1991 single by Scorpions
"
Wind of Change
" is a song by
West German
rock band
Scorpions
, recorded for their eleventh studio album
Crazy World
(1990). A
power ballad
,
[4]
it was composed and written by the band's lead singer
Klaus Meine
and produced by
Keith Olsen
and the band. The lyrics were composed by Meine following the band's visit to the
Soviet Union
at the height of
perestroika
, when the enmity between the communist and capitalist blocs subsided concurrently with the
promulgation
of large-scale socioeconomic reforms in the Soviet Union.
"Wind of Change" was released as the album's third single on 21 January 1991 and became a worldwide hit, just after
the failed coup
that would eventually lead to the
end of the Soviet Union
. The song topped the charts in Germany and across Europe and peaked at number four in the United States and at number two in the United Kingdom. It later appeared on the band's 1995 live album
Live Bites
, their 2000 album with the
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
,
Moment of Glory
, and on their 2001 "
unplugged
" album
Acoustica
. The band also recorded a Russian-language version of the song, under the title "
Ветер перемен
" ("Veter Peremen")
[5]
and a Spanish version called "
Viento de Cambio
”.
With estimated sales of 14 million copies sold worldwide, "Wind of Change" is one of the
best-selling singles of all time
.
[6]
It holds the record for the best-selling single by a German artist. The band presented a gold record and $70,000 of royalties from the single to
Mikhail Gorbachev
in 1991, with Soviet news sources claiming the money would be allocated to children's hospitals.
[7]
Background and writing
[
edit
]
Klaus Meine
said in an interview that the time 1988/1989 in the Soviet Union was characterized by the mood that the
Cold War
was coming to an end, the music was the unifying factor for the people.
[8]
The memories of this time are also transported in the music video for the song.
[9]
Meine was inspired by his participation in the
Moscow Music Peace Festival
on 13 August 1989, at
Lenin Stadium
, where the Scorpions performed in front of about 300,000 fans:
[4]
[10]
Die Idee dazu ist mir in der U.d.S.S.R. gekommen, als ich in einer Sommernacht im Gorki Park Center saß und auf die Moskwa geblickt habe. Das Lied ist meine personliche Aufarbeitung dessen, was in den letzten Jahren in der Welt passiert ist.
The idea came to me in the U.S.S.R. when I was sitting in the Gorky Park Center one summer night, looking at the Moskva River. The song is my personal reappraisal of what has happened in the world in recent years.
?
Klaus Meine
,
Friede, Freude, Hasch und Perestroika
, in: Rocks. Das Magazin fur Classic Rock, Heft 01.2014, S. 88
Meine referred to the music center in Gorky Park, founded by
Stas Namin
from the eponymous rock band
Gorky Park
.
[11]
The lyrics celebrate
glasnost
in the Soviet Union, the end of the Cold War, and speak of hope at a time when tense conditions had arisen due to the fall of Communist-run governments among
Eastern Bloc
nations beginning in 1989.
[4]
The opening lines refer to the city of
Moscow
's landmarks:
The Moskva is the name of the river that runs through Moscow (both the city and the river are named identically in Russian), and Gorky Park is an urban park in Moscow named after the writer
Maxim Gorky
. The song also contains a reference to the
balalaika
, which is a Russian triangular stringed instrument somewhat like a guitar. The balalaika is mentioned in the following lines:
Let your balalaika sing
What my guitar wants to say
Klaus Meine and Rudolf Schenker are owners of the
trade mark
Wind of Change
.
[12]
Composition
[
edit
]
"Wind of Change" opens with a clean guitar introduction played by
Matthias Jabs
, which is played alongside Klaus Meine's flat whistle.
[13]
The song's guitar solo is played by
Rudolf Schenker
.
[
citation needed
]
Claim of CIA creative input
[
edit
]
The song is the subject of the
Pineapple Street Studios
podcast
Wind of Change
, released 11 May 2020, which raises questions regarding the song's origin.
