Ace of Base Biography

The international popularity of the Swedish quartet Ace of Base exploded in the mid-1990s with the release of the group's debut album The Sign. You couldn't go an hour without hearing one of their Euro-disco songs on the radio as the album spawned several hit singles and catapulted the band into stardom.The group formed in 1990 when sisters Jenny and Linn Berggren joined up with their brother Jonas and fellow songwriter Ulf Ekberg. They began playing local dance clubs and quickly landed themselves a record deal. Their debut single, "Wheel of Fortune" was released in 1992 and found success in Europe. Their next single though, "The Sign," was a smash and garnered the band intercontinental recognition. The foursome released their European debut album, Happy Nation, in 1993.The group's third single, "All That She Wants" went platinum and really propelled the group into fame in the United States, setting the stage for the release of their first full-length in the U.S. The Sign, a revamped version of Happy Nation, gave new meaning to the term smash hit. By the end of 1993, the record had sold more than 8 million copies stateside and earned the group three Grammy nominations.Their follow-up effort, The Bridge, went platinum in less than a year, but failed to make the unbelievable impact that its predecessor had. The group followed with Cruel Summer, but the disc didn't create much of a stir. The band has released several albums since, including a greatest hits compilation in 2000, which featured several tracks from their 1993 chart-topping disc and a few remixed songs as well.Ace of Base is unlikely to ever regain the immense international popularity that The Sign brought them. The record was such a sensation that anyone who grew up in the ‘90s is sure to have owned a copy.