I find the "mainstream" nature of nuclear war fears in the early 1980s, and the way they "bled" into the zeitgeist, fascinating. It's a little hard for me to imagine successful pop songs about nuclear war today. open.substack.com/pub/doomsday...
The West German nuclear zeitgeist as reflected in two pop songs from 1983-1984
The one I think of is (obscure?) by Brian Setzer, When The Sky Comes Tumbling Down. But I did not actually understand 99 Red Balloons before!
Very nice article from the time I was in college. And the extended dance mix of "Forever Young" is far superior to the slow version!
Also...not quite as poppy but: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Sun...
Great piece, and yeah I’ve always thought those two songs capture the GenX zeitgeist about nuclear war really well. I remember vividly that exact feeling, from Forever Young—are you going to drop the bomb or not? Was more a when than if…
Interesting piece, thanks! Another relevant song from that time is „Vamos a la playa“ by Righeira. www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTsV...
Alphaville‘s singer, Marian Gold, tells the story that as a conscript in the Bundeswehr, he served in a unit with „backpack nukes“. I‘m not sure if he wasn’t simply in a security company for nuclear artillery, guarding U.S. munitions. www.stern.de/kultur/tv/-s... (doesn’t mention nukes, only BW)
Er war verantwortlich für Welthits wie "Forever Young" und "Big in Japan", bei "Sing meinen Song" interpretierten andere die Lider von Marian Gold. Auch die alten Videos wurden gezeigt - eines rührte ...
It bled into movies and books, too. Even ones ostensibly not about nuclear war at all. I stand by my assertion that Cormac McCarthy's "Blood Meridian" (published 1985) is steeped in the same dread that the peak of the Cold War brought.
Before reading I sort of assumed it would be "Russians" by Sting, but Forever Young is better selection. Excellent article, btw.