Europe: Super Hits

Because everything they did was overshadowed by the singular smash “The Final Countdown,” Europe aren't often regarded as a band with a lot of “super hits.” And yet this concise 10-song overview shows that they recorded several of the best songs of the hair metal era, in several of that era’s most definitive styles. There’s the half-time groover (“Time Has Come”), the straightforward headbanger (“Let the Good Times Rock”), and the glorious ode to the era of cowboys and Indians (“Cherokee,” which at least attempts to have a social conscience). Europe’s specialty, though, was the power ballad. Whether piano-driven (“Carrie”), synth-driven (“Sign of the Times”), or string-driven (“Tomorrow”), Europe's songs were at their best when they were moving slow. Vocalist Joey Tempest was a pretty face with a voice as clear and proud as a clarion. Of course, it all pales in comparison to “The Final Countdown.” Whether you see that huge hit as a stadium rock anthem or the just theme from Rocky IV, it's without a doubt one of the most insidiously catchy rock riffs of all time.