[14]
[15]
[16]
Patrick Radden Keefe
, the
New Yorker
author and host of the podcast investigates the allegation that the song was written by or connected to the
Central Intelligence Agency
, citing a rumor originating allegedly from inside the agency. In a
Sirius XM
interview with
Eddie Trunk
on 13 May 2020, Meine stated "It's a fascinating idea, and it's an entertaining idea, but it's not true at all".
[17]
[18]
In December 2020, it was reported that a further investigation of the song's origins based on the claims from the podcast will be adapted into a series for
Hulu
directed by
Alex Karpovsky
.
[19]
Legacy
[
edit
]
The song became associated with the
Revolutions of 1989
and the
Fall of the Berlin Wall
also in 1989 and was performed by the Scorpions at the
Brandenburg Gate
on 9 November 1999, during the 10th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall.
[20]
[21]
In 2005, viewers of the German television network
ZDF
chose this song as the song of the century.
[4]
"Wind of Change" is featured in the films
In Search of a Midnight Kiss
(2007),
Gentlemen Broncos
(2009),
The Interview
(2014),
Love Island
(2014) and
I.S.S. (film)
(2024), and the video game
SingStar Rocks!
(2006). The song can be heard in the opening scene of the action comedy film
The Spy Who Dumped Me
(2018). The song is also featured in television shows
Melrose Place
,
Chuck
, and
Car Share
and
Nutri Ventures
parody version.
[22]
As of 2022, the Scorpions still perform the song live but with lyrical changes in light of the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
. The opening lines are changed to "Now listen to my heart / It says Ukrainia, waiting for the wind to change." Meine stated, "It's not the time with this terrible war in Ukraine raging on, it's not the time to romanticize Russia."
[23]
In February 2023, the official music video hit one billion views on YouTube.
[24]
During the
COVID-19 pandemic
, they collaborated with Japanese rock star
Yoshiki
to perform "Wind of Change" for the documentary film
Yoshiki: Under the Sky
.
[25]
This was the first time the band came together to perform the Ukraine version of the song.
[26]
The performance was later released as a music video on YouTube.
[27]
As of 2024, the Scorpions have changed the opening lyrics again to adopt a more neutral tone, displaying these on the video screens at gigs: "Now listen to my heart, it still believes in love, waiting for the wind to change. A dark and lonely night, our dreams will never die, waiting for the wind to change."
[28]
Track listings
[
edit
]
European 7-inch single and Japanese mini-CD single
[29]
[30]
- "Wind of Change" ? 5:10
- "Restless Nights" ? 5:44
European maxi-CD single
[31]
- "Wind of Change" ? 5:10
- "Restless Nights" ? 5:44
- "Big City Nights" (live) ? 5:10
|
UK CD single
[32]
- "Wind of Change"
- "To Be with You in Heaven"
- "Blackout" (live)
US and Canadian 7-inch single
[33]
- A. "Wind of Change" ? 5:10
- B. "Money and Fame" ? 5:06
|
Personnel
[
edit
]
Scorpions
Additional personnel
- Koen van Baal ? keyboards
Charts
[
edit
]
Weekly charts
[
edit
]
|
Year-end charts
[
edit
]
Chart (1991)
|
Position
|
Australia (ARIA)
[52]
|
43
|
Austria (O3 Austria Top 40)
[53]
|
1
|
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)
[54]
|
2
|
Canada Top Singles (
RPM
)
[55]
|
94
|
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)
[56]
|
2
|
Germany (Official German Charts)
[57]
|
1
|
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)
[58]
|
8
|
Netherlands (Single Top 100)
[59]
|
8
|
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)
[60]
|
1
|
UK Singles (OCC)
[61]
|
21
|
US
Billboard
Hot 100
[62]
|
39
|
US Album Rock Tracks (
Billboard
)
[63]
|
2
|
|
Certifications and sales
[
edit
]
Release history
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
"
Scorpions ? Wind of Change"
(in German).
