.gif)
The Final Countdown (album)
Encyclopedia
The Final Countdown is the third studio album by the Swedish
rock
band Europe
. Released on 26 May 1986 through Epic Records
, the album was a huge commercial success selling over 3 million units in the United States alone, peaking at number 8 on the U.S. Billboard 200
chart and reaching high positions in charts
worldwide. It was recorded at Powerplay Studios in Zürich
, Soundtrade Studios in Stockholm
, Mastersound Studios in Atlanta
and Fantasy Studios
in Berkeley
.
Five singles
were released from the album: "The Final Countdown
," "Love Chaser
," "Rock the Night
," "Carrie
," and "Cherokee
." The first one was responsible for launching Europe into mainstream popularity.
Eight of the ten tracks on the album were featured in the 2007 comedy film Hot Rod
.
, Switzerland
. At the suggestion of their record company, Epic Records, the band decided to work with the American producer Kevin Elson
, who had worked with bands like Journey
and Lynyrd Skynyrd
. Originally the band had approached Scorpions
producer Dieter Dierks
and Bon Jovi
producer Bruce Fairbairn
to produce the album, but in the end they decided to go with Elson. Elson would also produce the band's sixth studio album, Start from the Dark
in 2004.
During the recording sessions, vocalist Joey Tempest
got a cold, which delayed the recording for a while. The vocals for the title track
were recorded at the Soundtrade Studios, Stockholm
, Sweden
, while the rest of the vocals were recorded at the Mastersound Studios, Atlanta
and Fantasy Studios
, Berkeley.
The album was mixed in March 1986 at Fantasy Studios
, Berkeley. Guitarist John Norum
was not pleased with the result, claiming that the keyboards
had "buried" the rhythm guitar
s in the final mix.
" and "Ninja" were the first songs written for the album, and were premiered on the band's Wings of Tomorrow
tour in 1984. "Rock the Night" was released as a single in Sweden in 1985, peaking at number 4 on the chart, and was also featured on the soundtrack EP
for the Swedish film On the Loose
the same year, together with the songs "On the Loose" and "Broken Dreams." "Rock the Night" and "On the Loose" would be re-recorded for inclusion on The Final Countdown along with "Ninja," all with slightly different lyrics.
Due to the national success of On the Loose and "Rock the Night," Europe went on a new tour around Sweden in 1985, with new songs "Danger on the Track," "Love Chaser
" and the power ballad "Carrie
" included in the setlist and ready for the album. "Carrie" was co-written by Joey Tempest and keyboardist Mic Michaeli
during a jam session. The early version of the song consisted of only keyboards and vocals, and was performed that way on the 1985 tour, but the album version would feature the whole band.
The song "The Final Countdown
" was based on an old keyboard riff that Tempest had composed as early as 1981–82, on a Korg Polysix keyboard he had borrowed from Michaeli. In 1985 bassist John Levén
suggested that Tempest should write a song based on that riff. The lyrics were inspired by David Bowie's song "Space Oddity." The sound of the keyboard riff used in the recording was achieved by using a Yamaha TX-816 rack unit and a Roland JX-8P
synthesizer
. "I made a brassy sound from the JX-8P and used a factory sound from the Yamaha, and just layered them together," Michaeli said.
"Cherokee
" was the last song written for the album, being written only a week before the band went to Switzerland to start recording the album. Tempest said he had been inspired by the history of the Native Americans
to write the song.
When it was time to choose the first single from the album, Tempest suggested "The Final Countdown." Originally the band had never planned to release the song as a single, and some members wanted "Rock the Night" to be the first single. "The Final Countdown" was written to be an opening song for concerts, and they never thought it would be a hit. But when their record company Epic Records suggested that it should be the first single, the band decided to release it. It became a worldwide success, peaking at number 1 in 25 countries, including the United Kingdom
, France
, West Germany
, and Italy
. In the USA it peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 18 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The song has been a regular in Europe concerts ever since its live debut on the premiere of the band's Final Countdown Tour on April 29, 1986 in Gävle
, Sweden. One of the most memorable performances of the song took place in Stockholm, Sweden on December 31, 1999, as part of the Millennium celebrations.
