Here at Red Karaoke, we are huge fans of “The King of Pop”, with karaoke challenges, features of our favorite RK renditions and many more blog features all dedicated to Michael Jackson and his amazing music. So today, on the would be birthday of this legendary artist, we are happy to share with you our five favorite Michael Jackson karaokes… from his time with The Jackson 5 to his post-humous releases, see if your faves match ours below.

I’ll be there

It would be wrong - even with a short list of Michael Jackson favorites - to leave out his youthful years singing with his brothers in The Jackson 5. And although its hard to pick just one of their catchy tunes, Michael Jackson’s beautiful vocals and over whelming sweetness in I’ll be there are too hard to pass over for anything else. But the question is, are you all up to the challenge of giving the young Jackson’s heartwarming tune a go?

Thriller

The title track of one of the music industry’s highest record breaking album, Thriller is an obvious but certainly not over-rated choice for any Michael Jackson fan list. With more awards, titles and recognition than almost any other pop song in history, not to mention a killer music video and unforgettable dance sequence, isn’t Thriller one of every Red Karaoke-er’s favorites?

Man in the mirror

Michael Jackson may be remembered in future generations for some of his crazier stunts like owning a personal zoo and adopting pet chimpanzees, but he will also be remembered for his sincerity in sentimentality, evidenced in hits like Man in the mirror, a song and video which channels the singer’s self reflection and desire to help the world, particularly considering all of the proceeds from the success of the single went to charity.

Heal the world

Embracing Michael Jackson’s vision of world peace, one of his highest selling singles and and a definite Red Karaoke favorite, Heal the world is yet another unapologetically sentimental single which also inspired Jackson’s Heal the world foundation which sent millions of dollars around the globe to help children threatened by war, poverty, and disease.

You are not alone

Last but certainly not least on our list, Michael Jackson’s You are not alone, which holds the record for the only song in history to have debuted at the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100, is one of those beautiful ballads that we Red Karaoke-ers can’t get enough of listening to and singing.

With so many incredible songs by Michael Jackson to choose from, sharing our five favorite MJ karaokes is no easy task. But we want to know which are your favorites! Tell us in the forum or leave us a renditon of your best Michael Jackson performance on the Red Karaoke Facebook page.

Lately we can’t seem to add enough songs to the Red Karaoke catalogue from one brand new artist after another. What makes it even more fun is the chance to bring you a closer look at one of these debut artists right here in the Red Karaoke blog. Join us as we check out the alternative group Neon Trees and be the first to sing their brand new mp3 karaoke Everybody talks.

Hailing from Utah and California, the members of Neon Trees joined together in 2005, naming themselves after the glow from everyone’s favorite In and Out burger signs. Neon trees released their first EP in 2006, gaining popularity in their hometown and the attention of The Killers‘ drummer who immediately enlisted Neon trees to open for the major group during their 2008 tour.

After success touring with The Killers and winning Band of the Year in Salt Lake City in 2009, Neon trees had the opportunity to release their debut studio album Habits in 2010. The lead single Animal shot to the top of the charts and was featured on a hand full of talk shows and the popular TV show Glee. The group’s covers of classics like Stand by me and pop hits like Justin Bieber’s Baby helped their popularity grow.

This year Neon Tress released their second album, Picture show, and their hit Everybody talks, shooting to the top of the charts and building excitement for the band as they begin touring and prepare to release their next single. Enjoying singing Neon Tree’s single Everybody talks and look for more from this Red Karaoke artist soon in our ever growing karaoke catalogue!

Summer is almost over, an impending end which is sure to ’cause the blues for some of us - lucky enough for you, you’ve got Red Karaoke to keep you going! But if the dreaded end of sun and fun are starting to seep into your recordings and you find yourself getting into a bit of a rut, here are 5 fun -and simple - ideas for you to amp up your recordings and keep them rocking through the Fall.

Sing something unexpected

This may be the easiest and yet also the most overlooked of ways to switch it up when it comes to recording, but if you need something fresh, why not step outside of your comfort zone? Lady with a perfect pitch high voice? Try singing some Presley instead of your usual Whitney Houston. Older man with a penchant for the blues? Try something along the lines of the poppy hits from Miley Cyrus or Demi Lovato. Or, why not give singing in a brand new language a go - from French to Japanese, Red Karaoke’s got dozens of international karaokes to choose from. Sure, the recording may not come out perfect, but you’ll have some fun and your fans will too!

