Artists

Best known for their 1982 hit "No One Like You" and the 1984 anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane," German rockers the Scorpions have sold over 22 million records, making them one of the most successful rock bands to ever come out of Continental Europe. Originally formed in 1969 by Rudolf Schenker, the band went through numerous lineup changes before hitting its stride in the early '80s with the highly successful albums Animal Magnetism, Blackout, Love at First Sting, Savage Amusement, and Crazy World, the latter of which boasted the huge international hit and post-Cold War anthem "Winds of Change." The band remained popular in Europe as the decades progressed, playing to huge crowds and releasing a steady stream of concert, compilation, and studio albums, including 2010's platinum-selling Sting in the Tail and 2022's anthemic Rock Believer. Founded in 1969 by Rudolf Schenker, the original lineup consisted of rhythm guitarist/vocalist Schenker, lead guitarist Karl-Heinz Follmer, bassist Lothar Heimberg, and drummer Wolfgang Dziony. In 1971, Schenker's younger brother Michael joined the band to play lead guitar and good friend Klaus Meine became the vocalist. The group recorded Lonesome Crow in 1972, which was used as the soundtrack to the German movie Das Kalte Paradies. Although they failed to attract the public's attention, the early incarnation of '70s rock band UFO noticed Michael Schenker's guitar playing and hired him as their lead guitarist; Michael left the band in 1973. Guitarist Uli Jon Roth replaced him, and under his guidance the group released four albums under the RCA record label: Fly to the Rainbow (1974), In Trance (1975), Virgin Killer (1976), and Taken by Force (1977). Although these efforts failed to attain any serious attention in the United States, they were all quite popular in Japan. By the time Taken by Force was released, Roth made the decision to leave the band and form Electric Sun after feeling that his musical ideas would take the group in an entirely different direction. Tokyo Tapes, a double-live album that the group recorded in Tokyo with Roth, was released in 1978. Shortly after Roth's departure, Michael Schenker was kicked out of UFO for his constant alcohol abuse and came back to play with Scorpions in 1979 after they signed with Mercury Records. The group released Lovedrive that same year and played their first American tour, but Lovedrive failed to attract attention, and was banned in the United States because of its sexually explicit cover. Still coping with his drug and alcohol addiction, Michael repeatedly missed tour dates and guitarist Matthias Jabs was hired to fill in for him on nights when he was absent. Michael would eventually leave Scorpions a second time after realizing that he was failing to meet their expectations.