Europe

Europe – hard rock and heavy metal band from Sweden

Europe was formed in 1979 in Stockholm, Sweden. At first, the band started gaining popularity under the name Force. The initial lineup included Joey Tempest (vocals, guitar), John Norum (guitar, vocals), Peter Olsson (bass guitar), and Tony Reno (percussion, drums). Throughout its existence, the band often suffered through lineup changes.

In 1982, the group won Rock-SM contest, where it performed under the new name, Europe. Joey Tempest and John Norum earned awards for The Best Guitar Player and The Best Vocalist. During the performance, a representative of Hot Records noticed the young musicians and offered them a contract. Europe started working in a studio.

The first two LPs Europe (1983) and Wings of Tomorrow (1984) did not bring the band the desired popularity at home, but the song “Seven Doors Hotel” made it into top-10 in Japan. After the release, Columbia Records offered the musicians an international contract.

In 1986, the band started working with Epic Records. Together they released the 3rd studio LP, The Final Countdown. The album brought Europe international recognition. It was highly commercially successful. The LP featured such hits as “The Final Countdown”, “Rock the Night,” and “Carrie”. It appeared on 12 world charts and earned two platinum certifications in Canada. The same year, John Norum left the band. Kee Marcello replaced him.

In 1988, the band released another successful album, Out of This World. It also earned gold and platinum statuses and conquered many world charts.

The next album, Prisoners in Paradise, came out in 1991. It received a platinum certification in Sweden and entered the charts of six more countries. Many fans wanted to book Europe for their private events.

In 1992, the band announced a breakup. Each musician decided to pursue a solo career. The contract with Epic Records was cancelled.

In 1999, the musicians met on the stage once again. They got an offer to perform at a New Year Millennium concert in Stockholm. They agreed and sang a new version of their hit song "The Final Countdown 2000". The group’s fans were ecstatic about their work. The musicians decided to reunite but didn’t release a new LP until four years later. Start from the Dark came out in 2014 and featured a new sound. Glam metal stayed in the past.

In 2006, the band released its sixth LP, Secret Society, which is considered one of the band’s most successful albums. It came out under Sanctuary Records.

In 2009, Europe presented Last Look at Eden, which topped the Swedish chart and earned a gold certification. Three years later, the musician released one more successful LP, Bag of Bones, which reached respectable positions on 10 world charts.

In 2015, together with a German company UDR Records, the group released another LP, War of Kings. It climbed to the 2nd spot on the national chart and reached the 44th position on Billboard 200.

In 2017, the group presented Walk the Earth, which they recorded in the famous Abbey Road studio in London. The album reached the 2nd spot on Swedish chart.

Europe continues working on new music and touring the world.