Reinhard Mey, 83, Becomes the Oldest German Artist Ever to Top the German Album Chart With Schatzhauser

German chanson legend Reinhard Mey has made chart history at the age of 83: his new studio album Schatzhauser has debuted at No. 1 on the German album chart for chart week 40 (published October 2, 2026), making him the oldest German artist ever to top the national album ranking — and beating a record he set himself.

Reinhard Mey performing live in Frankfurt — photo by Sven-Sebastian Sajak, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The Record

According to figures from GfK Entertainment, compiled for the Bundesverband Musikindustrie, Schatzhauser entered the German album chart at No. 1 in chart week 40, published on October 2, 2026. The achievement beats Mey's own previous record: in 2024 his album Nach Haus reached No. 1 when he was 81.

The rest of the week's top five underlines a strong week for German music: Till Lindemann took No. 2 with Live In Krakow, Wolfgang Petry landed at No. 3 with Ein Leben lang, Kuko debuted at No. 4 with Catharsis, and Linkin Park rounded out the top five at No. 5 with the Unshatter live soundtrack. Taylor Swift climbed from No. 21 to No. 6 with the expanded edition of The Life of a Showgirl — and you can read about how Taylor Swift's Patient Zero debuts at No. 1 elsewhere on LatestLyrics.

The German-language chart story continues beyond the top spots, from Die Toten Hosen's Was ist mit uns los lyrics to Temper City's Self Aware single.

Schatzhauser: An Album Recorded Alone

Schatzhauser is Mey's 30th studio album, released on September 25, 2026 via Electrola, the Universal Music brand. It is the first album he has recorded entirely alone — just his voice and his guitar, with no session musicians involved.

The album features 13 tracks, including a newly recorded acoustic version of “In meinem Garten”. The song originally appeared in 1970 and found a new audience when it featured in the Netflix Haftbefehl documentary, reaching No. 15 on the German singles chart in 2025.

Listen to the official album track “Mit dir an meiner Seite” (Universal Music) below — this is the official album track, not a music video:

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is Reinhard Mey?
Reinhard Mey is 83 years old. He set the new record when Schatzhauser topped the German album chart in the chart week published October 2, 2026.

What album is at number one?
Schatzhauser, Mey's 30th studio album, debuted at No. 1 on the German album chart in chart week 40.

What record did he break?
He became the oldest German artist ever to top the German album chart, beating his own 2024 record when Nach Haus hit No. 1 at age 81.

What is special about how Schatzhauser was recorded?
It is the first album Mey recorded entirely alone — just his voice and guitar, with no session musicians. The 13-track album was released September 25, 2026 on Electrola.