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By Hamish Macdonald in on November 4th, 2009
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It is hard to believe it was 20 years ago next week. I've been thinking about the fall of the Berlin Wall and remembering German classes at primary school in the Australian high country.

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It is hard to believe it was 20 years ago next week. I've been thinking about the fall of the Berlin Wall and remembering German classes at primary school in the Australian high country.

Our poor old German teacher was always trying valiantly to make the language relevant and exciting for us. And when the big political changes started to sweep across Eastern Europe, she used the 1983 pop hit "99 Luftbalons" by Nena to pique the interest of our young minds. German pop, particularly of the 80's variety, is an acquired taste, but this tune somehow managed to catch our attention.

The song, translated roughly as "99 Air Balloons", reached number 1 in the German charts and number 2 in the US charts, while an English language version hit number 1 in the UK. The song's popularity came amid protests across Europe and became synonymous with the mood for change.

For a bit of 1980's nostalgia, here it is:

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