Top 10 Best German Bands

The Top Ten
1 Rammstein Rammstein is a German Neue Deutsche Härte and Industrial Metal band consisting of Till Lindemann (vocals), Richard Kruspe (guitar), Paul Landers (guitar), Oliver Riedel (electric bass), Christoph Schneider (drums) and Christian Lorenz (keyboard), that formed in 1994 in Berlin .

Rammstein is one of Germany's most successful music artists, and one of the few that gained notable chart success... read more

Rammstein is simply different. Because of that, as far as I know, people either hate them, or at least don't like them, or are utterly obsessed with them. I'd like to say there's no in-between, but there might just be an in-between. However, I'm at the full 100% of obsessed. Maybe even more than that. Their music speaks to me in a way no other band can, even though I don't really understand the lyrics.

Rammstein are the creators of the only music I can really like and cannot get bored of. That's why Rammstein has my vote. They are unlike any other band, the inventors of a new genre of music, the only ones able to make that perfect kind of music. Till, Oliver, Christoph, Richard, Paul, and Flake. They're all excellent at being legends. In my opinion, Rammstein belongs to the list of legendary bands that should never be forgotten.

Rammstein is one of my favorite bands of all time! Their lyrics are so thoughtful and poetic, and the way this is all put together with the raw guitars, the catchy electro and piano beats, Schneider's awesome drumming style, and of course, Till's dynamic vocals! I'm lucky enough to see them in Bulgaria for the first time ever! And even more happy to share Schneider's birthday. My family doesn't like them because of Till's deep voice, but that is how it should sound with those lyrics. They like them for their personality, but for me, they are just spectacular!

2 Scorpions Scorpions are a German rock band formed in 1965 in Hanover by Rudolf Schenker. Since the band's inception, its musical style has ranged from hard rock to heavy metal.

I just found out they started in 1965! The songs I enjoy seem to come from the mid-seventies. The music is catchy, and the sound of the singer's accent is endearing. It still seems to have a definite European feel, even if you didn't know they were from Germany. I only found out about the band when my brother came back from the Army. Although I didn't approve of his military stint, I did approve of the music he introduced me to. I don't know much about the other bands listed. I approve of Kraftwerk and wonder why Nina Hagen didn't make the list as well. The inclusion of Kraftwerk validates the fact that this is not only a rock list.

No one from Germany has ever taken the rock world by storm like the Scorpions. I would also agree that no other rock band from Germany, like Rammstein, would be where they are without them. They put Germany on the map. I have to admit, my favorite is all their stuff prior to Love Drive, but I like the stuff after too. I just think Uli Roth had a really great influence on the band, making their early stuff really unique. Afterward, they still rocked and sounded great, but it was more mainstream. Which, from what I understand, is what they intended.

3 Tokio Hotel Tokio Hotel are a pop rock band from Magdeburg, Germany, consisting of Bill Kaulitz (singer), Tom Kaulitz (guitar), Gustav Schäfer (drums) and Georg Listing (keyboards, bass) that formed in 2001.

In 2005, they started off as a hugely successful and trendsetting teen pop band in their home country with their debut album "Schrei", when most of the band members were around the age of 15, but... read more

Tokio Hotel has been around for quite a while, and we know they are going to stick around for many more years to come. What is great about them is that even though they have been around for so many years, they maintain a strong connection with their fans and have the amazing ability to produce more and more great music. They evolve according to the changes that need to be made, keeping everything interesting and updated, from altering their music style a little to glamorizing their look and shows.

Bill has the most amazing voice I have ever heard. Tom and Georg are absolutely rocking on the guitars, and Gustav is a wonderful drummer. They are fabulous and capture everybody's interest with the whole deal about Bill and Tom being twins, not to mention the twins' amazing looks and fashion styles. They have such good hearts. All four of the members are amazingly polite and sweet boys, and they care so much about their fans. Fans, I might add, that are very numerous in quantity.

Tokio Hotel brings wonderful music to the table. They deliver.

