Karaoke originated in Kansai, Japan, in 1984, and eventually spread throughout Asia and Europe, and of course the United States.

Karaoke is a word formed from putting two Japanese words together. "Kara" which comes from Karappo, which means empty, and "Oke", shortened from Okesutura meaning "orchestra". So Karaoke literally means "empty orchestra".

Karaoke music consists of taking the vocals from a song and playing the song with the words displayed on a television screen, which is then sung by a member of the audience with a microphone.