Peter Schilling

Peter Schilling, born Pierre Michael Schilling on 28 January 1956 in Germany, is a synthpop musician who became one of the defining voices of the early-1980s German new wave scene. His music is characterized by lush synthesizer textures, driving electronic rhythms, and a fascination with science-fiction and space imagery, recurring themes of astronauts, aliens, and looming catastrophe that set him apart from many of his contemporaries.

Schilling’s international breakthrough came with «Major Tom (Coming Home)», a 1983 single inspired by David Bowie’s Major Tom character, which became a hit across Europe and North America and remains his best-known work; a German-language version, «Major Tom (Völlig losgelöst)», was also widely popular. He later revisited the character on «Major Tom, Part II», and continued exploring similarly evocative, atmospheric concepts on songs like «Terra Titanic» and «The Different Story (World of Lust and Crime)», which drew on maritime disaster and adventure imagery.

As part of the broader Neue Deutsche Welle and synthpop movement, Schilling helped bring a distinctly German, narrative-driven sensibility to electronic pop, influencing later synth-based acts with his blend of melodic hooks and conceptual songwriting. He has continued to record and perform over the following decades, remaining closely identified with the space-age imagery that first brought him international attention.