In Wolfgang Petersen's 1981 film Das Boot, Grönemeyer played combat correspondent Lieutenant Werner; nonetheless, he thereafter concentrated on his musical career. With cumulative album sales of nearly 13 million, Grönemeyer is the most popular artist in Germany. His fifth album, 4630 Bochum (1984), and his eleventh album, Mensch (2002), are the third and first best-selling records in Germany, respectively.