Wind of Change
True crime podcast review — 2026
"Wind of Change asks whether the CIA secretly wrote the song that ended the Cold War — and somehow, by the final episode, you'll believe it's entirely possible."
Who is this podcast for?
- ✓Listeners who enjoy following a single case from start to finish
Pros
- +Rated "Must Listen" by our editorial team
- +Serialized format builds a compelling, sustained narrative arc across episodes
About this podcast
Patrick Radden Keefe (author of Empire of Pain and Say Nothing) investigates the extraordinary claim that the CIA secretly wrote the Scorpions' 1990 power ballad 'Wind of Change' — the song that became the anthem of the fall of the Berlin Wall — as a piece of Cold War psychological warfare. What begins as a music mystery becomes a spy story.
Best episode to start with
Episode 1 — listen in order
Serialized format — listen from the beginning for the full experience
Community ratings
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Frequently Asked Questions about Wind of Change
What is Wind of Change about?
Patrick Radden Keefe (author of Empire of Pain and Say Nothing) investigates the extraordinary claim that the CIA secretly wrote the Scorpions' 1990 power ballad 'Wind of Change' — the song that became the anthem of the fall of the Berlin Wall — as a piece of Cold War psychological warfare. What begins as a music mystery becomes a spy story.
Is Wind of Change worth listening to?
Our editorial verdict is "Must listen". The community has rated it 8.0/10 overall. True crime-adjacent listeners interested in espionage, Cold War history, and one of the most stranger-than-fiction investigations of the podcast era; fans of Patrick Radden Keefe's journalism.
Who is Wind of Change for?
Wind of Change is ideal for: Listeners who enjoy following a single case from start to finish.
What is the best episode of Wind of Change to start with?
We recommend starting with Episode 1 — listen in order. As a serialized show, it's best to listen from the beginning of a season.
What podcasts are similar to Wind of Change?
If you enjoy Wind of Change, you might also like: Bag Man (MSNBC), Crimetown, Slow Burn (Slate), Agent of Betrayal: The Double Life of Robert Hanssen. See our full "Podcasts Like Wind of Change" page for more recommendations.
Quick facts
- Format
- Serialized
- Host style
- Solo narrator
- Style
- Inquisitive, literary, compelling
- Episode length
- 8 episodes ~30-45 min each; bingeable in a weekend
- Country
- United States
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