Modern Talking
From ArticleWorld
Modern Talking was formed in 1984 when Thomas Anders and Dieter Bohlen became popular with their standalone single that was a disco hit. Their one hit was soon followed by two others and the duo that was Modern Talking released an album once a year from 1985 through 1987. They promoted their songs all over Europe, doing television performances and videos whenever they could.
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Breaking up
They eventually split up in 1987, but reformed the band once more in 1998 with the hopes of seeing if they could do it one more time. Once again they hit the top of the charts and once more they separated in 2003 due to constant disagreements.
Aftermath
Anders started a solo career immediately and Bohlen devoted most of his time to new talents for the German edition of the TV show American Idol/Pop Idol.
Modern Talking Overview
The phenomenon that was Modern Talking was focused in Europe, Asia, and certain African countries. In the United Kingdom they hit the charts rarely, but that was fine with them since they were not overly eager to be part of the music scene there. They were often classified with the likes of Erasure and Culture Club as a gay band.
In the United States they were virtually unknown by the mainstream scene there. Due to lack of record backing and lack of time, the United States were an untapped venture that would remain so.
Sales Powerhouse
Nobody could compete with the number of records that Modern Talking sold, which was in excess of 120 million as of 2003. In German music history not a single performer or band has ever come close to their level. This includes the likes of Milli Vanilli, Enigma, Scorpions, Snap!, Rammstein, and Lai Bach.
Bohlen was heavily involved with other bands even when Modern Talking was still together. He was involved with a number of hits and even started a solo project that was called Blue System. The project had a lot of success, but began to decline over time. Eventually he gave up on it admitting that he had lost his touch.