25 Years of Disco-Pop Modern Talking

German dance-pop duo Modern Talking were formed in Berlin in early 1983 by Dieter Bohlen, then a composer and producer employed by the Intersong label. Teaming with vocalist Thomas Anders, they soon began work on their first single, 1984's "You're My Heart, You're My Soul." Modern Talking's debut LP, succinctly titled The 1st Album, followed a year later on the heels of their second single, "You Can Win If You Want." The duo's sophomore effort, Let's Talk About Love, appeared in late 1985, launching the smash "Cheri Cheri Lady." With 1986's Ready for Romance, Modern Talking scored their biggest hit yet with "Brother Louie." However, after 1986's In the Middle of Nowhere, tensions between Bohlen and Anders reached a boiling point, and following the release of their fifth LP, Romantic Warriors, Bohlen assembled a new project, Blue System. The final Modern Talking album, In the Garden of Venus, appeared in late 1987 after they had disbanded. Anders then launched a solo career.

In 1997, the duo reunited for a comeback effort in 1998's Back for Good. Though Modern Talking would disband again in 2003, the span produced another five albums: Alone (1999), 2000: Year of the Dragon (2000), America (2001), Victory (2002), and their 12th career album, Universe (2003). The latter produced the German number two hit "TV Makes the Superstar," which also charted in Austria and Switzerland. They returned to the studio again for 2017's Back for Gold: The New Versions, a collection of original and reworked versions of their biggest hits. ~ Jason Ankeny & Marcy Donelson