Münchener Freiheit

In 1980 the German pop band Münchener Freiheit, frequently shortened to Freiheit, came together in Munich around vocalist and keyboardist Stefan Zauner, guitarist and vocalist Aron Strobel, bassist Michael Kunzi, drummer Rennie Hatzke, and keyboardist Alex Grünwald. Their first album, Umsteiger, appeared in 1982, with Licht arriving the next year and Herzschlag Einer Stadt following in 1984. Commercial breakthrough arrived in 1986 via the album Von Anfang An, propelled by the singles "Ohne Dich [Schlaf' Ich Heut' Nacht Nicht Ein]" and "Tausendmal Du," after which the band turned toward wider international audiences. The track "Keeping the Dream Alive" reached the British Top 15 yet made no impression on American charts, even though director Cameron Crowe included it on the soundtrack for Say Anything. XVII, the group’s most recent album, surfaced in 2007.