Peter Schilling
Peter Schilling (born Pierre Michael Schilling; 28 January 1956) is a German synthpop musician whose songs often feature science-fiction themes like aliens, astronauts and catastrophes. He is best-known for his 1983 hit single "Major Tom (Coming Home)" which was an international success, reaching the top positions on charts worldwide.
Also recorded as Pierre Schilling · Pierre Michael Schilling
Peter Schilling

Klickerbirne · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Name
- Peter Schilling
- Birth Name
- Pierre Michael Schilling
- Born
- 28 January 1956
- Birthplace
- Stuttgart, West Germany
- Occupation
- * Musician
- Full name
- Pierre Michael Schilling.
- Nationality
- Germany
- Fields
- singing · music · children's and young adult literature · popular science literature
- Honours
- Goldene Stimmgabel
- Languages
- German · English
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
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Documentary summary
Peter Schilling (born Pierre Michael Schilling; 28 January 1956) is a German synthpop musician whose songs often feature science-fiction themes like aliens, astronauts and catastrophes. He is best-known for his 1983 hit single "Major Tom (Coming Home)" which was an international success, reaching the top positions on charts worldwide.
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Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
gnd · 1286116058 · wikidata · Q62951 · wikipedia · Peter Schilling
In this article
Biography
Biography
The recorded working language is German and English. The field of work recorded is singing, music and children's and young adult literature. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are pop music and Neue Deutsche Welle. Residence is recorded at Munich. Distinctions recorded are Goldene Stimmgabel.

