Europe

Few rock bands owe their name to a geography lesson quite like Europe, the Swedish group who took their title from the continent itself. Formed in Upplands Väsby in 1979 by Joey Tempest, John Norum, Peter Olsson and Tony Reno, they built a sound that moved from guitar-driven rock towards keyboard-heavy production. Their route to recognition ran through Sweden's televised Rock-SM contest, which they won in 1982, the first year the competition was held.

Their early records found a real audience in Sweden and Japan, but international fame arrived with The Final Countdown in 1986, whose title track went to number one in 25 countries. The album reached number eight on the US Billboard 200, and the power ballad Carrie climbed to number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Guitarist John Norum left later that year, and the band broke up in 1992 before announcing a reunion in 2003. By 2003 the band had sold ten million albums worldwide, and since reuniting they have released seven studio albums, most recently Come This Madness in 2026.