The Final Countdown

The first time you hear The Final Countdown, the opening synthesizer riff hits you like a shot into the void. It’s not a guitar solo or a drum roll that kicks off the song, but that electronic sound that seems to come from another galaxy, as if someone had plugged a keyboard into a rocket. Joey Tempest composed it between 1981 and 1982 on a borrowed Korg Polysix, and years later, when bassist John Levén suggested turning it into a song, the result was that anthem that needs no introduction: it starts full throttle and doesn’t stop until the last chord fades away. Inspired by Space Oddity from David Bowie, the lyrics speak of goodbyes and journeys, but on stage it sounds like a countdown to something bigger than a song. Today, that opening riff is still used in stadiums to fire up crowds, as if every time it’s played, the audience feels they’re about to take off.

The recording of The Final Countdown was a logistical puzzle: the band went through four studios on two continents between September 1985 and March 1986. At Powerplay (Zurich), Soundtrade (Stockholm), Mastersound (Atlanta), and Fantasy (Berkeley), producer Kevin Elson—who had already worked with Journey and Lynyrd Skynyrd—blended Europe’s sound with layers of Yamaha DX7, Roland Juno 60, and PPG Wave synthesizers, giving the song that futuristic sheen that made it sound like a science fiction track. When Epic Records proposed releasing The Final Countdown as the lead single, the band hesitated: some preferred Rock the Night, but Tempest’s riff ultimately prevailed. The result was an unexpected hit: number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 1 in 25 countries, and certified gold in the UK in 1986. Even wrestler Bryan Danielson used it as his entrance theme in Ring of Honor, and in 1999, a remix called The Final Countdown 2000—produced by Brian Rawling—caused a stir due to a printing error that omitted a letter in the title. More than three decades later, it remains the song that defines the band.