| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 10/10[2] |
| Forces Parallèles | [3] |
| Rolling Stone |  [4] |
Blackout is the eighth studio album by German rock band Scorpions, released in 1982 on Harvest Records and Mercury Records.
After losing his voice during the writing of the album,[5] lead singer Klaus Meine had to undergo surgery on his vocal cords and it was uncertain whether he would be able to record it. Demos of the material were recorded with singer Don Dokken as lead singer;[6] however none of those recordings are featured on the album and Dokken is only credited with and can be heard on backing vocals on the album.[7]
In Kerrang! issue 12, dated 25 March - 7 April 1982, Rudolf Schenker said that he could not choose between his guitar solos on "China White", so the US and European releases differed in this small detail.
A self-portrait of artist Gottfried Helnwein[5] is featured on the cover of the album. Rudolf Schenker portrays this character in the "No One Like You" music video.
The RIAA certified Blackout Gold on 24 June 1982 and Platinum on 8 March 1984.[8]
"China White" was used as entrance music for the professional wrestling tag team The Skyscrapers in World Championship Wrestling.
In 2017, Rolling Stone ranked Blackout as 73rd on their list of "The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time".[9]
Track listing
All music is composed by Rudolf Schenker.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Blackout" | Klaus Meine, Herman Rarebell, Sonja Kittelsen | 3:49 |
| 2. | "Can't Live Without You" | Meine | 3:47 |
| 3. | "No One Like You" | Meine | 3:57 |
| 4. | "You Give Me All I Need" | Rarebell | 3:39 |
| 5. | "Now!" | Meine, Rarebell | 2:35 |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Dynamite" | Meine, Rarebell | 4:12 |
| 7. | "Arizona" | Rarebell | 3:56 |
| 8. | "China White" | Meine | 6:59 |
| 9. | "When the Smoke Is Going Down" | Meine | 3:50 |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Blackout" (Demo Version) | Meine, Rarebell, Kittelsen | Schenker | 4:03 |
| 11. | "Running for the Plane" (Demo Song) | Meine | Schenker | 4:07 |
| 12. | "Sugar Man" (Demo Song) | Meine | Schenker, Matthias Jabs | 4:22 |
| 13. | "Searching for the Rainbow" (Demo Song) | Meine | Schenker | 3:56 |
Personnel
Scorpions
- Klaus Meine – lead vocals
- Rudolf Schenker – rhythm guitars, 6 & 12-string acoustic guitars, lead guitars on tracks 4, 8, 9, backing vocals
- Matthias Jabs – lead guitars, rhythm guitars, 6 & 12-string acoustic guitars, backing vocals
- Francis Buchholz – bass, backing vocals
- Herman Rarebell – drums, backing vocals
Others
- Don Dokken – backing vocals[7]
Production
- Dieter Dierks – producer, engineer
- Gerd Rautenbach – mixing
- Bob Ludwig and Howie Weinberg – mastering at Masterdisk, New York
Charts
Certifications
| Country | Organization | Year | Sales |
| US | RIAA | 1984 | Platinum (+ 1,000,000)[8] |
| Canada | CRIA | 1984 | Platinum (+ 100,000)[19] |
| France | SNEP | 1982 | Gold (+ 100,000)[20] |
References
- ^ Weber, Barry. "Scorpions Blackout review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
- ^ Popoff, Martin (1 November 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 319. ISBN 978-1894959315.
- ^ Gaguet, Guillaume. "Scorpion Blackout review". Forces Parallèles. Forces Parallèles. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
- ^ Considine, J.D. (24 June 1982). "Album Reviews: Scorpions - Blackout". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 14 October 2007. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
- ^ a b Jeffrey Easton. "Metal Exiles interview with Klaus Meine". metalexiles.com. Archived from the original on 21 April 2010. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
- ^ "Scorpions Frontman on Losing His Voice: 'I Thought My Career Was Over'". Noisecreep. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
- ^ a b Dokken, Don (n.d.). "Dokken". Artist Magazine (Interview). Interviewed by Joy Williams. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
- ^ a b "RIAA Searchable Database: search for Scorpions". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
- ^ "Rolling Stone Share Their Choices For 'The 100 Greatest Metal Albums Of All Time'". ThePRP. 21 June 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
- ^ "infodisc.fr Note : You must select Scorpions". infodisc.fr. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
- ^ "Album – Scorpions, Blackout". Charts.de (in German). Media Control Charts. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
- ^ a b c d "Blackout Billboard Albums". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on 25 November 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
- ^ "Top Albums/CDs - Volume 36, No. 16, May 29, 1982". Library and Archives Canada. 29 May 1982. Archived from the original on 18 December 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
- ^ a b c "Scorpions Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
- ^ "Scorpions – Blackout (album)". Swedishcharts.com. Media Control Charts. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
- ^ "Scorpions – Blackout (album)". GfK Dutch Charts (in Dutch). Media Control Charts. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
- ^ "Top Singles - Volume 36, No. 23, July 17, 1982". Library and Archives Canada. 17 July 1982. Archived from the original on 18 December 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
- ^ "infodisc.fr Note : You must select Scorpions". infodisc.fr. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
- ^ "Gold Platinum Search for Scorpions". Music Canada. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
- ^ "Les Certifications depuis 1973 : search for Scorpions" (in French). Infodisc.fr. Retrieved 27 October 2012.