4 Blind Guardian Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in the mid-1980s in West Germany. They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres. Heavily influenced by Queen, they use the technique of overdubbing. They also incorporate large amounts of orchestral arrangements. Hansi Kürsch creates a huge choir effect by overdubbing his own... read more

The best Power Metal band in the world! Everything they've done is a work of genius. Listen to 'And Then There Was Silence' (all 15 minutes of it) and discover your new favourite band.

Blind Guardian is my favorite band! I have ALL their albums and have seen them live about 6 or 7 times!

These fine folks practically founded Power Metal, and keep making wonders out of it.

5 Kreator Kreator is a German thrash metal band from Essen. Their style of music is similar to that of their compatriots Destruction, Sodom and Tankard; along with those three bands, Kreator has been referred to as one of the "big four" of Teutonic thrash metal, and they are often credited with helping pioneer death metal and black metal by containing several elements of what was to become those genres.

Rammstein is 1st, laugh out loud, Tokio Hotel is 2nd, laugh out loud, and Scorpions are 3rd, which is a big joke! Scorpions should be 1st. Even though I prefer Kreator, Helloween, or Accept, I have to admit that Scorpions is a legendary hard rock band and consists of REAL musicians. However, Rammstein and Tokio Hotel shouldn't be in that ranking, or at least, they should be at the bottom of that list. If Justin Bieber was Germanic, I'm sure he would be 1st too... What a shame!

Alright, I understand Rammstein being high and Scorpions should be first, but really? TOKIO HOTEL? They're just a big joke. Kreator should definitely take their place on this list at #2 after Scorpions.

Oh my God, one of the best Thrash Metal bands is forgotten. The real list must be: 1. Scorpions 2. Avantasia 3. Rammstein 4. Tokio Hotel 5. Kreator.

6 Helloween Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg, Northern Germany. The band is a pioneering force in the power metal genre, and their second and third studio albums, Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I and Part II, are considered masterpieces of the genre.

I'd never heard of this band before, but after checking them out on YouTube, I have to agree. How the heck are they below some of the ones above? Arguably, their style is not quite as diverse, but let's face it: the '80s itself was pretty uniform in style too.

Most underrated hard rock band of the eighties! Their music was original, but they also had outstanding lyrics. Real ones. Ones you could actually think about and live.

Helloween should be world number 1 in power metal, especially with Andi Deris. I know many people prefer Michael Kiske, but during the Deris era, Helloween produced better songs than during the Kiske era. And their music has plenty of variety.

7 Accept Accept is a German heavy metal band from the town of Solingen, originally assembled by former vocalist Udo Dirkschneider, guitarist Wolf Hoffmann and bassist Peter Baltes.

This band is really amazing. I love the new singer, Mark Tornillo! They were big in the 80s, then came back again with a 2010 album, Blood of the Nations. Check out their classics, Fast as a Shark or Balls to the Wall, and also check out the newer stuff like Teutonic Terror! These guys are amazing. Heavy metal!

One of the most underrated metal bands out there!

If Accept isn't in the top 5 of the best German bands, this list is really pathetic. You should check out their classic songs "Fast as a Shark" and "Balls to the Wall", as well as other songs like "Teutonic Terror", "Restless and Wild", "Princes of the Dawn"...

8 Kraftwerk Kraftwerk is a German electronic music band formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970 in Düsseldorf. The band was fronted by both Hütter and Schneider until Schneider's departure in 2008.

Yeah, this band is actually German, and I think that is great because Germans are very intellectual people. Without Germans, we wouldn't have all the wonderful techno music we have today that sounds all the same and is very annoying! Vote for KRAFTWERK!

Kraftwerk is awesome! Combining sounds of man and machine is not only super awesome but also genre-defining. Sure, their music may be monotonous, but with their songs' catchy tunes, you don't care if they repeat them a lot. I find it very sad that Kraftwerk is at number 7. They should totally be number 1.

Most of the influence in modern music, no matter the genre, comes from Kraftwerk. Most artists and musicians have multiple elements of Kraftwerk in their songs. They're just awesome anyways.

9 Oomph! Oomph! is a German industrial metal band formed in Wolfsburg, Germany in 1989. The band is considered the pioneers of the German Neue Deutsche Härte movement.