"Love Chaser" was released as a single in Japan only, and was on the soundtrack for the movie Pride One. "Rock the Night" was released as the worldwide follow-up single to "The Final Countdown." It became a Top 10 hit in France, Ireland
, Italy and Switzerland
, and peaked at number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart and number 12 on the UK Singles Chart. The next single, "Carrie," peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Cherokee" was released as the last single from the album, peaking at number 72 on the Billboard Hot 100.
album chart. The album granted Europe international recognition. The Final Countdown achieved triple Platinum status in the United States, double platinum status in Canada, and Gold status in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
Allmusic gave The Final Countdown four and a half out of five stars. Reviewer Doug Stone said, "This is the story; this is the legend told by Teutonic guitars and predictable keyboards ringing pure and hurtling through each and every convention perfectly. The quintet's big-boy Epic inaugural, The Final Countdown deftly combines the Valhalla victory of Europe's heroic debut with the American poodle pomposity that devoured the band. You could live without The Final Countdown, but why?"
Rolling Stone
writer J. D. Considine
said, "The words to "The Final Countdown" make almost no sense whatsoever on paper, but there's genuine drama to the way Tempest's keening vocals surge through the mock-orchestral morass of synths and guitar. Maybe it's trite, maybe it's derivative, but it's also undeniably effective. From the stirring stadium schlock of "Rock the Night" to the self-indulgent melodrama of "Love Chaser," the best moments here are insidiously catchy, leaving you humming along against your better judgment".
Howard Johnson of Kerrang!
is "nauseated" by the keyboard sound on the album and concludes that "Europe are [not] bad, just bland and boring".
The Final Countdown included the hit singles "The Final Countdown
," "Rock the Night
," "Carrie
" and "Cherokee
," all of which had accompanying music video
s. All four placed on the Billboard Hot 100
. A fifth single, "Love Chaser," was released in Japan only. "The Final Countdown" was the most successful song from The Final Countdown on the rock charts, reaching number 18 on the Mainstream Rock Charts and number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. "The Final Countdown" arguably became the band's most recognizable and popular song. Its music video received heavy airplay on music television.
The first leg of the Swedish tour started in Gävle on April 29, 1986. The album hadn't been released yet because the cover art hadn't been completed, but Europe was forced to start the scheduled tour. The album was eventually released on May 26, the same day as the band played the last concert on the leg, at Solnahallen in Solna
. The band did two concerts at Solnahallen, on May 25 and May 26. These concerts were filmed for a TV broadcast, which would later be released on VHS and DVD, entitled The Final Countdown Tour 1986
. A 20th anniversary edition of the DVD was released in 2006. The promotional music video for "The Final Countdown" was shot partly during the soundchecks for those concerts and partly during the actual concerts.
Europe went on a Japan
ese tour in September 1986, playing four concerts in Tokyo
and one concert each in Nagoya and Osaka
. During that tour, guitarist and band co-founder John Norum told the other band members that he wanted to leave the band, due to musical differences and a disagreement with the band's manager, Thomas Erdtman. Norum agreed to stay in the band for the second leg of the Swedish tour, which started in Örebro
on September 26, 1986, as well as a promotion tour around Europe
including TV appearances and interviews. He made his last appearance with the band for a Sky Channel
broadcast at the club Escape in Amsterdam
, the Netherlands
on October 31, 1986.
Norum was then replaced by Kee Marcello
, who had just left another Swedish rock band, Easy Action
. At first Marcello had been hesitant to join Europe, because he had put a lot of work into Easy Action's upcoming album That Makes One. After some consideration he changed his mind and decided to join the band. He appeared in the music videos for "Rock the Night" and "Carrie," before making his first TV appearance with the band at Peters Popshow in Dortmund
, West Germany on December 12, 1986.
The European leg of the tour started in Bergen
, Norway
on January 24, 1987 and ended in Genoa
, Italy on March 3, 1987. A concert done at Hammersmith Odeon
, London
on February 23, was filmed and released on video, entitled The Final Countdown World Tour.
On April 15, 1987 the band started their first U.S. tour at The Warfield Theatre
in San Francisco. The tour ended in Philadelphia on May 17, 1987, as the band had been playing in 23 cities and traveling 14,565 km. A Swedish TV crew followed the band on the tour, producing the documentary Europe in America, which would be shown on TV and released on video.
Europe ended the Final Countdown Tour at the Roskilde Festival
in Roskilde
, Denmark
on July 4, 1987.
