Though not the first band to front symphonic gothic metal with an operatic female voice, Finland's Nightwish are most responsible for popularizing that style throughout Europe. A few lead singers have passed through the lineup since their 1997 debut, and the vocal tone has shifted from Tarja Turunen's multi-octave arias to occasionally ABBA-like Europop. But the epic orchestrations have remained, and the band's knack for turning romantic myths and folk legends into chart-bound hooks has inspired Evanescence, Children of Bodom, and many in between.