Rock You Like a Hurricane
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| “Rock You Like a Hurricane” | |||||
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| Single by Scorpions from the album Love at First Sting |
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| Released | 1984 | ||||
| Format | Vinyl LP, Cassette, CD | ||||
| Recorded | 1984 | ||||
| Genre | Heavy Metal | ||||
| Length | 04:11 | ||||
| Label | Mercury | ||||
| Producer | Dieter Dierks | ||||
| Scorpions singles chronology | |||||
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"Rock You Like a Hurricane" is one of the most famous songs by German heavy metal band Scorpions. The song was released as the second track of their 1984 album Love at First Sting.
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[edit] Description
"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, searing it into the memory of many. Upon its release the song became a massively popular hit and is now considered one of the most influential Rock and Roll Anthems of all time. It was ranked fourth in the greatest guitar riffs of all time by Sync magazine[citation needed] and in 2006 VH1 named "Rock You Like a Hurricane" number 31 on their 40 Greatest Metal Songs [1].
The racetrack depicted on the sleeve corresponds to the Circuito Permanente de Jerez, located in Spain.
A new version was recorded in 2000 as "Hurricane 2000" in the album Moment of Glory, featuring Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra backing the track. In the same way, it was titled "Hurricane 2001" when played in the follow-up Acoustica.
While it is not the album's title track, it does contain "love at first sting" in the lyrics.
[edit] Composition
The song is written in a very simplistic style in the key of E. The main riff on guitar contains the following: high E three times, G two times, A twice, C once, and finally D two times. The rhythm uses heavy syncopation along with straight eighth notes in the verses. The structure of the song is ABCBCDEC, with A being the intro solo backed by the chorus riff, B being the verses, C being the chorus, D being the main solo backed by the chorus riff, and E being the verse with just drums.
[edit] In popular culture
[edit] Films and television
- The chorus was used in commercials for the 1999 animated film The Iron Giant.
- In the 1999 film Jawbreaker the song is played as Rose McGowan's character seduces a man from a local bar.
- In the 2000 film Little Nicky, the song was played after the character Nicky, played by Adam Sandler, says to his mother upon returning to New York, "I'm gonna rock that town like a hurricane!" .
- The song was used as a promo in the 2007 movie Blades of Glory, and also appeared on that film's soundtrack album.
- The song has also been shown in the cult show Aqua Teen Hunger Force in the episode "The Last One".
- The song was used in the Human Weapon commercial.
- The song is used in the The Simpsons episode "Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming".
- The song is also featured in a strip club scene in the movie Knocked Up.
- NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne dances to the song in a promotional spot for Allstate.
- It was also featured in the popular YouTube film HMS weather report
- It has been featured on Applebees' commercial for the sizzling steak and chicken fajitas.
- Ben Kasica of Christian rock band Skillet mentions the song in his Podcast, after which lead singer John Cooper sings the line "Here I am".
[edit] Games
- The song was used in the V-Rock station from the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.
- A cover version of the song is a playable track on the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.
- The song is used in the 2007 trailers and final version of The Simpsons Game as a remix for all popular consoles. It's heard during the last boss battle in the game, except in the Nintendo DS version, when it is heard during the credits.
[edit] Sport
- The song is one of several unofficial anthems of college football's Miami Hurricanes. 1983, the year the song was released, was also the year the Hurricanes won their first national championship.
- The NHL Carolina Hurricanes use the song as the team enters the ice.
- The Buffalo Sabres also use Hurricane 2000 as introductory music at the arena and extensively on the television broadcast.
- In 2006, the song caused a controversy when played during a New Orleans Saints Football game when played on stadium speakers. Some attending the game saw the song as being played in poor taste, given the extensive damage caused to New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina.
- It was also used as the theme song for the 2006 University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt, and is the unofficial theme song for document review projects at Hunton & Williams LLP [1].
[edit] Literature
The song is referenced in Dave Eggers' 2004 novel You Shall Know Our Velocity, in which the main characters attempt to anonymously distribute money on a round the world trip by taping parcels containing cash and bearing the line 'Here I am Rock You Like a Hurricane' onto houses, animals and other objects.
[edit] Cover versions
The song has been performed by Kelly Hansen (Foreigner) and guitarist George Lynch (Dokken), by metal band Sinergy and by American rock band, Green Day.
Metallica have played the main riff of the song live as part of a jam
[edit] Charts
Billboard (United States), Top 50 (France)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | The Billboard Hot 100 | #25 |
| 1984 | France Top 50 | #17 |
[edit] References
- ^ "VH1 40 Greatest Metal Songs", 1-4 May 2006, VH1 Channel, reported by VH1.com; last accessed September 10, 2006.
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