The Bates were a German punk band, founded in Eschwege, federal state of Hessen, in 1987.

The name referred to the character Norman Bates from Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film, Psycho.

The Beatles ("Helter Skelter"), Rolling Stones ("Out of Time"), The Cure ("Wailing Wall"), Sailor ("Glass of Champagne"), Aneka ("Japanese Boy"), and Eiffel 65 ("Blue") were covered in the album in typical Bates style.

Amongst the Bates' most commercially successful singles was their cover version of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" (1995), which reached No.

The band members reunited only briefly in December 2006 to play one concert, as a tribute to their former singer Markus "Zimbl" Zimmer, who had died earlier that year.