In 1979, Larsson settled in with a self-created stage name, "Joey Tempest", inspired by William Shakespeare's tragicomedy "The Tempest". He formed the band Force with guitarist John Norum, bassist Peter Olsson and drummer Tony Reno. Force immediately began building a reputation and a fanbase in the suburbs of Stockholm. In 1982, they changed their name to Europe and won the music competition Rock-SM. The first prize was a record deal with Hot Records. With Tempest as the frontman, Europe released its self-titled debut album in 1983 and "Wings of Tomorrow" in 1984.