Famous Scandinavian bands: From ABBA to a-ha
With over 385 million albums sold worldwide, ABBA is not only the most famous Scandinavian pop band, but also one of the most successful bands in music history. But Scandinavia has much more to offer, here you can find out all about the most popular bands in the north!
Scandinavia’s music history
As in most countries, Scandinavia’s music history goes back a long way – even the Vikings enjoyed playing music on various occasions. The simple melodies of the folk music of that time formed the basis for the diversity of Nordic music today. Well-known composers such as Edvard Grieg from Norway and Jean Sibelius from Finland played a major role in the classical Scandinavian music world in the 19th century.
The 20th century saw the emergence of a new era of music, with Scandinavian musicians adapting to global trends, but also playing a major role in shaping them. When ABBA entered and won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 with “Waterloo”, the band quickly became known worldwide and also enjoyed huge success with their other hits.
Today, Scandinavian bands have a lot to offer – from traditional to indie, from pop to techno and so much more. The diversity of Scandinavia should not be underestimated in music either!
The 15 most famous Scandinavian bands at a glance
| Band name | Formation | Country | Most famous song | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABBA | 1972 | Sweden | Dancing Queen | Pop |
| Roxette | 1986 | Sweden | It Must Have Been Love | Pop-Rock |
| The Cardigans | 1992 | Sweden | Lovefool | Rock, Indie-Pop |
| Ghost | 2006 | Sweden | Square Hammer | Heavy Metal |
| Ace of Base | 1990 | Sweden | All That She Wants | Europop |
| a-ha | 1982 | Norway | Take On Me | Pop-Rock |
| Dimmu Borgir | 1993 | Norway | Progenies of the Great Apocalypse | Black Metal |
| Mayhem | 1984 | Norway | Freezing Moon | Black Metal |
| Röyksopp | 1998 | Norway | What Else Is There? | Electronica |
| Nightwish | 1996 | Finland | Nemo | Symphonic Metal |
| HIM | 1991 | Finland | Join Me | Dark-Rock |
| The Rasmus | 1994 | Finland | In the Shadows | Alternative-Rock |
| Aqua | 1989 | Denmark | Barbie Girl | Eurodance |
| Volbeat | 2001 | Denmark | By a Monster’s Hand | Heavy Metal |
| Sigur Rós | 1994 | Iceland | Hoppípolla | Post-Rock |
Sweden: The country of pop music
Sweden is one of the most influential countries in the music industry, especially when it comes to pop music. Since ABBA’s breakthrough in the 70s, Sweden has been highly regarded worldwide when it comes to pop music and production. But rock, metal and electro have also been more than successfully exported all over the world for decades. World-famous acts such as Roxette, The Cardigans, Ace of Base and Ghost have helped shape Sweden’s reputation and continue to inspire millions of people around the world today.
But what exactly makes music in Sweden so special? Music is much more than just a hobby in Sweden; musical creativity is actively encouraged in kindergarten and school and most children learn to play an instrument at an early age. Regardless of income or background, children in Sweden can take part in a wide range of activities, as state subsidies provide funding for music schools, rehearsal rooms, youth centres and cultural programmes. As a result, music is firmly anchored in Swedish culture and it is not without reason that it is such a popular part of the international music world.
Another important point is the language: in Sweden, most people speak fluent English, which is a major factor in international success. Many musicians and bands sing English songs and inspire listeners all over the world.
Spotify: A milestone for the music world
Did you know that Spotify was founded in Sweden? Entrepreneurs Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon founded Spotify in 2006, the first legal streaming platform for music. In a time of major music piracy, the two wanted to create a legal, easily accessible and attractive platform. In addition to being able to stream music legally, Spotify provided an accessible way of marketing music for smaller artists. Spotify officially launched in 2008 and quickly became the market leader in music streaming. Even today, Spotify is still by far the most popular music streaming service with a market share of over 30%.
Norway: Melancholy and black metal
Norway offers great contrasts in music: On the one hand, melancholic, sometimes experimental bands such as Madrugada or Kaizers Orchestra – on the other, metal bands such as Dimmu Borgir or Mayhem. But electro fans also get their money’s worth with Norwegian artists such as Röyksopp.
