[2025] Recommended German bands. Popular overseas bands.

Windy TimesKlaus Schulze

Klaus Schulze – Windy Times

Klaus Schulze, who delivered drum performances with the destructive power of free jazz in Ash Ra, went on after his solo debut to create a large body of synthesizer-based music and became one of the pioneers of synthesizer music in the field of rock.

Ride The SkyLucifer’s Friend

Ride the Sky

Lucifer’s Friend, a renowned 1970s German hard rock band with a Satanism-tinged name meaning “Friend of the Devil,” played music akin to British hard rock, alongside the Scorpions.

Journey to the Centre of the EyeNektar

Nektar – Journey To The Centre Of The Eye (432 Hz) [Full Album]

Nektar is a renowned group that sits somewhere between progressive rock and hard rock, formed in Germany.

However, most of the members are British, they interacted with Pink Floyd, and their musical style began with similarities to early Pink Floyd.

AufbruchNovalis

Aufbruch (Remastered 2016)

Novalis was also a band that played progressive rock with a leaning toward hard rock.

They were a group with broad musicality, even performing Ravel’s Boléro at times.

The opening track of their third album, Sommerabend—known as one of their masterpieces—is this song.

EVERYTHING’S GONNA BE ALRIGHTSweetbox

SWEETBOX “EVERYTHING’S GONNA BE ALRIGHT”, official music video (1997)

A song that combined classical music and hip-hop became a massive hit, making waves not only around the world but also here in Japan.

It was used in a Subaru commercial, and they even provided songs for Ayumi Hamasaki—Sweetbox is the German group that defined an era.

Electric SunElectric Sun

ULI ROTH’S ELECTRIC SUN [ ELECTRIC SUN ] PROMO-VIDEO.

Electric Sun, one of Germany’s representative rock bands, was formed in 1978 by guitarist Uli Jon Roth after he left the Scorpions.

With a distinctive sound that fuses hard rock and psychedelic rock, they released their debut album Earthquake in 1979.

By 1985, they had released three albums, captivating fans along the way.

On their third album, Beyond the Astral Skies, Roth pursued innovative musical ideas, including the use of the Sky Guitar, an instrument he invented.

The album also features former Jethro Tull drummer and guest vocalists, creating an even more expansive sound.

This band is recommended for listeners drawn to inventive guitar techniques and progressive song structures.