FALCO

Johann (Hans) Hölzel (February 19, 1957 – February 6, 1998), better known by his stage name Falco, was an Austrian classical music prodigy turned hip hop, pop and rock star. His albums and singles have sold about 60 million copies worldwide.

Falco recorded "Rock Me Amadeus" inspired in part by the Oscar-winning film Amadeus, and the song became a worldwide hit in 1986. This time, his record reached #1 in the U.S., bringing him the success that had eluded him in that major market a few years earlier. The song remained in the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and his album, Falco 3, fittingly peaked at the number three position on the Billboard album charts. Unheard of at the time for a white performer, much less a European one, the Austrian rapper's single climbed to the upper reaches of the Billboard Top R&B Singles Chart (only a few years earlier called the "Black Singles" chart), peaking at number 6. It would be two more years before a white artist, George Michael, would momentarily break the reverse-color barrier to top that chart, and it would be a feat not repeated until Robin Thicke in 2007.