Instrumental "Where Men Won't Dare," co-written by Tempest and John Levén, was an unfinished outtake which was included as a bonus feature on the The Final Countdown Tour 1986: Live in Sweden - 20th Anniversary Edition DVD.
In 2001, Sony released a remastered version of the album with expanded liner notes and three bonus tracks, live takes of "The Final Countdown," "Danger on the Track" and "Carrie," taken from the Final Countdown World Tour home video that was taped at Hammersmith Odeon in London 1987.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Europe
Europe (band)
Europe is a Swedish rock band formed in Upplands Väsby in 1979 under the name Force by vocalist Joey Tempest, guitarist John Norum and drummer Tony Reno. Although widely associated with glam metal, the band's sound incorporates heavy metal and hard rock elements...
. Released on 26 May 1986 through Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
, the album was a huge commercial success selling over 3 million units in the United States alone, peaking at number 8 on the U.S. Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart and reaching high positions in charts
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
worldwide. It was recorded at Powerplay Studios in Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, Soundtrade Studios in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Mastersound Studios in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
and Fantasy Studios
Fantasy Studios
Fantasy Studios is a recording studio in Berkeley, California at the Zaentz Media Center, known for its recording of award-winning albums such as Journey's Escape and Green Day's Dookie. Built as a private recording studio for artists on the Fantasy Records label in 1971, it was opened to the...
in Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
.
Five singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
were released from the album: "The Final Countdown
The Final Countdown (song)
"The Final Countdown" is a rock song by the Swedish band Europe released in 1986. Written by Joey Tempest, it was the first single from the band's third studio album which was also named The Final Countdown. It is considered by some to be the band's most recognizable and popular song. The song...
," "Love Chaser
Love Chaser
"Love Chaser" is the 1986 single released by the Swedish heavy metal band Europe. It was taken from the album The Final Countdown, and was released only in Japan in the soundtrack album of the Japanese movie Pride One. The track on the B-side of the single was "Carrie". Next year the single was...
," "Rock the Night
Rock the Night (song)
"Rock the Night" is a single released by the Swedish heavy metal band Europe. The song was written by vocalist Joey Tempest in 1984 and premiered on the band's Wings of Tomorrow tour the same year....
," "Carrie
Carrie (song)
"Carrie" is a 1987 hit single and power ballad released by the Swedish heavy metal band Europe. It was the third single released internationally from the album The Final Countdown, and it is their highest charting song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart -- peaking at #3 during the fall of 1987...
," and "Cherokee
Cherokee (song)
"Cherokee" is a 1987 hit single released by the Swedish heavy metal band Europe. It was the fourth single released internationally from the album The Final Countdown, and was number 72 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the USA....
." The first one was responsible for launching Europe into mainstream popularity.
Eight of the ten tracks on the album were featured in the 2007 comedy film Hot Rod
Hot Rod (film)
The soundtrack was composed by ex-Yes guitarist, Trevor Rabin. Several songs by the Swedish rock band Europe are in the movie, including "Cherokee" and "Rock the Night." The full trailer contains three Swedish rock band songs, Europe's "Cherokee" and "The Final Countdown," and The Hives' "See...
.
Recording and production
The recording of the album began in September 1985 at the Powerplay Studios in ZürichZürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. At the suggestion of their record company, Epic Records, the band decided to work with the American producer Kevin Elson
Kevin Elson
Kevin Elson is an American record producer and engineer who is best known for his work with Europe, Journey, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Mr. Big.-Albums produced:*Street Survivors - Lynyrd Skynyrd *Departure - Journey...
, who had worked with bands like Journey
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
and Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band prominent in spreading Southern Rock during the 1970s.Originally formed as the "Noble Five" in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, the band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its driving live performances and signature tune, Freebird...
. Originally the band had approached Scorpions
Scorpions (band)
Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
producer Dieter Dierks
Dieter Dierks
Dieter Dierks is a German record producer mostly known for his collaboration with the rock band Scorpions.- Youth :...
and Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
producer Bruce Fairbairn
Bruce Fairbairn
Bruce Earl Fairbairn was a Canadian musician and international record producer from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He was active as a producer from 1976 to 1999 and is considered one of the best of his era...
to produce the album, but in the end they decided to go with Elson. Elson would also produce the band's sixth studio album, Start from the Dark
Start from the Dark
Start from the Dark is the sixth studio album by the Swedish rock band Europe. It was released on September 22, 2004, by Sanctuary Records...
in 2004.
