2013: a year in music
The German music scene is never short of surprises and 2013 was no exception. In our special year-end review we take a look at some of the highlights from the last 12 months in the world of pop and rock.
The year in pictures
An exciting twelve months for German pop and rock: folk star goes punk, hardcore rockers with a heart of gold, hip-hop still terrifies the older generation and Schlager crosses over into the mainstream. A handful of highlights from 2013...
When Schlager turns punk
Legendary Schlager star Heino was back with a punk look and sound, covering artists like Die Ärzte and Die Toten Hosen on "Mit freundlichen Grüßen" (Kind Regards). It topped the album chart, and the blonde warbler was Germany's most downloaded artist. After which Heino performed at the Wacken heavy metal festival alongside Rammstein.
Keeping folk in the charts
Heino's renewed popularity in 2013 may well have helped push Schlager to the forefront of the charts. Two of the genre's best-known singers scored big in 2013. Helene Fischer's album "Farbenspiel" (Play of Colors) hit No. 1 on the official album chart and shifted in excess of 250,000 copies while Andrea Berg’s LP "Atlantis" became her seventh album in a row to sail straight to the top spot.
Hip-hop is here to stay
A staggering eleven domestic and international hip-hop artists scored No. 1 albums over the course of the year. Among the biggest hits were Sido’s album "30-11-1980" - his second shot at the top of the charts - and "Kompass ohne Norden" (Compass Without a North) from Prinz Pi, his first shot at the top.
Rocking out in Greece
No. 5 on the album charts in November: Scorpions' "MTV Unplugged - Live in Athens" LP, a mix of old and new songs performed in Athens. Asked why the band chose Greece for this special recording, guitarist Matthias Jabs said: "We've got fans all over the world, but by far the most hardcore are in Greece."
Flying the flag for Germany
Eurodance trio Cascada represented Germany at the 58th Eurovision Song Contest, held in Malmö, Sweden. But despite record sales in excess of five million and a high profile outside Germany's borders, the group only managed to limp in at 21st place in the grand finale with "Glorious." Critics said the song was too similar to the previous year's winner, "Euphoria" by Swedish singer Loreen.
A Eurovision win for Germany in 2014?
Broadcaster NDR announced the first seven artists to perform in the "Our Star for Denmark" national selection show in 2014 and thus have a chance of representing Germany at next year’s contest. They include big names like The Baseballs and Oceana. Perhaps the biggest surprise on the list are hard rock doom-merchants Unheilig, one of Germany's most commercially successful bands.
Punks with a conscience
Germany’s premier punk band Die Toten Hosen have been busy this year with their sold-out nationwide “Krach der Republik” (Noise of the Republic) tour. They used the tour to gather 30,000 signatures for a petition for a more humane political asylum policy in Germany and delivered the document to the Federal Government in Berlin on the UN’s Human Rights Day at the beginning of December.
Records still sell
Die Ärzte pulled out all the stops for their live album "Die Nacht der Dämonen" (Night of the Demons). Released as a deluxe 3 x CD, 5 x vinyl, USB stick and digital download set, it features almost 50 live tracks recorded at concerts in Frankfurt and Berlin. The band was rewarded for their generosity to fans by seeing the record sail to the top the album charts after its September release.
German Singles Chart...but no Germans
German musicians made little impression on the Top 100 Singles Chart throughout the year. Swedish DJ Avicii spent ten weeks at No. 1 with "Wake me Up," followed by will.i.am and Britney Spears with "Scream & Shout," nine weeks at the top. The only German artist to score a No. 1 single this year was Cro, who spent a single week at the top in July with "Whatever."