Claudia Brücken / Claudia Brucken

During the '80s, it was not common for women to front synth pop bands. As the lead singer of Propaganda, Claudia Brücken inserted a strong female voice in the male-dominated world of electronic dance music. As a teenager, Brücken was in a group called Haarstrauben; she was also a member of the Toppolinos. When Brücken joined Propaganda, she originally shared vocal duties with Suzanne Freytag. In 1985, Propaganda released their first LP, A Secret Wish. The provocative single "Duel" reached number 21 on the U.K. charts. However, the band began having problems with their label, ZTT, and Brücken's marriage to ZTT co-founder Paul Morley caused friction with the other members. Brücken left Propaganda in 1986. After Propaganda, Brücken formed Act with Thomas Leer, recording the album Laughter, Tears and Rage. But Act didn't receive the attention or airplay that Propaganda once did. In the early '90s, Brücken released her solo debut, Love: And a Million Other Things. However, shifting personnel at Island Records killed its potential of finding an audience. In 2000, Brücken toured America with Paul Humphreys of OMD, performing both OMD classics and Propaganda covers. Brücken also started co-writing songs with Humphreys. Brücken eventually reunited with Freytag and Michael Mertens as Propaganda and recorded new material.