Wind of Change (Scorpions song)

Last updated

"Wind of Change"
Wind of Change European artwork.png
Artwork used for most European releases
Single by Scorpions
from the album Crazy World
B-side "Restless Nights"
Released21 January 1991 (1991-01-21) [1]
Studio
Genre
Length
  • 5:13 (album version)
  • 3:44 (radio edit)
Label
Songwriter(s) Klaus Meine
Producer(s)
Scorpions singles chronology
"Don't Believe Her"
(1990)
"Wind of Change"
(1991)
"Send Me an Angel"
(1991)
Music video
"Wind of Change" on YouTube

"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.

Contents

"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

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 persönliche 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 für 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:

I follow the Moskva
Down to Gorky Park
Listening to the wind of change

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

"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

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

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]

Track listings

Charts

Certifications and sales

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [63] Gold35,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria) [64] Platinum50,000*
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [65] Gold30,000
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [66] Platinum90,000
France (SNEP) [67] Gold400,000*
Germany (BVMI) [68] Platinum500,000^
Italy (FIMI) [69]
sales since 2009
Platinum70,000
Russia (NFPF) [70]
Ringtone
Gold100,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [71] Platinum60,000
United Kingdom (BPI) [72] Gold400,000
United States (RIAA) [73] Gold500,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
Europe21 January 19917-inch vinyl Mercury [1]
United Kingdom20 May 1991
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
Vertigo [74]
24 June 1991Cassette [75]
United Kingdom (re-release)16 September 1991
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
[76]
Japan25 October 1991Mini-CDMercury [77]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scorpions (band)</span> German rock band

Scorpions are a German hard rock band formed in Hanover in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker. The lineup from 1978 to 1992 was the most successful incarnation of the group, and included Klaus Meine (vocals), Rudolf Schenker, Matthias Jabs, Francis Buchholz (bass), and Herman Rarebell (drums). The band's only continuous member has been Schenker, although Meine has appeared on all of Scorpions' studio albums, while Jabs has been a consistent member since 1978, and bassist Paweł Mąciwoda and drummer Mikkey Dee have been in the band since 2003 and 2016 respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wicked Game</span> 1989 single by Chris Isaak

"Wicked Game" is a song by American rock musician Chris Isaak, released from his third album, Heart Shaped World (1989). Released as a single in July 1989, it became a sleeper hit after being featured in the 1990 David Lynch film Wild at Heart, starring Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern. Lee Chesnut, an Atlanta radio station music director who loved David Lynch films, began playing the song, and it quickly became an American top-10 hit in January 1991, reaching number six on the Billboard Hot 100. Internationally, the single became a number-one hit in Belgium and reached the top 10 in several other nations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caribbean Blue</span> 1991 single by Enya

"Caribbean Blue" is a song by Irish musician Enya, included as the second track on her third studio album, Shepherd Moons (1991). It follows a waltz time signature, and mentions the Anemoi : Boreas, Afer Ventus (Africus), Eurus, and Zephyrus. The song was released as the lead single from the album on 7 October 1991 by WEA.

"From a Distance" is a song by American singer-songwriter Julie Gold, initially penned in 1985. Gold's friend Christine Lavin introduced the song to Nanci Griffith, who first recorded it for her 1987 album Lone Star State of Mind. A successful cover version by Bette Midler was released in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Get Busy</span> 2003 single by Sean Paul

"Get Busy" is a dancehall song by Jamaican reggae deejay Sean Paul, from his album Dutty Rock. The song was one of the many hits from the jumpy handclap riddim known as the Diwali Riddim, produced by then-newcomer Steven Marsden, and was the only song that never made the "Diwali" rhythm album on Greensleeves Records as it was more than likely a late entry.

<i>Animal Magnetism</i> (Scorpions album) 1980 studio album by Scorpions

Animal Magnetism is the seventh studio album by German rock band Scorpions, released in 1980. The RIAA certified the record as Gold on 8 March 1984, and Platinum on 28 October 1991.

<i>Acoustica</i> (Scorpions album)

Acoustica is an unplugged live album by German hard rock band Scorpions. It was released in 2001 on East West Records.

"Wind Beneath My Wings" is a song written in 1982 by Jeff Silbar and Larry Henley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One More Try (Timmy T song)</span> 1990 single by Timmy T

"One More Try" is a song by American musician Timmy T. The song was both written and produced by Torres, who was inspired to create the song after breaking up with a girlfriend. Released in October 1990, it topped the US Billboard Hot 100 on March 23, 1991, and entered the top 10 in Belgium, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden. It was the first single to top the Hot 100 on an independent record label since Lionel Richie's "Truly" in 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock You Like a Hurricane</span> 1984 single by Scorpions

"Rock You Like a Hurricane" is a song by the German hard rock band Scorpions, considered their signature song. It 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No One Like You</span> Song by German rock band Scorpions

