Pur

Pur achieved prominence during the mid-1990s and sustained widespread appeal across subsequent decades through consistent dominance of the German albums chart alongside frequent Top Ten singles. The ensemble first reached mainstream audiences in 1990 via the gold-certified Unendlich Mehr, while later projects including Abenteuerland (1995), Wünsche (2009), and Achtung (2015) each earned platinum status. Marking their 40th anniversary in 2020, the collective issued the expansive retrospective 100% Das Beste aus 40 Jahren.

Formed in 1975 in Bietigheim-Bissingen near Stuttgart under the successive names Crusade and then Opus, the band originated with Hartmut Engler on vocals, Roland Bless on drums, and Ingo Riedl on keyboards. Joe Crawford added bass in 1979, with Rudi Buttas joining on guitar the following year. A 1985 name change to Pur occurred after an Austrian group sharing the prior moniker had charted in Germany. Two albums had already appeared as Opus—Opus 1 in 1983 and Vorsicht Zerbrechlich in 1985—before the self-titled Pur arrived in 1987. Additional releases followed, among them Wie im Film (1988), Unendlich Mehr (1990), and Nichts Ohne Grund (1991), before the breakthrough single “Lena” arrived in 1991. That success prompted the live collection Pur Live, which reached the Top Ten in 1992, while the studio album Seiltänzertraum climbed to number two in 1993.

Abenteuerland then held the top chart position for seven consecutive weeks in 1995 and yielded the Top Ten single “Ich Lieb' Dich (Egal Wie das Klingt).” Every subsequent studio album likewise debuted at number one, encompassing Pur Live: Die Zweite (1996), Mächtig Viel Theater (1998), Mittendrin (2000), Was Ist Passiert? (2003), Es Ist Wie Es Ist (2006), and Wünsche (2009). Additional Top Ten singles during this period included “Wenn Du Da Bist” (1998), “Adler Sollen Fliegen” (2000), “Herzbeben” (2000), “Ich Denk an Dich” (2003), and “Halt Dich Fest” (2004). Starting with the 2001 compilation Hits Pur: 20 Jahre Eine Band, numerous earlier recordings received remastered reissues that incorporated bonus material. Schein & Sein surfaced in 2012 and displayed the group’s breadth across piano ballads and guitar-driven pop. Platinum certification greeted Achtung upon its 2015 release, while 2020 brought the career-spanning 100% Das Beste aus 40 Jahren, which incorporated several newly recorded tracks.