The story behind
Europe released "The Final Countdown" in 1986 as the lead single from their album *The Final Countdown*. The song was recorded in various studios across Europe and the United States between September 1985 and March 1986. The defining synthesizer riff was created in 1981–82, when lead singer Joey Tempest played it on a Korg Polysix borrowed from Mic Michaeli. Bassist John Levén suggested writing a song around that riff. The lyrics were inspired by David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.” The song was released in the spring of 1986 and rose quickly in the charts. In the United States, it reached number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 18 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Outside the United States, it was number one in 25 countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, and Italy. In Canada, it remained in the top 20 for three weeks. The video was filmed at a concert in Solna, Sweden, in May 1986. ↓ Skip to chords
Key
F# minor
Capo
0
Text
Auto
Intro 1
C Em
C Am
D B Em C Am
D B Em C Am
D B Em C Am
D B Em D G C B
Em C
Am D Em C
Am D Em D G C
Bsus4 B Em
Verse 1
Em
Am Em
D
G C
D G
D Em
G C
Verse 2
Bm
D
Em
C Am D
Em C Am D
Em
Am Em
D
Verse 3
G C
D
G
D
Em G
C
Bm
D
Verse 4
D
Em
C Am D
Em C
Am D
Em D
G C Bsus4 B Em Am G C
F C Dm G
Am Em Am
G C F C Dm
G Am B Em
C Am D Em
C Am D
Em D G C
Bsus4 B
Em
C Am D
Em
C Am
Verse 5
D
Em D
G C
Bsus4
Verse 6
B
Em
C Am D
Em C
Am D
Em D
G
C Bsus4 B
Em
C
From the album
The Final Countdown
Europe · 0 · Track 0