Rock You Like a Hurricane
"Rock You Like a Hurricane" | ||||
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Single by Scorpions | ||||
from the album Love at First Sting | ||||
Released | 7 February 1984 | |||
Recorded | 1983 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:11 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Dieter Dierks | |||
Scorpions singles chronology | ||||
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Audio | ||||
"Rock You Like a Hurricane" on YouTube |
"Rock You Like a Hurricane" is a song by German rock band Scorpions, considered as their signature song. The song was released as the lead single from their ninth studio album, Love at First Sting (1984). It was written by Klaus Meine, Herman Rarebell, Rudolf Schenker and arranged/produced by Dieter Dierks. The lyrics of "Rock You Like a Hurricane" also reference the title of the album on which it originally appeared – Love at First Sting.
Musical style[]
The song is a combination of hair metal,[3][4][5][6] heavy metal,[7] hard rock,[8] and arena rock.[9]
Chart performance[]
"Rock You Like a Hurricane" reached number 25 in the USA Billboard Hot 100, greatly contributing to the album's success, and MTV put the video in heavy rotation.[citation needed]
Accolades[]
In 2006, VH1 named "Rock You Like a Hurricane" number 31 on their 40 Greatest Metal Songs[10] and in 2009 it was named the 18th greatest hard rock song of all time also by VH1.[11] On 15 November 2010 it was named the number 4 best riff of the '80s.[12] The racetrack depicted on the single's sleeve corresponds to the Circuito Permanente de Jerez, located in Spain.
Re-recordings[]
A new version was recorded in 2000 as "Hurricane 2000" on the album Moment of Glory, featuring Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra backing the track. In the same way, it was titled "Hurricane 2001" when played on the follow-up Acoustica. A third re-recording by the band features on their album Comeblack, released in 2011. The 2011 Comeblack re-recording was featured in 2014 in a commercial for Fiber One cookies and the 2015 horror comedy film Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse. A version recorded in Spanish by Steph Honde and Micki Milosevic under the name of Unprotected Innocence was featured in and on the score for the 2019 Hellboy film. Rachel Bloom recorded a version of the song for Trolls World Tour as her character Barb.
Personnel[]
Band members
- Klaus Meine – lead vocals
- Rudolf Schenker – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Matthias Jabs – lead guitar, rhythm guitar
- Francis Buchholz – bass
- Herman Rarebell – drums[13]
Production
- Dieter Dierks – producer, mixing
- Gerd Rautenbach – engineer, mastering
Charts[]
Chart (1984–1985) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canadian RPM Top 100[14] | 37 |
France Top 50 | 17 |
UK Singles Chart | 78 |
US Billboard Hot 100 | 25 |
US Billboard Top Rock Tracks | 5 |
Certifications[]
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United Kingdom (BPI)[15] | Silver | 200,000![]() |
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References[]
- ^ 'Rock You Like a Hurricane' / 'Coming Home' (Media notes). Scorpions. EMI Electrola / Harvest. 1C 006 2000347.
Made in EEC.
CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) The release contains the acronyms "GEMA" and "STEMRA". - ^ 'Rock You Like a Hurricane' / 'Coming Home' (Media notes). Scorpions. EMI Records. HAR 5225.
Manufactured in the UK by EMI Records Limited.
CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ December 2015, Sleazegrinder 04. "The 20 Best Hair Metal Anthems Of All Time Ever". loudersound. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
- ^ "First Worsts: Remembering When Bon Jovi Gave "Hair Metal" A Bad Name". The Village Voice. 4 June 2012. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
and such catchy (and, I must say, excellent) pop-metal songs as Ratt’s “Round and Round” or the Scorpions’ “Rock You Like a Hurricane”
- ^ Weber, Barry, Rock You Like a Hurricane - Scorpions, retrieved 2 March 2021
- ^ Blistein, Jon (24 May 2021). "Toyah Willcox Busts Out the Catsuit for Scorpions Cover With Robert Fripp". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
- ^ "Hit Parader Salutes 20 Years of Metal - Various Artists". AllMusic.
- ^ "Top 100 Classic Rock Artists". Ultimate Classic Rock. 8 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
- ^ Platinum Collection [Box Set] - Scorpions | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 8 April 2021
- ^ "VH1 40 Greatest Metal Songs". RateYourMusic. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
- ^ "Vh1 Top 100 Hard Rock Songs". Archived from the original on 14 May 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
- ^ "Start Me Up: The Top 10 Riffs of the 1980s". Gibson.com. Archived from the original on 14 August 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
- ^ "Love at First Sting". Scorpions official website. Archived from the original on 8 December 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Archived from the original on 10 July 2015.
- ^ "British single certifications – Scorpions – Rock You Like a Hurricane". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
External links[]
- Scorpions (band) songs
- 1984 songs
- 1984 singles
- Songs written by Rudolf Schenker
- Songs written by Klaus Meine
- Mercury Records singles
- Harvest Records singles