Daisuke Inoue doesn’t consider himself an inventor, especially since his most famous creation was put together out of three existing components: a car stereo, a coin box and a small amplifier. But even though he never made any money from it, we can still send him our thanks (or brickbats) for inventing the first karaoke machine in 1971.

Karaoke (literally, “empty orchestra”) was already a tradition in Japan prior to that time, but it consisted of a house band who played along with whatever drunken businessman wanted to get up onstage and warble a Japanese folk tune. Daisuke was a drummer in one such band, and a steel company executive so liked Daisuke’s slow, lumbering style (which perfectly suited his out-of-time, off-key vocals) that the exec asked him to accompany him on a business trip so that he could sing at his convention. Daisuke was unable to go with him, but provided a tape recording instead. The executive was most grateful and paid Daisuke for the tape, which led him to think that perhaps others would be willing to pay for his musical accompaniment. He and some friends constructed 11 homemade karaoke boxes and leased them out to local watering holes. Sadly, he never patented his invention, and soon, larger concerns started mass manufacturing the machines.

Daisuke won a 2004 Ig Nobel Prize for his efforts. By the way, the karaoke inventor can neither speak English nor sing very well, but his personal karaoke favorites are “Love is a Many Splendoured Thing” and “I Can’t Stop Loving You” by Ray Charles.