Is there anything more satisfying than being able to sing along to a new song in your target language?
Not only do you feel AWESOME but you’re doing some valuable language learning at the same time.
So it’s time to pick up that hairbrush, get in the mirror, and take these songs for a spin… !
Listening to music in your target language is one of the best ways to surround yourself with the sounds of the language without ever needing to jump on a plane.
So, following in the footsteps of 10 Songs to Fast Track Your French, and 10 Songs You Need in Portuguese here are 10 songs in German to keep your language flowing even when you’re not consciously thinking about it.
How Music Helps You Learn A Language
When you learn a language by ear, you go through three different stages:
- Stage 1: Capacity (Hearing & Pronunciation)
- Stage 2: Conversation (Speaking & Understanding)
- Stage 3: Command (Reading and Writing)
Listening to music in your target language means not only are you practicing your capacity for hearing and pronunciation, but you’re also (when you sing it back) practicing your spoken command as well.
The first time you listen to a song, don’t worry so much about the lyrics. The second or third time you listen, start to try and sing along.
The best thing you can do with songs is trying to ‘flowverlap’ – which is where you record yourself singing alongside them and try and match the syllables exactly. Don’t worry if you’re not a great singer – that’s not important!
What’s important is that you’re mimicking the sounds correctly.
Our Top 10 German Songs
Let us know if you think we’ve missed any great ones… !
1. Nicht So Schnell, Max Giesinger
You can find a version here with sing-a-long lyrics!
2. Kein Liebeslied, Kraftklub
3. Solange Liebe in mir wohnt, Luxuslärm 
4. Grenzelos, Glasperlenspiel
5. Chöre, Mark Foster
6. Irgendwie, irgendwo, irgendwann, Nena
An oldie but a goodie! Especially if like me you’ve been addicted to Dark on Netflix…
7. Unter die Haut, Tim Bendzko feat. Cassandra Steen
8. Sonnenmaschine, Ali As
9. Holland, 257ers
This is insanely fast, with a few tongue twisters… but give it a go!
10. Lila Wolken – Marteria, Yasha & Miss Platnum
Are there any other songs you think we should add? Let us know in the comments!
When I was learning German 2 years ago. The first German song I listened to was Vendetta by Bushido. Really useful article.
Awesome Recommendations! I love Mark Forster
Andreas Bourani has some great songs also.
I am a singer, and there are many german songs in my repertoire. I perform songs and arias of classical german and austrian composers, and also I sing modern german songs, and here is one of my favourite of them:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBbQPxxyblw
No Herbert Grönemeyer?
Good list, quite a few of those are new to me! A few posters on Fluent in 3 Months and I have been contributing to a “German song of the day(ish)” thread for about a year and a half, we’ve built up quite a collection by now: https://www.fluentin3months.com/forum/general-discussion/german-song-of-the-day-ish/