Music in Sweden

Sweden is the world's most successful exporter of chart music, in relation to GDP.* From ABBA to Swedish House Mafia and Robyn, via Roxette and The Cardigans, there always seems to be at least one Swedish act at the top. Sweden, with 9.8 million inhabitants, rocks the music scene globally.
Sweden has had a long history of music.It's a nation of pop-music prodigies!
Many Swedish artists take full control of their creative process – from songwriting to owning their own labels and marketing themselves independently – and pop rock sensation. Robyn is just one example.
In 2014, Swedish singer/songwriter Tove Lo charted at number 3 on Billboard Hot 100 with her song "Habits". The song was certified Platinum in the United States.
Sweden the country with the highest number of choirs per capita in the entire world.
Access to instruments and classes are provided through music schools run by various local municipalities so many children try their hands at different types of instruments to finally find which ones they're naturally good at.
Since 1997, the Swedish government has awarded its Music Export Prize in recognition of international musical achievements by Swedes. Past honourees have included Swedish House Mafia, Robyn, members of ABBA, The Hives, The Cardigans, Max Martin, and Roxette.
Swedish songwriters lie behind many chart-topping pop songs today. There's songwriter and producer Max Martin, who has penned catchy pop tunes for Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Pink, Usher, Backstreet Boys, and ‘N Sync. There's producer Shellback, who topped Billboard's 2012 chart as the #1 producer and has written for Maroon 5. And there is RedOne, who has written for Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga, Pitbull, and One Direction. To name just three Swedes.
Sweden-based Spotify is the modern day digital equivalent of ‘word of mouth' music recommendations. Started in 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon, Spotify allows users to freely listen to, stream, and share millions of music tracks to their computers and smartphones. Many artists, both international and Swedish, maintain Spotify profiles – Avicii is one of them.

There's no shortage of good rootsy music in Sweden. Dragspel/accordian is always popular with some very good players around, also the old Swedish favourite, Nickelharpa - an interestingly curious thing indeed. Some very good fiddle/viol players, too. A very healthy blues scene, especially around Stockholm where US-born guitarist Brian Kramer runs some excellent gigs out of Stampen, a bar in Gamla Stan - well worth a Saturday lunch visit and also, I think, on Tuesday evenings. Many touring musician's turn up and play there with Kramer. Check out Bert Deivert (another US-born player now resident in Karlstad; Shoutin' Red; Brian Kramer; a great resonator player, Johan Elliason aka Bottleneck John from Lit, near Ostersund; Jon Ben Berger (US-Stockholm based player - old buddy of the late Richie Havens) etc. Loads of summer festivals all over: try Amal; Notodden; and an interesting partly alternative but positively Svenska culture fest, Urkult held in Naskaker/Solleftea Kommun. Enjoy! (PS I'm a music journalist, now based in France but lived in Sweden for some years)