Alphaville

The album Forever Young was released in the spring of 1984, produced by Colin Pearson, Wolfgang Loos, and Andreas Budde. Although it was a success, Frank Mertens left that same year and was replaced by Ricky Echolette in 1985. The song “Forever Young” is about youth, but also about fears of aging and death. It was written during the Cold War, and many artists used music to express their feelings.

“Big in Japan” was the band’s biggest hit in Germany, Greece, Switzerland, Turkey, Venezuela, and on the Billboard Dance Music chart. It also reached high positions in Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Ireland, and South Africa. It was the only single to enter the UK Top 20, peaking at number eight. The song describes a couple who want to break free from their heroin addiction. They imagine a world where they wouldn’t have to steal or prostitute themselves to survive, experiencing genuine emotions. To this day, the train station mentioned in the lyrics remains a place frequented by drug addicts.

The following singles, "Sounds Like a Melody" and "Forever Young," were also well-received in Europe, but not as much in the United States. There were rumors that Laura Branigan was going to cover the song for her album *Hold Me*, so it was re-released there, but it did not achieve widespread popularity. Branigan’s version was shorter and never became as well-known as the original. Alphaville’s version was released a third time in 1988 to promote the compilation Alphaville: The Singles Collection, reaching number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Forever Young" was re-released on various international editions in 1989, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2005, and 2009. Many artists covered the song, sometimes without properly crediting Marian Gold or Laura Branigan.