Aerodrom (trans. ''Airport'') is a

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

n and Yugoslav

rock band ''Rock Band'' is a series of rhythm games first released in 2007 and developed by Harmonix. Based on their previous development work from the Guitar Hero, ''Guitar Hero'' series, the main ''Rock Band'' games have players use game controllers mod ...

formed in

Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...

in 1978. Formed and led by guitarist, vocalist and principal songwriter Jurica "Jura" Pađen, Aerodrom was a popular act of the

Yugoslav rock scene Popular music in Yugoslavia includes the pop and rock music of the former SFR Yugoslavia, including all their genres and subgenres. The scene included the constituent republics: SR Slovenia, SR Croatia, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SR Montenegr ...

. The group was formed by guitarist Jurica Pađen, who had already gained prominence as a member of

Grupa 220 Grupa 220 was a Yugoslav rock band from Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, al ...

and

Parni Valjak Parni Valjak (; trans. '' Steam Roller'') is a Croatian and Yugoslav rock band formed in Zagreb in 1975. They were one of the most popular acts of the Yugoslav rock scene, and have maintained large popularity in all former Yugoslav republics a ...

. The first lineup featured, beside Pađen, vocalist Zlatan Živković, bass guitarist Remo Krstanović Cartagine, drummer Paolo Sfeci and keyboardist Mladen Krajnik. Initially, the band performed

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...

, their 1979 debut ''Kad misli mi vrludaju'' bringing them attention of the public and the media. With the 1981 album ''Tango Bango'', the group turned towards simpler, new wave-influenced sound, scoring several hits. After the album release, Živković left the band and the vocal duties were taken over by Pađen. Aerodrom's third studio album ''

Obične ljubavne pjesme ''Obične ljubavne pjesme'' is the third album by Croatian rock band Aerodrom (band), Aerodrom, released through Jugoton in 1982.https://www.discogs.com/release/1600098-Aerodrom-Obi%C4%8Dne-Ljubavne-Pjesme This is the first album that introduces J ...

'', released in 1983, was their biggest commercial success. It was followed by two more successful

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...

-oriented albums, the last one recorded in the lineup featuring Pađen on guitar and vocals, Cartagine on bass guitar and Živković—who had returned to the band in 1986—on vocals and drums. The group disbanded in 1987, Pađen continuing his career as guitarist in the highly popular band Azra. In 1993, he formed his Pađen Band, releasing three albums with the group, before reforming Aerodrom in 2000. The group has released four studio albums since, with the 2007 album ''

Rock @ Roll ''Rock @ Roll'' is the seventh album by the Croatian rock band Aerodrom, released through Croatia Records in 2007. The album marked the band's 30th anniversary, which they celebrated at a New Year's Eve concert in Ban Jelačić Square in Zagre ...

'' being the band's first release to feature Pađen as the sole remaining original member. Since its release the group has been performing under the name Jurica Pađen & Aerodrom.

History

Formation and progressive rock beginnings (1978–1980)

Aerodrom leader Jurica "Jura" Pađen started his career in 1970, at the age of 15, as the guitarist for Zoo Band, later performing with the bands Spectrum and Hobo. In 1972, he joined popular band

, at the time comprising vocalist Drago Mlinarec, guitarist Husein Hasanefendić "Hus", drummer Ivan "Piko" Stančić, and bass guitarist Nenad Zubak. With the group, Pađen recorded their second and last studio album ''Slike'' (''Images''), released in 1975. After the group disbanded during the same year, Pađen and Hasanefendić formed

with vocalist

Aki Rahimovski Aleksandar "Aki" Rahimovski (5 June 1955 – 22 January 2022) was a Croatian and Yugoslav rock musician of Macedonian descent. Best known as the vocalist of the highly popular band Parni Valjak, Rahimovski is widely considered one of the mos ...

