August 13: Ian Haugland’s Birthday — The Driving Beat Behind “The Final Countdown” (Europe)

This article is the English edition of a Japanese article originally published on August 13, 2025. It has been updated and translated for English readers.

August 13: Ian Haugland’s Birthday!

Today, August 13, is the birthday of Ian Haugland, drummer for the Swedish rock band Europe.

Born in Storslett, Norway, in 1964, Haugland moved with his family to Märsta, outside Stockholm, when he was just eight months old. He became interested in music at an early age, and hearing Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water” on the radio when he was eight drew him toward hard rock. He was also strongly influenced by the drumming of Cozy Powell. In the summer of 1984, Haugland joined Europe, replacing former drummer Tony Reno.

Today’s Featured Song: The Final Countdown

My Interpretation

There’s no turning back now. We have no choice but to launch ourselves toward the future.
No one knows what awaits us at the end of this journey.
There is fear, but with hope in our hearts, we can only keep moving forward.
Carrying our memories of Earth with us, we head toward the moment of destiny—the final countdown.

First, listen to the official YouTube video.

🎥 Official Video Credits
Song: The Final Countdown
Artist: Europe
Published by: Europe Official YouTube Channel
Album: The Final Countdown (1986)
Label: Epic Records
📖 Two-Line Introduction
Europe’s biggest hit and one of the defining rock songs of the 1980s.
Its striking synthesizer and Ian Haugland’s powerful drumming create the song’s enormous sense of scale.

When I First Heard This Song… ♫

My Age	Elementary School	Junior High	High School	University	20s	30s	40s	50s	60+
Year Released					1986
When I First Heard It					●

I first heard this song around 1986, the year it was released.

At the time, I had been transferred by my company and was living in Kokura, Kitakyushu.

Both work and everyday life had begun to settle down, and my eldest daughter had been born the previous year. I worked during the week, played mahjong almost every day, and spent my days off going out with my family. At the time, I felt that there was very little missing from my life. Of course, such days could not continue forever, but back then I had no way of knowing that.

Before I gave much thought to the fact that Europe was a Scandinavian band, I simply remember thinking, “What an incredibly big-sounding song.” To be frank, both then and now, this is about the only Europe song I know well.

More than anything else, it was that fanfare-like synthesizer opening that hit me. It is the kind of intro that identifies the song within just a few seconds.

How “The Final Countdown” Was Born

Europe’s third studio album, The Final Countdown, was released by Epic Records on May 26, 1986. The album became an international success and reached No. 8 on the U.S. Billboard 200.

The origins of the title track, however, go back several years before the album was recorded. Around 1981 or 1982, Joey Tempest created the famous keyboard riff using a Korg Polysix borrowed from Mic Michaeli, who would later become Europe’s keyboardist.

A Synthesizer Sound You Never Forget

The defining feature of “The Final Countdown” is undoubtedly the synthesizer that bursts into life at the very beginning. However, the Korg Polysix used when the riff was first composed was not simply recorded as it was for the finished track.

During the recording sessions, Mic Michaeli layered sounds from a Roland JX-8P and Yamaha TX-816 to create that thick, brass-like tone. Combining such a prominent synthesizer part with hard-rock guitars gave the song a character that could be recognized almost instantly.

Interestingly, not every member of Europe welcomed the distinctive keyboard riff from the beginning. Guitarist John Norum later recalled that he initially had reservations about a sound in which the synthesizer played such a prominent role. Joey Tempest nevertheless insisted on keeping the song, and it ultimately became the track that propelled Europe onto the world stage.

Ian Haugland’s Drumming

For all the attention given to its synthesizer, one reason “The Final Countdown” never loses its power as a rock song is Ian Haugland’s drumming.

Beneath the flamboyant keyboards, Haugland maintains a solid beat while using fills and cymbal accents to drive the song from one section to the next. Heard by itself, the synthesizer gives the track a distinctly futuristic character. Once the drums and guitars enter, however, the song gains the firm hard-rock foundation that became part of Europe’s signature sound.

Haugland joined Europe in the summer of 1984, and The Final Countdown became the first Europe studio album on which he appeared as an official member. He arrived just before the band’s international breakthrough and went on to become a central part of its rhythm section.

A Journey into Space Inspired by David Bowie

Joey Tempest, who wrote both the music and lyrics, has said that David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” influenced the lyrical concept of “The Final Countdown.”

The song tells the story of people leaving Earth and setting out toward Venus. Yet it is not simply a tale filled with excitement about an adventure. Departure also means farewell, and no one knows whether they will ever return to Earth. Beneath the enormous sound of the music lies an unmistakable sense of uncertainty about heading into the unknown.

That slight sense of loneliness existing alongside such a spectacular synthesizer sound is one of the most interesting qualities of “The Final Countdown.” The immediate impression is one of excitement and exhilaration, but a closer look at the lyrics reveals that this is not simply a song of celebration.

The Song That Took Europe to the World

A Global Hit That Defined 1980s Hard Rock

Europe’s musical foundations were shaped in part by British hard-rock bands such as Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy, and UFO, which the members had listened to when they were younger. By adding strong melodies and a bold use of keyboards to that foundation, Europe gradually developed a sound of its own.

“The Final Countdown” became the clearest expression of that identity. The single reached No. 1 in 25 countries, topped the chart in the United Kingdom, and entered the Top 10 of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The song transformed Europe from a successful Scandinavian rock band into an international name.

An Intro That Still Has Power 40 Years Later

Forty years after its arrival in 1986, “The Final Countdown” has become so widely known that even people who may not know much about Europe often recognize the intro immediately.

Of course, the synthesizer is the single most obvious element behind that unforgettable impact. But without the guitars, bass, and Haugland’s drums, the song would never have become such a powerful rock anthem.

Listening again with birthday celebrant Ian Haugland in mind shifts the focus away from that famous intro and toward the drumming that supports the entire track from underneath.

For me, this will always be a song I first heard in Kokura in 1986. Four decades later, it remains instantly recognizable from the moment that intro begins. The next time you listen to “The Final Countdown,” pay particular attention to Ian Haugland’s performance and the powerful rhythmic foundation he provides beneath the song’s massive sound.