"Rock the Night" by Europe

Song#:  3110
Date:  05/02/1987
Debut:  87
Peak:  30
Weeks:  13
Genre:  Glam Rock, Hard Rock



Pop Bits:  The glam band from Sweden scored a worldwide hit with the title track to their third album The Final Countdown. It would reach #1 in many countries while making to #8 in the US. For a follow-up, this rockin' track was selected. While it would make the Top 10 in several countries, it didn't do that well in the US. It just nicked the Pop Top 30 while only getting to #22 at Rock. The results were a bit disappointing, but the band would rally back in a big way with the LP's third single..

ReduxReview:  Well, this certainly isn't "Final Countdown, Pt. 2." It doesn't have a lot in common with that synth-driven hit. This track kind of treads a line between Foreigner and Ratt. It's an arena ready track with a hooky chorus. It's a pretty good tune, but it lacks the fun, off-the-wall factor that make "Final Countdown" a hit. The single did better than what I thought it would on the chart. Still, I'm not sure why they chose this as the second single over the obvious hit "Carrie." Lucky for them that song was strong enough to overcome the tepid results of this track.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  This song was written by lead singer Joey Tempest. The band began including the song in their concert set lists sometime in '84. The following year, the band was featured in a Swedish fictional film short titled On the Loose. The original version of this song was used in the film along with two other Europe songs. All three tunes would be included on an EP soundtrack album put out by the band. "Rock the Night" would be released as a single in Sweden in 1985 and it would reach #4. The band would then re-record "Rock the Night" and "On the Loose" for their third album The Final Countdown. The new version of "Rock the Night" would then serve as the second single from the LP.

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