Avicii’s birthday is a moment to revisit what he built in the studio and onstage. Tim Bergling turned Etta James’s “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” into “Levels,” unveiled “Wake Me Up” with Aloe Blacc and Mike Einziger at Ultra Miami, and carried his writing and production into Coldplay’s “A Sky Full of Stars.” In the same years he led House for Hunger, and his family later launched the Tim Bergling Foundation. Listeners still trace his path through “Seek Bromance,” “I Could Be the One,” “Hey Brother,” and “Levels,” then on to the Stockholm tribute and the posthumous album Tim.

1. Avicii “Levels” Breakthrough With an Etta James Sample (2011)

“Levels” builds its hook from Etta James’s 1962 “Something’s Got a Hold on Me.” Avicii pitched the “oh, sometimes” line over a clear synth melody and a steady dance beat, played it throughout 2011, then released it in October. It hit No. 1 in Sweden, reached the UK Top 5, entered the Billboard Hot 100, and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording. The office video helped it spread online, and years later “Levels” topped Tomorrowland’s Top 1000 and remains the track most tied to his name.

2. Avicii Premieres “Wake Me Up” With Live Band at Ultra Miami (2013)

At Ultra Music Festival in Miami in March 2013, Avicii premiered “Wake Me Up” with a live band: Aloe Blacc on vocals, Mike Einziger on guitar, and additional players alongside his setup. In daylight he mixed acoustic guitar with a steady dance beat, which surprised a main stage used to DJ-only sets. Clips spread online and sparked debate about his direction. The single was released in June 2013, hit No. 1 across much of Europe, and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. It paved the way for his debut album True in September 2013, alongside “Hey Brother” and “Addicted to You.”

3. Coldplay “A Sky Full of Stars” Co-Produced by Avicii (2014)

Coldplay brought Avicii into the studio to help shape “A Sky Full of Stars” for the 2014 album Ghost Stories. He is credited as a co-writer, co-producer, and pianist, and his touch is clear in the steady dance beat, the lift after each chorus, and the way the piano carries the melody. The song was released in May 2014 as a single from the album and went Top 10 in both the UK and the United States, becoming one of the most played tracks of that year. It showed how easily Avicii’s writing and production could sit inside a major pop record while keeping Coldplay’s identity intact. The collaboration also opened the door for many listeners who first knew him from “Levels” or “Wake Me Up” to hear his ideas in a different setting.

4. House for Hunger Tour Donates $1 Million to Feeding America (2012)

In January 2012, Avicii and his manager Arash Pournouri launched the House for Hunger tour across the United States and pledged a one-million-dollar donation to Feeding America, the national network of food banks. The idea was simple and public: take a peak run of shows, direct the fee toward hunger relief, and use each stop to highlight local need. Between dates they visited food banks, met volunteers, and pushed the message through their channels so people could see where the money was going. For a DJ who had just broken through with “Levels,” it was an early, visible commitment to charity that many listeners still point to when they search for “Avicii charity,” “House for Hunger,” and “Feeding America.”

5. Final Live Show at Ushuaïa Ibiza (2016)

Avicii announced in March 2016 that he would stop touring at the end of the summer. On August 28, 2016 he played his last show as a touring artist at Ushuaïa Ibiza, the open-air venue where he held a regular residency. The set ran through his best-known records, including “Levels,” “Wake Me Up,” “Hey Brother,” “I Could Be the One,” “Seek Bromance,” and “Addicted to You,” with arrangements tailored for Ibiza. The night marked a clear endpoint for his life on the road and quickly became the reference point people look up when searching for “Avicii last show” and “Ushuaia Ibiza final performance.”

@aviciiofficial Step into the world of Avicii and experience highlights from the final performance at Ushuaïa, Ibiza. Avicii – My Last Show is now available to stream globally on Netflix. @Netflix Sverige ♬ Hey Brother By Avicii - Avicii

6. Avicii My Last Show on Netflix Captures the Ushuaïa Farewell (2024)

“Avicii: My Last Show” is a 30-minute concert film on Netflix that presents his final performance at Ushuaïa Ibiza from August 28, 2016 in one continuous cut. It focuses on the stage and the music rather than behind-the-scenes commentary, making it the simplest way to see how he closed his touring years. The set moves through the records most people associate with him, including “Levels,” “Wake Me Up,” “Hey Brother,” “I Could Be the One,” and “Seek Bromance.” The film arrived in late 2024 alongside the documentary “Avicii: I’m Tim,” giving newcomers a straightforward entry point and longtime listeners a clean, end-to-end replay of the farewell show.

7. Avicii and Hardwell Almost Released “Seek Bromance” Together (2010)

In 2010, Hardwell said he and Tim Bergling talked about releasing “Bromance” together, but the collaboration did not move ahead. Avicii put out the instrumental as Tim Berg, and the vocal version “Seek Bromance” followed soon after, pairing his track with Amanda Wilson’s topline from “Love U Seek.” It reached the UK Top 20 in October 2010 and charted across Europe, giving Bergling his first mainstream breakthrough. The song introduced the tuneful, uplifting style he would carry into “Levels” the next year.

8. Madonna Joins Avicii at Ultra Miami for “Girl Gone Wild” (2012)

Madonna walked on during Avicii’s Ultra Miami set in 2012 and introduced his official remix of “Girl Gone Wild,” then danced onstage as he played it out. The pop cameo pushed the clip beyond dance media and pulled new listeners toward his catalog. It also signaled how quickly his reach had grown after “Levels,” pairing a chart-topping singer with a festival DJ set in front of a daytime crowd.

9. Avicii and Nicky Romero Hit UK No 1 with I Could Be the One (2013)

Built from their “Nicktim” instrumental, “I Could Be the One” topped the UK Singles Chart in early 2013 and landed strong positions across Europe. The office-escape video gave the single a clear visual identity and helped it spread online. For Avicii, it was a first UK No. 1 and a bridge from club releases to national radio just months before True arrived.

10. First Grammy Nod with David Guetta on “Sunshine” (2012)

“Sunshine,” an instrumental co-production with David Guetta on Nothing But the Beat, earned Avicii his first Grammy nomination in 2012. The nod arrived before his debut album and confirmed that his studio ideas were already resonating at the top level. A year later he received another nomination for “Levels,” showing the recognition was not a one-off.

These ten moments show how Avicii built his career step by step. He turned a 1960s soul sample into a hook people recognized everywhere, tried guitars and a live vocal at Ultra in daylight, carried his writing into a Coldplay single, and tied a U.S. tour to Feeding America. From early chart success to the Ushuaïa farewell, the constant was careful craft and a willingness to try something new. On his birthday, that is the legacy to remember.