During the recording sessions, vocalist Joey Tempest
Joey Tempest
Joey Tempest is the vocalist and main songwriter in the Swedish heavy metal band Europe. He has written hits like "The Final Countdown", "Rock the Night" and "Superstitious".-Early life:...
got a cold, which delayed the recording for a while. The vocals for the title track
The Final Countdown (song)
"The Final Countdown" is a rock song by the Swedish band Europe released in 1986. Written by Joey Tempest, it was the first single from the band's third studio album which was also named The Final Countdown. It is considered by some to be the band's most recognizable and popular song. The song...
were recorded at the Soundtrade Studios, Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, while the rest of the vocals were recorded at the Mastersound Studios, Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
and Fantasy Studios
Fantasy Studios
Fantasy Studios is a recording studio in Berkeley, California at the Zaentz Media Center, known for its recording of award-winning albums such as Journey's Escape and Green Day's Dookie. Built as a private recording studio for artists on the Fantasy Records label in 1971, it was opened to the...
, Berkeley.
The album was mixed in March 1986 at Fantasy Studios
Fantasy Studios
Fantasy Studios is a recording studio in Berkeley, California at the Zaentz Media Center, known for its recording of award-winning albums such as Journey's Escape and Green Day's Dookie. Built as a private recording studio for artists on the Fantasy Records label in 1971, it was opened to the...
, Berkeley. Guitarist John Norum
John Norum
John Norum is a rock music guitarist and founder of the Swedish band Europe . Concurrent to his role with Europe, he also maintains a side solo project...
was not pleased with the result, claiming that the keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
had "buried" the rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
s in the final mix.
Songs
"Rock the NightRock the Night (song)
"Rock the Night" is a single released by the Swedish heavy metal band Europe. The song was written by vocalist Joey Tempest in 1984 and premiered on the band's Wings of Tomorrow tour the same year....
" and "Ninja" were the first songs written for the album, and were premiered on the band's Wings of Tomorrow
Wings of Tomorrow
Wings of Tomorrow is the second studio album by the Swedish heavy metal band Europe. It was released on February 24, 1984, by Hot Records.The song "Scream of Anger" was originally titled "Black Journey Through My Soul"...
tour in 1984. "Rock the Night" was released as a single in Sweden in 1985, peaking at number 4 on the chart, and was also featured on the soundtrack EP
On the Loose (EP)
On the Loose is an EP released by the Swedish heavy metal band Europe in April 1985. It is the soundtrack to the Swedish 1985 film On the Loose...
for the Swedish film On the Loose
On the Loose (1985 film)
On the Loose is a Swedish film released in 1985. It was directed by Staffan Hildebrand and distributed by Föreningsfilmo AB. It stars Tomas Fryk and Carina Lindström and features appearances by rock 'n' roll singer Jerry Williams and the hard rock band Europe.-Plot:Peter works as a welder in his...
the same year, together with the songs "On the Loose" and "Broken Dreams." "Rock the Night" and "On the Loose" would be re-recorded for inclusion on The Final Countdown along with "Ninja," all with slightly different lyrics.
Due to the national success of On the Loose and "Rock the Night," Europe went on a new tour around Sweden in 1985, with new songs "Danger on the Track," "Love Chaser
Love Chaser
"Love Chaser" is the 1986 single released by the Swedish heavy metal band Europe. It was taken from the album The Final Countdown, and was released only in Japan in the soundtrack album of the Japanese movie Pride One. The track on the B-side of the single was "Carrie". Next year the single was...
" and the power ballad "Carrie
Carrie (song)
"Carrie" is a 1987 hit single and power ballad released by the Swedish heavy metal band Europe. It was the third single released internationally from the album The Final Countdown, and it is their highest charting song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart -- peaking at #3 during the fall of 1987...
" included in the setlist and ready for the album. "Carrie" was co-written by Joey Tempest and keyboardist Mic Michaeli
Mic Michaeli
Gunnar Mathias "Mic" Michaeli is the keyboardist in the Swedish rock band Europe. Like many of the other Europe members he grew up in Stockholm suburb Upplands Väsby...
during a jam session. The early version of the song consisted of only keyboards and vocals, and was performed that way on the 1985 tour, but the album version would feature the whole band.
