Scorpions

German rock outfit the Scorpions first rose to notice through their 1982 single "No One Like You" together with the 1984 anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane." The group has moved more than 22 million units worldwide, placing them among the most commercially durable rock acts to emerge from Continental Europe. Rudolf Schenker assembled the band in 1969, after which countless personnel shifts occurred until the early 1980s delivered a string of blockbuster albums—Animal Magnetism, Blackout, Love at First Sting, Savage Amusement, and Crazy World—whose final entry yielded the massive international single and post-Cold War staple "Winds of Change." European audiences continued to fill arenas in subsequent decades while the band maintained a consistent output of live, compilation, and studio recordings, among them the platinum-certified Sting in the Tail from 2010 and the anthemic Rock Believer issued in 2022.

Schenker founded the original configuration that same year, serving as rhythm guitarist and vocalist alongside lead guitarist Karl-Heinz Follmer, bassist Lothar Heimberg, and drummer Wolfgang Dziony. Michael Schenker, Rudolf’s younger brother, entered on lead guitar in 1971 while longtime associate Klaus Meine assumed vocal duties. The resulting lineup cut Lonesome Crow in 1972, which supplied the soundtrack for the German film Das Kalte Paradies. Although commercial traction remained elusive, British rock band UFO recognized Michael Schenker’s playing and recruited him as their lead guitarist; he departed Scorpions in 1973. Uli Jon Roth stepped in, steering the group through four RCA releases: Fly to the Rainbow (1974), In Trance (1975), Virgin Killer (1976), and Taken by Force (1977).

Those albums found stronger reception in Japan than in the United States. By the release of Taken by Force, Roth chose to exit and form Electric Sun, believing his musical direction diverged too sharply from the band’s path. Tokyo Tapes, a double-live set captured in Tokyo with Roth, appeared in 1978. Shortly afterward, Michael Schenker was dismissed from UFO amid ongoing alcohol issues and rejoined Scorpions in 1979 once they had signed with Mercury Records. Lovedrive surfaced that year, coinciding with the band’s inaugural American tour; the album struggled to gain traction and was banned in the U.S. over its sexually explicit artwork. Still battling substance problems, Michael repeatedly missed dates, prompting guitarist Matthias Jabs to substitute on those occasions. Michael ultimately left again after concluding he could no longer meet the group’s expectations.

With Klaus Meine handling vocals, Rudolf Schenker on rhythm guitar, Matthias Jabs on lead, Francis Buchholz on bass, and Herman Rarebell on drums, the band issued Animal Magnetism in 1980 and launched another global trek. The album unexpectedly achieved gold status in the United States, prompting an immediate return to the studio. Work halted when Meine lost his voice and required vocal-cord surgery; speculation mounted that he had been replaced by metal singer Don Dokken. Meine dispelled the rumors by returning for the 1982 album Blackout, which included the cult favorite "No One Like You." The record sold over a million copies in the U.S. alone. Its successor, 1984’s Love at First Sting, elevated the band to superstar status, propelled by the MTV staple "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and eventual double-platinum certification. An extensive world tour followed, showcasing high-energy performances and elaborate stage production.

After the 1985 live set World Wide Live, the group took a two-year break. Tenth studio album Savage Amusement arrived in 1988, buoyed by the hit ballad "Rhythm of Love." Crazy World followed in 1990 and remains their biggest-selling U.S. release, anchored by the chart-topping ballad "Wind of Change." No subsequent studio effort matched that level of American success. By the time Face the Heat appeared in 1993, many longtime supporters had drifted away amid the early-’90s alternative surge. The album eventually earned gold certification, and Live Bites surfaced in 1995. Bassist Ralph Rieckermann and drummer James Kottak joined for 1996’s Pure Instinct. Mercury compiled Deadly Sting: The Mercury Years in 1997.

Eye II Eye, an excursion into pop-techno textures, emerged in summer 1999. Moment of Glory, recorded with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and featuring updated renditions of earlier classics, arrived the following fall. Unbreakable, the band’s fifteenth studio album, was released in 2004, followed by the concept album Humanity: Hour 1 in 2007. Sting in the Tail appeared in 2010, accompanied by an announcement that the group would retire after a farewell tour. While still on the road the next year, they issued Comeblack, a collection that revisited signature tracks and added covers of songs by T. Rex, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones. In 2013 the band performed several acoustic concerts for MTV Unplugged and later compiled highlights into a double-live album. Return to Forever, their eighteenth studio release, arrived in early 2015 with twelve songs written between 2011 and 2014 and tracked in Sweden alongside producers Mikael Nord Andersson and Martin Hansen. Born to Touch Your Feelings: Best Rock Ballads followed in 2017, gathering archival ballads alongside two newly recorded pieces. Multiple personal and external factors, including the replacement of drummer Kottak by Mikkey Dee, stretched the interval before the next album to seven years. Rock Believer finally appeared in 2022, spotlighting the hard-charging "Peacemaker" and the expansive power ballad "When You Know (Where You Come From)."