GfK Entertainment charts
. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
- ^
"Was This Hit Power Ballad Written by the CIA?"
.
Slate
. 18 May 2020
. Retrieved
22 May
2024
.
- ^
"The best new podcasts of 2020"
.
Slate
. 14 December 2020
. Retrieved
8 June
2021
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Bienstock, Richard (2 September 2015).
"Scorpions' 'Wind of Change': The Oral History"
.
Rolling Stone
. Retrieved
1 October
2023
.
- ^
"Scorpions - Ветер перемен [Wind of Change] (Russian Version)"
. Retrieved
24 May
2022
– via
YouTube
.
- ^
"SCORPIONS: WIND OF CHANGE Der Wende-Hit"
.
Hamburger Abendblatt
. 2 October 2009
. Retrieved
23 August
2016
.
Von Jana-Sophie Brasseler 02.10.09
- ^
Bregestovski, Anton (15 December 1991).
"Rock group meet Gorbachev"
.
Upi.com
. Retrieved
3 February
2019
.
- ^
SWR Online:
Die ?Scorpions" ? Deutschlands erfolgreichster Rockexport
[
permanent dead link
]
; the interview could be heard on 14 May 2010 in
SWR1 Leute
(Baden-Wuerttemberg).
- ^
"Wind of Change"
.
www.the-scorpions.com
. Archived from
the original
on 13 November 2006
. Retrieved
30 June
2022
.
- ^
Und jetzt alle zusammen!
,
einestages
vom 6. Oktober 2010
- ^
Pristed, Birgitte Beck (1 August 2017).
The New Russian Book: A Graphic Cultural History
. Springer. p. 187.
ISBN
978-3-319-50708-8
.
- ^
"Trademark information for Wind Of Change from CTM ? by Markify"
. 12 December 2013. Archived from
the original
on 12 December 2013
. Retrieved
24 May
2022
.
- ^
"Musikalischer Exportschlager"
.
Derwesten.de
. 17 February 2009.
- ^
"Did the CIA write a power ballad that ended the Cold War?"
.
Crooked Media
. 11 May 2020
. Retrieved
7 September
2021
.
- ^
Marks, Andrea (14 July 2020).
"Could the CIA Have Planted Hair-Metal Propaganda During the Cold War?"
.
Rolling Stone
. Retrieved
9 February
2021
.
- ^
"Was a '90s Scorpions Song the Work of the C.I.A.? This Podcast Is on It"
.
The New York Times
. 8 May 2020
. Retrieved
15 May
2020
.
- ^
"Klaus Meine from The Scorpions on if CIA wrote Wind of Change"
. @OfficialEddieTrunk | Youtube. 13 May 2020.
Eddie Trunk interviews Klaus Meine from The Scorpions, Klaus talks about if the CIA wrote Winds of Change
- ^
"Scorpions singer Klaus Meine ended up the rumors that 'WInd of Change' was written by CIA"
.
metalcastle.net
. 14 May 2020
. Retrieved
15 May
2020
.
- ^
White, Peter (16 December 2020).
"Hulu Lands TV Adaptation Of Rock 'N' Roll Spy Podcast 'Wind of Change'
"
.
Deadline
. Retrieved
20 December
2020
.
- ^
"BBC News | Europe | Berlin anniversary ends with a bang"
.
news.bbc.co.uk
. 10 November 1999
. Retrieved
15 May
2020
.
- ^
William Drozdiak (10 November 1999).
"Ten Years After the Fall"
.
Washington Post
. Retrieved
1 April
2020
.
- ^
"IMDB ? Scorpions"
.
IMDb.com
. Retrieved
17 May
2020
.
- ^
"SCORPIONS Singer KLAUS MEINE Explains 'Wind Of Change' Lyric Change: 'It's Not The Time To Romanticize Russia'
"
.
