Münchener Freiheit (also known simply as Freiheit and by other titles) is a German pop and rock band that, as of 2005, has released 15 albums. Of those, six have gone gold, and they've also sold over five million records in Europe. They're named after a square in the city of Munich, with the name translating as "Munich Liberty". Their sound is akin to Anglosphere new wave inspired rock groups such as Foreigner and Simple Minds
In Europe, they are known for a series of melodic pop rock/soft rock anthems such as "Ohne Dich (schlaf' ich heut' Nacht nicht ein)", "Tausendmal Du", and "Herzschlag ist der Takt". Many of those singles were emotional love songs released in the 80s. They are best known in the English-speaking world for the single (in English) "Keeping The Dream Alive". This song became a Top 15 hit in the United Kingdom when released, making Münchener Freiheit (or Freiheit) a 'one hit wonder' there. In the United States, the song failed to chart when originally released.
Yet it gained favor with the American public after it was featured in the soundtrack for the popular drama film 'Say Anything'. The single has received additional exposure in the U.S. thanks to the singing talent contest 'American Idol' on the Fox television network. The song has been used in recent seasons as a backdrop to video montages featuring Idol contestants.
Münchener Freiheit was the entry for Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest of 1993. They performed "Viel Zu Weit", which was composed by Stefan Zauner. They sang in position #3 and earned the final position of #18 out of #25, with 18 points earned. The events were held in the small city of Millstreet, Ireland in a small hall normally used for horse auctions. Over the years, the group has attracted fans new and old alike from their sound, which incorporates both schlager-style commercial pop and more arena rock styled influences. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.