, bass guitarist Zlatko Miksić "Fuma" and drummer Srećko Antonioli. With Parni Valjak, Pađen recorded two studio albums, the band's 1976 debut ''Dođite na show!'' (''Come to the Show!'') and the 1977 album ''Glavom kroz zid'' (''Head Against the Wall''). In 1978, both Hasanefendić and Rahimovski were drafted to serve their mandatory stints in the

Yugoslav People's Army The Yugoslav People's Army (JNA/; Macedonian language, Macedonian, Montenegrin language, Montenegrin and sr-Cyrl-Latn, Југословенска народна армија, Jugoslovenska narodna armija; Croatian language, Croatian and ; , J ...

, Parni Valjak going on hiatus and Pađen deciding to form a new band. Pađen formed Aerodrom in 1978 with vocalist Zlatan Živković (previously a drummer for less-known Zagreb bands), bass guitarist Remo Krstanović Cartagine, drummer Paolo Sfeci (former member of Balkan Sevdah Band) and keyboardist Mladen Krajnik (formerly of

Grupa Marina Škrgatića Grupa Marina Škrgatića (transl. ''Marin Škrgatić Band'') was a Yugoslav progressive rock band formed in Zagreb in 1970. Fronted by vocalist and trombonist Marin Škrgatić, the group was a prominent act of the 1970s Yugoslav rock scene. Ban ...

, Grupa 220 and

Divlje Jagode Divlje Jagode () is a hard rock and heavy metal band, originally formed in 1977 in Sarajevo, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia, and since their 1994 reunion based in Croatia. Led by guitarist Sead "Zele" Lipovača, Divlje Jagode are co ...

). Prior to hiring Živković, Pađen considered little-known Jura Stublić (later of

Film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

fame) as Aerodrom's vocalist, but gave up on the idea due to Stublić's deep vocals. Pađen got the inspiration for the band's name from his relationship with a

stewardess A flight attendant is a member of the aircrew whose primary responsibility is ensure the safety of passengers in the cabin of an aircraft across all stages of flight. Their secondary duty is to see to the comfort of passengers. Flight attenda ...

. Initially, Aerodrom performed

. On the 1978 edition of

BOOM Festival BOOM Festival was a rock music festival held annually throughout SFR Yugoslavia between 1971 and 1978. The festival was held for the first time in 1971 in Maribor and for the last time in 1978 in Novi Sad. The festival featured numerous prominent ...

, the band had their first notable performance, during which Pađen was hit in the head by a bottle thrown from the audience. During the following year, the band held a large number of concerts across Yugoslavia, and in September they performed as one of the opening bands on

Bijelo Dugme () is a Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav Rock music, rock band, formed in Sarajevo, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1974. is widely considered to have been the most popular and the best-selling band ever to exist in the former S ...

's Rock Spectacle at the

JNA Stadium The Partizan Stadium ( Serbian: Стадион Партизан / ''Stadion Partizan'') is a football and track-and-field stadium in Autokomanda, Belgrade, Serbia. The home ground of FK Partizan, it was formerly known as JNA Stadium (Stadion JN ...

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

. The band made their first

demos Demos may refer to: Computing * DEMOS, a Soviet Unix-like operating system * DEMOS (ISP), the first internet service provider in the USSR * Demos Commander, an Orthodox File Manager for Unix-like systems * Plural for Demo (computer programming ...

with the help from former

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

guitarist

Vedran Božić Vedran is a Slavic masculine given name of Croatian origin, which is also used among Serbs, Slovenes, and Bosniaks. Vedran means clear or cheerful. People * Vedran Perič, a Slovenian famous account manager * Vedran Celiščak, a Croatian footba ...

, managing to secure a contract with

Jugoton Jugoton was the largest record label and chain record store in the former Yugoslavia based in Zagreb, SR Croatia. History Jugoton was formed in 1947. It replaced Elektroton, which had been founded in 1937, nationalized in 1945, and liquidated ...

record label. The band's debut album, entitled ''Kad misli mi vrludaju'' (''When My Thoughts Are Wandering''), was produced by Božić and released at the end of 1979. Although released at the time when Yugoslav progressive rock scene saw its decline due to expansion of

Yugoslav punk rock Yugoslav or Yugoslavian may refer to: * Yugoslavia, or any of the three historic states carrying that name: ** Kingdom of Yugoslavia, a European monarchy which existed 1918–1945 (officially called "Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes" 1918–1 ...

and new wave scene, the band managed to gain the attention of the audience, mostly owing to the title track and "Kraj tebe u tami" ("Next to You in the Darkness"), the latter later covered by Azra, and for the album the band was awarded a special acknowledgement by

SR Croatia The Socialist Republic of Croatia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Socijalistička Republika Hrvatska, Социјалистичка Република Хрватска), commonly abbreviated as SR Croatia and referred to as simply Croatia, was a ...

