In the 20th century, a large number of performers were noted at the top of the musical Olympus. They all left an indelible impression on the minds and souls of their fans. One such musical legend is the Swedish rock band Europe.
History of creation and composition of the Europe group
The Europe group was founded in 1980. Two schoolchildren from Stockholm Joakim Larsen and John Norum decided to form a musical group called Force. Before that, the guys played in different musical groups. Joakim became the vocalist of the newly formed rock band, John - the guitarist. The guys invited John Leuven and Tony Niemisto to the group. Leuven played bass, Niemisto played drums.
Force played in the glam metal style and began her musical career in nightclubs, but did not achieve much success. In 1982, the Rock-SM Young Talents Contest was held in Stockholm, and the guys decided to try their hand at it. At this time, the rockers change the name of the group to Europe. The guys win the competition and get the opportunity to record a solo album. The first album did not bring great fame to the team, the triumphant march of musicians across their country and Europe began with the release of the second album.
At the time of the competition, Joachim Larsen decides to change his first and last name to Joey Tempest, and Tony Niemisto changes his last name to Reno. In 1984, Tony Renault left the group, and Jan Haugland was invited to take his place. Also keyboardist Mick Michel joins the group.
Success of the Europe group
The group's first album was released in 1983. And it was called "Europe". The songs of the group were warmly received by the public. The album took the eighth place in the Swedish charts, but the first album of the group was especially popular in Japan. The song "Seven doors hotel" captured the hearts of the Japanese.
The band released their next album, Wings of tomorrow, in 1984. At this time, the composition of the group changes, which gains worldwide fame. The musical Olympus of Europe ascends in the following composition: Joey Tempest, John Norum, John Leuven, Jan Haugland and Mick Michel.
The third album "The final countdown" brings the group worldwide fame. In the USA, this disc goes platinum. The main song of the album of the same name becomes a hit all over the world. At this time, the team leaves John Norum. Norum explains his departure with dissatisfaction with the commercialization of the project and the fact that it is acquiring a more pop sound. Kii Marcello takes the place of John Norum. After all the rearrangements, in 1987 Europe went on a world tour.
In 1988, the album Out of this World was released, which went platinum in Sweden and again in the United States. The last disc of the group was released in 1991, by which time the band was already playing in the grunge style. In 2003, the team reunited, and John Norum returned to its composition, but Kii Marcello, on the contrary, refused to return the group.
