Dimitri Burkhard
Quick: name a Swiss musician!
If you are staring a blank, you are not to blame. Because Switzerland is not exactly known as a music factory that’s churning out global hits. However, just like anywhere else, there is a thriving music scene in the land of alphorns and yodeling. So, we would like to introduce you to Swiss music that has defined generations. They are true classics that bring back memories for those who grew up in Switzerland, and we think you should know them, too.
Turn up the speakers and take a listen. Here is some Swiss music you need in your life:
Ruedi Rymann – Dr Schacher Seppli (1978)
Here is a great Swiss folklore anthem that is more philosophical than you might think. The protagonist, Schacher Seppli, lives in poverty but sees the beauty of life itself. In the end, he is put to rest next to a rich man’s grave, and he concludes that we are all the same.
XXL feat. Peter Steiner – It’s Cool Man (1994)
Don’t ask why, but this was a huge hit in the 90’s. The song stayed in the charts for 25 weeks but resonated way longer. That’s because Peter Steiner was featured in a TV commercial for Milka chocolate.
Patent Ochsner – W.Nuss Vo Bümpliz (1997)
Someone on YouTube summarized this song perfectly: “?t’s about a very womanly woman from the Bern suburb of Bümpliz who is sweeping everyone (especially men, of course). She is Mother Nature in person, ‘has more than 100 children – and each spring a new one’, she’s Venus. Or, you could also call her the Bernese version of the Girl of Ipanema.”
Stephan Eicher – Campari Soda (1999)
A melancholic rendition about an adult beverage: Campari Soda.
Plüsch – Heimweh (2002)
“Homesickness” is a song about being lost in a city, far away from the mountains.
Stress – Libéré (2005)
This hip hop song brings back nostalgic memories for an entire generation! Musician Stress was born in Estonia but spent his teens in Lausanne where he’s earned his fame.
77 Bombay Street – Up In The Sky (2011)
These three Swiss brothers grew up in Down Under, and they sure turned Switzerland’s charts upside down with their hit “Up In The Sky”!
Bastian Baker – 79 Clinton Street (2013)
This singer songwriter from the French speaking part of Switzerland has received much recognition. After performing “79 Clinton Street” at the FIFA Ballon d’Or in 2015, it took off.
Lo & Leduc – 079 (2018)
This smash hit plays off the popular area code (or pre-dial) for the Swisscom mobile network: 079. Left with just a fraction of her phone number, the singer is longing to reconnect with the girl he’s fallen for.