Definitely the greatest band ever for me. They are founders of one of the best genres - industrial metal (metal mixed with electro). They offer amazing sound, brilliant melodies, and Dero's indescribable voice. This guy can sing everything (e.g., his project What about Bill). They have turned into industrial rock nowadays, so those who aren't much into metal can listen to them too. I also recommend their raw early albums like Defekt, Sperm, or Unrein. Almost every song of theirs is a treasure, no matter the genre.

And then, the Oomph! guys are simply really friendly, and they don't take themselves too seriously.

Oomph! is an excellent band. Their songs are great, and many of their songs, such as Labyrinth, are essentially short renditions of classical cultural items. In the case of Labyrinth, it is a nod toward Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and Brennende Liebe is sort of an alternative Frankenstein tale. Both songs and music videos are intricately and excellently done.

10 Avantasia Avantasia is a German supergroup rock opera project created by Tobias Sammet, vocalist of the band Edguy.

It's simply one of the best power metal bands out there! It obeys all the power metal rules as the best!

28. Songs come in two tempos: metal and ballad.
32. Play in as many bands as possible. More side projects and guest appearances means more epic!

And yet, it's still way more than just a "Power Metal" band.

Every single song from Avantasia is just awesome. And the lyrics are beautiful. Tobias is a genius composer.

The legendary Metal Opera (1-2) is still the best, but all of their albums are masterpieces!

The Contenders
11 Edguy Edguy is a heavy metal band from Fulda, Germany that was founded in 1992 by 14-year-old students Tobias Sammet, Jens Ludwig, Dominik Storch and Dirk Sauer.

Tobias is a genius! 17th? Why? Edguy is a true heavy metal band!

Hey, this band is underrated in this list! It's the best!

12 Gamma Ray Gamma Ray is a power metal band from Hamburg, northern Germany, founded and fronted by Kai Hansen after his departure from the German power metal band Helloween.
13 Sodom Sodom is a German thrash metal band from Gelsenkirchen, formed in 1981. They have gone through many line-up changes, leaving bassist vocalist Tom Angelripper as the only constant member.

Wow, they deserve to be a lot better. Ausegebombt is a kick-ass tune. Give it a listen. It'll blow away your expectations. Just listen to the Agent Orange album in general. They kick some serious ass.

The most brutal thrash metal band of all time! They are the best German band!

Along with Kreator, the best thrash metal bands of Europe!

14 Obscura Obscura is a technical/progressive death metal band from Germany, founded in 2002. The band became prominent when members of Necrophagist and Pestilence joined Steffen Kummerer to release the critically acclaimed second full-length album, Cosmogenesis. The band was named after the Gorguts album Obscura.
15 Die Toten Hosen Die Toten Hosen is a German rock band currently consisting of Campino (vocals), Andreas von Holst (guitar), Michael Breitkopf (guitar), Andreas Meurer (bass) and Vom Ritchie (percussion), that was formed in 1982.

Die Toten Hosen are generally regarded as one of the greatest German bands of all time. Throughout their career, they received high critical acclaim and became a very popular group... read more

From what I can see, this list is currently a little biased towards a more thrash or raw, almost shock rock sound. Die Toten Hosen is definitely not in this category. However, from what I know of them, they are definitely a more developed band and, frankly, other than Rammstein, one of the only ones I would be interested in, as they actually sing in German.

In my opinion, Die Toten Hosen is much better than all of the bands above it. They are not a heavy metal scream-o type. They are more like your hard rock/modern rock band that you hear in America, but in German. I love them and have been hooked on them for years. I am happy to call myself a fan of Die Toten Hosen. If you haven't listened to them yet, I more than highly suggest you should start to.

Die Toten Hosen are a gift from God to mankind. I love the deep lyrics, and their guitar skills keep me electrified. As I can see, all other bands listed here have been compared to others, but Die Totens are just one of a kind. Seriously, which genuine rock lover doesn't adore this Mega Band? -Chege (Kenia)

16 Ahab
17 Eisblume Eisblume is a German pop rock band consisting of Ria Schenk (vocals), Benny Baumann (guitar), Philipp Schardt (bass), Philipp Schadebrodt (drums) and Golo Schultz (keyboards), that formed in 2007.

