Wilmersdorf
Wilmersdorf, an inner-city locality of Berlin, lies south-west of the central city. A borough by itself, Wilmersdorf became part of the new borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf in Berlin's 2001 administrative reform; the village near Berlin was first mentioned in 1293 as Wilmerstorff founded in the course of the German Ostsiedlung under the Ascanian margraves of Brandenburg. From the 1850s on Deutsch-Wilmersdorf was developed as a densely settled, affluent residential area, which in 1920 became a part of Greater Berlin; the former borough of Wilmersdorf included the localities of Halensee and Grunewald. During the era of the Weimar Republic Wilmersdorf was a popular residential area for artists and intellectuals. In 1923 the foundation stone for the first mosque in Germany was laid on the initiative of some islamic students in Wilmersdorf, it was completed in 1925. The so called Wilmersdorfer Moschee is still maintained by the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement. In 1933, the year in which Hitler came to power, 13.5% of the population was Jewish.
Deutsche Bahn established a memorial on 27 January 1998 at the historic track 17, where most of the deportation trains departed. The synagogue of Wilmersdorf in the Prinzregentenstraße was destroyed by the Nazis in the Reichspogromnacht on 9–10 November 1938. A memorial plaque commemorates the former synagogue. A new synagogue and community centre was established 2007 in the Münstersche Straße for the growing Jewish community in Wilmersdorf. After 1945 Wilmersdorf became the British Zone of occupation. Neo-Gothic Roman Catholic Saint Ludwig Church, 1897 Borough of the Rheingauviertel with the central Place Rüdesheimer Platz, 1910-1914 The historical subway stations on the line U3 from the times of the German Empire between Hohenzollerplatz and Rüdesheimer Platz, 1913 Ahmadiyya Mosque Berlin, Germany's oldest mosque from 1925 Artist Colony, built by the Guild of the German Stage, 1927 Schaubühne, famous theatre in the former Universum Cinema by Erich Mendelsohn, 1928 Kirche am Hohenzollernplatz by Fritz Höger, 1933 Russian Orthodox cathedral of the Resurrection of Jesus, 1938 Power station Berlin-Wilmersdorf, 1977 Universität der Künste, Faculty of Music IBZ Berlin, International Meeting Centre of Science Comenius-Schule, a primary school, is in Wilmersdorf.
Halensee-Grundschule, a primary school, is near Wilmersdorf. Svenska Skolan Berlin, Swedish School Berlin Katholische Grundschule Sankt Ludwig, a catholic primary school Nelson-Mandela-School, International School Goethe-Gymnasium, one of the most popular secondary schools in Berlin Annie Heuser Schule, a private Waldorf education school Zentrale Schule fur Japanisch Berlin e. V. A weekend Japanese supplementary school, is held at the - Established April 1997; the Japanische Ergänzungsschule in Berlin e. V. Another weekend Japanese school, is held at Halensee-Grundschule. Maria von Maltzan German resistance against Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party, saved the lives of Jews in Berlin. Lived at Detmolder Straße 11, 1909-1997. Paul Abraham, composer lived before he left Germany in 1933. Jérôme Boateng, footballer for Bayern Munich and Germany, grew up in the area. Berthold Brecht, lived in Wilmersdorf with his partner Helene Weigel, until they left Germany in 1933. Marlene Dietrich, lived with her husband and her family in Wilmersdorf, before they left Germany in 1933.
