Choosing Karaoke Music For Your Party

So you wanna throw a karaoke party? In your mind, you are probably envisioning a lot of laughter, some surprise stars, some group shout-a-longs and some unexpected twists. To get the perfect atmosphere, you'll need to add karaoke songs to your collection that are tested-tried-and-true. You'll also need to budget how much you are willing to spend on karaoke music, so you can get the most bang for your buck.

Guys like karaoke music that is easy-to-sing, fun-natured and includes choruses to showcase their manliness. For guys, don't forget the following most-requested karaoke songs. "Piano Man" (Billy Joel), "Drift Away" (Uncle Kracker), "New York New York" (Frank Sinatra), "Livin On A Prayer" (Bon Jovi), "Lean On Me" (Bill Withers), "Old Time Rock N' Roll" (Bob Seger), "Tainted Love" (Soft Cell), "Brown Eyed Girl" (Van Morrison), "Baby Got Back" (Sir Mix-a-lot), "Margaritaville" (Jimmy Buffet), "Dust In The Wind" (Kansas),"Don't Stop Believin'" (Journey), "Bohemian Rhapsody" (Queen), "Knockin On Heaven's Door" (Bob Dylan), "Pour Some Sugar On Me" (Def Leppard), "We're Not Gonna Take It" (Twisted Sister), "Beat It" (Michael Jackson), "Here I Go Again" (Whitesnake), "Addicted To Love" (Robert Palmer), "Girls Girls Girls" (Motley Crue) and "Paradise City" (Guns N' Roses).

When it comes to karaoke music, there are just some songs that are must-haves for your collection. Even though you may not belt out Neil Diamond's cheesy "Sweet Caroline" as you're getting ready in the morning, you'd be crazy not to have it at your next karaoke party. Everyone will be chorusing the "bah bah bah's" to make the karaoke party even more fun.

Another famous group sing-a-long is Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer," with everyone from 15-50 shouting out "whoaaaaa-ohhhhh, livin on a prayer" like an eighties rocker. Journey's "Don't Stop Believin" is so corny it's perfect for your next karaoke get together and don't think you'll get through the night without someone choosing Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl," where all participants sing "sha-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-lad-di-da."

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Party Hard With A Karaoke Machine

Karaoke started in the 1970s in Japan, where business professionals would drop into a karaoke club on their way home from work to de-stress. For club owners, it was a great way to entertain patrons, without paying for strolling musicians.

By the nineties, karaoke had become a staple in American culture as well, with tens of thousands of bars, restaurants and clubs offering weekly karaoke nights. Karaoke equipment includes such things as a karaoke machine, which plays CDs, DVDs, mp3s and/or CD Gs, has built-in or plug-in speakers, one or more plug-in microphones and either video cables or a built-in lyrics screen.

For consumers who would rather not buy a bulky karaoke machine to take up more space in the living room, The Leadsinger Microphone LS-3000 (available at www.leadsinger.com) has a built-in processor capable of storing 300 karaoke hits, although additional song cartridges can also be purchased.

Singers simply plug the microphone into their television sets, choose the song and watch the high-resolution graphics and highlighted lyrics on their screens. For $149, this affordable karaoke solution is perfect for kids and teens who love "American Idol."

There are a number of places that sell the karaoke machine and karaoke equipment. Amazon, 24 Electrics, Argos, Empire Direct and Tesco are a few online retailers that have a great selection and reasonable prices. For kids, KB Toys, Toys R Us and Amazon offer karaoke machines as low as $30 that meet the basic needs.

In addition to the karaoke system, consumers will need to buy CDs, DVDs, CD Gs or digital copies of karaoke songs. While most set-ups come with at least one microphone, extra microphones can be purchased. Goodmans GMM28RF Wireless Karaoke Microphone, Philips MD650 Microphone and the Singing Machine SMM108 Wireless Microphone are good bets.

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Finding Better Karaoke CD Hit Collections

Karaoke CD software will help people who are serious about their singing to take any song and subdue the vocals, while ramping up the accompaniment. They can then infuse their own vocals and save the new version.

They can take advantage of pitch correctors, echo effects, mix the sound or create a CD+G with lyrics to sing on a karaoke system. Win CDG Pro 3 is a popular program that does just that. However, not everyone is so computer savvy or dedicated. Others may wish to just peruse the online offerings to get their karaoke fix.

If you would rather make your own karaoke CD or add some new mp3 karaoke tracks to your database, then a number of publications and websites have stepped up to the plate to help you out with their suggestions. Rolling Stone recommends "Don't Stop Believing" (Journey), "Since U Been Gone" (Kelly Clarkson), "Livin' On A Prayer" (Bon Jovi), "Sweet Child O' Mine" (Guns N' Roses) and "Like A Virgin" (Madonna).

