On January 26 of this year, the inventor of the karaoke machine, Shigeichi Negishi, died in Japan at the age of 100.

When he was in his 40s, Negishi was running a consumer electronics company when he conceived of the idea of a coin-operated karaoke machine, initially called the “Sparko Box,” after a colleague had criticized Negishi’s singing.

Prior to Negishi’s invention of the karaoke machine in 1967, sing-along activities required specially recorded backing tracks or live bands. Musicians initially saw Negishi’s invention as a threat to their livelihoods, something author Matt Alt has described as “an eerie precursor of the debate surrounding AI’s impact on artists today.”

It should be noted that many people attribute the invention of the karaoke machine to nightclub DJ Daisuke Inoue, who independently created his own version of the device in 1971. Inoue’s invention incorporated pop-song backing tracks in various keys to suit a wide range of singers’ voices.

But Negishi’s recent passing gives us a moment to celebrate his invention that has had a global impact on nights out, parties and other gatherings of all types.

So for today’s 9:30 Coffee Break, what song that’s your karaoke jam do you want to hear?

Respond with your song ideas in the comments below.

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Songs Played
Sonny and Cher – I Got You Babe
Blink-182 – All the Small Things
Scandal – The Warrior
Looking Glass – Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)
The Darkness – I Believe in a Thing Called Love
Jefferson Airplane – White Rabbit
Shania Twain – Man! I Feel Like a Woman!