Blabbermouth.net
. 11 April 2022
. Retrieved
24 May
2022
.
- ^
"Scorpions' 'Wind of Change' Video Enters One Billion YouTube Views Club"
.
Billboard.com
. 8 February 2023
. Retrieved
8 February
2023
.
- ^
"SCORPIONS Featured In 'Yoshiki: Under The Sky' Documentary"
.
BLABBERMOUTH.NET
. 15 August 2023
. Retrieved
22 December
2023
.
- ^
"YOSHIKI 'S UNDER THE SKY PROJECT"
. Scorpions ? Official Site. 21 December 2023
. Retrieved
22 December
2023
.
- ^
Scorpions feat. YOSHIKI - Wind Of Change (YOSHIKI: Under the Sky)
on
YouTube
- ^
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaOPG2_spnc
- ^
Wind of Change
(European 7-inch single vinyl disc).
Scorpions
.
Mercury Records
. 1990. 878 832-7.
{{
cite AV media notes
}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link
)
- ^
Wind of Change
(Japanese mini-CD single liner notes). Scorpions. Mercury Records. 1991. PHDR-43.
{{
cite AV media notes
}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link
)
- ^
Wind of Change
(European CD single disc notes). Scorpions. Mercury Records,
Phonogram Inc.
1990. 878 833-2.
{{
cite AV media notes
}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link
)
- ^
Wind of Change
(UK CD single liner notes). Scorpions.
Vertigo Records
. 1991. VERCD58, 866 017-2.
{{
cite AV media notes
}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link
)
- ^
Wind of Change
(US & Canadian 7-inch single liner notes). Scorpions. Mercury Records. 1991. 868 180-7.
{{
cite AV media notes
}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link
)
- ^
"
Scorpions ? Wind of Change"
.
ARIA Top 50 Singles
.
- ^
"
Scorpions ? Wind of Change"
(in German).
O3 Austria Top 40
.
- ^
"
Scorpions ? Wind of Change"
(in Dutch).
Ultratop 50
.
- ^
"
Top RPM Singles: Issue 1570
."
RPM
.
Library and Archives Canada
. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
- ^
"Top 10 Denmark"
(PDF)
.
Music & Media
. Vol. 8, no. 30. 27 July 1991. p. 20
. Retrieved
21 March
2018
.
- ^
"Eurochart Hot 100 Singles"
(PDF)
.
Music & Media
. Vol. 8, no. 23. 8 June 1991. p. 21
. Retrieved
22 October
2019
.
- ^
"
Scorpions ? Wind of Change"
(in French).
Les classement single
.
- ^
"
The Irish Charts ? Search Results ? Wind of Change"
.
Irish Singles Chart
. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
- ^
"
Nederlandse Top 40 ? Scorpions"
(in Dutch).
Dutch Top 40
.
- ^
"
Scorpions ? Wind of Change"
(in Dutch).
Single Top 100
. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
- ^
"
Scorpions ? Wind of Change"
.
Top 40 Singles
.
- ^
"
Scorpions ? Wind of Change"
.
VG-lista
.
- ^
"
Scorpions ? Wind of Change"
.
Singles Top 100
.
- ^
"
Scorpions ? Wind of Change"
.
Swiss Singles Chart
.
- ^
"Scorpions: Artist Chart History"
.
Official Charts Company
. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
- ^
"Scorpions Chart History (Hot 100)"
.
Billboard
. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
- ^
"Scorpions Chart History (Adult Contemporary)"
.
Billboard
. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
- ^
"Scorpions Chart History (Mainstream Rock)"
.
Billboard
. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
- ^
"ARIA Top 100 Singles for 1991"
.
ARIA
. Retrieved
11 February
2021
.
- ^
"Jahreshitparade Singles 1991"
(in German)
. Retrieved
11 February
2021
.
