Europe

Europe is one of the defining bands of European melodic hard rock, formed in 1979 around singer Joey Tempest and guitarist John Norum. Catapulted onto the global stage in the mid-1980s, the band established a sound that blends soaring vocals, epic keyboards, and razor‑sharp riffs. Their album The Final Countdown (1986) became a worldwide phenomenon, driven by its eponymous title track—now a rock classic—as well as songs like Carrie and Rock the Night. Before that, Europe had already laid the groundwork for its identity with Wings of Tomorrow (1984), a record that cemented their status as a rising force in Swedish heavy metal. The rest of their discography explores grittier, blues‑tinged territory, notably with Prisoners in Paradise (1991), then with their 2004 comeback and albums such as Start from the Dark and War of Kings, which reveal a darker, more powerful maturity. Still anchored by the core duo of Tempest and Norum, the band remains a touchstone of European rock, renowned for its live energy and a career studded with timeless anthems.