's Commission for Culture. After Paolo Sfeci left the band to join Parni Valjak, Aerodrom's new drummer became former Nepočin member Branko Knežević.

Switch to new wave (1981)

The band's following album, entitled ''Tango Bango'', was recorded in 1981 in

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

and produced by Piko Stančić. Influenced by the new, exuberant new wave scene, with songs authored by Pađen, Krajnik and Cartagine, ''Tango Bango'' brought radiophonic

-oriented sound. Pađen debuted as vocalist in the song "Djevojke" ("Girls"). The songs "Stavi pravu stvar" ("Put the Right Thing"), "Dobro se zabavljaj" ("Have a Lot of Fun") and "Tvoje lice" ("Your Face") became radio hits and provided the band with frequent performances. Soon after the album release, Krajnik left the band to serve his mandatory stint in the Yugoslav army, and was replaced by Zoran Kraš, formerly of the band Stakleno Zvono (''Bell Jar''). Soon after, Živković also left the band, and vocal duties were taken over by Pađen.

Pađen taking over the vocals, biggest commercial success, disbandment (1982–1987)

In 1982, the band released their third studio album, entitled ''

'' (''Ordinary Love Songs''). The album was recorded in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

and produced by Tini Varga, who also played guitar and sang backing vocals on the album recording. The album also featured guest appearance by long-time

ABBA ABBA ( ) were a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. They are one of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time, and are one of the List ...

collaborator Ulf Andersson on saxophone. The album brought the biggest hit in the band's career, "Obična ljubavna pjesma" ("Ordinary Love Song"), and was followed by a successful promotional tour which included concerts in

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...

's Youth Centre Skenderija, Belgrade's Tašmajdan Stadium, and Zagreb's

Kulušić Kulušić was a concert club in Zagreb, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia), which hosted many famous international acts and all the important acts from the region. It is particularly associated with the New wave music in Yugoslavia, Yugoslav new wave ac ...

club and Moša Pijade Hall. Following ''Obične ljubavne pesme'' promotional tour, the band went on hiatus due to Pađen's mandatory army stint. After Pađen's return from the army, in the spring of 1984, Pađen and Cartagine accepted invitation from Azra leader Branimir "Johnny" Štulić to join Azra for the spring tour. After the tour ended, Pađen, Cartagine and drummer Nenad Smoljanović recorded Aerodrom's fourth studio album, ''

Dukat i pribadače Dukat may refer to: * Dukat (currency), or ducat, a gold coin produced in Europe over many centuries * Dukat (''Star Trek''), a character from ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' * Sandy Dukat (born 1972), American Paralympic athlete *Dukat (company), ...

'' (''

Ducat The ducat ( ) coin was used as a trade coin in Europe from the later Middle Ages to the 19th century. Its most familiar version, the gold ducat or sequin containing around of 98.6% fine gold, originated in Venice in 1284 and gained wide inter ...

and

Pins A pin is a device, typically pointed, used for fastening objects or fabrics together. Pins can have the following sorts of body: *a shaft of a rigid inflexible material meant to be inserted in a slot, groove, or hole (as with pivots, hinges, an ...

''). The album was produced by

Novi Fosili Novi Fosili () is a Croatian pop band, one of the most popular music acts in the former Yugoslavia. The group was a phenomenon of Yugoslavian pop music from late 70s until late 80s when they were at the peak of their fame, and were compared to AB ...

vocalist and keyboardist

Rajko Dujmić Rajko Dujmić (7 August 1954 – 4 August 2020) was a Croatian songwriter, composer and music producer best known as a member of the pop group Novi fosili. He composed the winner entry of Eurovision Song Contest 1989, " Rock me", along with Ste ...