Franz Pfemfert, published Die Aktion, the anti-nationalist, anti-militarist expressionist journal from premises at Nassauische Straße 17, 1911-1932. Margarete Kahn, one of the first women to obtain a doctorate in Germany, Holocaust victim. Lived at 127 Rudolstädter Straße. Erich Kästner and poet, lived in Wilmersdorf, while he wrote Emil and the Detectives, one of the most famous children's novels in Germany; the view out of his window with the colorful street scene at the Prager Platz was the inspiration for the book. Media related to Wilmersdorf at Wikimedia Commons
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a guarded concrete barrier that physically and ideologically divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989. Constructed by the German Democratic Republic, starting on 13 August 1961, the Wall cut off West Berlin from all of surrounding East Germany and East Berlin until government officials opened it in November 1989, its demolition began on 13 June 1990 and finished in 1992. The barrier included guard towers placed along large concrete walls, accompanied by a wide area that contained anti-vehicle trenches, "fakir beds" and other defenses; the Eastern Bloc portrayed the Wall as protecting its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the "will of the people" in building a socialist state in East Germany. GDR authorities referred to the Berlin Wall as the Anti-Fascist Protection Rampart; the West Berlin city government sometimes referred to it as the "Wall of Shame", a term coined by mayor Willy Brandt in reference to the Wall's restriction on freedom of movement. Along with the separate and much longer Inner German border, which demarcated the border between East and West Germany, it came to symbolize physically the "Iron Curtain" that separated Western Europe and the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War.
Before the Wall's erection, 3.5 million East Germans circumvented Eastern Bloc emigration restrictions and defected from the GDR, many by crossing over the border from East Berlin into West Berlin. Between 1961 and 1989 the Wall prevented all such emigration. During this period over 100,000 people attempted to escape and over 5,000 people succeeded in escaping over the Wall, with an estimated death toll ranging from 136 to more than 200 in and around Berlin. In 1989 a series of revolutions in nearby Eastern Bloc countries—Poland and Hungary in particular—caused a chain reaction in East Germany that resulted in the demise of the Wall. After several weeks of civil unrest, the East German government announced on 9 November 1989 that all GDR citizens could visit West Germany and West Berlin. Crowds of East Germans crossed and climbed onto the Wall, joined by West Germans on the other side in a celebratory atmosphere. Over the next few weeks, euphoric people and souvenir hunters chipped away parts of the Wall.
The "fall of the Berlin Wall" paved the way for German reunification, which formally took place on 3 October 1990. After the end of World War II in Europe, what remained of pre-war Germany west of the Oder-Neisse line was divided into four occupation zones, each one controlled by one of the four occupying Allied powers: the United States, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union; the capital of Berlin, as the seat of the Allied Control Council, was subdivided into four sectors despite the city's location, within the Soviet zone. Within two years, political divisions increased between the other occupying powers; these included the Soviets' refusal to agree to reconstruction plans making post-war Germany self-sufficient, to a detailed accounting of industrial plants and infrastructure - some of, removed by the Soviets. France, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Benelux countries met to combine the non-Soviet zones of Germany into one zone for reconstruction, to approve the extension of the Marshall Plan.
Following World War II, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin headed a group of nations on his Western border, the Eastern Bloc, that included Poland and Czechoslovakia, which he wished to maintain alongside a weakened Soviet-controlled Germany. As early as 1945, Stalin revealed to German communist leaders that he expected to undermine the British position within the British occupation zone, that the United States would withdraw within a year or two, that nothing would stand in the way of a united communist Germany within the bloc; the major task of the ruling communist party in the Soviet zone was to channel Soviet orders down to both the administrative apparatus and the other bloc parties, which in turn would be presented as internal measures. Property and industry was nationalized in the East German zone. If statements or decisions deviated from the described line and punishment would ensue, such as imprisonment and death. Indoctrination of Marxism-Leninism became a compulsory part of school curricula, sending professors and students fleeing to the West.
The East Germans created an elaborate political police apparatus that kept the population under close surveillance, including Soviet SMERSH secret police. In 1948, following disagreements regarding reconstruction and a new German currency, Stalin instituted the Berlin Blockade, preventing food and supplies from arriving in West Berlin; the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and several other countries began a massive "airlift", supplying West Berlin with food and other supplies. The Soviets mounted a public relations campaign against the Western policy change. Communists attempted to disrupt the elections of 1948, preceding large losses therein, while 300,000 Berliners demonstrated for the international airlift to continue. In May 1949, Stalin lifted the blockade; the German Democratic Republic was declared on 7 October 1949. By a secret treaty, the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs accorded the East Ge
Kreuzberg
Kreuzberg, a part of the combined Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough located south of Mitte since 2001, is an area of Berlin, Germany. Kreuzberg is described as consisting of two distinctive parts: the SO 36, home to many immigrants. Kreuzberg has emerged from its history as one of the poorest quarters in Berlin in the late 1970s, during which it was an isolated section of West Berlin to one of Berlin's cultural centers in the middle of the now reunified city, known around the world for its alternative scene and counterculture; the borough is known for its large percentage of immigrants and descendants of immigrants, many of whom are of Turkish ancestry. As of 2006, 31.6% of Kreuzberg's inhabitants did not have German citizenship. While Kreuzberg thrives on its diverse culture and is still an attractive area for many, the district is characterized by high levels of unemployment and some of the lowest average incomes in Berlin; the counterculture tradition of Kreuzberg led to a plurality of votes for the Green Party, unique among all Berlin boroughs.
