Rock magazine Louder has published a feature ranking every studio album by German hard rock band Scorpions, from worst to best, tracing their evolution from a psychedelic-influenced 1960s outfit to one of the biggest rock acts of the 1980s. The piece charts the band's long history and shifting sound, offering fans and newcomers a critical guide to a catalogue spanning more than five decades.

Scorpions were founded by guitarist Rudolf Schenker in Hannover in 1965, with the line-up solidifying in 1969 when his younger brother Michael Schenker joined on guitar alongside vocalist Klaus Meine. Early records such as Lonesome Crow and Fly to the Rainbow, the latter featuring Jimi Hendrix-inspired guitarist Uli Jon Roth, built the band's reputation in Germany before their sound progressed through prog-influenced rock towards the polished, chart-friendly heavy rock that brought them international breakthrough success from November 1975 onwards.