, who also played keyboards on the album recording. It brought the hits "Fratello", "24 sata" ("24 Hours") and "Digni me visoko" ("Lift Me High"), but also politically-related songs "Laž" ("Lie") and "Daj neku lovu" ("Give Some Money"). The band negotiated with former

and

September September is the ninth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 30 days. September in the Northern Hemisphere and March in the Southern Hemisphere are seasonally equivalent. In the Northern hemisphere, the b ...

keyboardist Tihomir "Pop" Asanović to join them on promotional concerts, but eventually went on tour with pianist and

conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Biology and medicine * Bone conduction, the conduction of sound to the inner ear * Conduction aphasia, a language disorder Mathematics * Conductor (ring theory) * Conductor of an abelian variety * Cond ...

Alen Bjelinski playing the keyboards. After ''Dukat i pribadače'' tour, Bjelinski joined the newly-formed band Limeni Bubanj (''Tin Drum''), so the band once again started album recording as a trio. Zlatan Živković returned to the band to replace Smoljanović, but also provided vocals for some of the songs. The album was entitled '' Trojica u mraku'' (''Three Man in the Dark''), after 1936 comic by

Andrija Maurović Andrija Maurović (; 29 March 1901 – 2 September 1981) was a comic book illustrator, comic book author, and artist. He is known for his ''Stari Mačak'' (Old Mickey, Old Tom-cat) series, which eventually became his nickname. He is often called ...

. The album was produced by Pađen, and featured guest appearances by

Laza Ristovski Lazar "Laza" Ristovski (Serbian Cyrillic: Лаза Ристовски, ; 23 January 1956 – 6 October 2007) was a Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms ...

(keyboards), Miroslav Sedak Benčić (saxophone), Ante Dropuljić (trumpet) and Herbert Stencel (trombone). The album songs dealt with diverse topics – in "Zagreb, Ljubljana i Beograd" ("Zagreb, Ljubljana and Belgrade") Pađen criticized rock critics, "Eat a Shit" was filled with disappointment and anger and "Pozdrav sa Bardo ravni" ("Greetings from Bardo Plains") was philosophical. In 1987, Živković moved to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

, and Aerodrom ended their activity. At the end of the 1980s, Pađen and Cartagine, with former Azra and

Haustor Haustor (transl. ''Passageway'') was a Yugoslav rock band formed in Zagreb in 1979. Haustor is considered one of the most prominent bands of the Yugoslav new wave scene, as well as one of the most notable and influential acts of the Yugoslav r ...

drummer

Boris Leiner Boris may refer to: People * Boris (given name), a male given name * *List of people with given name Boris * Boris (surname) Arts and media * Boris (band), a Japanese experimental rock trio * ''Boris'' (EP), by Yezda Urfa, 1975 * "Boris" (son ...

and other musicians, held several live performance under the name Aerodrom, but without ambition to reestablish the band.

Post breakup (1987–2001)

After Aerodrom disbanded, Pađen rejoined Azra, recording the 1987 studio album ''Između krajnosti'' (''Between Extremes'') and the 1988 live album ''Zadovoljština'' (''Satisfaction'') with the group, also participating in the recording of Branimir Štulić's solo albums ''Balkanska rapsodija'' (''Balkan Rhapsody'', 1989) and ''Balegari ne vjeruju sreći'' (''

Dung Beetles Dung beetles are beetles that feed on feces. All species of dung beetle belong to the superfamily Scarabaeoidea, most of them to the subfamilies Scarabaeinae and Aphodiinae of the family Scarabaeidae (scarab beetles). As most species of Scara ...

Don't Believe in Luck'', 1989). Pađen performed with Azra until the band's last concert, held on 15 August 1990 at

Hvar Hvar (; Chakavian: ''Hvor'' or ''For''; ; ; ) is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea, located off the Dalmatian coast, lying between the islands of Brač, Vis (island), Vis and Korčula. Approximately long, with a high east–west ridge of M ...