Add fun pictures or videos

So many times when browsing through the Red Karaoke recordings, you’ll find tons and tons of the default images of headphones we provide. Yes, we totally respect that many people like to keep photos and videos of themselves private - but that’s no reason to leave your recordings with a boring default! The recordings that stand out often have a cool image as the background of their recordings, maybe even a slideshow of meaningful pictures from the web, or a video not of themselves - but of something just as cool. Whatever you put as your background, its definitely going to bring more attention to your recording than the default picture!

Dress up or wear a costume

Those of you who don’t mind sharing your picture or a video of yourself, along with your voice, with us, may need to double check your strategies as well. Do each of your video recordings on Red Karaoke show you in the exact same place, with the exact same expression, wearing the exact same thing? (Sometimes even in pajamas! o.O) Then it’s time to spice things up a bit! Singing Elvis Presley? Snarl that lip and pop that collar so you can really mimic his performance. Channeling some KISS? Layer on the black and white face paint and make your fans take a double take! Even if you’re just singing a bit of Taylor Swift, it doesn’t hurt to dress up a bit for you video. The effort you put into your video recordings will make your recordings that much more fun, and your fans are sure to enjoy it as well!

Collaborate with a friend
(or a group!)

For a long time we’ve had instructions for how to sing duets over distance or group recordings here on Red Karaoke with the java recording system, and we’ve even had some amazing recordings to show for it. But there are still many singers that ALWAYS go it alone. Group recordings, whether done in person all together, or put together using the instructions on RK, are not only fun for you to sing with your friends, but super fun for everyone here on Red Karaoke to listen to and enjoy!

Add sound effects

Of course, one of the coolest and most creative features of Red Karaoke happens to be the fun option to add sound effects to your saved recordings! Though it may only come with the VIP service, the many fun sound effects, from adding echo or reverb to giving your voice an alien sound, are well worth it and only one of the fun advantages of VIP. If you’re looking for that something special to amp up your sound, look no further than sound effects and other tools the VIP offers.

These are just a few of the fun and easy ways you can add a twist to your recordings, but you can always find more tips and pointers for your recordings - whether you record with Java, Flash or Virtua Sing - all around Red Karaoke if you keep your eyes open

With every week’s newest mp3 productions, we make sure to include something for everyone - whether its adults and children, tons of different genres, and of course, music from all over the world. This week on the RK World Tour we’re bringing you the hottest karaokes from the even hotter Brazil with new songs from up and coming artist Gusttavo Lima. Read on for more…

Born Nivaldo Batista Lima, Gusttavo Lima, has been singing most of his young life. At 9, he joined a choir as a solist, gaining loads of attention for his incredible interpretations of Brazilian favorites like E o Amor, and his unfaltering voice, inspired by artists like Gino & Geno, Chitãozinho & Xororó, Bruno & Marrone and Zeze di Camargo.

2009 saw the release of Gusttavo’s first studio release Revelação, followed by a 2010 deal with Som Livre label and the release of Inventor dos Amores. The title track was a collaboration with Jorge & Mateus, reaching #24 in the Brazilian Billboard Brasil charts, its success allowing him to release the single Cor de Ouro that reached #21 in Brazil.

Gusttavo’s next album, Lima e Você, reached #7 and was certified platinum. The album produced his definitive hit Balada Boa which reached #3 in Brazil and cemented his popularity in his own country, as well as worldwide in Europe and many other countries. Gusttavo has taken his international success on his first world tour as he prepares for a new album this year.

Try something new this week and record your own version of Gusttavo Lima’s popular Portuguese hit, Balada Boa, or take a stab at Vem ni mim Dodge RAM, by Israel Novaes, and featuring this incredible, young artist. Record these hits and let us know what you think of Red Karaoke’s international flavor in the forums.

The last couple of years have seen many groundbreaking events in the music industry, from Adele’s incredible sweep of the world’s hearts and ears to the death of an icon with the passing of Whitney Houston, but one thing some people still can’t believe is back bigger than ever? The boy band. With the newest British invasion of five clean cute, puppy love spewing Brit’s in the form of the UK’s group One direction and the massively popular hits, the boy band is probably here to stay.

