Top 10 Best Herbert Grönemeyer Songs
With over 17.9 million records sold, Herbert Grönemeyer is the best-selling artist of all time in Germany, and, may I say, rightfully so. A singer, songwriter, and composer, he has not only broken several records but is also widely regarded as one of the country's most creative and greatest artists. He has released several records that have since become classics. His albums Mensch (2002) and 4630 Bochum (1984) remain the best-selling and third best-selling albums in Germany, respectively. Both are absolute masterpieces.Americans may know him for his work in cinema. He composed the soundtracks for Anton Corbijn's films The American (2010) and A Most Wanted Man (2014), and he starred in one of the leading roles in the internationally recognized epic movie masterpiece Das Boot (1981).
Even though I always knew about him (how could I not, given his success?), and my opinion was always highly positive, I only recently delved deeper into his music. I purchased an incredible box set of his full catalog called Alles, which includes 23 discs The set features his 13 studio albums, some live albums, the two soundtracks, a remix album, an English-language album, and two discs of rarities. I can only recommend this box to anyone who wants to experience truly amazing and legendary German music. What you hear is a highly gifted musical talent at work.
The box's only flaw may be that the tracklist claims to include the deluxe 16-track version of Dauernd Jetzt, but it only contains the regular 12-track version I can live without the four songs, but what bothers me more is the minor error in the otherwise nearly perfect, not to say mind-blowing, product. So far, it seems I am the only one who noticed. Most people are too busy complaining about the absence of a rare and out-of-print '70s album that Grönemeyer did not write or compose. He only performed on it, and he himself does not consider it a full album. I find its exclusion perfectly fine, as it isn't really his album. Unlike the others, it's not widely available.
Overall, for €130, you get 23 discs of masterful music in a beautifully designed box, complete with lots of bonus material and a thick book (not a booklet, a full-fledged book) filled with informative texts.
Since getting this box, I've truly become a fan. I'm certain that whenever I upload another updated list of my favorite albums of all time, one or more of Grönemeyer's albums will be on it.
What's stunning is that even though the oldest studio album in the box is from 1980 and the newest is from 2014, Grönemeyer's musical quality has always been consistently exceptional. He never became tiring, never hit a low point, and didn't need time to develop his artistry. He started off brilliant and still is.
His music does vary a bit - some songs lean heavily into rock, others are more poppy, some touch on soul, and others are acoustic. Some are happy, others melancholic. Many showcase his poetic writing talent, while others feature a humorous "it's funny because it's true" quality. Yet, all these elements can be found on every album, and they always work together beautifully.
I noticed that nobody has created a list of his best songs, so I took it upon myself to do so. Herbert Grönemeyer definitely deserves one.
"Bochum" is about Grönemeyer's home city Bochum and how he appreciates both the positive and not-so-positive aspects. It's not exactly a prestigious city, it doesn't look exactly good, but it feels real, has a very natural charm, and all its little mistakes make its overall aura.
The composition is top-notch. It has unusually long verses that are rather laid-back at first, but in the second half start to feel like a dramatic buildup before the short but extremely powerful chorus kicks in with a bang - "Bochum, I'm coming from you / Bochum, I'm attached to you / Luck onto Bochum," translated.
When the album "Mensch" was released in 2002, it was his first release after both his wife and one of his brothers died. It is impossible not to hear that in how the music sounds. At first, I thought the title track and big hit from it were all about the odds of human nature. Some lines translate to: "And the human is called human / Because he forgets, because he suppresses / because he swoons and stands still / and because he warms when he tells stories / and because he laughs, and because he lives."
This is what I heard, and I interpreted it as characterizing humans. But right after this, he sings "you are missing," and later on "it hurts frequently." In combination with the context and some other lines, I now think it's about how he copes with the deaths. That makes the already powerful and soulful song even more powerful.
Remember what I said about what I originally thought "Mensch" was about?
This is what "Männer" is definitely about, but only about males. Men acting tough, men lying on the phone, men being stupid at flirting, men secretly crying, men actually needing lots of tenderness. "Männer," from the megaseller "4630 Bochum," was Grönemeyer's breakthrough hit. The synth-heavy song may have had luck coinciding with the Neue Deutsche Welle, but no one would now ever associate the work of such a legend with that movement. Its intelligent lyrics that show a great understanding of social life, including both genders, still fascinate, not to mention its catchy pop and the legacy it had.
What is there to say other than this is a perfectly executed love ballad?
The audio sample is a live version, not the studio version from 1980's "Zwo." Do you hear the audience sing along to it so loudly, and still it feels so delicate and emotional? This is the German equivalent of songs such as "Up Where We Belong" or "Can You Feel the Love Tonight." Its melody is recognized by millions, and it became a true evergreen (though not initially a hit, his entire catalogue became big after 1984). It still is fully touching, as it captures the overwhelming feeling of love, with both an authentic performance and heartfelt songwriting.
This song is what I had in mind when I wrote about "it's funny because it's true" humor. The song has Grönemeyer being confronted with his ex's new lover and how he replaced him. One of the funniest lines translates to "You're just cooking his favorite food / my fist so desperately wants his face / But it mustn't...". The last line sounds so disappointed. The lyrics are those of a man whose pride is hurt and are an inner monologue of things he thinks about him but wouldn't say out loud.
Okay, this song is about the soccer coach Joachim Löw, and I have absolutely no clue about soccer whatsoever. It's the biggest sport in German-speaking countries, and fans take it to extremes similar to American football or baseball in the US. But I never cared for it. Or sports in general. Yet this song is just awesome and powerful. And not specifically about soccer. Over an anthemic composition, he praises Löw, saying that his moment to shine has come and that he was great.
This moment on the "4630 Bochum" album, which will probably become one of my favorite albums of all time, is the most rock-oriented one, with his voice being unusually rough and husky in the chorus.
The basic content is that while each group has their own drug (cocaine for the high society, weed for the teenagers, Valium and speed for the pharmacist), he sticks to alcohol, even though he also exaggerates. I am not sure how much of it is satirical, but a song of this power is great no matter what it means.
His best song by far. The lyrics are very inspiring and the song has an energetic development.
The Newcomers
