Scorpions formed in Hanover, Germany, in 1965. They released their debut album, Lonesome Crow, in 1972. However, they wouldn’t become the hard rock powerhouse they are today until the early 1980s. Albums like Animal Magnetism, Love at First Sting, and Crazy World put the band on the map. Their songs “Rock You Like a Hurricane” and “Winds of Change” are nothing short of iconic.
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Scorpions are one of the longest-running and best-selling rock bands in the world. They’re also still making music today. Their most recent album, Rock Believer, dropped in 2022. However, this insanely talented band is often overlooked when it comes to conversations about hard rock and metal bands from the 1970s and ‘80s. Here are a few songs to prove they deserve much more love than they get.
[RELATED: The Sexual Meaning Behind “Rock You Like A Hurricane” by Scorpions]
1. “Winds of Change”
There are songs based on real-world events, then there’s “Winds of Change.” Written by vocalist Klaus Meine, the song is his reflection on the end of the Cold War and the end of the Soviet Union. Scorpions performed at the Moscow Music Peace Festival in 1989. While in Russia, Meine sat and reflected on the major changes the world had experienced in the recent years.
Many also connect the song with the Revolutions of 1989 that brought about the fall of communism in Russia as well as the fall of the Berlin Wall. Additionally, a conspiracy theory states that the CIA had a hand in writing the song. Meine, however, has consistently denied this claim.
2. “Rock You Like a Hurricane”
“Rock You Like a Hurricane” is essentially the granddaddy of the hard rock anthems that came out during the 1980s. The lead single from Scorpions’ 1984 album, Love at First Sting, is hailed as one of the greatest rock songs in history. It’s also the band’s most popular and influential release to date. It’s hard to overstate just how cool this song is.
3. “Virgin Killer”
Many know Scorpions for the two songs above. They’re great tunes, but there isn’t a lot of edge to either. However, the title track of their 1976 album, Virgin Killer, proves they weren’t afraid to take on dark topics. The seemingly taunts the would-be victim of a serial killer with a very specific victim type.
More than dark lyrics, “Virgin Killer” delivers some great hard rock riffing and solos that the band would carry over into the 1980s.
4. “No One Like You”
By the time the 1980s came around, Scorpions were looking for commercial hard rock success. Their 1982 album Blackout is a great example of how their sound evolved to become more commercially viable while retaining the musicality of previous releases. “No One Like You” was an early look at the band’s ability to forge catchy melodies and create classic power ballads. Songs like this and “Still Loving You” showcase the emotional depth of Klaus Meine’s vocals.
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