80s On 6 March 1989, a compilation double album of 25 tracks, entitled ‘Greenpeace: Breakthrough’, was released in the Soviet Union, the proceeds of which will be used to establish Greenpeace Russia. The deal, set up with the state record company Melodiya, saw the release of 3 million double albums and 500,000 double cassettes, representing the first major release and largest pressing of Western rock music in the Soviet Union. Each album also contained a 16-page booklet giving an overview of the world’s major environmental problems and introducing Greenpeace to the Russian public. The artists, who all donated their tracks to the album, included Peter Gabriel, the Pretenders, Dire Straits, U2, the Eurythmics, Talking Heads, Sting, the Grateful Dead and Bryan Adams. A dozen of the artists went to Moscow for the album’s launch. Within hours, the first half million records were sold, reaching a million by 15 May. One Soviet journalist remarked, “Every time you plug in an electric appliance in the Soviet Union you hear the Greenpeace album.”
image Featured artists in Red Square for the release of the Greenpeace ‘Breakthrough’ album in the Soviet Union © Mike Midgley / Greenpeace
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