Happy Nation

For the song, see Happy Nation (song).
Happy Nation
Studio album by Ace of Base
Released December 11, 1992 (Scandinavia)
February 19, 1993
Recorded 1992
Genre
Label Mega
Producer
Ace of Base chronology

Happy Nation
(1992)
The Sign
(1993)
Singles from Happy Nation
  1. "Wheel of Fortune"
    Released: 1992
  2. "All That She Wants"
    Released: 1992
  3. "Happy Nation"
    Released: 1992
  4. "Waiting for Magic"
    Released: 1993
  5. "The Sign"
    Released: 1993
  6. "Don't Turn Around"
    Released: 1994
  7. "Living in Danger"
    Released: 1994

Happy Nation the debut studio album by Swedish pop group Ace of Base. It was released in Scandinavia on December 11, 1992 by Mega Records. It is among the best-selling albums in history, having sold 25 million copies.[1]

Background

Happy Nation was released in early 1993 in Europe, Africa, and Latin America on Festival Records. It reached the number one position in at least 14 countries, and has sold over 23 million copies worldwide.[2]

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 under the title The Sign. The Sign was released in North America on November 23, 1993. Both versions feature revised track listings.

These releases featured new tracks, including "The Sign", and "Hear Me Calling", "Living in Danger", and the Tina Turner cover "Don't Turn Around", along with alternate versions of other tracks. Certain songs included on the original Happy Nation were removed altogether. The re-release climbed to number one in the UK Albums Chart, beating the number 21 peak of the original release.

The Sign is listed among the Top 100 Best-selling Albums of All Time by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[3] Several songs on the album, including "The Sign", "All That She Wants" and "Don't Turn Around", became Number One singles in the United States, Europe, and North Africa.

Track listing

Happy Nation – Standard version[4]
No. TitleLyricsMusicProducer(s) Length
1. "Voulez-Vous Danser"  
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • T.O.E.C.
  • Joker
  • Buddha
3:17
2. "All That She Wants"  
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • Joker
  • Buddha
3:30
3. "Münchhausen (Just Chaos)"  
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • Joker
  • Buddha
3:27
4. "Happy Nation"  
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • Joker
  • Buddha
4:11
5. "Waiting for Magic"  
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • Joker
  • Buddha
5:17
6. "Fashion Party"  JokerJoker
  • Joker
  • Johnny Lindén[a]
  • Martin Selwall[b]
4:10
7. "Wheel of Fortune"  
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • T.O.E.C.
  • Joker
  • Buddha
3:52
8. "Dancer in a Daydream"  
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • Joker
  • Buddha
3:37
9. "My Mind" (Mindless Mix)
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • Joker
  • Buddha
4:09
10. "Wheel of Fortune" (Original Club Mix)
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • T.O.E.C.
  • Joker
  • Buddha
3:58
11. "Dimension of Depth"  JokerJoker
  • Joker
  • Buddha[b]
1:45
12. "Young and Proud"  
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • Joker
  • Buddha
3:54
13. "All That She Wants" (Banghra Version)
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • Denniz Pop
  • Joker
  • Buddha
4:14
Happy Nation – U.S. version[6]
No. TitleLyricsMusicProducer(s) Length
1. "All That She Wants"  
  • Joker
  • Buddha[c]
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • Denniz Pop
3:30
2. "Don't Turn Around"  
  • Hammond
  • Warren
  • Tommy Ekman
  • Per Adebratt
3:48
3. "Young and Proud"  
  • Joker
  • Buddha[c]
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • Joker
  • Buddha
3:56
4. "The Sign"  
  • Joker
  • Buddha[c]
Joker
3:08
5. "Living in Danger"  
  • Joker
  • Buddha[c]
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • Ekman
  • Adebratt
  • T.O.E.C.[d]
3:41
6. "Voulez-Vous Danser"  
  • Joker
  • Buddha[c]
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • T.O.E.C.
  • Joker
  • Buddha
3:17
7. "Happy Nation"  
  • Joker
  • Buddha[c]
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • Joker
  • Buddha
4:13
8. "Hear Me Calling"  
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • Linn
  • Jenny
3:48
9. "Waiting for Magic" (Total Remix 7")
  • Joker
  • Buddha[c]
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • Buddha
  • Stonestream
3:50
10. "Fashion Party"  
  • Joker
  • Buddha[c]
  • Joker
  • Buddha
Joker 4:10
11. "Wheel of Fortune"  
  • Joker
  • Buddha[c]
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • T.O.E.C.
3:52
12. "Dancer in a Daydream"  
  • Joker
  • Buddha[c]
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • Joker
  • Buddha
3:37
13. "My Mind" (Mindless Mix)
  • Joker
  • Buddha[c]
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • Joker
  • Buddha
4:08
14. "All That She Wants" (Banghra Version)
  • Joker
  • Buddha[c]
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • Joker
  • Buddha
  • Denniz Pop
4:14
15. "Happy Nation" (Remix) (bonus track)
  • Joker
  • Buddha[c]
  • Joker
  • Buddha
3:45
Notes

