Opus

Opus is an Austrian pop-rock group from Graz, active from 1973 to the present. The group includes Walter Bachkönig, Ewald Pfleger, Kurt René Plisnier, Günter Grasmuck, Herwig Rüdisser and Peter Niklas Gruber.

Career

Formed in 1973, Opus build their reputation in Austria and nearby German-speaking markets before reaching wider international attention with “Live Is Life” in 1984. The song becomes their best-known track and later appears as a live recording that reaches the Top 40 in the United States in 1986. It also becomes a popular stadium and sports crowd song in Europe, and the Finnish ice hockey team Tappara uses it as its goal song.

Outside that hit, the group also has success with other songs in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, though it does not achieve the same level of recognition in non-German-speaking countries. The band remains active and is often described as a one-hit act because of the scale of the “Live Is Life” success.

Discography

Opus releases a long run of albums, including Daydreams (1980), Eleven (1982), The Opusition (1982), Up And Down (1984), Solo (1985), Opus (1987), Magical Touch (1990), Walkin' On Air (1992), Love, God & Radio (1993), The Beat Goes On (2004) and Opus Magnum (2020).

Style and legacy

The group is associated with Austrian pop rock and remains best known for “Live Is Life”, which continues to be its defining recording. A cover version is also performed by the Slovenian band Laibach.