“99 Luftballons / 99 Red Balloons”
Single by Nena from the album Nena / 99 Luftballons
Released	1983 (Germany) 1984 (United Kingdom)
Format	CD single
Recorded	1982
Genre	Pop, Neue Deutsche Welle
Length	3:53
Label	EMI
Writer(s)	Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen (music) Carlo Karges (German lyrics) Kevin McAlea (English lyrics)
Certification	Gold (RIAA)
Nena singles chronology
"Nur geträumt" (1982) "99 Luftballons" (1983) "Leuchtturm" (1983)

"99 Luftballons" is a Cold War-era protest song by the German singer Nena. Originally sung in German, it was later re-recorded in English as "99 Red Balloons". Image File history File links 99luftballons. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... Nena (born March 24, 1960 in Hagen, North Rhine-Westphalia) is a German singer who became famous with the New German Wave song 99 Luftballons (99 Red Balloons in the English version). ... A CD single is a music single in the form of a compact disc. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the genre of popular music. ... Neue Deutsche Welle (New German Wave, often abbreviated NDW) was a genre of German music originally derived from punk rock and New Wave music in 1976. ... In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Jörn-Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen (Uwe) is a keyboard player and songwriter, known for his work with the German rock group Nena. ... Carlo Karges (July 31st, 1951 - January 30, 2002) Carlo went on his own touring with some different German bands. ... “Golden record” redirects here. ... The RIAA Logo. ... Nena (born March 24, 1960 in Hagen, North Rhine-Westphalia) is a German singer who became famous with the New German Wave song 99 Luftballons (99 Red Balloons in the English version). ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... A protest song is a song which protests perceived problems in society and with world conflicts. ... Nena (born March 24, 1960 in Hagen, North Rhine-Westphalia) is a German singer who became famous with the New German Wave song 99 Luftballons (99 Red Balloons in the English version). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

"99 Luftballons" reached #1 in West Germany in 1983. In 1984, the original German version also peaked at #2 on the American Billboard Hot 100 chart and the English-language version topped the UK Singles Chart. The German version topped the Australian charts for five weeks and the New Zealand charts for one week. “Hot 100” redirects here. ... “British Hit Singles” redirects here. ...

When it made the charts in the United States, most US radio DJs incorrectly assumed that "99 Luftballons" was translated in English as "99 Red Balloons" or pronounced the number 99 in English and said "Ninety-nine Luftballoons." The actual pronunciation of "99 Luftballons" is "Neunundneunzig Luftballons." The host of American Top 40, Casey Kasem, was one of the few radio personalities who pronounced the song title correctly when it made the charts in the US in 1984. The American Top 40 logo American Top 40 (commonly abbreviated to AT40) is an internationally-syndicated, independent radio program created by Casey Kasem and Don Bustany. ... Kemal Amin Casey Kasem, (born on April 27, 1932, in Detroit, Michigan) is an American radio personality and voice actor. ...

The translation of the title is sometimes given as "Ninety-Nine Air Balloons". However "Ninety-Nine Balloons" is correct ^[1][2]. A Luftballon is a colorful toy balloon, rather than a balloon for transport or research. The name is derived from Luft, German for air, but the meaning of Luft does not qualify the type of balloon. The title "99 RED Balloons" scans correctly with the syllables falling in the right places within the rhythm of the first lines of lyrics, with "red" replacing "Luft". A toy balloon is a hollow body abundance cash with gas that is produced mostly out of rubber, plastic or non-polluting nature rubber. ...

History of the song

While at a Rolling Stones concert in Berlin, Carlo Karges, the guitar player of Nena's band, noticed that balloons were being released. As he watched them move toward the horizon, he noticed them shifting and changing shapes, where they looked nothing like a mass of balloons but some strange spacecraft.^{[citation needed]} He thought about what might happen if they floated over the Berlin Wall to the Russian sector.^[3] This article is about the rock band. ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ... Carlo Karges (July 31st, 1951 - January 30, 2002) Carlo went on his own touring with some different German bands. ... The Space Shuttle Discovery as seen from the International Space Station. ... View in 1986 from the west side of graffiti art on the walls infamous death strip Walls poster in memory of the fall. ...

Both the English and German versions of the song tell a story of ninety-nine balloons floating into the air, triggering an apocalyptic overreaction by military forces. The music was composed by Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen, the keyboardist of Nena's band, while Karges wrote the original German lyrics. Kevin McAlea wrote the English version, titled "99 Red Balloons" (on an envelope, which he claims to still have), which has a more satirical tone than the original. The English version is not a direct translation of the German but contains a somewhat different set of lyrics.^[4] The Titan II ICBM carried a 9 Mt W53 warhead, making it one of the most powerful nuclear weapons fielded by the United States during the Cold War. ... Jörn-Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen (Uwe) is a keyboard player and songwriter, known for his work with the German rock group Nena. ... Satire is a literary technique of writing or art which principally ridicules its subject (individuals, organizations, states) often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change. ...