Dimmu Borgir is a Norwegian symphonic black metal band that combines black metal with orchestral elements. The name Dimmu Borgir is inspired by the Icelandic lava landscape Dimmuborgir, which consists of caves and chasms. In Norse mythology, Dimmuborgir is associated with the entrance to hell or the underworld, which fits the band’s dark sound and image. Dimmu Borgir became internationally known through the album Enthrone Darkness Triumphant.
| Members | Stian Tomt Thoresen (vocals), Sven Attle Kopperud (guitar), Thomas Runde Andersen (guitar), Victor Brandt (bass) |
|---|---|
| Foundation | 1993 |
| Famous songs | Mourning Palace, Gateways, Progenies of the Great Apocalypse, Fear And Wonder, Interdimensional Summit |
Music is also culturally very well supported in Norway, with the state investing in festivals and artist sponsorship, among other things. Music means much more than creativity in Norway, because music promotes participation and is a big part of one’s identity.
Norway’s fascinating nature is also reflected in its music – whether in the sound, the lyrics or the atmosphere. There are many artists in Norway who are keen to experiment and who consciously create music outside the mainstream. Norway’s music never ceases to surprise, which is perhaps precisely why it is a country that fascinates people around the world with its music.
Denmark: music festivals and family tradition
Denmark is known by many people for its pop and rock music – bands such as Volbeat and The Raveonettes have celebrated international success with their very own style and demonstrate the diversity of the Danish music scene. Aqua also characterised the Eurodance genre of the 90s with their hit Barbie Girl. With the success of the Barbie film (2023), the one-hit wonder experienced a revival through the reinterpretation with Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice – a song that is still recognised worldwide as a symbol of Danish pop today.
Music plays a major role in Danish culture and is also subsidised by the state in many areas – modern music schools, leisure activities and numerous festivals are made possible as a result. This includes the popular Roskilde Festival, which is one of the largest music festivals in Europe and attracts people from all over the world to Denmark. Around 130,000 people come to Roskilde every year to celebrate music of all genres.
Music also plays an important role in the private sphere: on special occasions such as birthdays, confirmations or weddings, it is customary to write songs for the person being celebrated. These are then sung together with the guests to a well-known melody.
Finland: Between metal and pop
Finland is known by many for its large metal scene, as bands such as Nightwish, HIM, Children of Bodom and Apocalyptica originated here and have won fans worldwide. No wonder, because Finland has by far the highest density of metal bands!
Nightwish ist eine finnische Symphonic-Metal-Band, die 1996 gegründet wurde und das Genre Symphonic Metal weltweit beliebt machte. Sie zählen als Pioniere der erfolgreichen Kombination aus orchestralen Elementen und klassischem Metal. Nightwish arbeitet immer wieder mit Orchestern zusammen und inspiriert mit ihrem emotionalen Sound Fans auf der ganzen Welt.
| Members | Floor Jansen (vocals), Emppu Vuorinen (guitar), Tuomas Holopainen (keyboards), Troy Donockley (uillean pipes, tin whistle), Kai Hahto (drums), Jukka Koskinen (bass) |
|---|---|
| Foundation | 1996 |
| Famous songs | Nemo, Wish I Had An Angel, Storytime, Amaranth, Ghost Love Score |
But Finland can do even more – pop-rock acts like Sunrise Avenue show how diverse it can be alongside the metal scene.
In Finland, music is actively supported through funding for music schools, festivals such as Ruisrock or Flow and various funding programmes. This contributes to the fact that music is strongly integrated into the culture in Finland.
Iceland: Spherical post-rock and atmospheric folk-pop
Iceland may be small, but it has nothing to hide when it comes to music – folk-pop/rock bands such as Of Monsters and Men, Björk (formerly The Sugarcubes) and Sigur Ros are popular worldwide. Iceland’s music scene is known worldwide for its often experimental style and special atmosphere. The band Sigur Ros experiments with both a self-invented language “vonlenska” (in German: “hopeful Icelandic”) and a spherical post-rock that gives their music a very special atmosphere.