According to top karaoke song resource, www.eztracks.com, the top downloads to date are "Eye of the Tiger" (Survivor), "Dancing Queen" (Abba), "Beat It" (Michael Jackson), "My Heart Will Go On" (Celine Dion), "Livin' On A Prayer" (Bon Jovi), "Angel" (Rayvon, Shaggy), "Addicted" (Enrique Iglesias), "Thriller" (Michael Jackson) and "Barbie Girl" (Aqua).

Over at www.karaokewh.com, there are a number of top-selling karaoke CDs to choose from. The Sound Choice Star Series offers a karaoke CD specializing in Journey tracks, as well as one for Kid Rock, Steve Miller, Dr. Hook and AC/DC.

If you don't feel so passionately about any of the aforementioned artists, then you can try their top-selling Hard Rock Hits Volume 4 instead, which features nineties rock like Korn, Slipknot, Coal Chamber, NIN, Tool, Godsmack, Rage Against the Machine, Spineshank and White Zombie. Backstage Karaoke has a karaoke CD with "today's classic rock" like Pearl Jam, U2, The Eagles, The Knack, Joe Cocker, Melissa Etheridge, Boyz II Men and Hootie and the Blowfish.

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Better Christmas Karaoke Party Hosting Ideas

Who knew Aunt Judy had a voice like Olivia Newton-John? Wasn't it funny when the little ones refused to sing the word "Grandma" in the "Grandma Got Ran Over By a Reindeer" song, for fear of making Granny feel bad?

Who is the worst singer in your family? Will Uncle John belt out a melodramatic rendition of Elvis's "Blue Christmas" after a few glasses of eggnog? Christmas karaoke can be a hilarious pre-dinner or post-dinner activity to liven up this year's Christmas gathering.

Next, you'll need music for your Christmas karaoke festivities. Amazon and eBay are good places to look for discounted karaoke online, but specialty sites like www.acekaraoke.com are also great resources.

A good starter is the Music Maestro 5 CD G Christmas Club pack, which includes the scrolling lyrics and comes with 77 traditional tracks, including renditions of Elvis Presley, Andy Williams, Neil Diamond, the Eagles, Pat Boone, Mariah Carey and Garth Brooks.

For the kids, the Singer's Dream series offers 6 karaoke DVDs or CD+Gs in a bundle with Christmas Holiday Hits, Pop Christmas Party, Christmas Classics, Christmas Memories, Kids Christmas Favorites and Kids Sing Christmas. Sound Choice Karaoke also offers an eight-pack of holiday favorites for everyone from Avril Lavigne and Celine Dion to Perry Como and Nat King Cole. Forever Hits Pro also offers a great one disc Christmas collection that includes Brenda Lee, Johnny Mathis, Dean Martin and Bing Crosby.

Once you have the songs and the system, you are ready for your Christmas karaoke get together. You might want to make your karaoke fun into a game or contest by picking a few judges and awarding prizes.

You can put names and numbers into a hat to create a karaoke singer line-up, with each person singing the number of the song they have picked. By turning karaoke into a game, you can be sure everyone will get involved in the fun, adding extra encouragement for the reticent members of the family who may insist, "No, no, no, my voice is awful."

Most systems come with more than one microphone input so the extremely shy can sing a duet. There is no better way to get the family into the Christmas spirit than by partaking in the age-old practice of caroling, yet with an updated karaoke twist!

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The Karaoke Story

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.

In the 1980s, Pioneer started churning out karaoke songs on laserdisc. Japanese companies like Victor and DKK followed suit to produce English karaoke hits. When CDG karaoke came out, playing accompaniment tracks and bouncing lyrics across TV screens, the karaoke craze had officially hit America.

Hudson marketed one of the earliest mainstream karaoke machines, the "TurboGrafx-16," which sold for $400 and enjoyed a very short shelf life before dying off. In the early nineties, DK Karaoke produced a collection of ninety-nine karaoke hits, containing everything from Bel Biv Devoe to Lenny Kravitz, which became the standard in every venue. Entertainers hired for parties, weddings and other events added karaoke to their rosters, thus solidifying the pastime as a fun party activity.

The popularity of karaoke bars has greatly increased. "For people who don't sing but like to watch, the show has given them a reason to have a drink and stick around for a few hours," says Grant Tucker, a veteran karaoke host in Glendale, California.

Although, the crowd is also more discerning with many more "Simons" than "Paulas," which may send the trend from the public sphere into private living rooms with the advent of Playstation's Karaoke Revolution.

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Finding Karaoke DVD With Better Hits

While the CD G continues to be one of the most popular formats for at home karaoke, the karaoke DVD is a sensible choice too. In addition to having scrolling lyrics moving across the screen, many video karaoke discs feature special bonuses unavailable on any other format.

For example, Abba's karaoke DVD is a video biography that goes from the band's creation to their last performance. The Beatles karaoke edition features bonus interview clips. Additionally, the "Original Footage Music Video Karaoke DVD Pack" (found at www.acekaraoke.com) shows music videos and live performances to provide added value for buyers.

