# John Norum on Europe's Secret Guitar Solo > John Norum reveals the secret note in Europe's iconic Final Countdown solo that most players miss. - Title: John Norum on Europe's Secret Guitar Solo · Guitar World - Summary: John Norum reveals the secret note in Europe's iconic Final Countdown solo that most players miss. John Norum says he still hasn't seen anyone play the… - Keywords: john norum, europe, final countdown, guitar solo, secret note, shredding, come this madness, tom dalgety, gary moore, super bass 100, baskim zuta, gbg120 - Source: Guitar World — https://guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/europe-john-norum-come-this-madness - Published: 2026-10-15T10:40:47+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: john norum, europe, final countdown, guitar solo, secret note, shredding, come this madness, tom dalgety, gary moore, super bass 100, baskim zuta, gbg120 ## Europe's iconic hit Europe's 1986 hit The Final Countdown became their biggest success but overshadowed their earlier work. ## New album Come This Madness Europe released their 12th album Come This Madness with harder-hitting modern ideas after working with producer Tom Dalgety. ## Tom Dalgety's impact Producer Tom Dalgety helped Europe modernize their sound, jokingly telling them to 'wake up, you old men'. > Come on now - wake up, you old men. It's time to get to work! ## Guest appearances Ghost and Opeth's singers Tobias Forge and Mikael Åkerfeldt made guest appearances on Come This Madness. ## John Norum on solos John Norum is proud of the solo on the title track, which features aggressive blues licks leading to a dramatic chromatic climb. ## Gary Moore's amp John Norum bought Gary Moore's 1972 Super Bass 100 amp at auction, calling it his dream amp. ## Guitar gear details Norum used a 2000 Gibson Flying V, a 1972 Fender Strat, and a new Paoletti ES-335 shape guitar. ## The secret note John Norum says he still hasn't seen anyone play the secret note in Europe's Final Countdown solo that lasts only a millisecond. > I still haven't, to this day, seen anyone play the secret note that's in that solo ## Ritchie Blackmore's influence Ritchie Blackmore created the Final Countdown solo technique that Norum says most players get wrong. ## The Final Countdown tour Europe is touring for the 40th anniversary of The Final Countdown with John Norum sharing his solo insights. ## Yngwie Malmsteen's impact John Norum was influenced by Yngwie Malmsteen when he was 15, helping him get into heavy metal. ## Gary Moore's guitar John Norum once played Gary Moore's Les Paul guitar at a festival in Norway with Metallica. ## The secret note John Norum says the secret note in the Final Countdown solo is played for only a millisecond but is missed by everyone. > It's only played for a millisecond but it's in there. Everybody misses it, every time ## The Final Countdown solo John Norum explains the Final Countdown solo technique requires a special technique that most players get wrong. ## What happens next Europe will release their 40th anniversary tour for The Final Countdown solo technique. ## Key takeaway John Norum says he still hasn't seen anyone play the secret note in Europe's Final Countdown solo, which lasts only a millisecond.