The Final Countdown - Europe - MP3 instrumental karaoke

When Swedish rockers Europe released their time-themed glam metal headbanger "The Final Countdown" in 1986, little did they know it would be used to soundtrack the UK's departure from the band's continental namesake three decades later. Written by Joey Tempest and taking lyrical inspiration from David Bowie's "Space Oddity," with its triumphant sounding, decidedly '80s keyboard riff and arena-friendly heft, "Final Countdown" heralded a commanding presence on the charts, scooping the Number 1 spot in a whopping 25 countries worldwide – including the UK, where it spent two weeks at the top and became Europe's only Top 10 hit to date – as well as making transatlantic waves and peaking at Number 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100. In December 2020, as the UK began readying its exit from the European Union, "The Final Countdown" seemed to take on new poignancy and morphed into an unofficial anthem for the era: "We’re leaving together / but still it’s farewell."