Joo debuted as a singer in 1984 with the trot medley album ''Couple's Party'', which sold 3 million copies, primarily through
cassette tape sales at highway rest stops. The following year, in 1985, she released her first album of original songs, featuring the single "Rainy Yeongdong Bridge", which became one of her signature songs. That year, she won awards for Best New Artist at both the
KBS Music Awards and
MBC Gayo Daejejeon. Over the next few years, Joo released several hit albums, including 1988's
That Man in Shinsadong. The album and its lead single of the same name swept the year-end music awards shows, garnering Joo awards for Album of the Year at the
Golden Disc Awards, the Grand Prize at the KBS Music Awards, and the two top awards for Most Popular Song and Most Popular Singer at the MBC Gayo Daejejeon. ==Personal life==