Sigur Rós is an Icelandic post-rock band known for their spherical sounds and unique compositions. The falsetto vocals of singer Jónsi, the special melodies and the invented language ‘Vonlenska’ make Sigur Rós one of the most influential bands of their genre.
| Members | Jón Þór Birgisson (vocals and guitar), Georg Hólm (bass), Kjartan Sveinsson (keyboard and guitar) |
|---|---|
| Foundation | 1994 |
| Famous songs | Sæglópur, Glósóli, Hoppípolla, Starálfur, Olsen Olsen |
Iceland’s music scene is strongly supported by state funding and festivals, such as the multi-genre festival Iceland Airwaves. This promotes and showcases young talent and gives them the chance to achieve international recognition despite the small population.
Scandinavian legends at a glance
ABBA from Sweden
ABBA is a Swedish band that was particularly successful internationally in the 1970s. Founded in Stockholm in 1972, the group consisting of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad sold over 400 million records worldwide. ABBA never officially split up. In 2021 four new songs and a new album were released. Further, the band organised a hologram world tour.
| Members | Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad |
|---|---|
| Foundation | 1972 in Stockholm |
| Active until | 1982 |
| Famous songs | Mamma Mia, Waterloo, Dancing Queen |
One song that was also a hit with newer generations in the 2000s was Mamma Mia – with its unique melody, it gave its name to the hugely successful musical Mamma Mia! which combined many popular ABBA songs with a mother-daughter story. A few years later, the musical even made it to the big screen in two parts, with stars such as Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan and Amanda Seyfried – through Mamma Mia! as a musical and film, ABBA was rediscovered and is still celebrating great international success today.
In addition to their successful worldwide hits, their song Thank you for the Music plays a very special role, especially after the band broke up in 1982. The song is a poetic declaration of love to music, and for many fans is unofficially the band’s farewell song. A song that describes how important music is for ABBA and people all over the world –“Who could live without it? I ask in all honesty – what would life be?“.
With their surprising comeback in 2021 and the album Voyage, ABBA returned to the limelight after almost 40 years – to this day, it is clear how popular their music has remained over the decades and will certainly continue to be.
Volbeat from Denmark
Volbeat is a Danish metal band known not least for the distinctive voice of singer Michael Poulsen. The resemblance to Elvis Presley’s voice and the special melodies inspire fans all over the world. The current trio consisting of Michael Poulsen, Kaspar Boye Larsen and Jon Larsen will embark on their biggest world tour to date in 2025.
| Members | Michael Poulsen (vocals and guitar), Kaspar Boye Larsen (bass), Jon Larsen (drums) |
|---|---|
| Foundation | 2001 |
| Famous songs | Lola Montez, Still Counting, 16 Dollars, For Evigt, Heaven Nor Hell |
The metal band Volbeat was founded in 2001 in the Danish capital Copenhagen and combines metal with rock’n’roll, punk rock, country and blues. Singer Michael Poulsen’s distinctive voice is reminiscent of Elvis Presley, which is why Volbeat ‘s style is often referred to as Elvis metal.
Of their 9 studio albums, they managed to achieve international fame mainly through albums such as Rock the Rebel/Metal the Devil and Outlaw Gentlemen & Shadie Ladies . Today, Volbeat stands for a unique sound with great live shows and has managed to bring Denmark to the forefront of the metal scene.
Although there have been many member changes within the band over the years, Volbeat is still very active after a short break and will embark on their biggest world tour to date in 2025 with their new album God Of Angels Trust. From June to November, the band will play around 70 concerts – in Europe, Canada, the UK and the USA.
a-ha from Norway
a-ha is a Norwegian band that achieved worldwide fame with their hit Take on Me and the accompanying music video – the trio is one of the most successful pop bands in Scandinavia. a-ha characterised the sound of the 80s and has built up a loyal fan base to this day.
| Members | Morten Harket (vocals), Pål Waaktaar-Savoy (guitar), Magne Furuholmen (keyboard) |
|---|---|
| Foundation | 1982 |
| Famous songs | Take On Me, Hunting High and Low, You Are the One, Lifelines, The Sun Always Shines on T.V. |
The Norwegian pop band a-ha is best known for their first big hit Take on Me, but later produced other top hits that also landed in the charts. Since their formation in 1982, the band has released a total of 11 studio albums and sold more than 100 million records – making a-ha one of the most famous and successful pop bands of the 1980s. Even today
Did you know…?
a-ha singer Morten Harket holds a record with the song Summer Moved On – for the longest note sung in a pop song!
