The 1983 Nena Scandal: How 99 Luftballons Invaded American Radio
In the sweltering heat of 1983, the American radio landscape was a tightly guarded fortress of English-speaking pop and arena rock. Programmers at the time operated with a golden rule: if the audience couldn’t sing along to every word in perfect English, the record wouldn’t make the cut. Then, a peculiar, high-energy synth-pop anthem arrived … Read more