As 80s pop band A-ha announced that they are playing at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow next March on their Cast in Steel tour, we made a list of 10 influential Nordic and Scandinavian music acts that have changed the face of pop for generations. Do you reckon there's something in the water over there?

 

 

A-ha

 

 

Take on Me hitmakers A-ha formed in Oslo in 1982, naming themselves after a 'terrible' song that guitarist Waaktaar had written. They released the single with their famous 'rotoscoped' music video, in which live action frames were drawn over using pencil, and it was nominated for eight MTV Video Awards in 1986. The song also shot to Number One in the Billboard 100; becoming the first Norwegian band to take the spot in the United States. They had their farewell concert in 2010, but announced that they were reuniting for the 30th anniversary of Take on Me and embarking on a world tour.

 

The Cardigans

 

 

Known for their songs Lovefool and Erase/Rewind, Swedish band The Cardigans' orchestral pop is infused with a languid Seventies lounge vibe. Singer Nina Persson's instantly recognisable airy, dreamlike voice carries a sense of perpetual jadedness and teenage angst that was the very zeitgeist of the roughed-up grunge era; befitting of a band whose songs appeared in Nineties chick flicks like Romeo + Juliet and Never Been Kissed.

 

Robyn

 

 

Swedish pop singer Robyn had been making music since 1997 before she burst into the mainstream with song With Every Heartbeat. She's won multiple Swedish Grammy awards in her years in the industry, working with other Nordic artists like The Knife, Royksopp and even rapper Snoop Dogg in 2013.

 

Annie

 

 

Annie started DJing in Bergen in Norway after she graduated high school, and slowly became a big name on the scene after her aptly titled debut single The Greatest Hit in 1999 which won international acclaim, selling out in two days and playing in nightclubs in Britain and her home country. It was her record Anniemal, which won Best Pop Album and Best Newcomer at the Norwegian Alarm Awards in 2004, that propelled Annie to global fame

 

Royksopp

 

 

The Norwegian electro-pop duo first met at a mutual friend's house party in Tromso, and discovered that they shared a love of music and technology. They reunited and formed as an act in 1998 and have enjoyed much success, particularly in their home country. They have a dark, gloomy sensibility to their music, with down-tempo analogue synthesisers and macabre music videos. Hailed as groundbreaking artists in Norway, they are both experimental in their use of technology and in the visual elements of their work.

 

Sigur Ros

 

 

Post-rock band Sigur Ros, which means 'victory rose' in Icelandic and is named after the lead singer's little sister Sigurros, formed in 1997. They have an ethereal, light sound and incorporate both classical and minimalist elements in their music. The band appeared in Game of Thrones episode The Lion and the Rose as the band last April, and covered The National's The Rains of Castamere which was the soundtrack to the earlier episode Blackwater. Jonsi is known for his Vonlenska or Hopelandic singing language, which is essentially made up words and syllables to accompany the instruments.

 

Roxette

 

 

Pop duo Roxette, including members Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle hail from Sweden. It Must Have Been Love was the iconic soundtrack to 1990 romantic comedy Pretty Woman which propelled it to the Billboard 100 Number One spot that month. They are Sweden's second most successful musical export after ABBA.

 

Ace of Base

 

 

Having released one of the best selling debut albums of all time, Happy Nation/ The Sign, Swedish pop group Ace of Base. The band had little success trying to get major record deals, but they got their big break after producer Denniz PoP inadvertently got their demo tape stuck in his car stereo. He listened to their song repeatedly until he eventually decided to work with the band, after which they released global hit All That She wants from their record Happy Nation.

 

Bjork

 

 

Bjork is widely described as one of the most influential artists in the history of music. Having been in punk, jazz and goth bands in her youth, her eclectic influences have seeped into much of her work and firmly cemented her status as a pioneer of alternative music. Her use of electronics and distinctive voice have earned her multiple Brit and MOJO prizes; and 21 Icelandic Awards in total.

 

ABBA

 

 

Legendary Swedish group ABBA are one of the most successful pop acts in history and the second best-selling band in music history. They kickstarted their career after they won the Eurovision in 1974, Sweden's first victory in the contest, and churned out a string of chart-topping singles in their sensational ten years in music business. Though they never officially announced their split when they stopped touring in 1982, they have said that they want to be remembered as the 'young and exuberant' performers that they were in their heyday. With a museum dedicated to them in Stockholm, they would be a difficult band to forget.

Read our interview with A-ha keyboardist Magne Furuholmen.