Scorpions Mark 60 Years With From The First Sting: A Legacy Sealed in Vinyl

27 June 2025 rocknews

If you’ve ever been caught in a hailstorm of riffs, power ballads, and sheer rock spectacle, chances are the Scorpions were behind the thunder. Now, as they mark a jaw-dropping 60 years on the global stage, the German rock juggernauts are dropping a commemorative release that’s more than nostalgia—it’s a full-throttle love letter to every fan who’s ever screamed along to Rock You Like a Hurricane.

Set for release on September 26, 2025, From The First Sting is far from a dusty best-of compilation. It’s a meticulous, career-spanning retrospective packing 31 tracks, including two never-before-heard recordings, housed in multiple formats designed to make audiophiles and collectors weep with joy.

Let’s be clear: this isn’t just an anniversary album. It’s a curated time capsule, tracing the Scorpions’ evolution from psychedelic adventurers in the ’70s to stadium-dominating icons of the ’80s and genre-bending survivors into the 2000s.

A Collector’s Dream Format

Scorpions release From The First Sting album

The release comes in several variants, but true devotees will be eyeing the limited deluxe Bookpack: two coloured LPs, two CDs, and a 40-page book brimming with rare photos and stories. Vinyl lovers can snag a classic 2LP gatefold on black 180g wax, while those wanting the tunes without the trimmings can opt for the 2CD digisleeve.

But beyond the packaging lies the real gold—the songs.

The Soundtrack of Rock Generations

From the seismic stomp of The Zoo to the haunting melodies of Wind of Change, the tracklist reads like a blueprint for rock radio dominance. Still Loving You, arguably one of the greatest power ballads of all time, appears twice—once in its original glory, and again in a 1996 live duet with violinist Vanessa-Mae, captured on French TV’s Taratata. It’s a haunting fusion of classical finesse and arena-sized emotion.

CD1
1. In Search Of The Peace Of Mind
2. This Is My Song (Rock & Pop, 09.11.1973)
3. Speedy’s Coming
4. In Trance
5. Pictured Life
6. The Sails Of Charon
7. Top Of The Bill (Live)
8. Holiday
9. Always Somewhere
10. Lady Starlight
11. The Zoo
12. No One Like You
13. When The Smoke Is Going Down
14. Still Loving You
15. Rock You Like A Hurricane
16. Big City Nights

CD2
1. Rock You Like A Hurricane (Live)
2. Believe In Love
3. Send Me An Angel
4. Wind Of Change
5. Under The Same Sun
6. Still Loving You ( Taratata, 28 Apr 1996) – Scorpions & Vanessa-Mae
7. Mind Like A Tree
8. You & I
9. Wind Of Change (Moment Of Glory)
10. Always Somewhere
11. Maybe I Maybe You
12. Humanity
13. The Best Is Yet To Come
14. House Of Cards
15. Rock Believer

The album also revisits deep cuts that reveal the band’s lesser-known sides—tracks like In Trance, where their early psychedelic roots shimmer, and Humanity, which captures their socially-conscious later era.

LP1
Side A
1. In Search Of The Peace Of Mind
2. This Is My Song (Rock & Pop, 09.11.1973)
3. Speedy’s Coming
4. In Trance

Side B
1. Pictured Life
2. The Sails Of Charon
3. Top Of The Bill (Live)
4. Always Somewhere

LP2
Side A
1. The Zoo
2. No One Like You
3. Rock You Like A Hurricane
4. Big City Nights

Side B
1. Wind Of Change
2. Still Loving You ( Taratata, 28 Apr 1996) – Scorpions & Vanessa-Mae
3. Humanity
4. Rock Believer

Why This Matters Now

In a landscape where legacy bands are often reduced to nostalgia tours and soundalike remasters, Scorpions have taken the road less trodden. From The First Sting is a testament to evolution, not just endurance. It highlights a band that’s continued to challenge their sound and stay culturally relevant—even as their arena-packing peers faded into tribute acts.

What’s more, this release couldn’t be better timed. With vinyl sales at a 30-year high and rock’s resurgence alive and thrashing thanks to Gen Z’s TikTok-fuelled retro love affair, the Scorpions’ latest drop has cross-generational reach.

Klaus Meine’s voice, Rudolf Schenker’s melodic yet aggressive riffing, and the band’s iconic songwriting have embedded themselves into the very DNA of rock music. This release reaffirms it.

Fans and Newcomers Alike

Whether you’ve been spinning Love at First Sting since it dropped in ’84 or you just discovered No One Like You via a movie soundtrack, this release offers something tactile, authentic, and immersive. It invites you to sit down, drop the needle, and let 60 years of rock ‘n’ roll history wash over you.

And for the curious newcomers or digital-only listeners, the hope is this deluxe drop opens the vault to a discography worthy of deep exploration.