Europe "Out Of This World"

Out of This World is the fourth studio album by the Swedish rock band Europe. Released on 9 August 1988 through Epic Records, the album was a huge commercial success selling over 3 millions units worldwide, peaking at number 19 on the US Billboard 200 chart and reaching high positions in charts worldwide. It was recorded at Olympic Studios and Townhouse Studios, London, England.

Four singles were released worldwide from the album: "Superstitious", "Open Your Heart", "Let the Good Times Rock", "More Than Meets the Eye".

Out of This World was the band's follow up album to the successful album The Final Countdown, but it did not match the success of its predecessor. Upon its release in August 1988, Out of This World peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The album is Europe's best-selling album in Switzerland. Out of This World achieved Platinum status in the United States, platinum status in Switzerland and gold in Canada.

Out of This World included the hit singles "Superstitious", "Open Your Heart" and "Let the Good Times Rock", all of which had accompanying music videos. "Superstitious" was released in the fall of 1988 and became arguably the band's most recognizable song from the album. Its music video received heavy airplay on music television.

"Superstitious" is the first song on the album, written by Joey Tempest. It was the first single released from the album and is arguably one of Europe's most recognizable and popular songs. The song was released in Europe, Australia and New Zealand in July 1988. The song reached number one in Norway and their homeland Sweden and peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks. The single charted in many other European charts as well.

"Open Your Heart" and "Let the Good Times Rock" would become minor hits in the UK. Three more singles would be released, yet none of them charted. "Sign of the Times" was released as single only in Argentina in 1988 and "Tomorrow" only in Brazil in 1989.

Reviewing the album, AllMusic contributor Andy Hinds writes that "Europe produces made-to-order lite metal with admirable craftsmanship and occasionally memorable hooks. "Superstitious" even has a disarming gospel quality. This is hard rock with all the edges sanded off. Capable lead singer Joey Tempest carries the tunes with nonthreatening panache, while Kee Marcello (who proved his virtuosity on Europe's previous by performing "Flight of the Bumblebee") provides plenty of nice guitar solos." Paul Elliott of Classic Rock considers Out of This World "the strongest" of the two follow-up albums to the highly successful The Final Countdown and "Superstitious" "arguably Europe's greatest ever song". Tim Jones of Record Collector is even more enthusiastic, defining the album "a stratospheric set of a dozen imperious rockers." On the contrary, Canadian journalist Martin Popoff wrote a bad review of the album, comparing it to "an offensive pop rock outing, much closer to early Warrant ... than The Final Countdown could or would dare" and calling Europe "a dunce-cap posse solidly in search of cash and chicks, egregiously removed from any sort of hard rock acumen."