The local MP Canan Bayram is the only Green politician directly elected to the federal Bundestag parliament. Kreuzberg is bounded by the river Spree in the east; the Landwehrkanal flows through Kreuzberg from east to west, with the Paul-Lincke-Ufer running alongside it. Other characteristics are the old U-Bahn line of the present-day U1, the Görlitzer Park in SO 36 and the Viktoriapark on the slope of the Kreuzberg hill in SW 61. Kreuzberg is divided into 2 zones: Östliches Kreuzberg. In contrast to many other areas of Berlin, which were villages before their integration into Berlin, Kreuzberg has a rather short history, it was formed on 1 October 1920 by the Greater Berlin Act providing for the incorporation of suburbs and the reorganisation of Berlin into twenty boroughs. The eastern Friedrichsvorstadt, the southern Friedrichstadt, the western and southern Luisenstadt and the Tempelhofer Vorstadt were merged into the new VIth borough of Berlin, first named Hallesches Tor. On 27 September 1921 the borough assembly of Hallesches Tor decided to rename the borough after the homonymous hill.
Kreuzberg meaning cross hill, is the point of highest elevation in the Kreuzberg locality, 66 m above sea level. The hill is traditionally a place for weekend trips, it received its name from the 1821 Prussian National Monument for the Liberation Wars by Karl Friedrich Schinkel within the Viktoriapark, built in commemoration of the Napoleonic Wars. Except for its northernmost part, the quarter Friedrichstadt, today's "Kreuzberg" was a rural place until well into the 19th century; this changed. This called for extensive housing – much of, built exploiting the dire needs of the poor, with widespread land speculation. Many of Kreuzberg's buildings originate from that time, they were built on the streets laid out in the Hobrecht-Plan in an area that came to be known architecturally as the Wilhelmine Ring. Far into the 20th century, Kreuzberg was the most populous of Berlin's boroughs in absolute numbers, with more than 400,000 people, although it was and still is geographically the smallest; as a result, with more than 60,000 people per square kilometer, Kreuzberg had the highest population density in Berlin.
In addition to housing, Kreuzberg was one center of Berlin's industry. The "export quarter" along Ritter Street consisted of many profitable small businesses, the "press quarter" along Koch Street was the home of most of Germany's large newspapers, as well as the Ullstein and Mosse book publishers. Both of these industrial quarters were entirely destroyed by air raids during World War II, with the bombings of a single night from February 3, 1945. In remembrance of the old tradition, the Axel Springer press company erected its German headquarters at Kochstraße again, right next to the Berlin Wall. After World War II, Kreuzberg's housing rents were regulated by law which made investments unattractive; as a result, housing was of low quality, but cheap, which made the borough a prime target for immigrants coming to Germany. Starting in the late 1960s, increasing numbers of students and immigrants began moving to Kreuzberg. Enclosed by the Berlin Wall on three sides, the area became famous for its alternative lifestyle and its squatters the SO 36 part of Kreuzberg.
