WASHINGTON — “The Final Countdown,” by Europe, came out almost 30 years ago, so your opinion of the Top 10 hit with the unstoppable keyboard riff is probably pretty well cemented. But a new version may change that.
Husband-and-wife banjoists Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn recently recorded a version for The A.V. Club that brings new dimension to the apocalyptic space-travel classic. You wouldn’t think the main riff would work without the grand, icy pomp of the very-‘80s keyboard sound Europe used, but you’d be wrong.
You also probably haven’t heard the rest of the song in at least 25 years, so that’s worth checking out as well. As are the wigs — The A.V. Club reports that Fleck kept his, and the two are playing “The Final Countdown” in their shows.
It’s all part of the A.V. Club’s excellent Undercover series, in which performers play seemingly incongruous and/or untouchable songs. It’s all worth a look.
h/t TIME
