Moments in Auto Tune

Auto-Tune has penetrated American culture. Dancers and drinkers hear it permeate through nightclub speakers. Political geeks turn press conferences and breaking news into makeshift rap parodies. It's so popular that Jay-Z famously called for its death with his single "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)". Jay-Z's sentiments, however, place him in the minority. Recording artists ranging from Miley Cyrus to Kid Rock have all embraced the technology and, later, cashed huge checks because of it. When listeners look back on music from the first decade of the 21st century, will Auto-Tune be seen as innovation or parlor trick?

Here is a look at some of the most important steps to Auto Tune's rise to prominence:

1997: Auto-Tune is developed by geophysicist Andy Hildebrand. The software was originally created to help find oil by interpreting seismic data, but Hildebrand discovered that it could detect and modify pitch. Being a trained flautist, Hilldebrand realized the usefulness of a program that could correct a bad voice or a cracking horn.

1998: Auto-Tune is used by producer Mark Taylor on Cher's hit single "Believe". Taylor put the effect on the demo version of the song and was afraid that Cher would hate it. Cher loved the effect on the song, but the record companies wanted it removed. Cher, however, fought for the effect, and it stayed. 10 million copies sold later, Auto-Tune becomes known as "The Cher Effect".

2001: Daft Punk uses Auto-Tune all over its genre-paving album Discovery. Songs like "One More Time" and "Harder,Better,Faster,Stronger" took "The Cher Effect" to a new level. It's only fitting that two French guys who dress like villains from an Ed Wood movie pushed Auto-Tune to outer space. Robots finally get their "Thriller".

2005: Rapper/Producer/Singer/Stripper-enthusiast T-Pain uses Auto-Tune to woo the ladies with his first single "I'm Sprung". Follow up single "Im N Luv (Wit a Stripper)" takes listeners through T-Pain's version of puppy love and his hatred of spelling rules. Strip club DJ's finally get their "Thriller".

2008: In the wake of his mother's tragic death, rap superstar Kanye West releases "808s & Heartbreak", a lonely, electronic experiment in minimalism. The album received mixed reviews with most critics championing its stark presentation and emotional resonance. The contrast of the album to West's previous work left some fans wondering where West lost his hood pass. (It was at all those fashion shows in Europe)

2009: Railing against Auto-Tune becomes the coolest thing to do in the music industry since cocaine. Christina Aguilera is seen in public wearing a shirt that states "Auto-Tune is for Pussies". Jay-Z releases "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)" as part of "The Blueprint 3".

2010: T-Pain creates an Auto-Tuned cartoon, "Freaknik: The Musical", for Cartoon Network and an iPhone app that allows users to manipulate their own voices. Christina Aguilera releases "Bionic" that features Auto-Tune on multiple songs. Jay-Z appears on Kanye West's superstar romp "Monster", which heavily features Auto-Tune.