Nena - 99 Luftballons excerpt Image File history File links Nena_-_99_Luftballons_excerpt. ...

An excerpt from 99 Luftballons

Problems listening to the file? See media help.

The song came during a period of escalating rhetoric and strategic maneuvering between the United States and the Soviet Union in the Cold War. In particular, its international chart success followed the United States deployment of Pershing II missiles in West Germany in January 1984 (in response to the Soviet deployment of new SS-20 nuclear missiles), which prompted protests across western Europe. The following month, Nena topped the UK Singles Chart with "99 Red Balloons" for three weeks, starting in 28 February 1984. Unusually, in the United States the German version was more successful, charting at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. On March 26, 1984, it was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, for shipment of over 500,000 copies. "99 Luftballons" became the first German-language record to reach the top ten on the US charts since "Sailor (Your Home Is the Sea)" by Lolita in 1961. Although the German version was the hit version in America, both the German and English versions receive radio airplay in the United States today. For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... The Pershing II Missile during a test flight The MGM-31 Pershing was a solid-fueled two-stage inertially guided medium range ballistic missile used by the U.S. Armys Missile Command. ... The RT-21M Pioneer was a medium-range ballistic missile with a nuclear warhead deployed by the Soviet Union from 1976 to 1988. ... A nuclear missile is a type of: missile nuclear weapon It could also refer to a missile with some form of nuclear propulsion, such as the Project Pluto cruise missile. ... A current understanding of Western Europe. ... This is a list of the number one singles on the UK Singles Chart, during the 1980s. ... is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. ... “Hot 100” redirects here. ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year (86th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... RIAA redirects here. ... Ditta Zusa Einzinger is an Austrian pop singer who records under the stage name Lolita. ...

The original video for "99 Luftballons" was taken from a concert in Berlin. A version was filmed a few months later at Harskamp, a Dutch military base. When the English version of the song was released, a video was made that combined the two German videos.

Nena never had another hit single outside Continental Europe, and therefore, is considered to be a very successful one-hit wonder artist in both the U.S. and the UK. Channel 4 placed "99 Red Balloons" at #2 in their countdown of the 50 Greatest One Hit Wonders, while VH1 placed it at #10 in their list of the 100 Greatest One-hit Wonders. VH1 also put it at #73 of the 100 greatest songs of the 80's. For other uses, see One hit wonder (disambiguation). ... This article is about the British television station. ... For other uses, see One hit wonder (disambiguation). ... VH1 (VH-1: Video Hits One until 1994 and VH1: Music First until 2003) is an American digital television channel that was created in January 1985 by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Communications and owners of MTV. VH1 and sister channel MTV are currently... For other uses, see One hit wonder (disambiguation). ...

VH1 Classic, an American cable television station, ran a charity event for Hurricane Katrina relief in 2006. Viewers who made donations were allowed to choose which music videos the station would play. One viewer donated $35,000 for the right to program an entire hour and requested continuous play of Nena's "99 Luftballons" and "99 Red Balloons" videos for an entire hour. The station broadcasted the videos as requested from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. EST on March 26, 2006^[5]. Categories: Possible copyright violations ... This article is about the Atlantic hurricane of 2005. ... A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year (86th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The song appeared in the computer game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City on one of the in-game radio stations. In the game's prequel, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, one of the side-mission objectives is to find and pop "99 Red Balloons." Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (released in October 2002) is the fourth video game in the hit Grand Theft Auto series. ...

This song also appeared in at least one episode of the hit US comedy TV show Scrubs, complete with actual red balloons on set.

Chart performance

The Dutch Top 40 (Dutch: Nederlandse Top 40) is a weekly music chart, which started as the Veronica Top 40, because the pirate radio channel Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. ...

