One Hit Wonders: Nena
The Opening Scene From Nena's "99 Luftbalons"
A fairly successful band in West Germany in the 1980′s, Nena were a one hit wonder in the US with “99 Luftbalons.”
Lead singer Gabriela Kerner, also known as “Nena,” was part of a successful West German band called Stripes. Along with drummer Rolf Rendel and keyboardist Uwe Fahrenkrog-Peterson they formed her namesake band, Nena, and spun out a record for CBS that was selling well in Germany.
When a DJ at KROQ in Southern Cali latched onto “99 Luftbalons,” CBS decided to release it in the US. Propelled by the band’s video, “Luftbalons” became a Number 2 hit in 1984, albeit the only one for the group in the US.
Gone but not forgotten, at least not at WNEW, find more tales of one-hit wonders here …
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