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Swedish popular music, or shortened asSwedish pop music, refers to music that has swept the Swedish mainstream at any given point in recent times. AfterWorld War II, Swedish pop music was heavily influenced by Americanjazz, and then by rock-and-roll from the U.S. and the U.K. in the 1950s and 1960s, before developing intodansband music. Since the 1970s, Swedish pop music has come to international prominence with bands singing inEnglish, ranking high on the British, New Zealand, American, and Australian charts and making Sweden one of the world's top exporter of popular music by gross domestic product.[1]
With the influx ofAmerican G.I.s into Europe in the 1940s, styles of American music seeded themselves into Swedish culture. Many Swedishdansorkestrar ("dance orchestras") playedjitterbug,foxtrot, andswing music and other jazz-derived tunes for people to dance to. In the 1950s earlyrock and roll, as well ascountry music and Germanschlager also infused the market, influencing Swedish musicians to build upon these styles, gradually moving them away from jazz, which was turning more toward theavant garde.
The jazz orchestra dancing in Scandinavia was interrupted by thecounterculture of the 1960s, whose influences ofleft-wing politics andLSD were altering the shape of popular music around the world. In 1967 the firstpsychedelic andprogressive rock groups emerged in Stockholm's Filips club, includingHansson & Karlsson, theBaby Grandmothers, andMecki Mark Men.[2][3] These groups were very popular in Sweden of the late 60s, with television appearances, sold-out concerts, and tours around Europe. Mecki Mark Men even spent three months in the U.S. where they played in big rock music festivals withSly and the Family Stone,Jethro Tull,Pentangle,Mountain,Grand Funk Railroad,Paul Butterfield, andThe Byrds.[4] Aside from this music that blended rock, jazz, andfolk music withimprovisation andexperimentation, Swedish progressive rock, or "progg" as it became known, was also fiercely political. Progg bands would go on to support efforts against war andnuclear power,[5] or protest competitive events likeEurovision, stating, "Music cannot be a contest."[6][7]
Due to the sheer popularity thatthe Beatles received in Sweden, they inspired countless other bands to form and write original compositions. Some of the most popular bands performing pop-music during this era werethe Hep Stars,The Shanes,Ola & the Janglers andTages.[8][9] All of these bands, to some degree, wrote their own material, includingBenny Andersson, who with the Hep Stars wrote the singles "No Response" (1965), "Sunny Girl", "Wedding" and "Consolation" (all 1966). Tages, despite their enormous success in Sweden, decided to try an international career. They recorded several albums in doing so, including one of the earliest psychedelic albums,Extra Extra. In 1967, the band incorporatedtraditional Swedish music into their performances. Their final albumStudio is a prime example of this.Studio features solely original material and is considered one of the best Swedish albums of the 1960s.
The term "dansband" was coined around 1970, when Swedish popular music developed a signature style with brightly characterized lyrics and catchy melodies. The following decade became the golden era of dansband music, with groups likeThorleifs,Flamingokvintetten,Ingmar Nordströms,Wizex andMatz Bladhs rising to popularity in Sweden. In 1977, the song "Beatles", performed by Swedish dansbandForbes, won the SwedishMelodifestivalen 1977 and finished 18th (last) in theEurovision Song Contest 1977.
For tax purposes, performers found a loophole in declaring "fantasy" outfits as deductibles to one's income, the reason being that it shouldn't be possible to wear the same outfit in your daily life. This led to many bands wearing highly extravagant matched outfits in their stage performances.[10]
April 6, 1974 marks the start of a new era in Swedish pop music. First,Blue Swede reached No. 1 on theBillboard Hot 100 with their cover of theB. J. Thomas song "Hooked on a Feeling". The combo (fronted by iconic actor/singerBjorn Skifs) also covered "Half Breed", "Never My Love", and "A Song For You"; as made famous byCher,The Association, andThe Carpenters, respectively. These renditions appeared on at least one "best-of" album, though never officially offered for sale anywhere beyond Europe.
