80s, karaoke bars were ubiquitous in Asia, and tourism helped spread it to other countries. In the late ’80s and early ’90s, karaoke made its way to North America and Europe, riding the wave of Japanese electronics and novelty culture.

According to this article the number-one karaoke song in the UK is “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen. While I love the song, I imagine it’s really hard to sing. I’d probably not dare attempt it in a karaoke bar, reserving it instead for car rides and showers.

I do agree with their picks for number five (Dancing Queen, ABBA), seven (Sweet Caroline, Neil Diamond), and thirty-three (I Will Survive, Gloria Gaynor). Ironically, none of these are from the 1980s, so let’s focus on karaoke hits from the decade I’m writing about:

Here’s a list of 10 authentically ’80s karaoke hits that are both iconic and generally singable; a mix of easier crowd-pleasers and slightly more challenging fun:

1. “Billie Jean” – Michael Jackson (1983): groove-focused; melody mostly mid-range, fun to perform.

2. “Don’t Stop Believin’” – Journey (1981): chorus is a sing-along classic; main verse is manageable.

3. “Livin’ on a Prayer” – Bon Jovi (1986): chorus is energetic, iconic “woah-oh-oh” part makes it fun.

4. “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”: Cyndi Lauper (1983) – easy, playful, instant crowd favorite.

5. “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”: Wham! (1984) – fast, upbeat, keeps the audience engaged.

6. “I Wanna Dance with Somebody”: Whitney Houston (1987) – fun, high-energy, not overly technical.

7. “Tainted Love” – Soft Cell (1981): dramatic, synth-driven; easy verse, fun performance style.

8. “Take On Me” – A-ha (1985): the chorus is high, but the verses are manageable; fun if you dare the falsetto.

9. “Sweet Child O’ Mine” – Guns N’ Roses (1987): mostly melodic in the verses, iconic chorus; medium difficulty.

10. “Eye of the Tiger” – Survivor (1982): motivational anthem, straightforward to sing, easy to hype a crowd.

My personal relationship with karaoke has never been a very close one. During a communications and sales seminar, every participant had to do a “dare” to confront a personal barrier. 

Mine was public speaking (or singing, for that matter). So that evening, I had to go on stage. I was very grateful to my supervisor, who offered to support me as a duet partner. We, well, mostly he, performed "Somethin' Stupid" by Frank and Nancy Sinatra. I was dying up there and still shaking for several minutes afterwards!

How about you? Are you more courageous than me? Would you rather attempt Bohemian Rhapsody or pick one of the songs above? Did you spot your favorite, or would you choose an entirely different one? Let me know, I’d love to hear!