Rather than buy a karaoke system, multi-functional karaoke DVD players range from $30 to $200 and play regular DVD movies too. The best karaoke DVD players will accept CD G (CD Graphic) format, which is the kind that plays songs and scrolls the lyrics on the bottom.

Karaoke DVDs scroll lyrics too, but there are many more CD G karaoke songs available to buy. The VocoPro DVG399K ($110) has 5.1 Dolby Digital output to get the most from your speakers, two microphone inputs, digital key control to alter your voice and accepts CDs, CD-Rs/mp3s, DVDs and CD+Gs to give you maximum versatility.

Did you know you can create your own customized karaoke DVD? Simply go to www.powerkaraoke.com and download the free trial or the full-version karaoke software for $49. You may be able to fit up to 300 songs using this customized method. However, your computer will need to have: Windows XP or Vista, a DVD-burner drive, a 1 GHz processor or better, at least 512 MB RAM, a 32-bit display, and you will need to buy CD-DVDs as well.

You may also need software that can convert your existing mp3s into CD+G tracks or else you'll have to buy special karaoke songs. This method is only recommended for extremely computer savvy individuals who don't mind putting in the time to learn the software. For everyone else, there are pre-made karaoke DVDs and CD+Gs ready to use.

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Playing Karaoke Revolution Video Game

The Karaoke Revolution game brings all the fun of a karaoke party right into your living room through PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Nintendo GameCube, Wii, Xbox, and Xbox 360. Many of the concepts in the game, originally developed by Scott Hawkins and Sneaky Rabbit Studios, were incorporated into Rock Band. The Japanese version of the game is also slightly different, without all the competitive judgments of its American counterpart.

Ideally, you will score enough Karaoke Revolution points to win a diamond record (100,000 points). Each of the karaoke songs is divided into 30 to 50 phrases. A meter fills up and goes from red to green to show how well (or how poorly) you are doing.

If you manage to fill the meter to green several phrases in a row, then you will create a combo and be awarded double points for your next phrases (until your phrase meter is red again). The blue meter will indicate how you are doing at holding the notes and maintaining the proper pitch. As you win points, you will receive bonuses. You'll be able to unlock characters, outfits or songs. As with any game, there are very skill levels, allowing you the ability to beat the game in several different ways.

One downside to Karaoke Revolution is that the karaoke songs have not been leased, so they are all performed by cover bands and artists, rather than the originals. If you think this will really bug the crap out of you, then you may want to consider Sony's Sing Star series, which features only original artists and music videos.

However, Sing Star is not without faults too. Critics say this karaoke system doesn't engage players enough because it splices so many music videos in, rather than allowing the user character creation or avatars.

Also, some of their karaoke CDs are better than others, with Sing Star, Sing Star Party, Sing Star 80s and Sing Star Rocks faring very well, compared to Sing Star Abba, Sing Star Vol. 1 and Sing Star Vol. 2, which were considered "a loosely thrown together collection of what the charts say is cool, with little regard for what will make a karaoke party fun."

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Finding Better Karaoke MP3 Music Files

Are social networking sites the solution for the poor karaoke MP3 situation? There are a number of places to find accompaniment MP3s online, but many web users report countless irritations in the process, such as not receiving the lyrics with their download, being bombarded with advertisements, being unable to find the songs they were looking for, paying too much, or the songs were not recorded by the original artists.

Social networking sites like www.ksolo.myspace.com, www.redkaraoke.com or www.kariokebar.com offer an interesting alternative to karaoke downloads.

It is a natural assumption that where there is the internet, there is free everything. Unfortunately, the market selling karaoke downloads is still pretty hot and you are not likely to find any sites offering free karaoke MP3 files.

You may be able to find some downloads on peer-to-peer applications like LimeWire or BearShare; however, these sites are growing increasingly more unreliable and havens for computer viruses. Newsgroups like www.usenet-replayer.com/cgi/content/archive may have online karaoke files for download, although these sites are fairly limited in their offerings.

IRC file sharing channels like www.searchirc.com are popular ways of getting downloads because of the vast amount of accessible content, although it is technically illegal to share content this way, it may leave your computer vulnerable to hackers and it isn't user friendly.

One of the most popular sources for karaoke MP3 files is www.karaoke.com, where you can search over 10,000 karaoke songs. Some of the top artists searched on the site include Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Sugarland, Rihanna, Celine Dion, Johnny Cash, Abba, Journey, Elvis Presley, Miley Cyrus, The Beatles, Carrie Underwood and Frank Sinatra.

Users generally search by a specific artist that they are looking for or by the label, such as All Star Karaoke, Chartbuster, Disney, Forever Hits, Pop Hits Monthly or Sound Choice. You can also buy CD G and regular CDs through the site as well.

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