Cover versions

The song has been covered by numerous bands, including 7 Seconds, Five Iron Frenzy, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Goldfinger, Siobhan DuVall, NOFX, Angry Salad and it was also covered by the wizard rock group Draco and the Malfoys, and is a show staple. In German it was covered by Beat Crusaders and by Goldfinger in English with a German verse. The German verse in the song is actually the next to last verse in the original German version, and it replaces the next to last verse in the English version (one involving Captain Kirk). However, in Polyphony Digital's "Gran Turismo 3" the song is sung in full English, including the Captain Kirk verse. The latter cover was featured in several films, including Grosse Point Blank Not Another Teen Movie (2001) and Eurotrip (2004) as well as during various competitions in Nickelodeon's television movie "Rocket Power: Race Across New Zealand" (2002). Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine have also covered the song on their I'd Like a Virgin 2004 album; this version actually contains gibberish lyrics sung in a pseudo-German accent in lieu of German lyrics. Ellen ten Damme included part of the song in her cover of Sag mir wo die Blumen sind, the German translation of Pete Seeger's "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?". French singer Alizee performed live cover during her "Psychédélices" tour in Moscow, Russia on the 18th of May, 2008. She sang in English. // In popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition (performance or recording) of a previously recorded song. ... 7 Seconds are a hardcore punk band from Reno, Nevada. ... Five Iron Frenzy (also known as Five Iron or FIF) was a ska band formed in Denver, Colorado in 1995 and disbanded in 2003. ... Me First and the Gimme Gimmes is a punk rock cover band that formed in 1995. ... For other uses, see Goldfinger. ... NOFX is an American punk rock band formed in Los Angeles, California (now based in San Francisco), in 1983. ... Angry Salad was a pop rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. ... Draco and the Malfoys are an indie wizard rock band from Rhode Island. ... BEAT CRUSADERS ), also known as BECR, are a Japanese rock/punk-pop band. ... Captain James T. Kirk James Tiberius Kirk, a fictional character in the Star Trek television series, was the captain of the starship Enterprise (NCC-1701 and NCC-1701-A). ... Gran Turismo (GT) is a racing video game series developed by Polyphony Digital for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable gaming systems. ... Not Another Teen Movie is a USA comedy film released in 2001 by Columbia Pictures. ... EuroTrip is a 2004 American comedy film produced by the same people as Road Trip and Old School. ... This article is about the TV channel. ... “Telefilm” redirects here. ... Richard Cheese & Lounge Against the Machine are a cover band and comedy act based in Los Angeles, California, playing popular rap, rock, metal, and pop songs in a swanky lounge music style. ... Id Like a Virgin is the third album from Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine, released April 20, 2004. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ellen ten Damme (Warnsveld, 7 October 1967) is Dutch actress and singer. ... Peter Seeger (born May 3, 1919), better known as Pete Seeger, is a folk singer, political activist, and a key figure in the mid-20th century American folk music revival. ... Where Have All the Flowers Gone? is a folk song of the 1960s written by Pete Seeger and Joe Hickerson. ... Aliz e in the video for LAliz Aliz e in her video for Aliz e in her video Aliz e (born Aliz e Jacotey in Ajaccio, Corsica, on August 21, 1984) is a French singer. ... For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ... is the 138th day of the year (139th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ...

Samples and remixes

John Forté remade 99 Luftballons in to Ninety Nine (Flash The Message) on his 1998 Poly Sci album. John Forté (born 1975 in Brooklyn, New York) is a rapper and producer. ...

Special D used a sample of this song on his song "Here I Am." Special D (born Dennis Horstmann on November 16, 1982) is a German DJ and dance music artist who is particularly popular in The Netherlands, where he won the Best Dance International award at the 2004 TMF NL Awards. ...

In the mid-nineties a rave version of this song was produced by the group Airbag. This version appears on a rave collection album called "Mega Rave Party 2" from 1995, that was published by the Israeli music company NMC. For other uses, see Rave (disambiguation). ... The State of Israel (Hebrew: מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, transliteration: ; Arabic: دَوْلَةْ اِسْرَائِيل, transliteration: ) is a country in the Middle East on the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. ... NMC may refer to: Northwestern Michigan College Nishtar Medical College ,Multan Pakistan Categories: Disambiguation ...

A portion of this song is in "Hooked on Polkas", a "Weird Al" Yankovic polka medley. Polka Medleys are the trademark of American singer, musician, satirist, parodist, songwriter, and accordionist Weird Al Yankovic. ... This article is about the musician. ...

The Northern Irish DJ, Rigsy, is notorious for mashing up 99 Luftballons with the Jay-Z track "99 problems" in local clubs The Limelight (Belfast) and Stiff Kitten. Rigsy (born December 6th, 1978), real name David OReilly[1] is a TV/radio presenter and D.J from Newcastle, Northern Ireland. ... Jay-Z (aka the Jigga, HOV and Hova, born Shawn Carter on December 4, 1970 in Brooklyn, New York) is an African American rapper/hip hop artist and record label executive; one of the most popular and successful rappers of the late 1990s and early 2000s. ... 99 Problems is a single released by American rapper Jay-Z in 2003 from the The Black Album. ...

References