Peter Schilling
Rechteinhaber: Peter Schilling · Peter Schilling

Am 28. Mai 2014 startete der deutsche ESA-Astronaut Alexander Gerst von Baikonur zur Internationalen Raumstation ISS. Zu diesem Anlass fand an dem Abend in Köln die Startveranstaltung zur Mission „Blue Dot“ statt. Mit dabei: Peter Schilling und Band. Aufzeichnung der gemeinsamen Startveranstaltung von DLR und ESA auf dem Kölner Alter Markt www.livestream.com/esa_de/video?clipId=pla_457c28e7-77b3-.
DLR_de · DLR, CC-BY 3.0 · Über 1000 Zuschauer auf dem Alter Markt in Köln
Key facts
Key facts
• Background — person • Name — Peter Schilling • Birth Name — Pierre Michael Schilling • Born — 28 January 1956 • Birthplace — Stuttgart, West Germany • Genre — * NDW • synth-pop • new wave • Occupation — * Musician • singer • composer • author • Instrument — * Vocals • keyboards • Years Active — 1982–present • Label — WEA
Life and career
Life and career
Schilling was born in Stuttgart, Germany. His 1983 album, Error in the System, generated his only international hit single, "Major Tom (Coming Home)", a retelling of David Bowie's classic 1969 song "Space Oddity". Although the song was originally recorded in German, the international hit version was sung in English. In 1984 and 1985, Schilling released the albums 120 Grad and 120 Grad ' s English-language version, 1985's Things to Come. From 1986 to 1989, Schilling released non-album singles and put out his 1988 compilation The Different Story. In 1990, Schilling suffered from burnout and the following year he took a break. In 1994, he married his girlfriend Catyana. They divorced in 2003. He has been married to his second wife since 2012. In the late '90s, Schilling formed a side project called Space Pilots, which appeared on the first issue of the popular dance music compilation Dancemania series. The band included Catyana Schilling, J. Feifel, and P. Magnet. They have recorded only one song, titled "Trip to Orion". It was released on vinyl and CD in 1995, and appears on the Japanese dance compilation CD Dancemania 1. The song is based on and includes vocal samples from the German science-fiction TV show Raumpatrouille Orion. At the beginning of the 2000s he formed a new band and currently plays live concerts with his band, touring Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Since 2018, Tessloff Verlag has published the children's book series Der kleine Major Tom in cooperation with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and Bernd Flessner, as well as illustrations by Stefan Lohr. In the radio plays based on the books, Peter Schilling himself voices the great Major Tom. At the International Astronautical Congress 2018 in Bremen there was a world premiere of Major Tom by the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen in a purpose-made classical arrangement by Oliver Groenewald. Major Tom can also be heard in the official DLR soundtrack and trailer for Mission Horizons. The songs Alles an Dir and the English-language counterpart All the things you are are the musical inspiration for official DLR videos for the Cosmic kiss space mission with the German ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer. Since 2020, Schilling has experienced something of a revival due to the success of his older songs, both the originals and new live versions and his newest album ‘Vis Viva’ on his YouTube channel. On 24 March 2024, a petition was initiated to make "Major Tom" the new anthem for the German national football team for the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship.
Albums and compilations
Albums and compilations
• Fehler im System, WEA 24.0026.1, 1982 [No. 1 Germany, No. 4 Austria] • Error in the System, Elektra 60265-1, 1983 [No. 61 US, No. 33 Canada] • 120 Grad, 1984 • Things to Come, Elektra 604404-1985 • 1.000 Augen, 1986 (album was never released) • The Different Story (World of Lust and Crime), 1989 (released in Germany in 1992) • Geheime Macht, 1993 • Major Tom 94, 1994 • Sonne, Mond Und Sterne, 1994 • Von Anfang an...bis jetzt, 1999 • Raumnot, 2003 • Retrospektive, 2004 • Zeitsprung, 2004 • Delight Factor Wellness, 2005 • Das Prinzip Mensch, 2006 • Tauch Mit Mir...In Eine Neue Zeit...Das Beste Von 2003–2006, 2006 • Emotionen sind männlich, 2007 • Neu & Live 2010, 2010 • DNA, 2014 • Willkommen in der Zukunft Songs von 1982-2020, 2020 • Vis Viva, 2021
Singles
Singles
• "Träume sind mehr als nur Illusionen"/"Sag nie Good-Bye", 1976 (as Pierre Schilling) • "Gib her das Ding/Frei sein ist schön", 1979 (as Pierre Schilling) • "Heut ist was los auf der Autobahn"/"Sweet Sixteen", 1980 (as Pierre Schilling) • "Lied An Dich"/"Lampenfieber", 1981 (as Pierre Schilling) • "Major Tom (Völlig losgelöst)", 1982 [No. 1 Germany, No. 1 Switzerland, No. 1 Austria, No. 2 Netherlands] • "Die Wüste Lebt", 1983 [No. 5 Austria, No. 10 Switzerland, No. 7 Germany] • "Fehler Im System", 1983 • "Major Tom (Coming Home)", Elektra 7-69811, 1983 [No. 14 US, No. 1 Canada, No. 42 UK, No. 4 South Africa] • "Major Tom (Coming Home)" (12" single), Elektra 0-66995, 1983 • "Terra Titanic", 1984 [No. 26 Germany] • "Terra Titanic" (12" single), WEA 249,415-0, 1984 • "Hitze Der Nacht", 1984 [No. 46 Germany] • "Hitze Der Nacht" (Special Remix), 1984 • "Region 804", 1985 • "Chill of the Night" (promo), 1985 • "Ich Vermisse Dich"/"Für immer jung", 1986 [No. 32 Germany] • "All The Love I Need"/"In My Youth", 1986 • "Alles Endet Bei Dir"/"Wonderful World", 1986 • "The Different Story (World of Lust And Crime)", 1988 [No. 10 Sweden, No. 61 US] • "Zug Um Zug", 1992 • "Bild Der Dunkelheit", 1992 • "Viel Zu Heiss", 1993 • "Major Tom 94", 1994 (released in both English and German) [No. 29 Germany] • "Sonne, Mond Und Sterne", 1994 • "Terra Titanic", 1995 (1995 remixes) • "Trip to Orion", 1996 (with the Space Pilots) • "Kingdom of Rain", 2000 (as M*Period) • "Major Tom 2000" (Ground Control vs. Major Tom) [No. 83 Germany] • "Terra Titanic 2003", 2003 • "Raumnot", 2003 • "Sonne, Mond Und Sterne 2003", 2003 • "Major Tom 2003", 2003 • "Experiment Erde", 2004 • "Weit Weg", 2005 • "Der Menschliche Faktor" (Remixes), 2005 • "Es Gibt Keine Sehnsucht", 2006 • "Major Tom (Huttese Version, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew)", 2024 • "Antistar", 2026
Identity and origins
Identity and origins
The authorities additionally record the headings Pierre Schilling and Pierre Michael Schilling. His recorded languages were German and English. One child is recorded: Janina Korn.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1956
Peter Schilling born at Stuttgart.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
- Munich
Named but not plotted · 1
Stuttgart.
Birth place
Books
• Lust Faktor Wellness, 2005 • Emotionen sind männlich, 2007 • Völlig Losgelöst: Mein langer Weg zum Selbstwert – vom Burnout zurück ins Leben, 2013
Primary material
Documents and archives
Institutional database
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q62951: Peter Schilling
Scholarly · Wikimedia Foundation
reference work
- “Peter Schilling”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority file
- Gemeinsame Normdatei 1286116058, Coming home (Zusammenstellung, Peter Schilling).
General reference · Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Sutton, Michael "[ Peter Schilling Biography]", Allmusic, retrieved 7 May 2010
- 2.Encyclopedia of Production and Manufacturing Management. 125–126. 2000. 978-0-7923-8630-8.
- 3.Discogs, Space Pilots
- 4.30 Million Views! #MajorTom #shorts.
- 5.Spielt der DFB bald Major Tom als Torhymne?. Sky Sport.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
Institutional database
Wikidata, structured authority record Q62951: Peter SchillingWikimedia Foundation
Institutional witnessreference work
Secondary witnessauthority file
Gemeinsame Normdatei 1286116058, Coming home (Zusammenstellung, Peter Schilling).Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
Secondary witness
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
Peter Schilling worked in singing, music, children's and young adult literature and popular science literature. He worked at Munich. Recorded as singer, musician, songwriter, singer-songwriter and writer. Recorded at birth as Pierre Michael Schilling.
Career and activity
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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