. In 1991, at the time of

Croatian War of Independence The Croatian War of Independence) and (rarely) "War in Krajina" ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Рат у Крајини, Rat u Krajini) are used. was an armed conflict fought in Croatia from 1991 to 1995 between Croats, Croat forces loyal to the Governmen ...

, Pađen recorded the song "Tko to tamo gine" ("Who's That Dying Over There") for the various artists album ''Moja domovina'' (''My Homeland''), and a cover of Azra's "Balkan" entitled "Papan" (the title being a slang for an immature boy) for the various artists album '' Rock za Hrvatsku'' (''Rock for Croatia''). During war years, Pađen joined Croatian musicians who performed for Croatian troops. In 1993, he formed his Pađen Band, recording the album ''Hamburger City''. The album brought the hit song "Što si u kavu stavila" ("What Did You Put in My Coffee"), featuring a

musical quotation Musical quotation is the practice of directly quoting another work in a new composition. The quotation may be from the same composer's work (self-referential), or from a different composer's work (appropriation). Sometimes the quotation is done fo ...

from "

Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" is a song written by Bennie Benjamin, Horace Ott and Sol Marcus for American singer-songwriter and pianist Nina Simone, who recorded the first version in 1964 for her album '' Broadway-Blues-Ballads''. "Don't Let ...

". Pađen Band recorded two more studio albums, the 1995 ''Slatka mala stvar'' (''Cute Little Thing'') and the 1997 ''Izbrisani grafiti'' (''Erased Graffiti''), the latter bringing the hits "Otkazani let" ("Cancelled Flight") and "Nevolja" ("Trouble"). The song "Samo da me draga ne ostavi" ("I Only Hope My Darling Won't Leave Me") from the album would receive large attention in 2020, with

Croatian Composers' Society Croatian Composers' Society (, HDS) is a professional organization of composers in Croatia. The society has more than 300 full and over 9000 associate members. The full membership is available to composers, musicologists and music writers, whose ...

issuing a statement about "striking resemblance" between the song and

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...

's 2018 song "

Confidante The confidant ( or ; feminine: confidante, same pronunciation) is a character in a story whom a protagonist confides in and trusts. Confidants may be other principal characters, characters who command trust by virtue of their position such as d ...

" and speculations about Pađen suing McCartney appearing in Croatian media.

Reunion and new releases (2000–present)

Jurica Padjen Aerodrom Crikvenica 31072013 2 roberta f

In 2000, following the release of the Pađen Band compilation album ''Retro 16'', Pađen reformed Aerodrom. The new lineup of Aerodrom featured Pađen on vocals and guitar, Mladen Krajnik on keyboards, Tomislav Šojat (formerly of the bands

Prva Ljubav Prva (; sr-Cyrl, Прва, lit=First) or Prva Srpska Televizija ( sr-Cyrl, Прва српска телевизија, lit=First Serbian Television), is a Serbian commercial television network with national coverage. It was launched on 31 Dece ...

and Regata) on bass guitar, and Zlatan Živković on drums. The new lineup released the comeback album ''Na travi'' (''On the Grass'') in 2001. All the songs on the album were authored by Pađen, with "A do Splita pet" ("And Five More to

Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enter ...

") and "Badnja noć" ("Christmas Night") becoming hits. In 2003, Pađen released his solo album ''

Žicanje ''Žicanje'' is the first solo album by the Croatian guitarist Jurica Pađen, released through Croatia Records in September 2005. The album was recorded in early 2005 in SYAM Studio in Zagreb and contains 15 instrumental tracks featuring Remo Ca ...

'' (''Wiring''), featuring his instrumentals inspired by 1960s music, with Šojat and Aerodrom former bass guitarist Remo Krstanović Cartagine taking part in the recording. The album was awarded with Fender Award for the Best Croatian Instrumental Album. Simultaneously, Pađen formed the supergroup

4 Asa 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is a square number, the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. Evolution of the Hi ...

