The Final Countdown

Album

Final Countdown

Label

Epic records

Genre

Glam metal

Composer(s)

Joey Tempest

Entered Chart

Jan 24, 1987

Peak Date

Mar 28, 1987

Released

14 February 1986[1] 3 October 1986 (UK)[1]

Recorded

Unknown

Catalog #

Epic 34-06416

B-Side

On Broken Wings

This song's lyric is both apocalyptic and optimistic, describing a trip into Space (heading for Venus) and leaving Earth behind. When we asked Europe lead singer Joey Tempest about it, he explained: "I had the demo without vocals, and I was singing it over and over again. The music was almost like a soundtrack to a movie, about leaving Earth, and that the Earth was spent. And one day, we'll probably have to leave this place. It was kind of a dream-like lyric, but that was the backdrop for it." The iconic keyboard riff was composed by lead singer Joey Tempest five years before the song was recorded. The band's keyboard player Mic Michaeli had lent him the instrument. On VH1's 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders, Joey Tempest said: "It was quite a surprise that the song 'The Final Countdown' became such a big hit because it was written for the band, it was written for our concert, it was written to be the opening song in our concert. It was almost six-minutes long, it was never intended to be a short pop hit or anything, it was very much a surprise and its been used for all kinds of events, anything from Formula 1 to boxing. It's been used for a lot, sort of like an anthem. I know there's been some cover versions of it as well and I know when the Berlin Wall (fell), at the same time that all thing happened I know a lot of other people from that area saw the song as an anthem. I get a lot of letters about that. So its been interpreted in many ways." One of the first singles Europe lead singer Joey Tempest bought was a good one: "Space Oddity" by David Bowie. That song, which was written in the lead-up to the 1969 moon landing, was a huge influence on Tempest and led to his own fascination with space exploration. He says that "The Final Countdown" lyric was inspired by Bowie's song and how it piqued his interest in space travel. The music video is very meta, showing the band being filmed for a video. On May 26 and 27, 1986, Europe played at the Solnahallen arena near Stockholm, footage of which was compiled for a home video called The Final Countdown Tour 1986. During these shows, director Nick Morris filmed the band being filmed, which was used for the music video to this song. When we spoke with Morris, he explained that the first concept for the video was a space shuttle launch, but that was quickly nixed due to cost. Since the band enthralled crowds in their native Sweden, he asked to do the video at the Solnahallen shows, with a control room scene from the Beatles movie A Hard Day's Night serving as inspiration. By going behind the scenes at a concert on their home turf, Morris was able to show Europe on a grand scale wowing their adoring fans. The various clocks, countdowns and equipment that came with the production not only gave it gravitas, but also fit the theme of the song. Europe released two album on the Swedish label Hot Records before getting a deal with Epic in 1985. The signing was a fortuitous one for the label, as the band was on the cutting edge of the hair metal trend, with a slick, keyboard-driven sound and an MTV-friendly look. "The Final Countdown" was the first single Epic released, and it broke the band worldwide, going to #1 in the UK and #8 in America. It took a while to break the band: they started their Final Countdown tour in Sweden in 1986, and when their video for this song was filmed in May, an Epic executive from New York was on hand, ready to bring the excitement to a larger audience. The tour continued into Japan and Germany, and in November, the song was released in America. It peaked at #8 in March 1987, and in April the band started their tour of the States, with "Rock The Night" released as the follow-up single. Their third single, "Carrie," ended up being their biggest hit in the States, reaching #3 in October. Despite the success of "Carrie," the band is often considered a one-hit wonder in America for "The Final Countdown," which proved far more enduring. Joey Tempest: "We were putting out our third album and we wanted a really 'grand' opening for the show. So, I had that riff tucked away in a drawer since my college years and I took it out, found a tempo for it, wrote lyrics and it turned out to be a great opening for that album and for the show as well." (courtesy: www.rockeyez.com) This was #1 in 26 countries including Germany and over eight million singles were sold worldwide. This song has a lot of haters and has appeared on various "worst of" lists over the years. An example: it was listed #1 on VH1's 40 Most Awesomely Bad Metal Songs. In the video, there are various helicopter shots mixed with the indoor footage. After spending lots of time getting the authorization, a police helicopter was supplied, and "Europe 86" was painted on the roof of the concert venue. When director Nick Morris and his cameraman flew over the venue to get the shot, it was too early so there was no crowd, no excitement. The pilot offered a solution: fly to Stockholm, grab some coffee, then go back to get the shot. Morris told us: "We went round the clock tower a couple of times so we could film that, and just landed in a quiet local square. All these guys were sitting there, bent doubled, watching this police helicopter land. We get out, he locks up the helicopter, and we walk across to get cappuccinos. A couple of minutes later he says, 'There should be people there now, let's go.' We took off again and got the shots that you see in the beginning of the video." The song is used as the introduction theme at the UK soccer team Blackburn Rovers and its the theme song for the NBA team Detroit Pistons. Seeking the modern synth-rock sound of the mid-'80s, Epic Records put the band with producer Kevin Elson for The Final Countdown album. He had worked on the 1983 Journey album Frontiers. This song has been used in the TV shows Arrested Development, Chuck, Glee and Gotham. Movies include Shiner (2000) The Kid & I (2005) and Pitch Perfect (2012). It also gets a mention in a 2015 episode of the animated show Gravity Falls, when a character says, "It's the final countdown! Just like they always sung about!" In the video version, the vocals don't come in until 1:20. When they do, it's with Tempest vocalizing, "ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh." At this point in the video, there's a close-up shot of Tempest singing it. Extended "oohs" don't look very rock and roll on camera, since you have to parse your lips and sing softly. Tempest hated this shot, telling director Nick Morris it was "too girly." The record company loved it though. In 2015, Europe appeared in a commercial for Geico insurance, performing this song in an office break room while a worker waits for his burrito to microwave. The tagline: "If you're the band Europe, you love a final countdown, it's what you do. If you want to save 15% or more on car insurance, you switch to Geico."

We're leaving together
But still it's farewell
And maybe we'll come back
To Earth, who can tell?
I guess there is no one to blame
We're leaving ground (leaving ground)
Will things ever be the same again?

It's the final countdown
The final countdown

Oh
We're heading for Venus (Venus)
And still we stand tall
'Cause maybe they've seen us
And welcome us, all yeah
With so many light years to go
And things to be found (to be found)
I'm sure that we'll all miss her so

It's the final countdown
The final countdown
The final countdown (final countdown)
Oh, hey

The final countdown
Oh
It's the final countdown
The final countdown
The final countdown (final countdown)
Oh
It's the final countdown
We're leaving together (the final countdown)