Germany is a country known for many great things. For instance, the country was the first to ever print and launch a magazine. It is also one of the largest car producers in the world, selling about 6 million cars yearly. We could also talk about their excellent soccer dominance, engineering prowess, and beautiful culture. The list is endless.
When it comes to music, Germany has been and is still blessed with a long list of great musicians and composers who have shared their great talents with the world – Beethoven, Brahms, Handel, Mendelssohn, Schumann, etcetera. All the names mentioned played classical music. However, there is more to German music than the good old classicalists. This western European country also boasts of great musical artists doing great in other genres of music.
Notable German Music Stars Making it Big in the United States
Several German musicians have found their way to many countries, including the United States of America, and their music is making waves in these nations.
Here are six German singers making it big in the American music scene.
Zedd
Anton Zaslavaski, known professionally as Zedd, is one of the most popular German musical artists currently in the United States.
Zedd was trained in classical music by his family, who have been in the trade for years. However, having grown up playing pianos and hitting the drums, he chose the deathcore metal producing and writing many hits in his teen years.
Zedd isn’t a vocalist himself; rather, he prefers to remain in the shadows making unique sounds. So, it isn’t strange that he’s well known for remixing popular singles of well-known artists like Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Shawn Mendes, etc. He also has written some songs and had many music productions with many popular musicians worldwide.
His creative efforts have attracted several nominations and awards. He, however, successfully won a Grammy award with the song “Clarity” (ft. Foxes) in 2014.
Sarah Connor
Sarah Marianne Corina Lewewas born in Delmenhorst, Germany, to a copywriter from New Orleans, Michael Lewe, and his wife, Soraya Lewe-Tacke. She is a singer and songwriter who became popular after signing with the Sony subsidiary, X-cell Records in 2000, and launching her debut album, “Green Eyed Soul,” a year after.
Connor’s interest in music was influenced by her grandfather, a jazz and R&B pianist from New Orleans. She grew up listening to soul music in Hamburg, and when she was of age, a church chorus became her first introduction to performing songs. Her popular hit “Bounce” in 2004 is one song Americans won’t forget in a hurry. She has also won many local and international awards.
Lou Bega
Who would have thought that the popular 1999 Latin pop hit “Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit of…)” was made by a popular German? Lou Bega. Bega’s real name is “David Lubega Balemezi,” a German-born singer and songwriter.
A trip to Miami inspired his musical career in his teenage years. Initially, his interest was in rap music, but he fell in love with Latin music upon discovering it. Upon returning to Germany, he turned his experiences into the popular “Mambo No. 5,” which became popular worldwide.
Unfortunately, Bega never had another hit to break the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 in the US after that hit. However, he is still well known for combining musical elements of the 40s and 50s with modern hits and grooves.
Milky Chance
Milky Chance have been on the international music scene for less than a decade, and they are already known globally. When the duo released the single “Stolen Dance” in 2013, it topped different charts worldwide.
This rock band group hailed from Kassel, Germany, and consists of Clemens Rehbein, the vocalist and guitarist, Philipp Dausch, the bassist and percussionist, and their band members.
This group is making it big in the United States. They have featured on Jimmy Kimmel Live, played at Coachella and the famous House of Blues. They also received some award nominations and won some of them.
Nena
Only a few non-English-language songs have ever made it to the US Billboard Hot 100. Somehow, Nena’s song “99 Luftballons” is one of them.
The 1983 99 Luftballons is an anti-war protest song whose lyrics relay the story of 99 balloons that are often mistaken for a UFO. These balloons eventually resulted in a devastating war that had no winner. An English translation of this song, “99 Balloons,” was later released in the following year. However, it only topped charts in the UK, Ireland, and Canada but not the US.
Nena was also popular for her musical comedy film Gib Gas – Ich will Spass (released in the US as Hangin’ Out), among her other musical works.
Herbert Grönemeyer
Herbert Grönemeyer is a singer, musician, producer, composer, and actor of German origins. His interest in music was aroused when he started to take piano lessons when he was 8.
Although Grönemeyer has made several hit songs and albums in Germany, he was set to make his American debut on the 17th of September, 2007, at the Beacon Theater in New York City. Unfortunately, his performance was canceled.
However, he eventually released his English language debut, “I Walk,” in the US in 2013. He played at different concerts on American soil in the same year, including the Chicago Theatre and New York’s Irving Plaza.
Conclusion
If there is anything Germans can boast of, it is their taste in excellent music. This list has shown that Germans do not only know how to enjoy music but also know how to make them.
Their unique sounds and styles can entertain people from any part of the world, including the Americans.
