BMG acquires an extra stake within the iconic Eighties hit, Nena’s ‘99 Luftballons,’ the highest-charting German language hit within the US so far.
BMG broadcasts additional strengthening its curiosity within the German New Wave (Neue Deutsche Welle) band Nena’s catalog, together with the worldwide hit “99 Luftballons.” The monitor stays the highest-charting German language hit within the US, 40 years after its launch.
BMG has acquired the singer Nena’s US recording copyright and ROW artist royalties, along with three band members’ artist shares, including to its current shares within the catalog. This makes BMG’s twenty seventh music rights acquisition this yr alone.
“99 Luftballons” turned an unprecedented German language hit in 1983 and 1984, solely a pair years after the band fashioned in then-West Berlin on the peak of the Neue Deutsche Welle motion. The track reached No. 1 in 9 nations and reached No. 2 on the Billboard Sizzling 100. The subsequent yr, the English-language model, “99 Crimson Balloons,” hit No. 1 within the UK and Canada.
With music by Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen and lyrics by Carlo Karges, the track tells the story of a cloud of 99 purple balloons being mistaken for UFOs and inadvertently setting off a cataclysmic warfare — resonating powerfully with a Chilly Battle viewers. Nowadays, the track has been streamed practically 400 million instances on Spotify alone.
“Nena’s journey with ‘99 Luftballons’ has been a outstanding one, and we’re thrilled with BMG’s funding within the band’s catalog,” stated the band in an announcement. “This track has been a logo of peace throughout borders, and we sit up for seeing it proceed to resonate with audiences around the globe. BMG’s dedication to preserving and selling our musical legacy aligns completely with the spirit of ‘99 Luftballons.’”
“We couldn’t move up the chance to extend our stake in probably the most iconic catalogs in German music and a uncommon German language worldwide hit,” provides Maximilian Kolb, EP of Repertoire & Advertising and marketing, Continental Europe, BMG. “‘99 Luftballons’ actually is a real traditional.”
Nena was based in 1982 in Berlin, comprising the eponymous singer, Rolf Brendel on drums, Carlos Karges on guitar, Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen on keyboards, and Jürgen Dehmel on bass. The band broke up in 1987, and Nena pursued a solo profession.
BMG has launched 4 Nena solo albums: Made in Germany (2009), Made in Germany – Reside (2010), Du Bist Intestine (2012), and Oldschool (2015). Tickets are on sale now for her 2024 tour by means of Germany, Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, France, and Switzerland, “Wir Gehören Zusammen” (We Belong Collectively.)