Please Say You Aren't A Fan of Karaoke

[surprise_i'm_armed]

I have heard that there is a general difference between the way Americans and Japanese do karaoke.

Americans almost always do it in a club in front of the whole house.

Japanese may do it in front of the whole bar, but it is more common for them to rent a sizeable private room and
sing with their close friends.

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The one time I sang karaoke was at a company event. The gal who had the karaoke machine had about 98% country and
western tunes. Although I knew some of them, there were none that I would have felt comfortable doing.

Then I saw that she had the song "Funky Cold Medina" by Tone-Loc. I donned my sunglasses and my navy blue Kangol beret
(the kind Samuel L. Jackson wears a lot). I tore it up and had a great time doing it. It was such a hit that I was asked by
management to come back and do it again the next day for the other half of the company. (1/2 of the company attended
the event 1 day, the other 1/2 had their event the next day.)

As an older white guy doing that song, my black coworkers got the biggest kick out of it. That's the only time I ever did
karaoke.

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"Any bar's a karaoke bar, as long as you're a big enough jerk."

Some unknown current day rock and roller.
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SIA

[apostate]

I love karaoke.

"Pleeeeeeease regrease me, let me flowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww..........................."

Singing karaoke in Muskogee
A way for even squares to have a ball...

[Abraham]

S.I.A.

You obviously can carry a tune.

The vast majority can't, but remain connoisseurs of fine embarrassment - ugh...

[Abraham]

SIA,

You posted "sing with their close friends"

O.K. - If one can equate "singing" with a drunken sailor lurching across the deck of a sailing ship in a hurricane can be called "ballet"...

[recaffeination]

You are obviosly not a fan of karaoke. That's fine. But the childish insults say more about you than they do about karaoke fans.

[Abraham]

Just being silly & having a bit of a laugh at something others see as silly too...

[BigGuy]

One of the things I quickly noticed in my short stent as choir director at church was that so very often the folks with the least musical ability had the loudest voices. I came to realize that these folks were truly unaware that they were off key. They were absolutely unable to hear (keys?/tones?/melodies?) and therefore didn't understand they weren't hitting them. I suspect the same is true of many of the folks so enamored with karaoke. I don't do karaoke, so I'm not really speaking with any authority on that subject. I just know that there really are people who don't know how off they are, musically.

For what it's worth as far as my choral philosophy goes, I figure that compared to an angelic choir there probably wasn't that much difference between the best and the worst of us. That our actual goal was to make a joyful noise to the Lord, and these folks were certainly joyful and making noise. They are welcome in any choir I lead.

[Abraham]

BigGuy,

Bingo!

I've heard the talentless sing with gusto and wondered, why? Can they not hear themselves? You've explained it beautifully.

A good friend, a choir member, offered me the same "joyful noise" philosophy and I thought it wonderful. Of course, she can sing like a lark and afford to be generous to those who can't.

I'm less generous when it comes to hearing caterwauling, but I'm just an old grump.

[WildBill]

I love karaoke.

"Pleeeeeeease regrease me, let me flowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww..........................."

[WildBill]

I have heard that there is a general difference between the way Americans and Japanese do karaoke. Americans almost always do it in a club in front of the whole house. Japanese may do it in front of the whole bar, but it is more common for them to rent a sizeable private room and sing with their close friends.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

By the way, does anyone know what some of the most popular karaoke songs are in the States vs. Japan or other countries?

Japan: I left my heart in San Francisco (per Wild Bill's experience). Frank Sinatra's "My Way" and "New York, New York".

US: From a Google research piece on the 50 most popular US karaoke songs. The list is alphabetical by song title.

All summer long by Kid Rock

American pie by Don Mclean

At last by Etta James

Baby got back by Sir-Mix-A-Lot

Before he cheats by Carrie Underwood

Bitch by Meredith Brooks

Bohemian rhapsody by Queen

Born in the USA by Bruce Springsteen

Born to be wild by Steppenwolf

Brown eyed girl by Van Morrison

Crazy by Patsy Cline

Don’t Cha by the Pussycat Dolls

Don’t stop believin’ by Journey

Free bird by Lnynrd Skynyrd

Friends in low places by Garth Brooks

Hotel California by the Eagles

Hello by Lionel Richie and the Commodores

I got you babe by Sonny and Cher

I love rock n roll by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

Imagine by John Lennon

I will always love you by Whitney Houston

I will survive by Gloria Gaynor

Living on a prayer by Bon Jovi

Love Shack by the B-52s

Mack the knife by Bobby Darin

Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffet

Me and Bobby McGee by Janis Joplin

My way by Frank Sinatra

New York, New York by Frank Sinatra

Old Time Rock N’ Roll by Bob Seger

Paradise by the dashboard light by Meatloaf

Piano man by Billy Joel

Picture by Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock

Rock & Roll all night by Kiss

Rockstar by Nickelback

Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones

Strokin’ by Clarence Carter

Summer nights by Olivia Newton John and John Travolta (from the movie Grease)

Sweet child of mine by Guns N Roses

Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond

Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd

The rose by Bette Midler

This is how we do it by Montell Jordan

Total eclipse of the heart by Bonnie Tyler

Turn the page by Bob Seger

Wanna be by the Spice Girls

Wanted dead or alive by Bon Jovi

Wind beneath my wings by Bette Midler

With arms wide open by Creed

You shook me all night long by AC/DC

SIA

[apostate]

I had a friend whose signature karaoke song was Tequila by The Champs. (Seriously.)

[Skiprr]

One of the things I quickly noticed in my short stent as choir director at church was that so very often the folks with the least musical ability had the loudest voices. I came to realize that these folks were truly unaware that they were off key. They were absolutely unable to hear (keys?/tones?/melodies?) and therefore didn't understand they weren't hitting them.

Yes! This!

I remember an article (or perhaps an interview) some time back with a well-known vocal coach. He was asked how he determines if a student is "gifted."

He said that it wasn't what we might expect. It wasn't the vocal chords. While the anatomy of the vocal chords and mouth play a part, there isn't a significant amount of variance from one person to the next.

He said what differs is the neural connection between the ear, the brain, and the vocal chords. If that neural connection is exceptional, the singer has perfect pitch and the voice does what the ear tells it to do.

I don't typically watch singing reality shows. But a friend pointed me to this season's X Factor because of a little 13-year-old girl, Carly Rose Sonnenclar. She's an example of exceptional neural connections.

[Abraham]

Yet, many of us DO recognize the neural connection between the ear, the brain, and the vocal chords is woefully lacking and wisely choose not to inflict our squawking on others, except maybe in the shower...if no one else is home.

So, maybe, if we do recognize our singing shortcoming, we have at least that much talent...such as it is.

We, the self-recognizably untalented, at least get to avoid the heedless embarrassment of being laughed at - while the neural pathway challenged blissfully screech away at Karaoke bars.