Being a veteran musician, he is often credited for motivating audiences with his emotional lyrics and powerful melodies, establishing himself as a cornerstone of the German music scene.

In 1980, the album Revanche ("Revenge") broke his previous record, selling more than 2.1 million copies.

Maffay also created a string of fairy tales about a little green dragon named Tabaluga.

The tour included Maffay, Alexis, Nino de Angelo, Rufus Beck, and Carl Carlton, among others.

In 1998, Maffay created an album in collaboration with global artists, including Aboriginal singers and musicians from Israel, called "Begegnungen".

Maffay also starred in two films directed by Peter Patzak—Lethal Obsession in 1987 and Captive in Yemen [de] in 1999—for which Tony Carey provided the soundtrack.

Altogether, Maffay has sold over 40 million records, which makes him one of the top selling artists in Germany.

Likewise, for many years, Bertram Engel (drums), Ken Taylor (bass), and Jean-Jacques Kravetz (piano) have worked together with Maffay.

He is a peace activist, and in 2005 he performed a concert for German International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops in Afghanistan.

On the Spanish island of Mallorca, he established a ranch where traumatised children from all over the world can have a free two-week holiday to help them cope with their problems.