The Sign (song)

"The Sign"

Standard European artwork
Single by Ace of Base
from the album Happy Nation (U.S. Version) and The Sign
Released
  • 29 October 1993 (Europe)
  • 21 December 1993 (US)
  • 17 January 1994 (UK)
Format
Recorded 1993
Genre
Length 3:12
Label
Writer(s)
Producer(s)
Ace of Base singles chronology
"Waiting for Magic"
(1993)		 "The Sign"
(1993)		 "Don't Turn Around"
(1994)

"The Sign" is a song by the Swedish band Ace of Base, which was released on 29 October 1993 in Europe. 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. It appeared on the band's album Happy Nation (titled The Sign in North America).

The song was the No. 1 song of 1994 according to Billboard magazine's year-end charts. The song was ranked at number 60 on The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs for the first 50 years of the Hot 100 chart[1] and received a nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance By a Group or Duo at the 1995 Grammy Awards.[2]

The song was heavily featured in the fifth season finale of American Dad!, "Great Space Roaster". The song has also been covered in the TV series Full House, in which fictional band "Girl Talk", led by character Stephanie Tanner, mess up the song during the performance. The song is also played in the South Park episode "Prehistoric Ice Man," the 2012 comedy Pitch Perfect and in the pilot of Hindsight. In 2016, it was covered in a commercial for Uncle Ben's rice.

Music video

The music video of the song features the pop group singing amidst romantic and joyful images; "The Sign" was depicted as a computer generated ankh (also known as key of life) and a djed (ancient Egyptian symbol representing stability). The music video is directed by Mathias Julien.

Amid the images is a little story of a man and woman sitting side by side until the man leaves, seemingly abandoning the woman. However, he comes back with a rose and offers it to the woman. The woman graciously accepts and takes his hand. However, a bright light shines in the woman's face, drawing her away, abandoning the man and dropping the rose on the chair.

The video was released in five different edits throughout various territories. In the US, the original edit of the video was later re-edited, changing some of the shots with Jenny in the foreground from black and white to color. Other versions show more shots of the group singing with their backs in a circle, as well as more shots of Linn singing her parts in her solo black and white take.

Track listings

CD single – Australia
  1. "The Sign" – 3:11
  2. "The Sign" (Long Version) – 4:43
CD single – Germany
  1. "The Sign" (The Remix) – 5:40
  2. "The Sign" (Ultimix) – 6:49
  3. "The Sign" (Dub Version) – 5:10
CD single – Japan
  1. "The Sign" – 3:11
  2. "Young And Proud" – 3:56
CD single – UK
  1. "The Sign" – 3:11
  2. "The Sign" (Long Version) – 4:43
  3. "The Sign" (Dub Version) – 5:10
CD single – U.S.
  1. "The Sign" (Ultimix) – 6:49
  2. "The Sign" – 3:11
  3. "Young And Proud" – 3:56
  4. "Happy Nation" (12" Version) – 6:40
CD maxi – France
  1. "The Sign" (Radio Edit) – 3:09
  2. "The Sign" (Long Version) – 4:43
  3. "The Sign" (Dub Version) – 5:10
7" single – France
  1. "The Sign" (Radio Edit) – 3:09
  2. "The Sign" (Long Version) – 4:43

Official versions

On several of the band's compilation albums, an error occurred with "The Sign", cutting one second from the beginning.

Personnel

Charts and sales

Weekly charts

Chart (1993–94) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[3] 1
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[4] 3
Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[5] 6
Canada Dance (RPM) 1
Canada Top Singles (RPM) 1
Denmark (IFPI) 3
Europe European Hot 100 Singles 5
Europe Eurochart Hot 100 6
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[6] 1
France (SNEP)[7] 5
Germany (Official German Charts)[8] 1
Ireland (IRMA)[9] 2
Italy (FIMI) 4
MTV Europe 1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[10] 3
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] 1
Norway (VG-lista)[12] 5
Spain (AFYVE)[13] 1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[14] 2
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[15] 4
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[16] 2
US Billboard Hot 100[17] 1
US Billboard Top 40 Mainstream[18] 1
US Billboard Rhythmic Top 40[18] 4
US Billboard Adult Contemporary[18] 2
Chart (2016) Peak
position
Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[19] 61

