"Tusen Svenska Klassiker" / "A Thousand Swedish Classics"
By Jan Gradvall, Björn Nordström, Ulf Nordström & Annina Rabe

Published by Norstedts, Sweden

August 2009

Peter Bjorn And John "Young Folks", picked as one of the 1000 highpoints of Swedish culture from 1956 to the present.


"When Peter Bjorn And John realeased their third album 'Writer's Block' there was no indication that the trio had created something which would become one ot the most internationally widespread Swedish pop songs of the 2000s. Peter Bjorn and John were known before 2006 as a smart and intellectual pop trio who were praised by the critics but whose music wasn't played on the radio.

All that changed with 'Young Folks'. For the demo recording of the song the whistling part was used only as a sketch. However, the group liked its asian-sounding melody so much that they decided to keep it. And the result was a whistle that was heard all around the world.

What became known on blogs as 'The Whistle Song' spread via the radio and the internet. During 2007 Peter Bjorn And John travelled with their duet partner Victoria Bergsman, known first from The Concretes and later from Taken By Trees, around the world.

Meanwhile the cover versions began to flood in. Nena, famous for '99 Red Baloons', had a hit with it in German and Kanye West made it into hiphop on a mix tape."