1982-1992

1982-1992 charts the first 10 years of Europe’s career, during which time a ragtag group of Swedish rock fans turned themselves into one of the world’s most popular metal bands. The crown jewel of the set is, of course, “The Final Countdown,” which can’t help but tower over the rest of the band’s work. At the same time, it’s too bad that “Rock the Night,” “Open Your Heart,” and “Superstitious” aren’t better known, as they're easily three of the most definitive pop metal songs of the late '80s. An acoustic version of “I’ll Cry for You” is the best of the handful of rarities interspersed throughout the collection, but the most interesting segment is definitely the first six songs, which are drawn from Europe’s first two albums, both independently released. While most people assumed that the band’s career started with “The Final Countdown,” these early tracks show that they were first a lithe and ferocious young rock band, much more in line with the British heavy metal of Iron Maiden than the pop metal that would later come to define them.