Starting in 1987, there have been violent riots in SO 36 on Labour day. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Kreuzberg found itself in the middle of the city again; the cheap rents and high degree of 19th century housing made some parts of the borough more attractive as a residential area for a much wider variety of people. Today, Kreuzberg has one of the youngest populations of all European city boroughs. Berlin's 2001 administrative reform combined Kreuzberg with Friedrichshain to form the new borough of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. Since the two areas are linked only by a single bridge over the Spree River, the Oberbaumbrücke, this combination seemed awkward to many residents; the two areas not being able to agree on a common location for the future borough's city hall, the present location in Friedrichshain was decided by flipping a five-Mark coin. Kreuzberg has been home to Berlin's punk rock movement as well as other alternative subcultures in Germany; the SO36 club remai
Hansa Records
Hansa Records was a record label founded in the 1960s based in West Berlin, West Germany. The label's most successful act commercially was the West German-based band Boney M. with million-selling hits like "Rivers of Babylon", "Brown Girl in the Ring" and "Mary's Boy Child - Oh My Lord". David Bowie mastered recorded Heroes at their studio in West Berlin. After a decline in sales both domestically and internationally in the mid 80s, Hansa was purchased by Bertelsmann Music Group, who merged them with several other labels like Ariola Records to form BMG Berlin Musik GmbH/BMG-Ariola to become part of international conglomerate Sony Music Entertainment. Kent: Röd The Action Alphaville Aneka Angletrax Blue System Boney M. Bonnie Tyler: Bitterblue, Angel Heart, Silhouette In Red C. C. Catch Child 1978 Chilly 1983 David Bowie: Low, Heroes Depeche Mode: Some Great Reward Elton John: West Germany and Austria, 1969–76 Eruption Falco Frank Farian Giorgio Moroder 1966-1972 Iggy Pop: The Idiot and Lust for Life Japan John Parr: Westward Ho La Mama Les McKeown Milli Vanilli M.
C. Sar & The Real McCoy Modern Talking Morris Münchener Freiheit: "Wachgeküsst" New Celeste "On the Line" Die Prinzen Siouxsie and the Banshees Amii Stewart The Cure: released by Hansa before they finished recording an album The Hollies 1967-1973 The Sugarhill Gang The Troggs 1966-1969 The Twins U2: Achtung Baby Xhol Caravan: "Electrip" Viola Wills Gilla Liz Mitchell List of record labels Hanseatic League, a region comprising much of maritime Germany, after which Hansa Records was named Hansa discography at Discogs
Synth-pop
Synth-pop is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, art rock and the "Krautrock" of bands like Kraftwerk, it arose as a distinct genre in Japan and the United Kingdom in the post-punk era as part of the new wave movement of the late 1970s to the mid-1980s. Electronic musical synthesizers that could be used in a recording studio became available in the mid-1960s, while the mid-1970s saw the rise of electronic art musicians. After the breakthrough of Gary Numan in the UK Singles Chart in 1979, large numbers of artists began to enjoy success with a synthesizer-based sound in the early 1980s. In Japan, Yellow Magic Orchestra introduced the TR-808 rhythm machine to popular music, the band would be a major influence on early British synth-pop acts; the development of inexpensive polyphonic synthesizers, the definition of MIDI and the use of dance beats, led to a more commercial and accessible sound for synth-pop.
This, its adoption by the style-conscious acts from the New Romantic movement, together with the rise of MTV, led to success for large numbers of British synth-pop acts in the US. "Synth-pop" is sometimes used interchangeably with "electropop", but "electropop" may denote a variant of synth-pop that places more emphasis on a harder, more electronic sound. In the mid to late 1980s, duos such as Erasure and Pet Shop Boys adopted a style, successful on the US dance charts, but by the end of the decade, the'new wave' synth-pop of bands such as A-ha and Alphaville was giving way to house music and techno. Interest in new wave synth-pop began to revive in the indietronica and electroclash movements in the late 1990s, in the 2000s synth-pop enjoyed a widespread revival and commercial success; the genre has received criticism for alleged lack of musicianship. Synth-pop music has established a place for the synthesizer as a major element of pop and rock music, directly influencing subsequent genres and has indirectly influenced many other genres, as well as individual recordings.
