We begin this week with Nightwish, the 3rd bestselling act from Finland. They are also the most successful Finnish band worldwide, selling more than 9 million records and receiving more than 60 gold and platinum awards, having released six Number 1 albums and thirteen Number 1 singles. In October 2018, Nightwish were inducted into the Finnish Music Hall of Fame, becoming the honorary gallery’s 11th member. They describe their sond as symphonic metal.
The band was formed in 1996 by lead songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former lead singer Tarja Turunen. The band soon picked up drummer Jukka Nevalainen, and then bassist Sami Vanska after the release of their debut album, Angels Fall First (1997). In 2001, Vänskä was replaced by Marco Hietala, who also took over the male vocalist role previously filled by Holopainen or guest singers.
Although Nightwish have been prominent in their home country since Angels Fall First, they did not achieve wider success until the release of the albums Oceanborn (1998), Wishmaster (2000) and Century Child (2002). Their 2004 album, Once, has sold more than one million copies[3] and was the band’s breakthrough in the United States. Their biggest US hit single, “Wish I Had An Angel” (2004), included on three US film soundtracks to promote their North American tour. The band produced three more singles and two music videos for Once, as well as a re-recording of “Sleeping Sun” for a compilation album in 2005, before Turunen left the band.
In May 2007, Nightwish announced Anette Olzon as Turunen’s replacement. That September, the band released their sixth album, Dark Passion Play, which has sold almost 2 million copies. The album’s lead single, “Amaranth”, became one of Nightwish’s most successful in Europe. The Islander is my personal favourite from this album.
On October 1, 2012, Nightwish announced that they had parted ways with Olzon and would be finishing the tour with vocalist Floor Jansen. In October 2013, Nightwish made Jansen and longtime session uilleann pipes player Troy Donockley permanent members of the band, and they were featured in the acclaimed album Endless Forms Most Beautiful, released in March 2015. From 2014 to 2019, Nevalainen, while still a member of the band, was inactive due to severe insomnia issues; in July 2019, he announced that he would not be returning to the band, with Kai Hahto, who had acted as his replacement since 2014 (including by performing all drums on Endless Forms Most Beautiful), being promoted as the official drummer, and is featured as such at the ninth album, Human :II: Nature, which was released internationally on April 10, 2020.