Though they did not win, One direction owes much of their success to their 2010 run on Brit’s X-Factor. The exposure the hit show gave them led the boys, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, to be signed with Simon Cowell’s label, Syco Records. Their time on X-Factor also probably had a little bit to do with the immense success of One direction’s debut album, Up all night, which became the fastest selling debut album in UK history and the first UK groups to debut in the US at the number one spot.

The boys saw immediate success with their lead single, What makes you beautiful, which won the BRIT Award for Best British Single, and, after its release in the US, debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 28, becoming the highest Billboard Hot 100 debut for a UK act since 1998. What makes you beautiful peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has sold over 3 million units in the United States.

One thing, One direction’s second major single, is proving to be just as popular as its predecessor with its sweet chorus, catchy melody and guitar riff. It has reached the top ten on the Australian Singles Chart, UK Singles Chart, Scottish Singles Chart and the Irish Singles Chart, while reaching the top forty on the New Zealand Singles Chart, Flanders Ultratop 50, Canadian Hot 100, and the United States Billboard Hot 100.

As One direction slowly takes over the world with their power pop, you can enjoy singing their hits What makes you beautiful and One thing right here on Red Karaoke in high quality mp3, or download the tracks to take with you anywhere.

We’re back with another round of Who sang it best? the game where you get to decide which rendition of a popular song is better - or sing a karaoke version yourself and challenge the stars! This week we want to know if you prefer the Eric Carmen original of the power ballad All by myself (newly released in mp3 on RK), the sensational Celine Dion’s rendition or one of the many other covers - so you tell us, Who sang it best?!

Written and recorded in 1975, this powerful love song was Eric Carmen’s major solo debut and became one of the most successful of Carmen’s career, reaching the number 2 spot in the US and being voted in Britain as one of the top breakup songs of the decade. But while Carmen may have been the penman behind this famous tune, he isn’t the person responsible for making All by myself the famous song that it is in this generation

In 1996, the Canadian diva Celine Dion recorded her own version of All by myself, along with three separate music videos for the single. Dion’s version charted at the number 1 spot in several countries and became one of her greatest hits, in English and Spanish, an undoubted Dion favorite. But even more recognizable may be the Renée Zellweger apartment mime of Dion’s version she so hilariously performed in her role as Bridget Jones.

In fact, the Carmen original of All by myself was only the first of many, many, many covers. From Frank Sinatra to Spanish artist Luis Miguel, to the hit show Glee, All by myself has been recorded by dozens of artists.

We may be fans of the Eric Carmen original of All by myself, but we still appreciate Dion’s spin on the 70’s hit, and versions from artists like Tom Jones and Sheryl Crow. Do you have a favorite? Or do you think you could sing it better? Well then get to recording and show us - Who sang it best?!

In between the tons of classics and chart topper karaoke we’ve been producing here at Red Karaoke, we’ve also been adding a few diamonds in the rough just waiting for you to discover and sing along with. Among these gems is the newly minted Red Karaoke artist in our catalogue, the “self styled gangsta Nancy Sinatra” Lana del Rey. Join Red Karaoke as we take a look at this uniquely retro artist and her new karaokes National anthem and Video games.

Born in New York City, eighteen year old Elizabeth Woolridge Grant returned to the big city and her hometown to pursue college and a performance lifestyle in the clubs and venues NYC offered. After developing an underground following as Lana del Rey, del Rey was able to sign and develop a debut album, only to be dropped eventually, though her same demo helped her to create an EP and get her name circulated later on with 5 Point Records.

In 2011, del Rey released her first major single Video Games with Stranger records after its discovery on her Youtube channel, leading to a bigger deal with Interscope Records and her debut album Born to die. The album was released in January, debuting to open arms at the number one spot in some places. Del Rey’s music has been noted for its cinematic sound and its references to various aspects of pop culture, particularly that of fifties and sixties Americana culture.

Now you can be the first to sing Lana del Rey’s soulful indie karaokes, Video games and National anthem right here on Red Karaoke - or download the mp3s to take with you anywhere - and keep looking for more from this uniquely talented artist.

This week we were beyond excited to launch the brand new Karaoke Kids App, a free app available in the iTunes store that we created especially for all of our younger Red Karaoke-ers to enjoy. With classic children’s favorites and newer pop hits picked out just for younger singers, the Karaoke Kids app is the perfect way for kids to sing and share in the fun.

