Key Points in this article:
- In 1993, Swedish pop group Ace of Base released their debut album “The Sign” in North America and some Latin American countries.
- “The Sign” was heavily influenced by reggae, dancehall and dance pop and included songs from their previous album “Happy Nation” as well as new tracks like “Don’t Turn Around,” “The Sign,” “Living in Danger,” and “All That She Wants” which quickly became commercial successes.
- The album was certified Platinum in the U.S. and is listed among the Top 100 Best-selling Albums of All Time in Canada.
- “The Sign” ranked in the top three on the Billboard 200 chart for 26 consecutive weeks, peaking at No. 1 and is the only single or album by a Swedish act to reach number one on Billboard’s annual overall Year-End lists.
- The group’s sound was influenced by an unknown reggae band they encountered during a rehearsal in the mid-1980s.
In 1993, Swedish pop group Ace of Base released their debut album in North America and some Latin American countries, “The Sign,” via Arista Records. The album, which was heavily reggae, dancehall and dance pop influenced included songs from their previous album “Happy Nation” as well as new tracks “Don’t Turn Around,” “The Sign,”, “Living in Danger,” and “All That She Wants” quickly became commercial successes.
“The Sign” was first certified Platinum in the U.S. January 26, 1994 and is listed among the Top 100 Best-selling Albums of All Time in Canada. With 9x Platinum certified in the U.S. with sales surpassing 21 million copies.
The album was nominated for Best Pop Album at the 1995 Grammy Awards and reportedly made reportedly earned Arista Records 42 million USD. Additionally, “The Sign” ranked in the top three on the Billboard 200 chart for 26 consecutive weeks, peaking at No. 1 and is the only single or album by a Swedish act to reach number one on Billboard’s annual overall Year-End lists.
Despite initial delays from their record label for the addition of radio-friendly singles, “The Sign” proved to be a massive hit for Ace of Base and solidified their place in music history.
Ace of Base continued to produce studio albums until 2002, and took a hiatus in 2003. The group later reunited without original member Malin and with various other changes in the lineup over the years. Recently, ABC News interviewed one of the band members, Ekberg, to learn about their activities in the past decade.
How Did The Reggae influence Start?
In the mid-1980s, during a rehearsal, Ace of Base encountered an unknown reggae band that was also using the space which ended up having a significant impact on the group’s sound. Ekberg, a member of the band, recounts in an interview with ABC how it all happened.
“They came into the room, they asked if we could produce a song with them, and so we experimented with reggae – that’s the foundation of what our music became.”
The origins of the group’s name, however, is quite different. Previously known as Tech Noir, the band had to change their name after a Swedish magazine wrote a negative review of another band with the same name. Ekberg explains,
“Jonas and I were like, ‘If we are going to do this, we don’t want to be compared to this other band, we have to find new name.'”
