Scorpions 50 th Anniversary

Tokyo Tapes is the first live album by German hard rock band Scorpions and their final album released by RCA Records…

Scorpions is a German rock band formed in 1965 in Hanover by Rudolf Schenker. Since the band's inception, its musical style has ranged from hard rock to heavy metal. The lineup from 1978–92 was the most successful incarnation of the group, and included Klaus Meine (vocals), Rudolf Schenker (rhythm guitar), Matthias Jabs (lead guitar), Francis Buchholz (bass guitar), and Herman Rarebell (drums)…

Scorpions is a German rock band formed in 1965 in Hanover by Rudolf Schenker. Since the band's inception, its musical style has ranged from hard rock to heavy metal. The lineup from 1978–92 was the most successful incarnation of the group, and included Klaus Meine (vocals), Rudolf Schenker (rhythm guitar), Matthias Jabs (lead guitar), Francis Buchholz (bass guitar), and Herman Rarebell (drums)…

The average listener with only a passing interest in heavy metal might be surprised that the Scorpions had been recording since 1972 – they actually formed in 1965 – as their success in the United States didn't really begin until the release of 1982's Blackout. Hip-O's Box of Scorpions is the first U.S.-released box set from the veteran German rockers to sample from their entire 30-year career…

Virgin Killer (1976). Virgin Killer is the first of four studio releases that really defined the Scorpions and their highly influential urgent metallic sound. It was released in 1976 and was the first album of the band to attract attention outside Europe. The album was a step in the band's shift from psychedelic music to hard rock. For the first time in the band's career the line-up stayed the same with Klaus Meine on vocals, Uli Jon Roth on lead guitar, Rudolf Schenker on rhythm guitar, Francis Buchholz on bass, and Rudy Lenners on drums. The nine tracks were laid down with Dieter Dierks producing. The band is in top form and churns out some melodic yet blistering heavy rock. Virgin Killer is full of heavy songs and exceptionally, fast, innovative guitar leads by Uli Jon Roth. These songs are infectious and Uli's guitar solo on the Jimi Hendrix inspired "Polar Nights" exhibits the thunder-heavy riffs and grooves that make it a classic…

Virgin Killer (1976). Virgin Killer is the first of four studio releases that really defined the Scorpions and their highly influential urgent metallic sound. It was released in 1976 and was the first album of the band to attract attention outside Europe. The album was a step in the band's shift from psychedelic music to hard rock. For the first time in the band's career the line-up stayed the same with Klaus Meine on vocals, Uli Jon Roth on lead guitar, Rudolf Schenker on rhythm guitar, Francis Buchholz on bass, and Rudy Lenners on drums. The nine tracks were laid down with Dieter Dierks producing. The band is in top form and churns out some melodic yet blistering heavy rock. Virgin Killer is full of heavy songs and exceptionally, fast, innovative guitar leads by Uli Jon Roth. These songs are infectious and Uli's guitar solo on the Jimi Hendrix inspired "Polar Nights" exhibits the thunder-heavy riffs and grooves that make it a classic…

It appears as though many metalheads lost track of the Scorpions after their whistle-heavy ballad, "Wind of Change," hit in 1991. But as fans who have faithfully stuck by the group's side will tell you, they have continued to issue new albums and tour on a regular basis since then. And while there have been quite a few Scorpions compilations issued over the years, none traced their career over a 30-year span from 1974's In Trance through 2004's Unbreakable. But all that changed with the arrival of 2006's three-disc overview, Platinum Collection. What you get is quite a lot of the expected fare – some of arena rock's most foundation-shaking anthems ("Rock You Like a Hurricane," "Big City Nights"), as well as Bic-hoisting power ballads ("Still Loving You," the aforementioned "Wind of Change").

In the grand tradition of MTV's Unplugged series, MTV Unplugged in Athens features German hard rock stalwarts Scorpions putting on an all-acoustic set for the good people of Greece. Rather than the intimate studio performances that put the series on the map in the '90s, however, the set was recorded at the Lycabettus Theatre in Athens, a setting that feels appropriately grand given the band's arena-rocking tendencies…

Recorded during their American tour in late 1969, and centered around live versions of material from the Beggars Banquet-Let It Bleed era. Often acclaimed as one of the top live rock albums of all time, its appeal has dimmed a little today…