The 10 Best Scorpion Songs of All-Time
Rudolf Schenker formed The Scorpions in 1965 in Hanover, Germany. Besides lead vocalist Schenker, the original lineup was lead guitarist Karl-Heinz Folmer, bassist Lothar Heimberg, and drummer Wolfgang Dziony. In 1971, Schenker’s younger brother started playing lead guitar for the band, and Klaus Meine became the vocalist. Lonesome Crow has recorded in1972, and the German movie Das Kalte Paradies was used for their soundtrack. The only member to recognize by 1973 was Michael Schenker, who left to play lead guitar in another group. Jon Roth replaced him, and The Scorpions recorded four albums under the RCA label; Fly to the Rainbow, In Trance, Virgin Killer, and Taken by Force. Although The Scorpions weren’t popular in the United States, they were gaining attention in Japan. Roth decided to leave the band because the group wasn’t rising on the charts. Since Michael Schenker was available, the group went back to their previous lineup. The Scorpions signed with Mercury Records in 1979. It was the same year they released Lovedrive and did their first American tour. Neither were successful since The United States banned the album because the cover contained a questionable picture.
Before starting another world tour in 1980, the group did another lineup change. Their next album went gold in the United States. Even though their lead vocalist had throat issues and needed to postpone the release of their album. They came back strong with their following several albums, including Love at First Sting, which included one of their most famous songs, which led to sold-out stadiums and their most successful tour to date. After a live album, The Scorpions took several years off from the music industry before releasing their tenth studio album. In the early 90s, many had fans had moved on, embracing the upcoming grunge scene. The group experimented with pop and techno, released several greatest hits albums, and performed with The Berlin Philharmonic. In 2010, they announced their retirement. However, a year later, they released an album called Comeback featuring some of their most well-known songs and several covers by groups like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. During 2013, they performed several concerts on MTV Unplugged. Three more albums followed, including Born to Touch Your Feelings: Best Rock Ballads. According to their website, The Scorpions have sold over 100 million records making them the most globally successful band in Europe. These are the ten best Scorpions songs of all time.
10. Big City Nights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmE_l_dN9UM
The song was released on August 8, 2000, the third single on Bad Boys Runnin Wild. The guitar at the beginning of the song is airy. Schenker’s distinctive voice sweeps across the driving rhythms of electric guitar and drum punctuations. The song’s refrain echoes the feeling we have when we get lost in a crowd, and only the energy of what we want keeps us going.
9. Tease Me Please
In November 1990, the group released this song, the second single from their eleventh studio album Crazy World. The song opens with an intense guitar solo, clear and electric. The life of a rockstar is excess and seeking all of the things you want in the present without thinking about the future and how your decisions will affect you.
8. Believe in Love
Even though this 1988 song’s title makes and passionate opening guitar solo might make you think this song is about finding love. Yet, as the lyrics progress, it’s evident that this song is about a woman playing with someone’s emotions just because she can. Overall, the music sounds like Cinderella’s song. Don’t Know What You Got.
7. Always Somewhere
This song was part of Lovedrive, released in January 1979, right as the band became famous. Even though Schenker’s voice has an emotive quality, the lyrics in this song feel much more personal. The song is about the heartbreak of being away from friends and family while touring.
6. Still Loving You
It’s difficult when you want a second chance, but the other person just dismisses you and continues to move on. The opening guitar chords are evocative and sedate. The song’s instrumentation sounds like a journey, starting from melancholy of loss to a real pain of knowing it’s not going to happen. As the lyrics progress, the listener hears refrains of sad ballads against electric guitar riffs that subtly sweep into the song.
5. The Zoo
This song appears on the album Animal Magnetism. The combination of lighter drum functions and the sinister guitar plays well into the lyrics of this song. Life is a series of events. Sometimes they are the daily grind of 9 to 5, but when you are out on the town in the evening, you begin to feel the energy of those around you and can escape conventionality.
4. Rhythm of Love
The instrumentation in this 1988 hit is a time machine back to the days when hard rock and heavy metal bands ruled the charts with songs that still sounded raw and not mass-produced in a studio. Schenker’s voice is at full range in this song, blending effortlessly with infectious electric guitar solos.
3. Wind of Change
In the 1990s, power ballads ruled the charts. However, unlike songs like Whitesnake’s Here I Go Again or Poison’s Every Rose Has It’s Thorn, the Scorpions delivered one about all the tumultuous events happening in Europe.
2. Rock You Like A Hurricane
When reflecting on The Scorpions catalog, this song is probably the first you think about; an arena rock dream. Everything about the music fills either your headphones or a packed stadium with energy. Even though the lyrics are laden with sexual innuendo, they’re so infectious and memorable it’s impossible not to sing along.
1. Send Me An Angel
Even though the group built their success on songs that amped up their fans and lyrics that paid homage to the extravagant lifestyle of rock singers, the group stripped down everything about their style on this song. Most of the lyrics are laden with imagery from many different religions. It’s about seeking something beyond what you can see. Additionally, it’s about the intense soul journey to wholeness.