Ace of Base’s “The Sign” became the Swedish group’s only Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 in 1994.
The song was released as the title track of the group’s North American album, The Sign, and as a single from their European album Happy Nation. Its bright reggae-pop style, produced by Denniz Pop and Max Martin, helped make Ace of Base one of the decade’s most successful European acts in the United States.
“The Sign” reached No. 1 in March 1994 and stayed there for six weeks. Billboard later ranked it among the biggest songs of the 1990s, reflecting its extensive radio play and international sales.
Listeners sometimes identify “All That She Wants” as Ace of Base’s American No. 1 because it was the group’s breakthrough single and a major global hit. In the United States, however, “All That She Wants” peaked below the summit, while “The Sign” reached the top.