The music video for Europe’s mega hit ‘The Final Countdown” recently surpassed the one billion YouTube view mark.
The band confirmed this news on May 31 via social media.
“One Billion Views! Thanks so much to everyone out there who has enjoyed The Final Countdown song and video!”, the band wrote.
They added, “We’re sure we have annoyed a few people along the way as well with this song : ) In any case we are super thrilled and will celebrate tonight in Gothenburg with all our fans on this tour with Whitesnake! Joey, John, John, Mic & Ian”.
Directed by Nick Morris, the video for this track was uploaded to YouTube in 2009.
The clip itself also features footage of Europe playing two concerts at Solnahallen, in Solna, Sweden from 26 and 27 May 1986.
It also includes extra footage, which was filmed at the soundchecks for these shows.
‘The Final Countdown’ Video Joins One Billion Club
‘The Final Countdown’ has become the latest music video to reach one billion views on YouTube, with AC/DC’s Thunderstruck achieving the feat last year.
The track also featured on Europe’s third studio record of the same name.
Reaching number one in no less than 25 countries, the track is the band’s most recognisable song. It even reached number 8 in the US Billboard Hot 100, as well as 18 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart in 1986.
It was also certified gold in the UK that same year.
“I did the demo at home with this song and we had the ideas for it for so long. It was a one-minute demo since high school for me”, Europe vocalist Joey Tempest said when asked if he felt the track would be such a sesimic hit.
He continued, “On the third album, we decided to record the song and we were talking about writing around this main keyboard riff. Initially, it was really a soundtrack-type song and not a hit single, and I guess this was good for it”.
“I remember playing the demo for the guys and they really saw the song so strong and it built from there. [But] no, we never knew that this was going to be such a big hit. We opened the album and the tour with this song, but we really thought this was not the one to be the initial single”.