With the Karaoke Kids app’s special feature that allows Karaoke Kids to sing offline, without any internet connection, its the perfect way for kids to entertain themselves whether they are on the go or playing at home. Added features including full screen image and lyrics along with the highest resolution available for video makes Karaoke kids perfect for slumber parties or group sing-a-longs. Best of all, with Karaoke Kids, you can also record and save those special moments to your iPhone and share them by email, on Facebook or Youtube.

Plus, there are tons of options to make Karaoke Kids your own! Kids can choose to sing along with the vocal guide or mute it, following the highlighted lyrics to help learn and read the song’s words. The app lets kids be as creative as the want with volume control, or they can add funky sound effects and see how wild they can make their own voices!

The Karaoke Kids app features five hand selected tunes for kids of all ages to enjoy singing on their own, with friends or for some whole family fun, including It’s small world, Twinkle twinkle little star, Loser like me from the hit show Glee, You’ve got a friend in me and Let’s get the sillies out from Yo gabba gabba. If you want more songs, you can purchase as many as you like to enjoy with the app from Red Karaoke’s immense karaoke catalogue.

Best of all, the app is completely free! Download Karaoke Kids now from the iTunes store and try the awesome family fun for yourself! Follow the Karaoke kids Facebook page for more details, updates and of course, to let us know what you think of this fun new app! We really appreciate any questions, comments and feedback in the iTunes store and on facebook.

Here at Red Karaoke we love to keep you on your toes - and this week is no exception. With the launch of our new Karaoke Kids app this morning (keep your eyes open for a special feature in the blog) and lots more exciting stuff in the works, you think that might be enough excitement for one week, but that’s not all - this week instead of the usual handful of new mp3 productions to sing with, we’ve added more than 30 brand new mp3s, from classics and oldies to the newest hits, for everyone to enjoy! And just to make sure you don’t miss out on any of these great high quality track to sing with or download, you can check out all the newest songs right here, right now

Newest releases and chart toppers

Love singing the big hits that you hear every day on the radio? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered - whether its pop, rock, or country - you can find your favorite artists newest releases to sing along with in mp3 or with Virtua Sing. Check em out!

Flo Rida - Wild Ones ft. Sia
Lana del rey - National Anthem
Adele - Rumour has it
Jason Mraz - I won’t give up
Jennifer Hudson - And I am telling you, I’m not going
Jordin Sparks - This is my now
Keyshia Cole - Last night
Lily Allen - Littlest things
Lily Allen - Smile
Mika - Billy Brown
Miley Cyrus ft. Billy Ray Cyrus - I learned from you
Owl city ft. Carly Rae Jepsen - Good time

Pop favorites

We know you pop lovers can’t forget the tunes that made your favorite artists, well, your favorite artists That’s why we make sure to not only add the latest chart topping pop singles, but pop favorites that have been shower and steering wheel singing staples too!

Maroon 5 - She will be loved
Jason Mraz - Lucky
Kings of Leon - Use somebody
Shania Twain - You’re still the one
The Cranberries - Animal instinct
Whitney Houston - Saving all my love for you

Oldies but goodies

Don’t think for a minute we forgot about the classics! Whether you’re looking for your favorite karaoke singles from the forties or the eighties, we’ve got ‘em and everything in between - just take a look at this week’s mountain of classic additions!

Bob Marley - No woman no cry
Everly Brothers - All I have to do is dream
Elvis Presley - The wonder of you
FR David - Words
Eric Carmen - All by myself
Europe - The final countdown
Guns n’ roses - Don’t cry
Heart - Alone
Peggy Lee - Fever
Queen - Don’t stop me now
Survivor - Eye of the tiger
The Carpenters - The end of the world
Jimmy Barnes - When your love is gone
Kaiser Chiefs - Modern way
Pulp - Do you remember the first time

Music from around the world

Being an international community, we of course want to make sure we add new and classic karaokes in every language. This week we’ve added some Portuguese and Spanish hits to add a little flavor to your singing repertoire

Fernando y Sorocaba - A verdade
Paula Fernandez - Eu sem voce
Axel - Te voy a amar
La oreja de van gogh - Dia cero
Paulina Rubio - Boys will be boys

What are you waiting for? With over 30 brand new mp3 karaokes, this week there are no excuses - find something new and exciting to sing and share with your friends and family!