Pop history: 40 years ago: Sandra and Falco’s summer

In 1985, that was the year in which Mikhail Gorbachev came to the head of the Soviet Union and won Wimbledon in Boris Becker at the age of 17.

In the North Atlantic, the wreck of the “Titanic” was discovered, “Otto – The Film”, “Men” by Doris Dörrie and “Back to the Future” started in the cinema, series such as “Die Schwarzwaldklinik” and “Lindenstrasse” started on television.

Soundtrack of the year: Among other things, two songs entitled “The Power of Love” – once by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, once by Jennifer Rush.

And what were the number one hits in Germany 40 years ago? There were 14 of them.

New in the ranks of the superstars, which included Tina Turner (“We Don’t Need Another Hero”) or Elton John (“Nikita”), Sandra, born in Saarbrücken, was 23 years old at the time.

Her breakthrough in summer ’85 had the name of a biblical woman: Maria Magdalena. Sandra’s Hit “(i’ll Never be) Maria Magdalena” came to the charts at the end of July and finally climbed first in mid -September for four weeks. Between 1985 and ’92, the singer sold dozens of millions.

40 years ago in the German charts were also songs such as “You’re My Heart, You’re My Soul”, “You Can Win If You Want” and “Cheri, Cheri Lady” by Modern Talking, “Rock Me Amadeus” by Falco and “Live Is Life” from the Volume Opus, which also comes from Austria.

The number one hits in summer 1985

And so the summer ’85-let’s say the time from May to September-look at the single charts tip in (West) Germany:

7 weeks number one (mid -April to early June): “Live is life” by Opus1 week number one (early June): “You can win if you want” by Modern Talking

6 weeks number one (June and July): “19” by Paul Hardcastle4 Weekly number one (end of July to mid -August): “Rock Me Amadeus” from Falco4 Weekly number one (mid -August to mid -September): “We Don’t Need Another Hero” by Tina Turner4 Weekly number one (mid -September to mid -October): “(I’ll Never BE) Maria Magdalena” by Sandra