The Golden Age of Karaoke

Today is the golden age of karaoke, of course. You love karaoke, and so do we. Therefore, enjoy it now and forever. However, sometimes the staff at Karaoke Info may refer to the ‘karaoke heyday’. When we say this, we refer to the days when firms making CDGs were peaking. In other words, possibly hundreds of workshops, big and small, were at it!

Was there ever a “golden age of karaoke”? We ask this because there was a “golden age of rock ‘n’ roll”. Well, that was a song by the British band Mott The Hoople in 1974. Before we continue, and since we love music at Karaoke Info, here is a video to show that song.

Of course, we are not here to debate the real golden era of rock ‘n’ roll. But at a guess, we say it would be between the early 1950s and early 1960s. Of course, you can comment below or post in the Karaoke Forum to debate this.

Before answering who invented karaoke, we will talk about the magical years when a flood of CDGs hit the market.

Karaoke Heydays

So, after that musical interlude, when were the karaoke heydays that we refer to? Since most karaoke discs (CDGs) we have date back to between 1995 and 2005, we see the karaoke heydays as that decade!

Apart from the big companies, such as Sound Choice, some individuals made karaoke discs in their garages during this time. We have a plethora of people making karaoke discs.

While the big firms operated legally, some people didn’t. Some illegal ‘firms’ also sold their CDGs to the unsuspecting public. Many illegal karaoke makers evaded the authorities and lasted longer than others. However, most gave in after a short while.

Be that as it may, our golden age of karaoke or the ‘karaoke heydays’ is between 1995 and 2005. We list all karaoke manufacturers in our comprehensive directory. While you check out our website, you can vote for all karaoke makers.

Karaoke Inventor

Some claim karaoke goes back to when onscreen graphics were shown on TV while a song played. However, the inventor of karaoke was Daisuke Inoue.

Picture courtesy of eBaum’s World.

Daisuke Inoue, from Japan, made the ‘8 Juke’ machine in 1971. This used an 8-track car stereo, a modest amplifier and a microphone. It also had a coin box! Although Mr Inoue didn’t patent the idea, he rented out 11 machines to bars in his area. Had Daisuke Inoue patented karaoke, what would he be worth now?

Summing up The Golden Age of Karaoke

While the karaoke heydays we refer to is the decade between 1995 and 2005, the golden age of karaoke is today! We all enjoy singing along to karaoke, so go ahead and sing until your heart is content. Whether you sing regularly or are just starting, these are your singing salad days. Go ahead and enjoy them!