Europe

Hard rock band Europe had their first breakthrough in 1982, winning the Rock-SM competition on Swedish television over 4,000 other entrants. ∙ In 1985, lead singer Joey Tempest wrote the hit rock ballad “Give a Helpin’ Hand” for the all-star charity project Swedish Metal Aid, a benefit for famine-stricken Ethiopia. ∙ Journey producer Kevin Elson was brought in to polish the sound for 1986’s triple-Platinum The Final Countdown, which reached No. 8 on the Billboard 200 chart. ∙ The title track from The Final Countdown marked the band’s first entry on the US Pop singles chart, where it peaked at No. 8. ∙ Driven by MTV play, their 1987 power ballad “Carrie” was the group’s biggest hit, and its video racked up over 155 million views. ∙ Their 1999 one-off reunion gig on New Year’s Eve attracted a live audience of 700,000 people in Stockholm. ∙ In 2018, they were inducted into the Swedish Music Hall of Fame.