(''4 Aces'') with

Vlado Kalember Vladimir "Vlado" Kalember (born 26 April 1953) is a Croatian pop singer, famous for his recognisable, husky voice. In the 1970s, he was the vocalist of the popular pop band, Srebrna Krila. After leaving the band, he continued with a solo care ...

Alen Islamović Alija "Alen" Islamović (born 17 August 1957) is a Bosnian rock vocalist. He is best known as the lead singer of Bosnian and Yugoslav rock bands Divlje jagode from 1981 to 1986 and Bijelo Dugme from 1986 to 1989. Born Alija Islamović in Bihać ...

and

, releasing two studio albums, one live album and one video album with the band, all releases consisting of new versions of the band members' old songs. In 2007, Pađen, Šojat and new drummer Slavko Pintarić "Pišta" (formerly of

Srebrna Krila Yugoslavia was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1988 with the song "" , written by Rajko Dujmić and Stevo Cvikić, and performed by Srebrna krila. The Yugoslav participating broadcaster, (JRT), selected its entry through ''1988''. ...

) recorded the album ''

'', the first album to feature Pađen as the sole remaining original member of Aerodrom and the first to be released under Jurica Pađen & Aerodrom moniker. Alongside Pađen's new songs, the album featured the old song "Fait Accompli", co-written by Pađen and

Branimir Štulić Branimir "Johnny" Štulić (born April 11, 1953) is a Yugoslav singer-songwriter, musician and author, best known for being the frontman of the popular Yugoslav rock group Azra. He is known for his charismatic stage performances and inspiring ...

and dedicated to

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...

. In 2009, the band released their first live album, '' Hitovi i legende'' (''Hits and Legends''). The album was recorded on Jurica Pađen & Aerodrom concert in Tvornica kulture club in Zagreb held on 13 December 2008, and featured, alongside Aerodrom and Pađen Band songs, the songs of other Zagreb bands the members of the group played with. Since 2009, the band performs in the lineup featuring Pađen, Šojat, Ivan Havidić (guitar) and Damir Medić (drums). The lineup recorded the 2012 studio album ''

Taktika noja ''Taktika noja'' is the eighth album of the Croatian rock band Aerodrom, released through Menart Records on 3 December 2012. The album debuted at #23 on the official Croatian Top 40 chart and peaked at #13 in the next week.http://www.hdu-toplist ...

'' (''Ostrich Tactics''), which brought the hits "Loše volje" ("In a Bad Mood"), "Ostani" ("Stay") and "Duh je nestao" ("The Spirit Is Gone"). In 2014, Pađen released the solo album ''

All Stars An all-star is an individual with a high level of performance in their field. All-star or All Star may also refer to: Awards * GAA GPA All Stars Awards, annual awards given to practitioners of Gaelic games ** Camogie All Stars Awards ** Ladies' ...

'', featuring instrumental tracks he recorded with Branimir Štulić,

Husein Hasanefendić Husein Hasanefendić "Hus" (born 30 January 1954) is a Croatian and Yugoslav rock musician, songwriter and music producer, best known as the guitarist, leader and principal songwriter of the highly popular band Parni Valjak. Hasanefendić rose ...

Massimo Savić Massimo Moreno Savić (6 June 1962 – 23 December 2022), also known simply as Massimo, was a Croatian pop singer. Biography Savić was born in Pula. His father Sergio was from Banjevci, Municipality of Stankovci, near Lake Vrana. His mother ...

Neno Belan Nenad "Neno" Belan (born 2 February 1962) is a Croatian rock musician known as the frontman of Đavoli, as well as for his solo work. Biography Early career Neno Belan started his career as a teenager in the band Losos, Kavijar i Marsovi Bizon ...

Zele Lipovača Zele () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders, around 20 kilometers east of Ghent. The municipality only comprises the town of Zele proper. In 2023, Zele had a total population of 21,374. The total area is 33km2 which ...

and

Nikša Bratoš Nikša Bratoš (born 17 August 1959) is a Croatian musician. He is known for having played in bands Bonton Baya, Valentino and Crvena jabuka. He has worked on songs for a variety of Croatian pop artists. Biography Bratoš was born in 1959, an ...