The song "The Final Countdown
The Final Countdown (song)
"The Final Countdown" is a rock song by the Swedish band Europe released in 1986. Written by Joey Tempest, it was the first single from the band's third studio album which was also named The Final Countdown. It is considered by some to be the band's most recognizable and popular song. The song...
" was based on an old keyboard riff that Tempest had composed as early as 1981–82, on a Korg Polysix keyboard he had borrowed from Michaeli. In 1985 bassist John Levén
John Levén
John Gunnar Levén is the bassist in the Swedish rock band Europe. Levén and vocalist Joey Tempest are the only band members who have performed on all of Europe's studio albums....
suggested that Tempest should write a song based on that riff. The lyrics were inspired by David Bowie's song "Space Oddity." The sound of the keyboard riff used in the recording was achieved by using a Yamaha TX-816 rack unit and a Roland JX-8P
Roland JX-8P
The Roland JX-8P was a 61-keyboard 6-note, velocity and aftertouch sensitive polyphonic synthesizer released by Roland in 1984 to compete against the Yamaha DX7. In many aspects, the JX-8P delivers classic "fat" Roland synth sounds just like instruments as Jupiter-8, Jupiter-6, MKS-80 and the...
synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
. "I made a brassy sound from the JX-8P and used a factory sound from the Yamaha, and just layered them together," Michaeli said.
"Cherokee
Cherokee (song)
"Cherokee" is a 1987 hit single released by the Swedish heavy metal band Europe. It was the fourth single released internationally from the album The Final Countdown, and was number 72 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the USA....
" was the last song written for the album, being written only a week before the band went to Switzerland to start recording the album. Tempest said he had been inspired by the history of the Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
to write the song.
When it was time to choose the first single from the album, Tempest suggested "The Final Countdown." Originally the band had never planned to release the song as a single, and some members wanted "Rock the Night" to be the first single. "The Final Countdown" was written to be an opening song for concerts, and they never thought it would be a hit. But when their record company Epic Records suggested that it should be the first single, the band decided to release it. It became a worldwide success, peaking at number 1 in 25 countries, including the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. In the USA it peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 18 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The song has been a regular in Europe concerts ever since its live debut on the premiere of the band's Final Countdown Tour on April 29, 1986 in Gävle
Gävle
Gävle is a city in Sweden, the seat of Gävle Municipality and the capital of Gävleborg County. It had 71,033 inhabitants in 12/31 2010. It is the oldest city in the historical Norrland , having received its charter in 1446 from Christopher of Bavaria.-History:It is believed that the name Gävle...
, Sweden. One of the most memorable performances of the song took place in Stockholm, Sweden on December 31, 1999, as part of the Millennium celebrations.
"Love Chaser" was released as a single in Japan only, and was on the soundtrack for the movie Pride One. "Rock the Night" was released as the worldwide follow-up single to "The Final Countdown." It became a Top 10 hit in France, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Italy and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, and peaked at number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart and number 12 on the UK Singles Chart. The next single, "Carrie," peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Cherokee" was released as the last single from the album, peaking at number 72 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Release and reception
The Final Countdown was the band's breakout album. Upon its release in May 1986, The Final Countdown peaked at #8 on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
album chart. The album granted Europe international recognition. The Final Countdown achieved triple Platinum status in the United States, double platinum status in Canada, and Gold status in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
Allmusic gave The Final Countdown four and a half out of five stars. Reviewer Doug Stone said, "This is the story; this is the legend told by Teutonic guitars and predictable keyboards ringing pure and hurtling through each and every convention perfectly. The quintet's big-boy Epic inaugural, The Final Countdown deftly combines the Valhalla victory of Europe's heroic debut with the American poodle pomposity that devoured the band. You could live without The Final Countdown, but why?"
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
writer J. D. Considine
J. D. Considine
J. D. Considine is an established music critic who has been writing about music professionally since 1977. His work has been published in numerous newspapers and music magazines, and he has contributed to several books. Over the years, he has claimed to have put over three million words into...
said, "The words to "The Final Countdown" make almost no sense whatsoever on paper, but there's genuine drama to the way Tempest's keening vocals surge through the mock-orchestral morass of synths and guitar. Maybe it's trite, maybe it's derivative, but it's also undeniably effective. From the stirring stadium schlock of "Rock the Night" to the self-indulgent melodrama of "Love Chaser," the best moments here are insidiously catchy, leaving you humming along against your better judgment".
