Happy Nation is the debut album of Ace of Base

Ace of Base

Ace of Base is a pop band based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Its original lineup consisted of Ulf "Buddha" Ekberg, and three siblings, Jonas "Joker" Berggren, Malin "Linn" Berggren and Jenny Berggren...

, a pop music group based in Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

. It was released in early 1993 in Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

, Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

 and Latin America

Latin America

Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages  – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...

 on Festival Records. The album is the third highest-selling debut album by a group after Guns N' Roses

Guns N' Roses

Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...

 and Linkin Park

Linkin Park

Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...

. It reached the number one position in at least 14 countries, and it has sold somewhere in the region of 21 million copies worldwide.

A second release in Europe, Happy Nation U.S. Version, came on September 25, 1993, to coincide with the album's release in North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

 under the title name, The Sign. The Sign was released in North America on November 23, 1993 with four brand new tracks.

Several songs on the album, including "The Sign

The Sign (song)

"The Sign" is a 1993 dance-pop song by the Swedish band Ace of Base. The song was an international hit, reaching Number two in the United Kingdom and spending six non-consecutive weeks as number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States...

", "All That She Wants

All That She Wants

"All That She Wants" is a hit single of Swedish pop group Ace of Base. The song was produced by Denniz Pop. In early 1993, the song reached the top of the charts in many countries, including Denmark, the United Kingdom and Australia. The single was certified Platinum in the United States, where it...

" and "Don't Turn Around

Don't Turn Around

"Don't Turn Around" is a popular song written by Diane Warren and Albert Hammond. It was originally recorded by Tina Turner as the B-side to the single "Typical Male" in 1986. Warren is said to have been disappointed that Turner's record company treated the song as a B-side and never included it on...

", were No. 1 singles in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and all over Europe and North Africa

North Africa

North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...

.

The Sign is listed among the Top 100 Bestselling Albums of All Time by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Track listing

1. "Voulez-Vous Danser"
2. "All That She Wants
   All That She Wants
   "All That She Wants" is a hit single of Swedish pop group Ace of Base. The song was produced by Denniz Pop. In early 1993, the song reached the top of the charts in many countries, including Denmark, the United Kingdom and Australia. The single was certified Platinum in the United States, where it...
   
   "
3. "Münchhausen (Just Chaos)"
4. "Happy Nation
   Happy Nation (song)
   "Happy Nation" is a song taken from the homonymous first album by Ace of Base. It was released twice in the United Kingdom; in October 1993 when it peaked at number 42, and then again twelve months later it reached number 40...
   
    (Faded Edit)"
5. "Waiting for Magic
   Waiting for Magic
   "Waiting for Magic" is a single released by Swedish pop group Ace of Base from their debut album, Happy Nation.The single reached the top 10 in Sweden and Denmark in 1993, but was also released in The Netherlands.-Lyrics:...
   
   "
6. "Fashion Party"
7. "Wheel of Fortune
   Wheel of Fortune (Ace of Base song)
   "Wheel of Fortune" was the debut single by Swedish pop group Ace of Base, from the album Happy Nation. It was first released in Denmark in April 1992 through small independent label Mega Records....
   
   "
8. "Dancer in a Daydream"
9. "My Mind" (Mindless Mix)
10. "Wheel of Fortune" (Original Club Mix)
11. "Dimension of Depth" (Instrumental)
12. "Young and Proud"
13. "All That She Wants" (Banghra Version)

Happy Nation U.S. version

Happy Nation was re-released in Europe only, as Happy Nation (US Version) on September 25, 1993, to coincide with the American version of the album titled The Sign released in the Western Hemisphere on November 23 of that same year. Three new tracks were added to the American version, "Don't Turn Around", "The Sign", "Living in Danger", while Happy Nation (US Version) contained four new songs, "Don't Turn Around", "The Sign", "Living in Danger", "Hear Me Calling", a bonus remix for the track "Happy Nation", and "Fashion Party", which was included on the original release of Happy Nation. The re-release climbed to number one in the UK Albums Chart

UK Albums Chart

The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...

, beating the number 21 peak of the original release. Happy Nation U.S. Version has almost the same cover as The Sign.

Track listing

The Sign

Only released in the US, Canada, Japan and some Latin American countries (such as Mexico).

Track listing

1. "All That She Wants
   All That She Wants
   "All That She Wants" is a hit single of Swedish pop group Ace of Base. The song was produced by Denniz Pop. In early 1993, the song reached the top of the charts in many countries, including Denmark, the United Kingdom and Australia. The single was certified Platinum in the United States, where it...
   
   "
2. "Don't Turn Around"
3. "Young and Proud"
4. "The Sign"
5. "Living in Danger
   Living in Danger
   "Living In Danger" is a song taken from the album, Happy Nation by the band Ace of Base. It was released as a single and reached #18 on the UK Singles Chart, and it peaked at #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. in 1994...
   
   "
6. "Dancer in a Daydream"
7. "Wheel of Fortune
   Wheel of Fortune (Ace of Base song)
   "Wheel of Fortune" was the debut single by Swedish pop group Ace of Base, from the album Happy Nation. It was first released in Denmark in April 1992 through small independent label Mega Records....
   
   "
8. "Waiting for Magic" (Total Remix 7")
9. "Happy Nation
   Happy Nation (song)
   "Happy Nation" is a song taken from the homonymous first album by Ace of Base. It was released twice in the United Kingdom; in October 1993 when it peaked at number 42, and then again twelve months later it reached number 40...
   