The very same day,ABBA won theEurovision Song Contest inBrighton,England, with "Waterloo". It was a big success throughout Europe, and reached number six on theBillboard Hot 100. Over the next few years ABBA had 18 consecutive top ten hits in the UK, nine of them reaching number one. Having sold an estimated 370 million units worldwide, ABBA became the best-selling band of the 1970s. In 1977, "Dancing Queen" became ABBA's only number one hit on theBillboard Hot 100. ABBA andLed Zeppelin are the only acts to have had 8 consecutive UK #1 albums.[11]
Shortly after the release of their seventh albumSuper Trouper (1980),Benny Andersson andAnni-Frid Lyngstad of ABBA decided to end their marriage, just asBjörn Ulvaeus andAgnetha Fältskog had done two years prior. This event did not stop the foursome from working together. ABBA's eighth albumThe Visitors was released in November 1981. Feeling that the energy was running out of the group, they decided to take a break in 1982. Fältskog and Lyngstad then both pursued solo careers. In 1982, Lyngstad released her first solo album in English, thePhil Collins producedSomething's Going On. This was followed with the albumShine in 1984. Fältskog recorded three English solo albums during the 1980s,Wrap Your Arms Around Me (1983);Eyes of a Woman (1985), andI Stand Alone (1987). After a 17-year hiatus, Fältskog releasedMy Colouring Book (2004), an album of 1960s cover versions. Her latest albumA (2013) has been one of her most successful, earning her Platinum status in Sweden and Gold status in the UK, Germany and Australia.[12]
Andersson and Ulvaeus collaborated withTim Rice on the musicalChess which premiered in London in 1986. Two songs from the musical were hugely successful singles: "One Night in Bangkok" reached number three on theBillboard Hot 100, and "I Know Him So Well" topped the UK singles chart in February 1985.
In 1975,Harpo scored an international hit with the songMoviestar, with ABBA's Anni-Frid Lyngstad on backing vocals.
After a 35-year hiatus, it was announced in 2018 that ABBA had reunited and recorded two new songs for an upcoming "virtual" tour.[13] In September 2021 they revealed a brand new studio album,Voyage, their first for 40 years.[14] Released in November 2021,Voyage topped the album charts in numerous countries, including Australia, Germany and the UK.
In 1986,Europe, ahard rock band fromUpplands Väsby, hit number one in 25 countries (including the UK) with the song "The Final Countdown". The album of the same name also charted around the world and sold more than 7 million copies worldwide, 3 million copies in the United States alone. The single has sold 8 million copies. The following year included successful tours through Europe, Japan and the US. Their next album wasOut of This World, which produced "Superstitious" as its biggest hit. This album sold about 3.5 million copies worldwide. These two multi-platinum albums placedEurope as one of the most successful hard rock bands in the world with album sales of more than 23 million records. After the release ofPrisoners in Paradise, which sold only 1.2 million copies, Europe decided to take a break in 1992. They reformed in 2003 and produced four albums so far. They continue to record and tour.
Marie Fredriksson andPer Gessle formed the bandRoxette in 1986. Four of their songs, "The Look", "Listen To Your Heart" (both 1989), "It Must Have Been Love" (1990) and "Joyride" (1991), reached number one on theBillboard Hot 100,[15][16] while two further singles, "Dangerous" (1990) and "Fading Like a Flower" (1991), both peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100.[16] Roxette's "Join The Joyride World Tour 91–92" attracted 1.7 million people around the world.[15] In 1993, they became the first non-English speaking band ever to play atMTV Unplugged.[15] In 1995, they became the first Western band to be allowed to perform in China sinceWham! in 1985.[17]
In 2003, Roxette was honoured with achievement medals by SwedishKing Carl XVI Gustaf "for appreciated achievements in Sweden and internationally".[18] To date, their best-selling albums areJoyride (11 million units) andLook Sharp! (9 million units).[19] Overall, the duo has sold more than 45 million albums and 25 million singles worldwide.[20][21][22]
Neneh Cherry released the worldwide hit single "Buffalo Stance" in 1988. The song peaked at No. 3 on both theUK Singles Chart and the USBillboard Hot 100. Cherry's debut albumRaw Like Sushi was released in 1989, experimenting with merging hiphop and mainstream dance-pop. The album wasBRIT Certified Platinum four months after release.[23][24] Cherry was nominated for "Best New Artist" with Buffalo Stance at the 1989MTV Video Music Awards and the song was nominated for "International Hit of the Year" at the 1990Ivor Novello Awards. Cherry's second single, "Manchild" (1989), peaked at No. 2 in Germany, and at No. 5 in the UK, and was a top-10 success in six more countries. The music video was nominated for "Best Video" at the 1990Brit Awards. Her third single, "Kisses on the Wind" (1989), reached top-20 in seven countries including the US, where it peaked at No. 8 on theBillboard Hot 100. In 1990 Cherry won two Brit Awards, and she was also nominated for "Best New Artist" at the 1990Grammy Awards. Cherry would be high on the charts again in 1994 with the single "7 Seconds", a duet with the Senegalese singer/songwriterYoussou N'Dour. The song reached top-3 on charts in 14 countries including France, where it stayed at No. 1 for a record 16 consecutive weeks on the Singles Chart. It won "Best Song" at the 1994MTV Europe Music Awards and was nominated for "International Hit of the Year" at the 1995 Ivor Novello Awards. In 2015 Neneh Cherry was inducted into theSwedish Music Hall of Fame.