Howard Johnson of Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
is "nauseated" by the keyboard sound on the album and concludes that "Europe are [not] bad, just bland and boring".
The Final Countdown included the hit singles "The Final Countdown
The Final Countdown (song)
"The Final Countdown" is a rock song by the Swedish band Europe released in 1986. Written by Joey Tempest, it was the first single from the band's third studio album which was also named The Final Countdown. It is considered by some to be the band's most recognizable and popular song. The song...
," "Rock the Night
Rock the Night (song)
"Rock the Night" is a single released by the Swedish heavy metal band Europe. The song was written by vocalist Joey Tempest in 1984 and premiered on the band's Wings of Tomorrow tour the same year....
," "Carrie
Carrie (song)
"Carrie" is a 1987 hit single and power ballad released by the Swedish heavy metal band Europe. It was the third single released internationally from the album The Final Countdown, and it is their highest charting song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart -- peaking at #3 during the fall of 1987...
" and "Cherokee
Cherokee (song)
"Cherokee" is a 1987 hit single released by the Swedish heavy metal band Europe. It was the fourth single released internationally from the album The Final Countdown, and was number 72 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the USA....
," all of which had accompanying music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s. All four placed on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. A fifth single, "Love Chaser," was released in Japan only. "The Final Countdown" was the most successful song from The Final Countdown on the rock charts, reaching number 18 on the Mainstream Rock Charts and number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. "The Final Countdown" arguably became the band's most recognizable and popular song. Its music video received heavy airplay on music television.
The Final Countdown Tour
Solna Municipality
Solna Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden, located just north of the capital Stockholm. Its seat is located in the 'city' of Solna....
. The band did two concerts at Solnahallen, on May 25 and May 26. These concerts were filmed for a TV broadcast, which would later be released on VHS and DVD, entitled The Final Countdown Tour 1986
The Final Countdown Tour 1986
The Final Countdown Tour 1986 is a concert video released by the Swedish hard rock band Europe. It features footage from a concert filmed at Solnahallen in Solna, Sweden on May 26, 1986...
. A 20th anniversary edition of the DVD was released in 2006. The promotional music video for "The Final Countdown" was shot partly during the soundchecks for those concerts and partly during the actual concerts.
Europe went on a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese tour in September 1986, playing four concerts in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
and one concert each in Nagoya and Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
. During that tour, guitarist and band co-founder John Norum told the other band members that he wanted to leave the band, due to musical differences and a disagreement with the band's manager, Thomas Erdtman. Norum agreed to stay in the band for the second leg of the Swedish tour, which started in Örebro
Örebro
-Sites of interest:Örebro's old town Wadköping is located on the banks of Svartån . It contains many 18th and 19th century wooden houses, along with museums and exhibitions....
on September 26, 1986, as well as a promotion tour around Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
including TV appearances and interviews. He made his last appearance with the band for a Sky Channel
Sky Channel
Sky Channel can refer to any of the following.* In Europe, Sky Channel was a satellite television channel that was broadcast in the 1980s, it went on to become Sky1....
broadcast at the club Escape in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
on October 31, 1986.
Norum was then replaced by Kee Marcello
Kee Marcello
Kee Marcello is a Swedish musician, best known as the former guitarist in the rock band Europe. He is currently pursuing his solo career.-Career:...
, who had just left another Swedish rock band, Easy Action
Easy Action (band)
Easy Action is a glam metal band that was formed in 1982 by Kee Marcello and Alex Tyrone . The two played together in the Swedish glam act Noice when they decided to start the ultimate glam rock band, mixing their influences of 70's glam with a punk/metal attitude. They met the singer Zinny J...
. At first Marcello had been hesitant to join Europe, because he had put a lot of work into Easy Action's upcoming album That Makes One. After some consideration he changed his mind and decided to join the band. He appeared in the music videos for "Rock the Night" and "Carrie," before making his first TV appearance with the band at Peters Popshow in Dortmund
Dortmund
Dortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union....
, West Germany on December 12, 1986.
The European leg of the tour started in Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
on January 24, 1987 and ended in Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, Italy on March 3, 1987. A concert done at Hammersmith Odeon
Hammersmith Apollo
Hammersmith Apollo is a major entertainment venue located in Hammersmith, London. Designed by Robert Cromie in Art Deco style, it opened in 1932 as the Gaumont Palace cinema, being re-named the Hammersmith Odeon in 1962...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on February 23, was filmed and released on video, entitled The Final Countdown World Tour.