. In 2018,

Croatia Records Croatia Records is a record label in Croatia owned by AUTOR d.o.o., based in Zagreb. Summary Croatia Records d.d. is a joint-stock company currently led by the chief executive officer Želimir Babogredac, a sound engineer. It releases mostly (but ...

released the box set ''The Original Album Collection'' featuring reissues of the first five studio albums by Aerodrom. In 2019, Jurica Pađen & Aerodrom released their latest studio album, ''

Dnevni rituali ''Dnevni rituali'' is the ninth studio album of the Croatian rock band Aerodrom, released through Croatia Records on 22 November 2019. The album is recorded by the same band members like their previous studio release '' Taktika noja''. The album ...

'' (''Everyday Rituals''), with

hippie movement The hippie subculture (also known as the flower people) began its development as a teenager and youth movement in the United States from the mid-1960s to early 1970s and then developed around the world. Its origins may be traced to European soc ...

–inspired song "Sunce mi se smije" ("The Sun Is Laughing at Me") becoming a hit.

Legacy

Aerodrom song "Obična ljubavna pesma" was covered, under the title "Gdy Miasto Śpi (Snem Kamiennym)" ("When the City Sleeps (Dead Asleep)"), on the 2001 album ''

Yugoton ''Yugoton'' is a tribute album to the former Yugoslav rock scene released in Poland by ZIC ZAC Music Company and BMG Poland in 2001. It features cover versions of eminent ex-Yugoslav artists performed in Polish by the cover band named Yugoton, ...

'', featuring covers of songs of Yugoslav rock acts by

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...

musicians. The same song was covered by the Croatian

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band Postolar Tripper on their 2007 album ''Zamisli život u ritmu cipela za ples'' (''Imagine a Life in the Rhythm of Dancing Shoes''). Croatian singer

Marko Tolja Marko Tolja (born 3 July 1984) is a Croatian singer. Career 1984–2005: Early life and education Marko Tolja was born on 3 July 1984 in Rijeka to Koraljka and Darko Tolja. Tolja gained his first musical experiences with his uncle Davor, who san ...

and

Croatian Radiotelevision ''Hrvatska radiotelevizija'' ( HRT), or Croatian Radiotelevision, is a Croatian public broadcasting company. It operates several radio and television channels, over a domestic transmitter network as well as satellite. HRT is divided into three ...

Jazz Orchestra recorded a swing cover of Aerodrom song "Stavi pravu stvar", releasing it on the album of the same title in 2017. In 2000, "Fratello" was polled No.87 on the

Rock Express Top 100 Yugoslav Rock Songs of All Times (''Top 100 Yugoslav Rock Songs of All Times'') was a list compiled by the Serbian music magazine ''Rock Express''. In 1999, ''Rock Express'' started the poll for the selection of top 100 Yugoslav rock songs. The whole list was published in the 25 ...

list.

Members

;Current members * Jurica "Jura" Pađen - guitar (1978–1987, 2000–present), vocals (1982–1987, 2000–present) *Tomislav Šojat - bass guitar (2000–present) *Ivan Havidić - guitar (2009–present) *Damir Medić - drums (2009–present) ;Past members *Zlatan Živković – vocals (1978–1982, 1986–1987), drums (1986–1987, 2000–2005) *Remo Krstanović Cartagine – bass guitar (1978–1987) *Paolo Sfeci – drums (1978–1980) *Mladen Krajnik – keyboards (1978–1981, 2000–2005) *Branko Knežević – drums (1980–1984) *Zoran Kraš – keyboards (1981–1984) *Nenad Smoljanović – drums (1984–1986) *Alen Bjelinski – keyboards (1984) *Slavko Pintarić "Pišta" – drums (2005–2009)