In 2009, Eisblume released their debut album "Unter dem Eis", which contains their only major hit "Eisblumen", to moderate chart success. Their second album, "Ewig" followed in 2012 and was similarly... read more

Eisblume had only one big hit in their home country and other German-speaking nations and released two albums. I don't think many people remember them. Many people dismissed them as a rip-off of other well-known female-fronted German bands, such as Silbermond or Wir sind Helden. However, Eisblume were much more delicate and fantasy-esque, a bit like Evanescence, though not quite as magnificent (as Evanescence is one of the 21st century's best bands).

I am amazed that they are apparently better known overseas than in their home country. Many very popular bands such as Seeed or Ich+Ich are very low on the list, whereas Eisblume are placed in the same category as Die Ärzte, who are often considered the best German band by Germans.

Hey Dude, no bad songs. Why is this band all the way down here? I mean, I listen to them every day!

Ridiculous, should be in the top 5 easily.

18 Nena Nena was a German Neue Deutsche Welle band. In 1983 and 1984, their German language song "99 Luftballons", reached number one in the singles charts of countries around the world.

The only worthwhile German band. Nena is the coolest ever! Also, 1984 - great year for music!

I went to one of their concerts!

19 Die Ärzte Die Ärzte (German for "The Doctors"), is a German rock band currently consisting of Farin Urlaub (vocals, guitar, bass), Bela B (vocals, drums, guitar) and Rodrigo González (vocals, bass, guitar, piano), that formed in 1982 in Berlin.

Die Ärzte are generally regarded as one of the greatest German bands of all time, having been critically acclaimed throughout most of their career, having... read more

Best band in the world, hands down! I can't believe they are number 20 on this list. Oomph! And Rammstein are good, but Die Ärzte is number 1. They are everything anyone could want in a band.

The best band in the world, hands down. They even fought (and were killed by) Lara Croft.

I love them! Good punk rock music and funny lyrics.

20 Eisbrecher Eisbrecher are a German Neue Deutsche Härte band that consists primarily of Alexander Wesselsky and Noel Pix, with live support from Jürgen Plangger, Rupert Keplinger, Achim Färber.

I just recently started listening to these guys and immediately became a fan. They remind me of Rammstein, one of the best industrial rock bands in the world. Eisbrecher is more techno with club beats, which is not a bad thing.

Wow, this band cooks. I agree with the previous comment. It's like Rammstein meets beat. I'd like to say in some ways better, in some ways less, but perhaps it's a bit like comparing apples and oranges. I think if people get a chance to listen, this band will definitely move us.

Phenomenal. Old Rammstein meets the new wave of techno. A good blend of styles and a cocktail for the ears.

21 Joachim Witt
22 E Nomine

Das Bose, Das Tier in Mir, and Mitternacht are the best tracks, and they are on Rammstein level by excellence.

23 Juli Juli is a German alternative rock band consisting of Eva Briegel (vocals), Jonas Pfetzing (guitar), Simon Triebel (guitar), Andreas Herde (bass) and Marcel Römer (drums), that formed in 2001. They had their national breakthrough with their debut single “Perfekte Welle” in 2004, with the follow up album “Es ist Juli” being their most successful record to date, being certified triple platinum... read more

Awesome band. If you like Wir Sind Helden, you may find this one decent.

24 Equilibrium Equilibrium is a German folk metal band. The band's music combines elements of folk music, power metal, black metal and symphonic metal with various other influences.

My favorite song from them is Mana. It is just so epic.

25 Beyond the Black Beyond the Black is a German symphonic metal band from Mannheim originally consisting of Jennifer Haben (vocals), Nils Lesser (guitar), Christopher Hummels (guitar, vocals), Tobias Derer (drums), Erwin Schmidt (bass) and Michael Hauser (keyboard). As of August 2016, the members parted ways, with Haben planning on continuing the project with a new band whose member have not yet been confirmed. Formed... read more
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