Songoftheday 8/8/13 - My cat is purring and scratches my skin So what is wrong with another sin?...

Scorpions - "Rock You Like A Hurricane"
from the album Love At First Sting (1984)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #25 (one week)
Weeks in the Top-40: 7

Today's Song of the Day is by the German heavy-metal group Scorpions, whose start was way back in the mid-60's with guitarist Rudolph Schenker recruiteed his brother Michael and singer Klaus Meine by the start of the nexr decade. After a shuffling of players with Michael leaving to join the British band UFO, the Scorpions released their debut album in 1972, with Michael and new lead guitarist Uli Roth both appearing on it.

However it wasn't until the end of the 70s with Michael's brief return to the band that they first got their break with their sixth studio effort Love Drive, which gave them a top-40 hit in England with "Is There Anybody There?". But the brother didn't last long (getting the boot for missing tour dates) and replaced by Matthew Jabs.

In 1982, the Scorpions released Blackout, which would become their first top-10 album in the US, and the first single from the set, "No One Like You", would end up topping the rock chart in American and be their first top-40 hit in their homeland. A successful tour built up anticipation for their next set two years later.

That album, Love At First Sting, brought with it the band's mainstream breakthrough, as the first single "Rock You Like A Hurricane" dominated MTV and permeated pop radio as well. Written by Schenker and Meine along with drummer Herman Rarebell, and produced by longtime collaborator Dieter Dierks, the record would become a top-40 hit without giving up their metal attitude...

"Rock You Like A Hurricane" reached the American top-40 in May of 1984, while going as high as #5 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. But while becoming a top-20 hit in France, the song didn't even reach the chart in their home country. The album would also be a big hit, topping off at #6.

The thing I love the most about the Scorpions and this song is that there was a time in hard rock that you didn't have to have perfect hair or clothes, just the right attitude and songs to grab an audience. "Glam-metal" like Poison and Motley Crue would change all that.

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A year later the band released their World Wide Live concert album, and here's "Rock You Like A Hurricane" from the set which made the top-20 on the albums chart in 1985...

And here they are again with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra...

Lastly, "Rock You Like A Hurricane" was used in the musical adaptation Rock Of Ages with Tom Cruise and Julianne Hough providing the vocals...


Oh, lord.

Up tomorrow: Some musical anatomy.