35 years ago this week, on January 12th, 1984, Alphaville released their debut single "Big In Japan", the first giant step on the band’s way to global stardom. The song not only shot straight to #1 on the charts in Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and the US Billboard Dance charts, but also effortlessly dominated the Top 10 in the UK and many other countries across the globe. It was just the beginning of a much bigger adventure! After their globally successful first single, Marian Gold, Bernhard Lloyd and Frank Mertens recorded their debut album Forever Young that enjoys international popularity to this day.

On March 15th, the legendary album will be released on LP completely remastered. It is available to pre-order here. 

Even before the album was released, the band unveiled their second single "Sounds Like a Melody" that topped the charts in Sweden yet again and reached the Top 10 in several European countries. The title track "Forever Young" was released along with the album on September 27th, 1984. Since then the track has become one of the greatest pop anthems of all time. It will be hard to name another track that has been covered as frequently across all genres (by Imagine Dragons, rapper Jay-Z, Kim Wilde and a #1 hit in Australia for Youth Group) or included as often in movies and TV series. Forever Young the album hit the Top 20 in six European countries, went triple Gold in Germany and was awarded a Swedish Rockbjörnen as “best foreign album”. 

Alphaville vocalist Marian Gold says: “My musical career actually kicked off with a kicking out. When "Big in Japan" had been released and stormed the charts all over Europe in the blink of an eye I was still busy in this restaurant kitchen in Mnster peeling potatoes. And the cook said: ‘Boy, they're playing your song on the radio every hour.’ And then he threw me out.” 

For more great 80s pop and dance moments, follow our Hits of the 80s playlist on Spotify.