On April 15, 1987 the band started their first U.S. tour at The Warfield Theatre
The Warfield
The Warfield, also known as The Warfield Theater, is a 2,300 seat music venue located at 982 Market Street, San Francisco, California. It was built as a vaudeville theater, and opened as the Loews Warfield on May 13, 1922.-History:...
in San Francisco. The tour ended in Philadelphia on May 17, 1987, as the band had been playing in 23 cities and traveling 14,565 km. A Swedish TV crew followed the band on the tour, producing the documentary Europe in America, which would be shown on TV and released on video.
Europe ended the Final Countdown Tour at the Roskilde Festival
Roskilde Festival
Roskilde Festival is a festival held south of Roskilde in Denmark and is one of the six biggest annual music festivals in Europe . It was created in 1971 by two high school students, Mogens Sandfær and Jesper Switzer Møller, and promoter Carl Fischer...
in Roskilde
Roskilde
Roskilde is the main city in Roskilde Municipality, Denmark on the island of Zealand. It is an ancient city, dating from the Viking Age and is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network....
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
on July 4, 1987.
Track listing
Outtakes and bonus tracks
Another Tempest-written song that was recorded during the sessions, "On Broken Wings," was used as a B-side on the "Final Countdown" single.Instrumental "Where Men Won't Dare," co-written by Tempest and John Levén, was an unfinished outtake which was included as a bonus feature on the The Final Countdown Tour 1986: Live in Sweden - 20th Anniversary Edition DVD.
In 2001, Sony released a remastered version of the album with expanded liner notes and three bonus tracks, live takes of "The Final Countdown," "Danger on the Track" and "Carrie," taken from the Final Countdown World Tour home video that was taped at Hammersmith Odeon in London 1987.
Personnel
- Joey TempestJoey TempestJoey Tempest is the vocalist and main songwriter in the Swedish heavy metal band Europe. He has written hits like "The Final Countdown", "Rock the Night" and "Superstitious".-Early life:...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
. - John NorumJohn NorumJohn Norum is a rock music guitarist and founder of the Swedish band Europe . Concurrent to his role with Europe, he also maintains a side solo project...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, backing vocals. - John LevénJohn LevénJohn Gunnar Levén is the bassist in the Swedish rock band Europe. Levén and vocalist Joey Tempest are the only band members who have performed on all of Europe's studio albums....
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
. - Mic MichaeliMic MichaeliGunnar Mathias "Mic" Michaeli is the keyboardist in the Swedish rock band Europe. Like many of the other Europe members he grew up in Stockholm suburb Upplands Väsby...
– keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, backing vocals. - Ian HauglandIan HauglandHåkan Jan "Ian" Haugland is the drummer in the Swedish rock band Europe. When he was eight months old, he and his family moved to the Swedish suburb Märsta. He joined Europe in the summer of 1984, replacing Tony Reno. Previously Haugland had played in a number of bands, including Trilogy, where...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, backing vocals. - Kevin ElsonKevin ElsonKevin Elson is an American record producer and engineer who is best known for his work with Europe, Journey, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Mr. Big.-Albums produced:*Street Survivors - Lynyrd Skynyrd *Departure - Journey...
– producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, engineer, mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Wally Buck – engineer, mixing
- Bob LudwigBob LudwigBob Ludwig is an American mastering engineer.He is a well known and respected figure within the music industry. His name is credited on the covers of albums released across the world, and he has won numerous awards....
– masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced... - Michael Johansson – photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
- Les Katz – cover illustrationAlbum coverAn album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially released audio recording product, or album. The term can refer to either the printed cardboard covers typically used to package sets of 10" and 12" 78 rpm records, single and sets of 12" LPs, sets of 45 rpm records , or the front-facing...
- Joel Zimmerman – art directionArt directorThe art director is a person who supervise the creative process of a design.The term 'art director' is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games....
Chart positions
| Year | Charts | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Swedish Album Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
1 |
| Swiss Album Chart | 1 | |
| French Album Chart | 1 | |
| Canadian Album Chart RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
2 | |
| Italian Album Chart | 2 | |
| Norwegian Album Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
4 | |
| Austrian Album Chart | 5 | |
| German Album Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
6 | |
| Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
8 | |
| UK Album Chart | 9 |