Synth-pop was defined by its primary use of synthesizers, drum machines and sequencers, sometimes using them to replace all other instruments. Borthwick and Moy have described the genre as diverse but "...characterised by a broad set of values that eschewed rock playing styles and structures", which were replaced by "synthetic textures" and "robotic rigidity" defined by the limitations of the new technology, including monophonic synthesizers. Many synth-pop musicians had limited musical skills, relying on the technology to produce or reproduce the music; the result was minimalist, with grooves that were "typically woven together from simple repeated riffs with no harmonic'progression' to speak of". Early synth-pop has been described as "eerie and vaguely menacing", using droning electronics with little change in inflection. Common lyrical themes of synth-pop songs were isolation, urban anomie, feelings of being cold and hollow. In its second phase in the 1980s, the introduction of dance beats and more conventional rock instrumentation made the music warmer and catchier and contained within the conventions of three-minute pop.
Synthesizers were used to imitate the conventional and clichéd sound of orchestras and horns. Thin, treble-dominant, synthesized melodies and simple drum programmes gave way to thick, compressed production, a more conventional drum sound. Lyrics were more optimistic, dealing with more traditional subject matter for pop music such as romance and aspiration. According to music writer Simon Reynolds, the hallmark of 1980s synth-pop was its "emotional, at times operatic singers" such as Marc Almond, Alison Moyet and Annie Lennox; because synthesizers removed the need for large groups of musicians, these singers were part of a duo where their partner played all the instrumentation. Although synth-pop in part arose from punk rock, it abandoned punk's emphasis on authenticity and pursued a deliberate artificiality, drawing on the critically derided forms such as disco and glam rock, it owed little to the foundations of early popular music in jazz, folk music or the blues, instead of looking to America, in its early stages, it consciously focused on European and Eastern European influences, which were reflected in band names like Spandau Ballet and songs like Ultravox's "Vienna".
Synth-pop saw a shift to a style more influenced by other genres, such as soul music. Electronic musical synthesizers that could be used in a recording studio became available in the mid-1960s, around the same time as rock music began to emerge as a distinct musical genre; the Mellotron, an electro-mechanical, polyphonic sample-playback keyboard was overtaken by the Moog synthesizer, created by Robert Moog in 1964, which produced electronically generated sounds. The portable Minimoog, which allowed much easier use in live performance was adopted by progressive rock musicians such as Richard Wright of Pink Floyd and Rick Wakeman of Yes. Instrumental prog rock was significant in continental Europe, allowing bands like Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream and Faust to circumvent the language barrier, their synthesizer-heavy "Kraut rock", along with the work of Brian Eno (for a time the keyboard player with Roxy M
Kent (band)
Kent was a Swedish rock band, formed in Eskilstuna in 1990. With members Joakim Berg, Martin Sköld, Sami Sirviö and Markus Mustonen, the band has had numerous radio hits throughout Sweden and Scandinavia and consecutive number-one studio albums on the Sweden top list beginning with the release of Verkligen and led by the single "Kräm". With origins rooted in distorted rock, they found mainstream success through their alternative rock albums of the mid-1990s, 2000s and 2010s, the latter decades during which they adopted elements of synthpop. With eleven number-one albums, five number-one singles, 23 Swedish Grammy Awards, over 3 million record sales, Kent is considered the most popular rock/pop group within Sweden and throughout Scandinavia. Vapen & ammunition topped the Swedish charts for 95 weeks. Kent is compared to bands like U2, Coldplay and Depeche Mode; because Kent's songs are performed in Swedish, they are unfamiliar to most English-speaking audiences. Kent attempted an international career with English versions of the albums Isola and Hagnesta Hill and an accompanying American tour for the former, but stopped after finding less success than they had in Scandinavia.
Joakim Berg, the lead singer and lyricist, says "there are two kinds of lyrics. One kind is based in places and the other is based in feelings. You move between those two whether you want to or not.""VinterNoll2" is an unlockable track in Career Mode on Guitar Hero World Tour. They have their own SingStar called SingStar Kent released on PlayStation 2 and 3; the band announced on March 16, 2016 that they would release their final album, titled Då som nu för alltid, after 26 years of performing. The album was released on May 20, 2016; the band's announcement noted that the dissolution of the band is voluntary and is despite their continued success. Kent's final concert was held at Tele2 Arena in Stockholm on 17 December 2016, ending a months-long farewell tour that covered Sweden, Norway and Denmark; the band Jones & Giftet was formed with members Joakim "Jocke" Berg, Martin Sköld, Markus Mustonen, Sami Sirviö and Thomas Bergqvist. It all started with Berg buying two guitars, one for Sirviö and one for himself.
