Die Toten Hosen

Die Toten Hosen are a German band from Düsseldorf. Their musical roots lie in the punk scene. The band, which had previously performed under the name ZK, was formed in 1982 at the Ratinger Hof in Düsseldorf, the musical mecca of the time. Die Toten Hosen’s self-produced debut album, Opel Gang (1983), and the single “Eisgekühlter Bommerlunder” are still considered party classics today. Thanks largely to extensive tours in Germany, Die Toten Hosen soon achieved a certain cult status. Their first commercial successes came with the albums Damenwahl (1986) and Ein Kleines Bißchen Horrorschau (1988). The single “Hier kommt Alex” from that album earned Die Toten Hosen their first entry in the singles charts. Everything that followed is a success story. Every subsequent Die Toten Hosen album reached the top of the charts and achieved gold and platinum status multiple times. Songs like “Azzurro, ” “Wünsch Dir Was, ” “Bonnie & Clyde, ” “Zehn Kleine Jägermeister, ” “Pushed Again, ” “Bayern, ” “Tage Wie Diese,” and “Unter Den Wolken” are known by almost every child in Germany. Die Toten Hosen have won the German Echo music award multiple times, most recently in 2018 in the National Rock category. As a live band, Die Toten Hosen regularly fill the major arenas in Germany. Several books and films have been made about the band. Singer Campino also dabbles in writing books and occasionally appears as an actor. To mark the band’s 40th anniversary, Die Toten Hosen will release the album *Alles aus Liebe: 40 Jahre Die Toten Hosen* in 2022. The best-of album climbs to the top of the charts in Germany and Switzerland and reaches number 4 in Austria. In 2023, a newly remixed version of the debut album Opel Gang is released to mark the 40th anniversary and climbs to number 3 on the German album charts. In November 2024, the 1984 album *Unter falscher Flagge* is released in a special edition to mark its 40th anniversary. In March 2026, Die Toten Hosen announce that the album *Trink aus! Wir müssen gehen is their final studio album. It is released in late May 2026 and tops the charts in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.