"No One Like You" is a song by German rock band Scorpions. It was written by band members Rudolf Schenker (guitar) and Klaus Meine (vocals) and released as the lead single from the band's eighth studio album Blackout (1982). It was produced by Dieter Dierks and was recorded at Dierks Studios.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Too Many Broken Hearts</span> 1989 single by Jason Donovan

"Too Many Broken Hearts" is a song by Australian singer and actor Jason Donovan, released on 20 February 1989 as the third single from his debut album, Ten Good Reasons (1989), and 1991's Greatest Hits album and again on a later collection in 2006. The song reached number-one in the United Kingdom and Ireland in March 1989. The song additionally peaked within the top 10 in Australia, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain. British magazine Classic Pop ranked "Too Many Broken Hearts" number 19 in their list of "Top 40 Stock Aitken Waterman songs" in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Matter What (Boyzone song)</span> 1998 single by Boyzone

"No Matter What" is a song from the 1996 musical Whistle Down the Wind that was popularised by Irish boyband Boyzone in 1998 when they recorded it to tie in with the show's first UK production. The song was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jim Steinman, while Lloyd Webber, Steinman and Nigel Wright produced the track, with additional production by Franglen & Lupino. The song was also featured on the US edition of the soundtrack to the 1999 film Notting Hill, and was released to American radio on 10 May 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ResuRection</span> 2001 single by PPK

"ResuRection" is a song by Russian trance music group PPK. It was released in November 2001 as the lead single from their debut album, Reload. The melody is based on the original melody «Поход» ("Crusade") written by Eduard Artemyev for the 1979 Soviet movie Siberiade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Send Me an Angel (Scorpions song)</span> 1991 single by Scorpions

"Send Me an Angel" is a song by the German rock band Scorpions, recorded for their 11th studio album, Crazy World (1990). The song was composed by Rudolf Schenker, written by Klaus Meine, and produced by Keith Olsen and the band. It was released as the album's fourth and final single in September 1991. Along with "Wind of Change", the song became the album's signature track, reaching number 44 on Billboard Hot 100 Chart on 25 January 1992, number 8 on the Mainstream Rock Chart on 19 October 1991, and high chart positions in many European countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It Ain't Over 'til It's Over</span> 1991 single by Lenny Kravitz

"It Ain't Over 'til It's Over" is a song written, produced, and performed by American musician Lenny Kravitz for his second studio album, Mama Said (1991). Released as the album's second single in June 1991 by Virgin, the song is a mid-tempo ballad musically inspired by Motown, Philly soul, and Earth, Wind & Fire. The horn line at the end is performed by the Phenix Horns from Earth, Wind & Fire. "That song just came out one day, and I knew it had a classic vibe. And I still love that song very much today," Kravitz said in an interview for VivaMusic.com in 2000. The line is based on a Yogiism, or quotation from Yogi Berra: "It ain't over 'til it's over."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Who's That Girl? (Eve song)</span> 2001 single by Eve

"Who's That Girl?" is the first single taken from American rapper Eve's second album, Scorpion (2001), released as her fifth US single in February 2001 and as her debut single in Europe. The song peaked at number 47 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number six in the United Kingdom. VH1 ranked it at number 97 on their "100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop" list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baby, I Love Your Way/Freebird Medley</span> 1988 song by Will to Power

"Baby, I Love Your Way/Freebird Medley " is a song by American dance-pop band Will to Power. The song combines elements of two previously recorded rock songs: "Baby, I Love Your Way", a number-12 Billboard Hot 100 hit from 1976 by British-born singer Peter Frampton, and "Free Bird" by American Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, which reached number 19 on the Hot 100 chart in 1975. Suzi Carr is the female vocalist and a producer for the song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wouldn't Change a Thing (Kylie Minogue song)</span> 1989 single by Kylie Minogue

"Wouldn't Change a Thing" is a song performed by Australian singer-songwriter Kylie Minogue, recorded for her second studio album Enjoy Yourself (1989). The song was written by Stock Aitken Waterman, and was released on 24 July 1989 by Mushroom and PWL Records. The song was released as the second single off the album.