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart Peak
position
Austrian Albums Chart 3
Danish Albums Chart 1
Dutch Albums Chart 2
French Albums Chart 1
German Albums Chart 1
Greek Albums Chart 1
Hungarian Albums Chart[8] 1
Israeli Albums Chart 1
New Zealand RIANZ Albums Chart 1
Norwegian Albums Chart 1
Portuguese Albums Chart 1
Spanish Albums Chart 5
Swiss Albums Chart 2
Swedish Albums Chart 3
UK Albums Chart 1

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Argentina (CAPIF) 4× Platinum 240,000x
Austria (IFPI Austria)[9] Platinum 50,000x
China (SARFT) Platinum 30,000
Czech Republic (IFPI) Gold 5,000
Denmark (IFPI Denmark) 4× Platinum 200,000^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[10] Gold 82,715[10]
France (SNEP)[11] Diamond 1,295,500[12]
Germany (BVMI)[13] 3× Platinum 1,500,000^
India (IMI) Platinum 20,000
Indonesia (ASIRI) 4× Platinum 200,000
Ireland (IRMA) Gold 7,500x
Italy (FIMI) Gold 50,000*
Greece (IFPI Greece) Gold 30,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[14] 2× Platinum 200,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ) 3× Platinum 45,000^
Portugal (AFP) Platinum 40,000
Singapore (RIAS) 3× Platinum 45,000
South Korea (RIAK) 7× Platinum 700,000
Spain (PROMUSICAE) 2× Platinum 200,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[15] Platinum 50,000x
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[16]
Happy Nation (US Version)
Platinum 50,000x
South Africa and Lesotho (RISA) Gold 25,000
Thailand (TECA) Gold 20,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[17] 2× Platinum 600,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

See also

References

  1. Fletcher, Alex (2007-10-26). "Ace Of Base announce reunion tour". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2012-12-07.
  2. "Ace of Base". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2012-12-01.
  3. RIAA - Gold & Platinum - November 03, 2010
  4. The Sign (booklet). Ace of Base. Mega Records. 1992. MRCD 3206.
  5. https://itunes.apple.com/se/album/happy-nation-remastered/id951696344
  6. The Sign (booklet). Ace of Base. Mega Records. 1993. MRCD 3239.
  7. https://itunes.apple.com/se/album/happy-nation-u.s.-version/id951700379
  8. "Archívum › Kereső - előadó/cím szerint". Mahasz. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  9. "Austrian album certifications – Ace of Base – Happy Nation" (in German). IFPI Austria. Enter Ace of Base in the field Interpret. Enter Happy Nation in the field Titel. Select album in the field Format. Click Suchen
  10. 10.0 10.1 The first web page presents the sales figures, the second presents the certification limits:
  11. "French album certifications – Ace of Base – Happy Nation" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
  12. "Les Albums Diamant :" (in French). Infodisc.fr. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
  13. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Ace Of Base; 'Happy Nation')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  14. "Dutch album certifications – Ace of Base – Happy Nation" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers.
  15. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Ace of Base; 'Happy Nation')". Hung Medien.
  16. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Ace of Base; 'Happy Nation (U.S. Version)')". Hung Medien.
  17. "British album certifications – Ace of Base – Happy Nation". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Happy Nation in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search
Preceded by
Superunknown by Soundgarden
The Crow (soundtrack) by Various artists
Billboard 200 number-one album
April 2–8, 1994
June 11–17, 1994
Succeeded by
Far Beyond Driven by Pantera
Ill Communication by Beastie Boys
Preceded by
Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?
by The Cranberries
UK number one album
July 2, 1994 – July 15, 1994
Succeeded by
Music for the Jilted Generation by The Prodigy