ABBA – They rose to fame in 1974 during the Eurovision Song Contest. They won the contest with their song “Waterloo.” After that, their success had no limits and they continued to top the charts with hit songs like “Mamma Mia,” “Take a Chance on Me,” “Dancing Queen,” and “The Winner Takes it All.” Unfortunately, the band had a permanent break-up after their last performance on The Late, Late Breakfast Show, on December 11, 1982. Divorces in the band of Björn Ulvaeus and Agnetha Fältskog, and Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad led to dark and moody lyrics in their songs which resulted in the break.
Europe – This band comes from Upplands Väsby which is north of Stockholm, the capital city. Their band began under the moniker Force, and the music they made were just covers of other songs. Soon they decided to start playing their own songs. In 1979 they decided that they should be called Europe. After a while they started to become more famous and came out with their hit single, “The Final Countdown.” The song attained worldwide attention, and received Triple Platinum in USA.
Swedish House Mafia – More recent than the previous two bands, this music group was formed in 2008. They have been called “the faces of progressive house music.” The group enjoyed a lot of success coming out with songs like, “Save the World” and “Don’t You Worry Child.” These songs both charted in the top 10 in the United Kingdom, and “Don’t You Worry Child” charted in the top 10 in the USA. Two of the members Axwell and Sebastian Ingrosso wrote the song “Roar” for the movie Monster’s University.
Avicii – A solo musician, Avicii Is an electronic musician, DJ, remixer and record producer. He was ranked third best DJ in DJ Magazine in 2012 and 2013. Avicii comes from Stockholm and signed to Deji Fits Label in 2010. He has come out with multiple songs that topped charts. For example, “Wake Me Up” and “Hey Brother.” Avicii said he would retire at the age of 26 because he had already made a fortune.
Max Martin – The final artist in Sweden’s top 5, Max Martin is a song writer. He wrote and co-produced the third album for the the Backstreet Boys in 1999 and wrote some of their most famous songs like “I Want It That Way.” He has also partnered with Britney Spears, Katy Perry and Taylor Swift. He wrote some of their songs as well, including “Shake It Off,” “I Knew You Were Trouble,” “Hot n’ Cold,” and “Baby One More Time.”
Honorable Mention: Icona Pop – The electro pop duo formed in 2009. Caroline Hjelt and Alno Jawo both grew up in Stockholm. They came out with their hit album I Love It in 2013. Their goal when they are making music is to make songs that make you laugh and cry at the same time.
