The Top 10 singers from Germany

Caroline Catharina Müller took the European charts by storm in 1986 with disco tunes like “Cause You Are Young". The young singer with the moniker “C.C. Catch” was discovered in a talent contest by Dieter Bohlen – and the Modern Talking star and producer wrote hits for her until they parted ways in 1988. But fear not, fans: the Dutch-born singer continues to make music to this day.

Herbert Grönemeyer’s singer-songwriter talents have made him a perpetual figure in the charts for over three decades. His brand of German rock continues to fill entire stadiums. Every album he's put out since the mid-1980s has hit no. 1 in Germany. "Mensch" (2002) dealt movingly with the loss of his brother and his wife – and became the best-selling album ever in Germany.

Nicole Safft’s relatively short-lived career got rolling in the late 1990s, racing up the European charts as “Rollergirl”. Her big breakthrough was "Dear Jessie“ in 1999, the opening song for a techno parade in the UK. It cruised to no. 22 on the charts there. Since the release of her last single in 2002, Rollergirl has been focusing on family life.

Sascha Schmitz aka Sasha is every mother-in-law’s dream. Those super-soft vocals and the clean-cut image were a big hit among female fans in the late 1990s. In the process, he scooped gold and platinum disks galore, as well as major accolades. In 2003, Sasha reinvented himself as “Dick Brave” and has since then been switching between alter egos.

Nina Hagen could herself be considered a work of art. After leaving East Germany in 1976 she wasted no time making her mark on the West Berlin punk scene. Her albums charted as far away as New Zealand. After falling off the radar a little in the 1990s, the punk diva scored a new hit on the international charts in 2003 – with a Rammstein cover recorded with Finnish cello-metal band Apocalyptica.

"Mambo No. 5" was a worldwide smash hit for “Lou Bega” in 1999, topping the charts in over a dozen countries. In fact Munich-born David Lubega is reported to have penned the song’s lyrics in just five minutes, with the melody based on an old song of the same name by Cuban singer Perez Prado. The resulting mambo mania saw Lou Bega’s debut album sell 7 million copies.

Take some happy hardcore beats and add pop melodies sung by a sweet-looking 16-year-old girl. The result: a string of international chart hits. Jasmin Wagner aka Blümchen was especially popular in Scandinavia, posting a total of 10 singles and two albums in the European charts. Today Jasmin Wagner works primarily as an actress.

Cynics suggest that Sarah Connor only got her big break because of her sexy image. Despite the sultry videos, nobody can deny her sumptuous soul vocals. The song "Bounce" charted high in Japan and the US. In 2015, Connor released her first ever album in her native German language. The aptly named "Muttersprache" (“mother tongue”) conquered the charts back home, though not outside Germany.

In 1983, with the Cold War still raging, Nena topped the charts with a song rooted in fears of a Third World War. "99 Red Balloons" made it to no. 2 in the US and no. 1 in the UK. After putting music on the back burner during the 1990s, Nena celebrated a big comeback in 2003 – with cover versions of her greatest hits.

Sandra was the undisputed princess of pop in Germany in the 1980s. She brought out a slew of hits in collaboration with her producer (and later husband) Michael Cretu. The singer performed to sell-out crowds at arenas everywhere from Moscow to Tokyo – and still wows the fans the world over with her much-loved hits.