Timeline

ImageSize = width:950 height:auto barincrement:22 PlotArea = left:110 bottom:80 top:0 right:10 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1978 till:01/03/2021 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom ScaleMajor = increment:3 start:1978 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1978 Colors = id:Vocals value:red legend:Vocals id:Guitar value:green legend:Guitar id:Bass value:blue legend:Bass id:Drums value:orange legend:Drums id:Keyboards value:purple legend:Keyboards id:Lines value:black legend:Studio_album id:Lines2 value:gray(0.7) legend:Recording_of_Live_album id:bars value:gray(0.95) BackgroundColors = bars:bars LineData = at:01/11/1979 color:black layer:back at:01/03/1981 color:black layer:back at:01/05/1982 color:black layer:back at:01/05/1984 color:black layer:back at:01/05/1986 color:black layer:back at:01/11/2001 color:black layer:back at:01/12/2007 color:black layer:back at:03/12/2012 color:black layer:back at:22/11/2019 color:black layer:back at:13/12/2008 color:Lines2 layer:back BarData = bar:Pađen text:"Jurica Pađen" bar:Pađen1 text:"Jurica Pađen" bar:Živković text:"Zlatan Živković" bar:Cartagine text:"Remo Cartagine" bar:Šojat text:"Tomislav Šojat" bar:Sfeci text:"Paolo Sfeci" bar:Knežević text:"Branko Knežević" bar:Smoljanović text:"Nenad Smoljanović" bar:Živković1 text:"Zlatan Živković" bar:Pintarić text:"Slavko Pintarić" bar:Medić text:"Damir Medić" bar:Havidić text:"Ivan Havidić" bar:Krajnik text:"Mladen Krajnik" bar:Kraš text:"Zoran Kraš" PlotData= width:10 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Pađen from:01/01/1978 till:01/12/1986 color:guitar bar:Pađen from:01/12/2000 till:end color:guitar bar:Pađen1 from:01/01/1982 till:01/12/1986 color:vocals bar:Pađen1 from:01/12/2000 till:end color:vocals bar:Živković from:01/01/1978 till:01/01/1982 color:vocals bar:Cartagine from:01/01/1978 till:01/12/1986 color:bass bar:Šojat from:01/12/2000 till:end color:bass bar:Sfeci from:01/01/1978 till:01/06/1980 color:drums bar:Knežević from:01/06/1980 till:01/01/1984 color:drums bar:Smoljanović from:01/01/1984 till:01/01/1986 color:drums bar:Živković1 from:01/01/1986 till:01/12/1986 color:drums bar:Živković1 from:01/12/2000 till:01/01/2005 color:drums bar:Pintarić from:01/01/2005 till:01/06/2008 color:drums bar:Medić from:01/06/2009 till:end color:drums bar:Havidić from:01/02/2008 till:end color:guitar bar:Krajnik from:01/01/1978 till:01/01/1982 color:keyboards bar:Krajnik from:01/12/2000 till:01/01/2005 color:keyboards bar:Kraš from:01/01/1982 till:01/01/1984 color:keyboards

Discography

Studio albums

*''Kad misli mi vrludaju'' (1979) *''Tango bango'' (1981) *''

'' (1982) *''

'' (1984) *'' Trojica u mraku'' (1986) *''Na travi'' (2001) *''

'' (2007) *''

'' (2012) *''

'' (2019)

Live albums

*'' Hitovi i legende'' (2009)

Compilations

*'' Flash Back 1979-1986'' (1996) *'' The Ultimate Collection'' (2008) *''Greatest Hits'' (2020)

Box Sets

*''The Original Album Collection'' (2018)

References

External links

Official Youtube channelAerodrom
at

Discogs Discogs ( ; short for " discographies") is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. Database contents are user-generated, and described in ''T ...

{{Authority control Croatian rock music groups Croatian progressive rock groups Croatian new wave musical groups Yugoslav rock music groups Yugoslav progressive rock groups Musical groups established in 1978 Musical groups disestablished in 1987 Musical groups reestablished in 2000 1978 establishments in Yugoslavia Articles which contain graphical timelines 1970s establishments in Croatia Musical groups from Zagreb Jugoton artists