"Emotionless" is a song by Canadian musician Drake from his fifth studio album Scorpion (2018). Drake co-wrote the song with its producers No I.D., Noah "40" Shebib, and The 25th Hour. Mariah Carey, Robert Clivillés, and David Cole received songwriting credits for the sampling of a club remix of Carey's 1991 hit single "Emotions". Commercially, it has reached the top ten in the United Kingdom and the United States, giving Carey her 25th top-ten single as a songwriter in the latter country.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Scorpions – Wind of Change" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  2. "Was This Hit Power Ballad Written by the CIA?". Slate. 18 May 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  3. "The best new podcasts of 2020". Slate. 14 December 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Bienstock, Richard (2 September 2015). "Scorpions' 'Wind of Change': The Oral History". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  5. "Scorpions - Ветер перемен [Wind of Change] (Russian Version)" . Retrieved 24 May 2022 via YouTube.
  6. "SCORPIONS: WIND OF CHANGE Der Wende-Hit". Hamburger Abendblatt . 2 October 2009. Retrieved 23 August 2016. Von Jana-Sophie Brasseler 02.10.09
  7. Bregestovski, Anton (15 December 1991). "Rock group meet Gorbachev". Upi.com. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  8. SWR Online: Die „Scorpions" — Deutschlands erfolgreichster Rockexport [ permanent dead link ]; the interview could be heard on 14 May 2010 in SWR1 Leute (Baden-Wuerttemberg).
  9. "Wind of Change". www.the-scorpions.com. Archived from the original on 13 November 2006. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  10. Und jetzt alle zusammen!, einestages vom 6. Oktober 2010
  11. Pristed, Birgitte Beck (1 August 2017). The New Russian Book: A Graphic Cultural History. Springer. p. 187. ISBN   978-3-319-50708-8.
  12. "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.
  13. "Musikalischer Exportschlager". Derwesten.de. 17 February 2009.
  14. "Did the CIA write a power ballad that ended the Cold War?". Crooked Media . 11 May 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  15. Marks, Andrea (14 July 2020). "Could the CIA Have Planted Hair-Metal Propaganda During the Cold War?". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  16. "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.
  17. "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
  18. "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.
  19. White, Peter (16 December 2020). "Hulu Lands TV Adaptation Of Rock 'N' Roll Spy Podcast 'Wind of Change'". Deadline. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  20. "BBC News | Europe | Berlin anniversary ends with a bang". news.bbc.co.uk. 10 November 1999. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  21. William Drozdiak (10 November 1999). "Ten Years After the Fall". Washington Post. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  22. "IMDB – Scorpions". IMDb.com. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  23. "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.
  24. "Scorpions' 'Wind of Change' Video Enters One Billion YouTube Views Club". Billboard.com. 8 February 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  25. "SCORPIONS Featured In 'Yoshiki: Under The Sky' Documentary". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. 15 August 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  26. "YOSHIKI 'S UNDER THE SKY PROJECT". Scorpions – Official Site. 21 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  27. Scorpions feat. YOSHIKI - Wind Of Change (YOSHIKI: Under the Sky) on YouTube
  28. 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)
  29. 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)
  30. 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)
  31. 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)
  32. 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)
  33. "Scorpions – Wind of Change". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  34. "Scorpions – Wind of Change" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  35. "Scorpions – Wind of Change" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  36. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1570." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  37. "Top 10 Denmark" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 8, no. 30. 27 July 1991. p. 20. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  38. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 8, no. 23. 8 June 1991. p. 21. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  39. "Scorpions – Wind of Change" (in French). Les classement single.
  40. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Wind of Change". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  41. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Scorpions" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  42. "Scorpions – Wind of Change" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  43. "Scorpions – Wind of Change". Top 40 Singles.
  44. "Scorpions – Wind of Change". VG-lista.
  45. "Scorpions – Wind of Change". Singles Top 100.
  46. "Scorpions – Wind of Change". Swiss Singles Chart.
  47. "Scorpions: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  48. "Scorpions Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  49. "Scorpions Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  50. "Scorpions Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  51. "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 1991". ARIA . Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  52. "Jahreshitparade Singles 1991" (in German). Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  53. "Jaaroverzichten 1991" (in Dutch). Ultratop . Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  54. "RPM 100 Hit Tracks of 1991". RPM . Retrieved 5 November 2019 via Library and Archives Canada.
  55. "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.
  56. "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1991" (in German). GfK Entertainment . Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  57. "Single top 100 over 1991" (PDF) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
  58. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1991" (in Dutch). MegaCharts . Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  59. "Swiss Year-End Charts 1991" (in German). Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  60. "1991 Top 100 Singles". Music Week . London, England. 11 January 1992. p. 20.
  61. "Billboard Top 100 – 1991". Archived from the original on 7 July 2009. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
  62. "The Year in Music: Top Album Rock Tracks". Billboard . Vol. 103, no. 51. 21 December 1991. p. YE-41.
  63. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1991 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  64. "Austrian single certifications – Scorpions – Wind of Change" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  65. "Brazilian single certifications – Scorpions – Wnd Of Change" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil . Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  66. "Danish single certifications – Scorpions – Wind of Change". IFPI Danmark . Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  67. "French single certifications – Scorpions – Wind Of Change" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 29 June 2020.Select SCORPIONS and click OK. 
  68. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Scorpions; 'Wind of Change')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  69. "Italian single certifications – Scorpions – Wind of Change" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  70. "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.
  71. "Spanish single certifications – Scorpions – Wind of Change". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España . Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  72. "British single certifications – Scorpions – Wind of Change". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  73. "American single certifications – Scorpions – Wind of Change". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  74. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week . 18 May 1991. p. 21.
  75. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 22 June 1991. p. 19.
  76. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 14 September 1991. p. 21.
  77. "ウインド・オブ・チェンジ | スコーピオンズ" [Wind of Change | Scorpions] (in Japanese). Oricon . Retrieved 9 September 2023.