Sirviö and Berg had a band. Inspired by My Bloody Valentine, Sköld and Berg decided; this happened at the school S:t Eskils cafeteria Grönan. Berg and Sköld met up with a drunk Mustonen outside of the Restaurant Vildsvinet in Eskilstuna. Whilst drunk, he promised to play the drums. Thomas Bergqvist, a friend of Martin Sköld, was invited to play the synth; the first gig was played in Lindesberg in Västmanland, the second at Knegoffs in Eskilstuna. In 1991, Jones & Giftet won the contest Cult 91 at the Skylight in Eskilstuna. Magnus Nygren from EMI was taken by Jones & Giftet's demo got them a gig at Stockholm venues Daily News and Universitet. Today Kent is pleased that Nygren chose to pass on the band. 1992 is the year that Martin Roos plays with Jones & Giftet for the first time at Cult 92. Soon thereafter Thomas Bergqvist was replaced by Martin Roos. On September the 30th, 1991—Jones & Giftet changed their name to Havsänglar. Gigs at the "Spaghetti Companiet", Hannas Krog and the Pet Sounds Bar followed.
In 1993 Martin Roos moved up to Stockholm, soon the rest followed. Jocke Berg's brother Adam, came up with the new name Kent. Kent played at Hyndans Hörna and Uppsala venue Kalmar Nation. In March 1994 Kent recorded a 10-track demo under simple conditions in an 8-track studio at Nytorpsskolan near Blåsut in Stockholm; the demo was given to Peter Ejheden at pet Sounds who back was working as a booker for a club. In the same chain of events where he got the tape, Ejheden quit Pet Sounds and started working at BMG. In April Per Lindholm, A&R at RCA/BMG heard Kent for the first time and was interested. On the 26th of June, Kent's first contract was signed. Kent went up to Silence Studios in Värmland, to record the debut-album. In 1995 Kent released their eponymous debut Kent, it was distorted and not much reminiscent of what Kent would release in years. It got no commercial reputation at all. Four singles were released, with "Frank" closest to being a hit. Just one year in 1996, Kent released Verkligen.
Guitarist Martin Roos had left the band for his career at Kent's record company BMG, but has since become the band's manager. The pre-release single "Kräm" became a radio hit and gained Kent some serious fame for the first time. Two more singles were issued, "Gravitation" and "Halka". Musically, the album was slower with more emotion. A Japanese release of "Verkligen" featured the group's first English-language song, an altered version of "Kräm" entitled "What It Feels Like". In 1997 Kent released Isola. Guitarist Harri Mänty had joined the group since Verkligen. Verkligen had been toured, gaining some reputation for Kent; the pre-release single, "Om du var här", became a hit as would the second single, "Saker man ser". Musically the album changed a lot from Verkligen, going a lot in the direction of slower, more thoughtful songs with more emotion; the last song on the album, the 7 minute, 47 second-long "747", with a characteristic keyboard riff and a long instrumental outro, became the band's closer for every show for the next 8 years, won numerous best-song polls on Kent's website.
It was released as a single, cut down to four minut
The Psychedelic Furs
The Psychedelic Furs are an English rock band founded in London in February 1977. Led by singer Richard Butler and his brother Tim Butler on bass guitar, the Psychedelic Furs were one of the many acts spawned from the British post-punk scene, their music went through several phases, from an austere art rock sound, to touching on new wave and hard rock. The band scored several hits in their early career. In 1986, filmmaker John Hughes used their song "Pretty in Pink" for his movie of the same name; the band went on hiatus after they finished touring in 1992, but regrouped in 2000 and continue to perform around the world. Richard Butler stated that the Psychedelic Furs began rehearsing in his family's front room, but were soon banished because of the noise; the band was called RKO Radio. They vacillated between calling themselves "the Europeans" and "the Psychedelic Furs", playing gigs under both names before permanently settling on the latter; the band consisted of Richard Butler, Tim Butler, Duncan Kilburn, Paul Wilson and Roger Morris.
