Various Artists Swedish Pop & Beat - The Golden Years (2-CD)

(Riverside) 40 tracks

40 essential artists/bands from the golden years of Swedish pop music compiled on 2 CDs.

The British direction of pop music in the 60s, also known as beat music, experienced a decisive breakthrough in Sweden when the Beatles performed live on the Swedish TV show Drop In in October 1963. From then on, the musical direction changed and, as if in a gold rush for fame, thousands of Swedish youths were inspired to form their own bands.

Artists who were to achieve great international fame in the following decades gained their first musical experiences in the 1960s. For example, all the later ABBA members were active in their own pop careers at the time. Other highly respected names such as Björn Skifs, Tommy Körberg, Lasse Holm, Ola Håkansson and Janne Schaffer also developed their later success during this era.