My Favorite Nightwish Songs: A Personal Journey with the Finnish Symphonic Metal Band

I’m certain there are many individuals in this world who, like me, begin their morning with music. Music has the power to influence and accompany people through various activities. Some are simply music enthusiasts who don’t care what they listen to, as long as they enjoy it. On the other hand, there are others, such as myself, who have a specific favorite artist or band. I’m a huge fan of Nightwish. I start and end my day listening to their music. However, not all of their songs resonate with me equally – I have favorite Nightwish songs.

Discovering Nightwish During the Pandemic

My love for Nightwish and symphonic metal started during the coronavirus pandemic. I was living abroad at the time, and when I had to stay at home, I came up with different forms of entertainment to pass the time.

One of the activities for me and my family members was learning about the culture and lifestyle of different countries. We shared our impressions of the countries we had visited. My cousin mentioned that Finland was his favorite country and played a YouTube video showcasing the beautiful nature and sights of it. The song playing in the background of the video immediately caught my attention. I looked it up and found out that it was “Elan” by Nightwish.

About Nightwish: Finland’s Symphonic Metal Pioneers

Before discovering Nightwish, my knowledge of Finland was probably limited to things like saunas, lakes, northern lights, and Lapland – the typical things we all know. Since then, though, Finland has become synonymous with metal for me, with Nightwish standing out as my favorite symphonic metal band.

I often joke that it’s no surprise Finland has been named the happiest country in the world for many years. In my opinion, this is all thanks to Nightwish and Tuomas Holopainen.

Nightwish was founded in Kitee by lead songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen in 1996. The original lineup of the band included Tuomas Holopainen, Tarja Turunen, Emppu Vuorinen, Jukka Nevalainen, and Sami Vänskä.

Over time, Nightwish’s lineup changed several times. In 2001, bassist Sami Vänskä was replaced by Marko Hietala, who was already a well-known musician in Finland by that time.

In 2005, the band experienced a major change when they fired Tarja Turunen, their lead singer. Tarja had been part of the band for five successful album releases. Her departure was difficult for fans, who struggled to accept the new singer, Annette Olzon.

Annette joined the band in 2007 and remained until 2012. During her time with the band, they recorded two albums: “Dark Passion Play” and “Imaginaerum.”

In 2012, Floor Jansen became the lead singer of Nightwish, and she continues to hold that role. Tuomas once mentioned that if Floor decides to leave the band, the band would break up.

Two years after Floor joined Nightwish, drummer Jukka Nevalainen decided to leave the band due to health issues. He was then replaced by the equally skilled Kai Hahto.

The last major change occurred in January 2021 when fans learned about Marko’s departure through an Instagram post. According to Marko, his deteriorating health necessitated his withdrawal from the public eye and Nightwish. He was replaced by Jukka Koskinen.

The current lineup of the band includes Tuomas Holopainen, Floor Jansen, Emppu Vuorinen, Troy Donockley (since 2013), Kai Hahto, and Jukka Koskinen.

My Favorite Nightwish Songs

Honestly, it is very difficult to single out my favorite Nightwish songs from so many masterpieces, but I will try to highlight a few.

Song of Myself (Album: Imaginaerum)

Inspired by Walt Whitman’s poem, this song is a profound exploration of identity and existence.

Shoemaker (Album: Human. :||: Nature)

This song was inspired by the life of Eugene Shoemaker, who was a geologist and a founder of modern planetary science.

Élan (Album: Endless Forms Most Beautiful)

As Tuomas Holopainen stated: “The underlying theme of the song is nothing less than the meaning of life, which can be something different for all of us. It’s important to surrender yourself to the occasional ‘free fall’ and not to fear the path less traveled by.”

Storytime (Album: Imaginaerum)

The song is a symphonic celebration of storytelling and the endless possibilities of imagination. The lyrics beautifully illustrate a world where stories are the heart of life, and creating them is a magical, transformative experience.

Sleeping Sun (Album: Oceanborn)

“Sleeping Sun” is a touching ballad that explores themes of longing, the passage of time, and the dance between light and darkness. The song also reflects on dreams and wishes as a way to escape from reality.

10th Man Down (Album: Over the Hills and Far Away)

The song is less known and popular, but I couldn’t help but include it in my list. I fell in love with it the first time I heard it, and not a day goes by that I don’t listen to it.

Cadence of Her Last Breath (Album: Dark Passion Play)

Another not very well-known song. The song is a hauntingly beautiful journey through fleeting moments and the profound impact they can have on someone’s life.

Alpenglow (Album: Endless Forms Most Beautiful)

Every time I listen to this song, it fills me with cheer and happiness. It brings back the fondest memories and makes me feel invincible.

The Islander (Album: Dark Passion Play)

The melody, lyrics, and video, all together are pure masterpieces.

 Ghost Love Score (Album: Once)

This is one of the longest and most famous songs of Nightwish. The meaning of the song remains a mystery. As Tuomas once said: “It is something different for everybody, but for me it has a specific meaning that I am not going to reveal of course.”