Europe » Tracks » The Final Countdown

Europe – The Final Countdown (3:57)

On 289 albums see all

Buy at Amazon MP3 ($0.99) | Send Ringtones to Cell
Buy
Save

Popular tags: , , , ,  See more

Shouts: 1,213 shouts

Share this track:
Preview this track (0:30)
About this video More videos (11)

About This Track

“The Final Countdown” is a hard rock song by Europe, from their 1986 breakthrough album of the same name. The song’s musical-style and production were heavily inspired by , and from the . Released as the album’s first single, the song entered the top five on the majority of the charts it appeared on. It is arguably the band’s most recognizable and popular song.

The song was based on an old keyboard riff that vocalist Joey Tempest had composed as early as 1981–82. In 1985, bassist John Levén suggested that Tempest should write a song based on that riff. The lyrics were inspired by David Bowie’s song “Space Oddity”.

It continues to enjoy notable popularity in many sports arenas and stadiums; public address booths have often played the opening keyboard riff to rally the home crowd. It has also become a staple of high school and college pep bands for this same purpose.

The song has been covered by various artists, both local and famous; including Dannii Minogue, Gigatron, Geoff Downes, Laibach, Norther, Dispatched, the Toy Dolls, Immolation, Furillo, Vision Divine, The Delegates, and the Latvian cello band Melo-M. Contrary to popular belief, the melodic death metal band Children of Bodom has never done a cover version of the song — the wrongly credited versions are usually those by Norther and Dispatched.
Read more… Edit wiki
Send Ringtones to Cell

Albums featuring this track

  • The Final Countdown
    Europe Play
    Buy
  • 100 Hits Of The '80s
    Various Play
    Buy
  • The Definitive 80's (eighties)
    Miami Sound Machine Play
    Buy
  • The Best Of The 80's
    Bonnie Tyler Play
    Buy
See all 289 albums

Shouts

Leave a comment. Log in to Last.fm or sign up (it’s free).

  • scarebear

    Last.fm thinks this is my first listen to this song. So wrong.

    last week

  • j1d2c3

    we be jammin!!

    21 days ago

  • Lucassdemello

    AMO/

    23 days ago

  • BexxSleazeSixxx

    ♥

    23 days ago

  • cinderella_rock

    CLASSIC!

    24 days ago

  • Danherdymoraes

    o/

    last month

  • ima99

    Hab ich mal aufm Akkordeon gespielt... *fg*

    last month

  • KingFahtah

    It could have been worse tho. Asia was made up of Englishmen, so was Japan :\

    last month

  • chucken65

    Great band and they are swedes to the only wrong with them is the name ! "scandinavians" would have been better :-)

    last month

  • greenvillepa

    That is what I have heard so many times. I am ready to smack my mama for it ! May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your armpits. The best telemarketers are not from India,,,, they are from United States. And you gotta be a real man to do it ...

    last month

  • PeterWalton

    Can't wait to see Europe in NOVEMBER 2012!

    last month

  • Flutterboel

    Yes!

    last month

  • rikrijean

    IT'S A FANTASTIC SONG........

    last month

  • otzek

    Föhnwellen Rocker von 1986...naja....

    last month

  • odinthorn

    @steel: I know it's not recorded, However they do play live now as a joke. :) I though it was on the cover album, I am mistaken opps.

    March 2012

  • Steelbound

    @odinthorn: From cobhc.com's FAQ: "Some of the fake covers circulating on the internet include "The Trooper", "Final Countdown", "One", "Freestyler" and the "Silver Fang / Hopeanuoli theme". The band never recorded any of these!"

    March 2012

  • SAULOROCK

    A CONTAGEM REGRESSIVA FINAL

    March 2012

  • odinthorn

    They didn't cover it until people started mixing them up with the Dispatched and Norther versions, then they started as a joke.

    March 2012

  • odinthorn

    Children of Bodom have covered this its on their covers album. They also play it live alot, Trust me I've been there. Wiki is wrong!

    March 2012

  • farfalas13

    ela mwrh elladara!!! SHKWSE TO!!!

    March 2012
See all 1,213 shouts

Track Stats

2,156,266 Scrobbles 484,846 Listeners

Recent Listening Trend

Listening Now

Top Listeners

See more

Recent Activity

Related Journals

See more