1983 single by Peter Schilling
"Major Tom (Coming Home)" (German: Major Tom [völlig losgelöst], 'Major Tom [completely detached]') is a song by Peter Schilling from his album Error in the System. With a character unofficially related to "Major Tom", the protagonist of David Bowie's 1969 song "Space Oddity", the song is about the character breaking off contact with ground control and traveling off into space.[1]
The song was originally recorded in German and released in West Germany on 3 January 1983. It reached No. 1 in West Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The English version was first released in the United States on 24 September 1983. It reached No. 1 in Canada, No. 4 in South Africa and peaked at No. 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart the week of 24 December 1983.[2] The English-language version of the song also reached No. 2 on the dance chart in the US.
In 1994, Schilling made and released a remixed version along with Boom-Bastic, titled "Major Tom 94". Other remixes were released in 2000, titled "Major Tom 2000", and in 2003, titled "Major Tom 2003".
On 24 March 2024, a petition was initiated to make "Major Tom" the new goal song for the Germany national football team for the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship. The song was used during two previous friendly matches as individual goal songs are not allowed by UEFA.[3] During the UEFA Championship in the summer 2024, the original version of "Major Tom" re-entered the Top Ten of the German Single Charts after more than 40 years.[4]
Charts
Certifications
Cover versions
In popular media
- The song was used as the theme song for the TV show series Deutschland 83.
- The song was used in AMC's Breaking Bad, in a scene where Hank Schrader, Walter White, and Walter Jr. watch a video of the drug chemist Gale Boetticher singing the song at a karaoke bar on a vacation to Thailand.[28]
- In season 2, episode 5 of the Netflix original series The Umbrella Academy, the song was used when Pogo, the chimpanzee character on the show, was traveling into outer space and back to earth.[29]
- The song was used in the Car Escape scene in Atomic Blonde (2017) when Lorraine Broughton, played by Charlize Theron, fights off would be assailants inside an Audi V8 D1 Typ 4C after arriving in Berlin.[30]
- It was also used in the 4th season of the show The Americans.
- An instrumental version of the song was used during the 1980s as the introduction music of the San Diego Sockers (1978-1996).
- The German version was used in the series The Blacklist Season 2 Episode 14 T Earl King VI.[31][32]
- Was a part of supposed communication with aliens in Season 1 of the Invasion - an original series by Apple.
- The English version was used in season 1, episode 2 of the 2023 Netflix original series Wrestlers
References
- ^ Major Tom (Völlig losgelöst) lyrics
- ^ "Major Tom (Coming Home)" by Peter Schilling (Hot 100) – Billboard.
- ^ "Ultimative Torhymne: Diese Version von Major Tom wird euch umhauen!". SWR3 (in German). 2024-06-21. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
- ^ Klasen, Lena (2024-07-08). "Über 40 Jahre nach Veröffentlichung: „Major Tom" mit Rekord zurück in den Charts". DIFFUS (in German). Retrieved 2024-07-10.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Charts". Ultratop (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-03-28.
- ^ "Collectionscanada.gc.ca". Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
- ^ Top 40 Hit dossier 1956-2001 ISBN 90-257-3349-2
- ^ "charts.nz Peter Schilling "Major Tom (Coming Home)"" (ASP). Hung Medien. Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
- ^ "Canciones más populares en Bolivia". La Opinión (in Spanish). 16 June 1984. p. 11.
- ^ "OfficialCharts.com". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 228.
- ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending JANUARY 14, 1984". Archived from the original on 1 October 2012. Retrieved 2017-08-20.. Cash Box magazine.
- ^ "Jahreshitparade Singles 1983" (in German). Retrieved 2023-03-28.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1983". Ultratop (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-03-28.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten - Single 1983" (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-03-28.
- ^ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts" (in German). Retrieved 2023-03-28.
- ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1983" (in German). Retrieved 2023-03-28.
- ^ "Talent Almanac 1985: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 96, no. 51. December 22, 1984. p. TA-19.
- ^ "Canadian single certifications – Peter Schilling – Major Tom". Music Canada. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Peter Schilling; 'Major Tom')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
- ^ "Major Tom by Plastic Bertrand - Samples, Covers, Remixes". Whosampled.com. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
- ^ "Space Oddity/Major Tom (Coming Home) | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Official Charts.
- ^ [1] Archived January 10, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ [2] Major Tom EP on Discogs
- ^ [3] Major Tom/Radar Love single on Discogs
- ^ TNT Productions - Jay Del Alma feat. Peter Schilling - "Vuela (Major Tom)" (in German)
- ^ Breaking Bad S4- Gale (Major Tom) on YouTube. Access date, Jan 31, 2021
- ^ The Umbrella Academy Season Two’s Most Ridiculous Soundtrack Choices, Ranked - Meslow, Scott. Aug 6, 2020
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Atomic Blonde (2017) - Car Escape Scene (1/10) | Movieclips" – via YouTube.
- ^ "Every song from S2E14 - the Blacklist, "T Earl King VI"".
- ^ "The Blacklist - Season 2 Soundtrack".