By 1979, this line-up had expanded to a sextet with Vince Ely replacing Wilson on drums and John Ashton joining as a second guitarist. The Psychedelic Furs' debut, a self-titled album released in March 1980, was produced by Steve Lillywhite; the album established the band on radio in Europe and was a No. 18 hit in the UK Albums Chart. The album found success in Germany, France and Australia; the Furs did find success in the US with their next release, 1981's Talk Talk Talk, which saw the band making its debut on the US Billboard 200 chart. In the UK, the album yielded two charting singles, "Dumb Waiters" and the original version of "Pretty in Pink"; the latter song served as inspiration for the 1986 John Hughes film of the same name, was re-recorded for the platinum-selling soundtrack - though Richard Butler was adamant that the cinematic interpretation had little to do with the song's original intent. In 1982, the band was reduced to a quartet with the departures of Morris and Kilburn, moved to the U.
S. in search of a producer. The band recorded their next album, Forever Now, with record producer Todd Rundgren in Woodstock, New York. Released in September 1982, this album contained "Love My Way", which became another UK chart entry, their first US Billboard Hot 100 single. Ely left the band after Forever Now; the next album, Mirror Moves was produced by Keith Forsey, featured the songs "The Ghost in You" and "Heaven". Both charted in the UK, "Heaven" became the band's highest charting UK hit at the time, peaking at No. 29. Columbia Records opted for "Here Come Cowboys" for the corresponding US release, which failed to chart, but "The Ghost In You" was a hit on the Billboard Hot 100. In Canada, "The Ghost In You" charted. Mirror Moves became a Top 20 album on the Canadian Albums Chart and was named the No. 1 album of 1984 by Toronto new wave radio station CFNY. By the mid-1980s, the band had become a staple on both US college radio and modern rock radio stations, they were experiencing consistent mainstream success, placing several singles in the charts on both sides of the Atlantic.
Still, according to biographer Dave Thompson, they would "have more impact on future musicians than they did in the marketplace."In 1986, the band recorded a new version of "Pretty in Pink" for the soundtrack of the film of the same name. Released as a single, it became their biggest hit to date in the US, their biggest UK hit. Butler claimed that the success of "Pretty in Pink" caused the band to be pressured into entering the recording studio with producer Chris Kimsey to record a follow-up release before they were ready; the result was Midnight to Midnight, their biggest Top 40 success to date, but an album that Richard Butler characterized as "hollow and weak". A more overtly commercial effort than their prior recordings, the album featured the single "Heartbreak Beat", the Furs' biggest Top 40 hit in the US; the album featured drummer Paul Garisto and saxophonist Mars Williams, both of whom toured with the band. In the wake of Midnight to Midnight, Ely returned, the Furs issued the single "All That Money Wants", a track recorded for the 1988 best-of compilation album All of This and Nothing.
1989's Book of Days, produced by the band and David M. Allen, featured the singles "Should God Forget" and "House". Produced by the band and Stephen Street, 1991's World Outside included the single "Until She Comes" and is the Furs' final studio album to date. From 1988 on, the Furs' singles had steady chart success with three No. 1 hits on the newly established US Modern Rock Tracks chart between 1988 and 1991. "All That Money Wants" was a No. 1 hit in 1988, while "House" topped the chart in 1990 and "Until She Comes" was No. 1 in 1991. The band took a long break in the early 1990s, with Richard and Tim Butler going on to found Love Spit Love with Richard Fortus and Frank Ferrer. In 2000, Richard Butler, Tim Butler and Ashton reformed the Psychedelic Furs; the touring lineup included Fortus and Ferrer. They released a live album, Beautiful Chaos: Greatest Hits Live, which included a new studio recording, "Alive". In 2006, Richard Butler released Richard Butler. Since reforming in 2001, the band continued to tour worldwide.
The current Psychedelic Furs touring line-up includes Richard Butler, Tim Butler, Williams, Amanda Kramer and Rich Good. In 2017, the band's 1984