- ^
"Jaaroverzichten 1991"
(in Dutch).
Ultratop
. Retrieved
11 February
2021
.
- ^
"RPM 100 Hit Tracks of 1991"
.
RPM
. Retrieved
5 November
2019
– via
Library and Archives Canada
.
- ^
"Eurochart Hot 100 1991"
(PDF)
.
Music & Media
. Vol. 8, no. 51?52. 21 December 1991. p. 21
. Retrieved
17 January
2020
– via World Radio History.
- ^
"Top 100 Singles?Jahrescharts 1991"
(in German).
GfK Entertainment
. Retrieved
11 February
2021
.
- ^
"Single top 100 over 1991"
(PDF)
(in Dutch). Top40
. Retrieved
13 April
2010
.
- ^
"Jaaroverzichten ? Single 1991"
(in Dutch).
MegaCharts
. Retrieved
11 February
2021
.
- ^
"Swiss Year-End Charts 1991"
(in German)
. Retrieved
11 February
2021
.
- ^
"1991 Top 100 Singles".
Music Week
. London, England. 11 January 1992. p. 20.
- ^
"Billboard Top 100 ? 1991"
. Archived from
the original
on 7 July 2009
. Retrieved
15 September
2009
.
- ^
"The Year in Music: Top Album Rock Tracks".
Billboard
. Vol. 103, no. 51. 21 December 1991. p. YE-41.
- ^
"ARIA Charts ? Accreditations ? 1991 Singles"
(PDF)
.
Australian Recording Industry Association
. Retrieved
2 December
2021
.
- ^
"Austrian single certifications ? Scorpions ? Wind of Change"
(in German).
IFPI
Austria
. Retrieved
29 June
2020
.
- ^
"Brazilian single certifications ? Scorpions ? Wnd Of Change"
(in Portuguese).
Pro-Musica Brasil
. Retrieved
18 March
2024
.
- ^
"Danish single certifications ? Scorpions ? Wind of Change"
.
IFPI Danmark
. Retrieved
12 August
2023
.
- ^
"French single certifications ? Scorpions ? Wind Of Change"
(in French). InfoDisc
. Retrieved
29 June
2020
.
Select
SCORPIONS
and click
OK
.
- ^
"Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Scorpions;
'
Wind of Change
'
)"
(in German).
Bundesverband Musikindustrie
. Retrieved
29 June
2020
.
- ^
"Italian single certifications ? Scorpions ? Wind of Change"
(in Italian).
Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana
. Retrieved
15 November
2021
.
- ^
"РОССИЙСКАЯ ИНДУСТРИЯ ЗВУКОЗАПИСИ - Год 2011 I полугодие"
[Top 50 RBT 2011]
(PDF)
(in Russian).
Lenta.ru
. 2011. p. 4. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 17 April 2019
. Retrieved
29 June
2020
.
- ^
"Spanish single certifications ? Scorpions ? Wind of Change"
.
El portal de Musica
.
Productores de Musica de Espana
. Retrieved
4 March
2024
.
- ^
"British single certifications ? Scorpions ? Wind of Change"
.
British Phonographic Industry
. Retrieved
29 June
2020
.
- ^
"American single certifications ? Scorpions ? Wind of Change"
.
Recording Industry Association of America
. Retrieved
29 June
2020
.
- ^
"New Releases: Singles".
Music Week
. 18 May 1991. p. 21.
- ^
"New Releases: Singles".
Music Week
. 22 June 1991. p. 19.
- ^
"New Releases: Singles".
Music Week
. 14 September 1991. p. 21.
- ^
"ウインド?オブ?チェンジ | スコ?ピオンズ"
[Wind of Change | Scorpions] (in Japanese).
Oricon
. Retrieved
9 September
2023
.
External links
[
edit
]
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Studio albums
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Live albums
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Cover albums
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Compilations
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Singles
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Videos
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Tours
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Related articles
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