Milliarden is a German rock band that was founded in Berlin in 2013. It is made up of the musicians Ben Hartmann (vocals, guitar) and Johannes Jäger (drums). The band is known for their sound, which combines elements of punk, post-punk and indie rock and is often linked to the political and social themes of their lyrics. Milliarden's music is often compared to that of Ton Steine Scherben, both in terms of its punk spirit and in terms of the lyrics and the character of Hartmann's voice, which is reminiscent of Rio Reiser. The band's albums and singles have earned them a firm place in the German music scene. Their best-known works include the album Betrüger (2016), Berlin (2018) and Schuldig (2021). The latter reached number 7 in the German charts and further established the band in the German indie rock scene. Their album Lotto was released in 2024 and was accompanied by the single "Halt mich fest". This work also scored well in the charts (59th place in Germany) and contributes to the band's ongoing development. Milliarden have also earned a reputation for their rousing live performances and can regularly be seen on major stages and festivals, including the Reeperbahn Festival 2020 and Rock am Ring. In their more recent releases, the band continues to experiment and remain true to their political and socio-critical themes.