   "
10. "Voulez-Vous Danser"
11. "My Mind" (Mindless Mix)
12. "All That She Wants" (Banghra Version)

Happy Nation

• "Wheel of Fortune
  Wheel of Fortune (Ace of Base song)
  "Wheel of Fortune" was the debut single by Swedish pop group Ace of Base, from the album Happy Nation. It was first released in Denmark in April 1992 through small independent label Mega Records....
  
  " (Europe)
• "All That She Wants
  All That She Wants
  "All That She Wants" is a hit single of Swedish pop group Ace of Base. The song was produced by Denniz Pop. In early 1993, the song reached the top of the charts in many countries, including Denmark, the United Kingdom and Australia. The single was certified Platinum in the United States, where it...
  
  " (International)
• "Happy Nation
  Happy Nation (song)
  "Happy Nation" is a song taken from the homonymous first album by Ace of Base. It was released twice in the United Kingdom; in October 1993 when it peaked at number 42, and then again twelve months later it reached number 40...
  
  " (Europe)
• "Waiting for Magic
  Waiting for Magic
  "Waiting for Magic" is a single released by Swedish pop group Ace of Base from their debut album, Happy Nation.The single reached the top 10 in Sweden and Denmark in 1993, but was also released in The Netherlands.-Lyrics:...
  
  " (Scandinavia)

Happy Nation U.S. version (re-release) / The Sign

• "All That She Wants
  All That She Wants
  "All That She Wants" is a hit single of Swedish pop group Ace of Base. The song was produced by Denniz Pop. In early 1993, the song reached the top of the charts in many countries, including Denmark, the United Kingdom and Australia. The single was certified Platinum in the United States, where it...
  
  " (International)
• "The Sign" (International)
• "Don't Turn Around
  Don't Turn Around
  "Don't Turn Around" is a popular song written by Diane Warren and Albert Hammond. It was originally recorded by Tina Turner as the B-side to the single "Typical Male" in 1986. Warren is said to have been disappointed that Turner's record company treated the song as a B-side and never included it on...
  
  " (International)
• "Living in Danger
  Living in Danger
  "Living In Danger" is a song taken from the album, Happy Nation by the band Ace of Base. It was released as a single and reached #18 on the UK Singles Chart, and it peaked at #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. in 1994...
  
  " (International)
• "Happy Nation
  Happy Nation (song)
  "Happy Nation" is a song taken from the homonymous first album by Ace of Base. It was released twice in the United Kingdom; in October 1993 when it peaked at number 42, and then again twelve months later it reached number 40...
  
  " (Australia & UK & Germany)

Charts

Chart	Peak position
Argentinian Albums Chart	1
Australian ARIA Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...	9
Austrian Albums Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...	3
Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS...	1
Danish Albums Chart	1
Dutch Albums Chart	2
French Albums Chart	1
German Albums Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...	1
Greek Albums Chart	1
Hungarian Albums Chart	1

Chart	Peak position
Israeli Albums Chart	1
Japanese Albums Chart	1
New Zealand RIANZ Albums Chart	1
Norwegian Albums Chart	1
Portuguese Albums Chart	1
Spanish Albums Chart	5
Swiss Albums Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...	2
Swedish Albums Chart	3
UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...	1
US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...	1

End of decade charts

Chart (1990–1999)	Position
U.S. Billboard 200	34

Platinum & Gold Awards

• Argentina: 4x platinum (160,000+ units sold) (for 'The Sign')
• Australia: platinum (70,000+ units sold) (for 'Happy Nation')
• Austria: platinum (30,000+ units sold) (for 'Happy Nation')
• Belgium: gold (for 'Happy Nation')
• Brazil: gold (for 'The Sign')
• Canada: diamond (1,000,000+ units sold) (for 'The Sign')
• Chile: 2x platinum (for 'The Sign')
• China: platinum (for 'Happy Nation')
• Czech Republic: gold (for 'Happy Nation')
• Denmark: 4x platinum (160,000+ units sold) (for 'Happy Nation')
• Finland: gold (for 'Happy Nation')
• France: diamond (1,000,000+ units sold) (for 'Happy Nation')
• Germany: 3x platinum (1,500,000+ units sold) (for 'Happy Nation')
• India: platinum (200,000(?)+ units sold) (for 'Happy Nation')
• Indonesia: 4x platinum (for 'Happy Nation')
• Ireland: gold (for 'Happy Nation')
• Italy: gold (for 'Happy Nation')
• Greece: gold (for 'Happy Nation')
• Japan: 4x platinum (487,290 units sold)(for 'The Sign')
• Korea: 7x platinum (700,000+ units sold) (for 'Happy Nation')
• Mexico: 3x platinum (750,000+ units sold) (for 'The Sign')
• Netherlands: 2x platinum (for 'Happy Nation')
• New Zealand: 3x platinum (45,000+ units sold) (for 'Happy Nation')
• Norway: 2x platinum (for 'Happy Nation')
• Portugal: platinum (for 'Happy Nation')
• Singapore: 3x platinum (for 'Happy Nation')
• Spain: platinum (for 'Happy Nation')
• Sweden: 2x platinum (for 'Happy Nation')
• Switzerland: 2x platinum (80,000+ units sold) (for 'Happy Nation')
• South Africa: gold (for 'Happy Nation')
• Thailand: gold (for 'Happy Nation')
• United Kingdom: 2x platinum (600,000+ units sold) (for 'Happy Nation')
• United States: 9x platinum (9,000,000 units shipped / 6,498,000 Soundscan sales / 1,080,000 BMG Music Club sales) (for 'The Sign')

References http://www.aceofbase.com/en/main.php?sida=sales, http://www.riaa.com/gp/database/default.asp

See also

• List of number-one albums from the 1990s (UK)
• List of best-selling albums in Germany
• List of best-selling albums worldwide