Babis Tsertos
A Greek musical force who blended traditional folk with contemporary rock, creating a sound that defined a generation and gave voice to social change.
Born 1956 (age 70)·Greek musician·Birthday: October 27·Baby Boomers
Biography
Born in 1956, Babis Tsertos grew up in a household filled with music, his father's mandolin providing an early soundtrack. Moving to Athens at seventeen, he initially pursued physics at university, but the city's vibrant cultural scene pulled him toward a different path. He emerged as a central figure in the Greek artistic renaissance of the 1980s, not just as a musician but as a composer and producer. His work, often characterized by its poetic lyricism and fusion of folk instruments with modern arrangements, moved beyond entertainment to capture the political and social anxieties of post-dictatorship Greece. Tsertos became a collaborator of choice for many of the country's leading vocalists, shaping the sound of popular music for decades. His influence extends from intimate folk ballads to expansive theatrical scores, marking him as a versatile architect of modern Greek sound.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Babis was born in 1956, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Babis Was Born
The biggest hits of 1956
#1 Movie
The Ten Commandments
Best Picture
Around the World in 80 Days
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Babis's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1956Born
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1961Started school
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1969Became a teenager
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Could drive
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1974Could vote
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Turned 21
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1986Turned 30
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 40
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 50
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 60
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 70
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Pioneered the 'entechno' (artistic) folk-rock genre in Greece during the 1980s.
- Composed and produced music for numerous celebrated Greek singers, including Haris Alexiou and Dimitra Galani.
- Created acclaimed musical scores for major theatrical productions and Greek cinema.
- Released a series of influential solo albums that blended traditional Greek melodies with contemporary instrumentation.
Did You Know?
His sister is the popular Greek singer Nadia Karagianni.
He was enrolled in the Faculty of Physics at the University of Athens before focusing fully on music.
He is known for his mastery of the bouzouki and other stringed instruments.
“The lyre is not an ancient relic; it's a newspaper that reports the soul.”