Year-end charts

Chart (1994) Rank
Australia (ARIA)[20] 5
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[21] 8
Canada Dance (RPM)[22] 25
Dutch Top 40[23] 23
French Singles Chart[24] 17
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[25] 1

Decade-end charts

Chart (1990–1999) Rank
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[26] 11

All-time charts

Chart Rank
US Billboard Hot 100[27] 60
New Zealand (RIANZ)[28] 387

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Australia (ARIA)[20] Platinum 70,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[29] Gold 25,000*
Germany (BVMI)[30] Platinum 500,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[31] Gold 400,000^
United States (RIAA)[32] Platinum 1,100,000[33]

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

Chart successions

Preceded by
"The Power of Love" by Celine Dion		 Billboard Hot 100 number-one single
12 March 1994 – 2 April 1994
7 May 1994 – 14 May 1994 		Succeeded by
"Bump n' Grind" by R. Kelly (1st time), "I Swear" by All-4-One (second time)
Australia ARIA Singles Chart
number-one single
30 April 1994 – 21 May 1994 		Succeeded by
"The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" by Prince
Preceded by
"Mr. Jones" by Counting Crows		 Canadian RPM number-one single
21 March 1994 – 18 April 1994 (5 weeks) 		Succeeded by
"Love Sneakin' Up On You" by Bonnie Raitt
Preceded by
"Another Night" by M.C. Sar & The Real McCoy		 Canadian RPM Dance chart number-one single
11 April 1994 – 18 April 1994 (2 weeks) 		Succeeded by
"What's Up" by Minnesota
Preceded by
"Gangsta Lean" by DRS
"Can't Get Enough" by Supergroove		 New Zealand RIANZ number-one single
24 April 1994 – 15 May 1994 (4 weeks)
29 May 1994 (1 week) 		Succeeded by
"Can't Get Enough" by Supergroove
"The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" by Prince

References

  1. ↑ The Billboard Hot 100 Chart 50th Anniversary, The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs (60–51), Billboard.com
  2. ↑ The 37th Grammy Nominations, , Los Angeles Times
  3. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Ace of Base – The Sign". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  4. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Ace of Base – The Sign" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  5. ↑ Belgian peak
  6. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  7. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Ace of Base – The Sign" (in French). Les classement single.
  8. ↑ "Musicline.de – Ace of Base Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
  9. ↑ "Irish Singles Chart, database". Irishcharts. Archived from the original on 3 June 2009. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
  10. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Ace of Base search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
  11. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Ace of Base – The Sign". Top 40 Singles.
  12. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Ace of Base – The Sign". VG-lista.
  13. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  14. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Ace of Base – The Sign". Singles Top 100.
  15. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Ace of Base – The Sign". Swiss Singles Chart.
  16. ↑ ""The Sign", UK Singles Chart". Chartstats. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
  17. ↑ "Ace of Base – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Ace of Base.
  18. 1 2 3 "Ace of Base, Billboard charts". Allmusic. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
  19. ↑ "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
  20. 1 2 "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles 1994". Australian Record Industry Association Ltd. Archived from the original on 25 October 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  21. ↑ Canada Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1994
  22. ↑ Canada Top 50 Dance Tracks of 1994
  23. ↑ "Single top 100 over 1994" (pdf) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
  24. ↑ 1994 French Singles Chart Disqueenfrance.com Archived 20 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine. (Retrieved 30 January 2009)
  25. ↑ "1994: Year-End USA Charts (Singles)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 June 2009. (archived by Top40-Charts.com)
  26. ↑ Geoff Mayfield (25 December 1999). 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade – The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s. Billboard. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  27. ↑ Bronson, Fred (2 August 2012). "Hot 100 55th Anniversary: The All-Time Top 100 Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
  28. ↑ "Best of All Time – Singles". Charts.org.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  29. ↑ "Austrian single certifications – Ace of Base – The Sign" (in German). IFPI Austria. Enter Ace of Base in the field Interpret. Enter The Sign in the field Titel. Select single in the field Format. Click Suchen
  30. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Ace of Base; 'The Sign')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  31. ↑ "British single certifications – Ace of Base – The Sign". British Phonographic Industry. Enter The Sign in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
  32. ↑ "American single certifications – Ace of Base – The Sign". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
  33. ↑ "Best-Selling Records of 1994". Billboard. BPI Communications. 107 (3): 57. January 21, 1995. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
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