ABSTRACT
Introduction German pop music has been characterized by what Diedrich Diederichsen calls ‘secondariness’ (Diederichsen, 1990). According to Diederichsen, this term does not imply that the music or lyrics of German pop are of inferior quality; instead it is secondary to ‘genuine’ Anglo-American pop music. It is known for ‘referring to, imitating and being fixated on Anglo-American role models’ (Diederichsen, 1990). Regardless of whether the lyrics are in German or English, pop music in Germany has constantly reflected on its difference from Anglo-American pop, albeit unintentionally or subconsciously. What makes German pop music so interesting and unique, Diederichsen claims, are its failed efforts of creating something autonomous. In the history of German pop, an idiosyncratic aesthetics emerged that openly displays this failure.
