Mad'house: The German Eurodance & Pop Powerhouse

Mad'house is a German Eurodance and pop project that achieved major commercial success in the early 2000s. The group is best known for creating high-energy dance covers of classic rock and pop songs, most notably their 2002 smash hit "Like a Prayer".

Early career

Mad'house was formed in Germany in 2001 by the established production team of Thorsten Brötzmann and Alexander Prince. The concept was built around the vocal talents of American singer Michelle Chappel, who provided the powerful and distinctive lead voice for the project's initial releases. Their first single, a dance rendition of the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter", was released in late 2001 and laid the blueprint for their signature sound.

Breakthrough

The project's breakthrough arrived in 2002 with their second single, a vibrant cover of Madonna's "Like a Prayer". Released under the Zeitgeist label, the track became a massive airplay hit across Europe. It charted in numerous countries, reaching number one in Germany and Austria, and was certified gold for significant sales.

Key tracks

Like a Prayer — This 2002 cover was the definitive breakthrough, topping charts and introducing Mad'house's sound to a wide European audience.

Gimme Shelter — The debut single from 2001 established the group's formula of transforming rock classics into driving Eurodance anthems.

Come Together — Their energetic take on The Beatles' song became another major radio hit, further solidifying their chart presence in 2002.

Never Gonna Give You Up — This 2003 cover of the Rick Astley hit demonstrated the project's ability to reinvent well-known pop songs for the dance floor.

The success of these singles led to the release of the debut album Absolutely Mad in 2002. The album compiled their hit covers and achieved platinum status in Germany, confirming their commercial peak. A second album, Madhouse, followed in 2003 featuring new covers and original material, though it did not match the phenomenal success of the first.

For fans of the energetic, vocal-driven Eurodance style of Mad'house, similar artists featured on our site include Culture Beat, another German dance act known for massive 90s hits. Snap! shares the same foundational German production style and chart-topping dance records. Listeners may also enjoy La Bouche, a project from the same production milieu with powerful female vocals. The music of 2 Unlimited offers a comparable high-BPM, anthemic approach from the same era.

The pulsating tracks from Mad'house remain a staple on dance and pop radio stations featured on this website. Their biggest hits are frequently played on classic 2000s FM stations, online dance music streams, and retro pop radio stations, keeping their energetic sound alive for new generations of listeners.

You can hear the classic Eurodance and pop sound of Mad'house on various radio stations available through onairium.com. Tune in to discover their iconic covers and experience the driving beat that defined an era of German dance music.