Music – Berlin – 30 years of “Wind of Change”: The song became a world hit in 1991 – culture

Hanover / Moscow / Berlin (dpa) – Hymn of the Wende and the most successful single from German production, the song is often called: 30 years ago (3.2.1991) “Wind of Change” by the Scorpions was released as a single. From the beginning of June to mid-August 1991 the song was number one in the official German charts for eleven weeks.

At that time he did not expect that “Wind of Change” would become a world hit as the anthem of the reunification, said Meine (72) of the German press agency a few years ago. “As an author, I was totally surprised that it had become so independent and suddenly wore the mantle of history.” The song has become a kind of soundtrack of the historical moment. “But that was not due to an ingenious marketing plan. The people felt the power and the message in it totally in their hearts.”

Mine composed the song in the late summer of 1989 – weeks before the wall came down. At that time the group was one of the first foreign bands to appear in the Soviet Union at the “Moscow Music Peace Festival” and was celebrated by the fans there.

After a boat trip on the Moskva River in the capital, the idea for “Wind of Change” came to him, the singer said. “So it’s not a song about Berlin, but about Moscow.” He was inspired by the political and social change of the 80s. “Rather, it’s the soundtrack to glasnost and perestroika.”

It was not until November 1990 that the album “Crazy World” was released with the song, and finally, “Wind of Change” was released as a single from February 1991 to global success. Although “Wind of Change” was only published later, the song is often associated with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 or with German reunification in October 1990. With its catchy whistle, it is considered a global hymn of peace.

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210131-99-241796 / 2

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