The Final Countdown – Europe | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#8) & Rock (#18); 1987
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
Apart from ABBA and Ace Of Base, one of Sweden’s other memorable exports was the hard-rock outfit Europe. In the beginning, vocalist Joakim “Joey Tempest” Larsson and bassist John Leven played together in Force, whose progressive rock sound won them a national talent contest followed by a record deal.
A name change to Europe, two Swedish albums, and three new members later, the group was poised to take on the world. For The Final Countdown Europe fused prog and hard rock elements into a radio friendly mix, which prominently featured Gunner “Mic” Michaeli’s keyboards.
Countdown, the single, ran up the chart, peaking at #8, while Countdown, the album, racked up triple platinum sales on the strength of the title single and the #3 Carrie. Final Countdown also made a guest appearance in the final Rocky flick, number V.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Kevin Elson
Lyrics Written by:
- Joey Tempest
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).