# Der Kommissar by Falco **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 7, 2013, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/der-kommissar-by-falco/657728 "2013-05-07T18:28:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/der-kommissar-by-falco/657728/1 "2013-05-07T18:28:57Z")
Being born in '75, I have a softspot for cheesy 80’s music. Anyway, I just purchased this on iTunes and gave it a good listen for the first time in ever. I feel strangely greasy after listening to it. How did that make it to #1 on the charts?! I think I’ll listen now to Ozzy’s You Can’t Kill Rock and Roll to clean my ears out. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/der-kommissar-by-falco/657728/2 "2013-05-07T18:47:24Z")
It didn’t, it only made it to #5 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Okay, it did make it to #1 in Europe. Here’s der Wiki: > **[Der Kommissar (song)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Kommissar_(song))** > > "Der Kommissar" (German: \[deːɐ̯ kɔmɪˈsaːɐ̯\]; "The Commissioner") is a song recorded by Austrian artist Falco in 1981. The song was written by Robert Ponger and Falco. It reached the top of the charts in many European countries. The cover version as an English translation by the group After the Fire in 1982 had greater success in other countries. > The music of "Der Kommissar" was written by producer Robert Ponger and intended for Reinhold Bilgeri. After Bilgeri rejected it, as he felt the song w... Part of it was that there were multiple versions: After the Fire and Laura Branigan covered it and they were all out there at the same time, more-or-less. Falco has remixed and re-released it repeatedly up through the 1990’s. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/der-kommissar-by-falco/657728/3 "2013-05-07T20:11:20Z")
It was a hit because it ripped off another hit of the time - namely, Rick James’s “Super Freak”. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/der-kommissar-by-falco/657728/4 "2013-05-07T20:43:18Z")
The one I remember being big was After The Fire’s version. I only ever actually heard the Falco version much later, in the 2000s. Falco was famous, in my American 80s mind, only for “Rock Me, Amadeus”. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/der-kommissar-by-falco/657728/5 "2013-05-07T20:56:15Z")
_Jeanny_ is a much better Falco song anyway. You should try it. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/der-kommissar-by-falco/657728/6 "2013-05-07T20:56:58Z")
Did that include the music video or just the song? Cause it just ain’t the same without the video. And I disagree. That era had some good, yet silly and fun songs with interesting videos. You just have to embrace the cheesiness. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/der-kommissar-by-falco/657728/7 "2013-05-07T21:06:08Z")
A local radio station back in the day had a mix of Falco, After the Fire, and Suzy Andrews’ versions of “Der Kommissar.” ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/der-kommissar-by-falco/657728/8 "2013-05-07T21:10:32Z")
I just can’t thank you enough for planting this goddamn earworm on me. I can’t stop humming it now. In return, let me gift you with **MUSKRAT LOVE**. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/der-kommissar-by-falco/657728/9 "2013-05-07T21:13:28Z")
I’ll see your Muskrat love and raise you one “Short People Got No Reason” 🙂 Be careful now, I might have a Disco Duck in my hand. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/der-kommissar-by-falco/657728/10 "2013-05-07T21:32:37Z")
> [@sparky\_1](#): > > I feel strangely greasy after listening to it. Here, have a dose of [Rock Me Amadeus](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMuDtfxAIKk). That knocked Der Kmmissar right out of your brain, didn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/der-kommissar-by-falco/657728/11 "2013-05-07T22:59:45Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > I’ll see your Muskrat love and raise you one “Short People Got No Reason” 🙂 Don’t be dissing Randy Newman around here. And for anybody who doesn’t want their earworm to be stuck on _Short People_, I suggest an easy, lateral shift to _I Love L.A._ ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/der-kommissar-by-falco/657728/12 "2013-05-08T00:01:01Z")
All right, you’ve forced me to the nuclear option. [**The Girl from Ipanema!**](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDGUZeZWKZo) ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/der-kommissar-by-falco/657728/13 "2013-05-08T00:13:05Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > All right, you’ve forced me to the nuclear option. > > [**The Girl from Ipanema!**](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDGUZeZWKZo) Goddamnit! Two years of avoiding elevators and now you spring this on me… ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/der-kommissar-by-falco/657728/14 "2013-05-08T00:30:49Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Here, have a dose of [Rock Me Amadeus](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMuDtfxAIKk). That knocked Der Kmmissar right out of your brain, didn’t it? I’ll see your _Rock me Amadeus_ and raise you [_Eat Me I’m a Danish…_](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ukrCvhxP2g) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/der-kommissar-by-falco/657728/15 "2013-05-08T00:32:07Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > It was a hit because it ripped off another hit of the time - namely, Rick James’s “Super Freak”. Did it actually rip Super Freak off? I know they sound kinda similar but that often happens with pop songs. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/der-kommissar-by-falco/657728/16 "2013-05-08T00:34:50Z")
God, I LOVED “Der Kommissar”, by anyone. I had it on a cheapie 80’s tape (with “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” by Wang Chung and “The Wild Wild West” by …the something Club), and I played that little cassette tape till it fell apart. Strange, the power cheap music has. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/der-kommissar-by-falco/657728/17 "2013-05-08T01:43:55Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > All right, you’ve forced me to the nuclear option. > > [**The Girl from Ipanema!**](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDGUZeZWKZo) The music wasn’t too bad or the singing but after about two minutes I realize I was in somekinda pleasant but odd coma/time warp and then I saw it went for another 6 minutes. I stopped because I was afraid I would wake up in a nursing home or something. Short people video. Come on guys. Do a little research and give us some links to your worst favorites we don’t have to search for ourselves. https://www.youtube.com/embed/1NvgLkuEtkA?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque And great, now I’ll be up all night watching and listening to cheezy musics videos. And BTW, IIRC Falco died at a pretty young age. What a shame. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/der-kommissar-by-falco/657728/18 "2013-05-08T01:59:09Z")
He was 40, so, yeah. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/der-kommissar-by-falco/657728/19 "2013-05-08T02:14:32Z")
[Rock Me, Jerry Lewis](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSzbbTPLUq8) You’re welcome. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/der-kommissar-by-falco/657728/20 "2013-05-08T02:15:35Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > God, I LOVED “Der Kommissar”, by anyone. I had it on a cheapie 80’s tape (with “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” by Wang Chung and “The Wild Wild West” by …the something Club), and I played that little cassette tape till it fell apart. Strange, the power cheap music has. [Escape Club](http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1zetq_escape-club-wild-wild-west_music#.UYm080r2G4Q) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/der-kommissar-by-falco/657728.md?page=2)