Since the 1990s, Sweden's influence on the international pop music scene has been most evident via a number of heavyweight songwriters and producers.Cheiron Studios, spearheaded byDenniz Pop and his protégéMax Martin, helpedAce of Base become an international success, and then went on to creating some of the biggest hits ofBritney Spears,Backstreet Boys,NSYNC andWestlife, to name just a few. Denniz Pop died from cancer in 1998 and Cheiron Studios was closed two years later, but Martin remains a superstar in the industry - onlyPaul McCartney has written more #1 Billboard hits than Max Martin. Other prominent producers who were part of Cheiron includeCarl Falk,Rami Yacoub,Kristian Lundin,Jörgen Elofsson,Per Magnusson andAndreas Carlsson.
Ace of Base's first albumHappy Nation (reissued asThe Sign) is one of the best-selling debut albums of all time, and was certified nine times platinum in the United States.[25] The reggae-influenced song "The Sign" was added to the album at its reissue in the U.S. and became a huge hit. It spent six non-consecutive weeks at number one on theBillboard Hot 100 chart and even became the top song on Billboard's 1994 Year End Chart. Today Ace of Base's four studio albums have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, making them the third-most successful Swedish band of all time after ABBA and Roxette.
Several other Cheiron-propelled Swedish music artists reached international success in the 1990s, such asDr. Alban, eurodance rappersE-Type andLeila K, and not leastRobyn who had her US breakthrough in 1997 with the hit songs "Do You Know (What It Takes)" and "Show Me Love".
However, not all success stories were created by Cheiron. Rock bandThe Cardigans was formed inJönköping in 1992 and after steadily gaining popularity at home and inJapan, they became a global name in 1996 through their third albumFirst Band on the Moon. The hit singleLovefool was featured on the soundtrack to the filmRomeo + Juliet.
A*Teens were formed in 1998 as anABBA tribute band. Their 1999 debut albumThe ABBA Generation consisted purely of ABBA covers and was a great success around the world. The album sold 3 million copies worldwide. The singles "Mamma Mia" (UK #12) and "Dancing Queen" (UK #21) topped the charts in Sweden. Their second albumTeen Spirit (2001) contained new songs and was certified Gold in the United States.
Other notable Swedish acts who had international hits during this decade areArmy of Lovers,Yaki-Da,Stakka Bo,Rednex,Eagle Eye Cherry,Emilia,Teddybears andMeja.
The Cheiron legacy kept growing into the 21st century. Max Martin continued creating hit songs for stars likeBritney Spears,Céline Dion andPink, and he also helped bring forward new talented producers such asShellback. Another producer who rose to fame during the 2000s isSwedish/MoroccanRedOne, who had huge success worldwide working alongsideLady Gaga, and later other American stars. He has been nominated for eightGrammy Awards and won two of those.
Robyn reappeared in 2007, after an absence of 10 years from the international music scene, with her No. 1 hit in the UK "With Every Heartbeat". The self-titled album was certified Gold in the UK and Platinum in Sweden.[26]The following singles reached the charts as well: "Handle Me" (UK #17), "Be Mine" (UK #10) and "Who's That Girl" (UK #26).[27] "Dream On", the follow-up withChristian Falk, was originally released in 2006 on his albumPeople Say. It was re-released in the UK in November 2008 peaking at No. 21. Robyn also collaborated withNorwegian duoRöyksopp for the single "The Girl and the Robot" in June 2009.
A number of dance-oriented Swedish acts became internationally successful during this decade. In 2004, Swedish DJ and producerEric Prydz topped the UK charts for five weeks with "Call on Me",[28] while its 2007 follow up "Proper Education" was a #2 success.[29] In 2008 Prydz had a hit with "Pjanoo", which also reached No. 2 in the UK (on download sales alone).[29]
Basshunter is a Swedish singer, record producer and DJ. "Boten Anna" is a song with Swedish lyrics that had some success in continental Europe in 2006. In 2008 it reached number one in the UK[30] with lyrics performed in English under the title "Now You're Gone". The second single "All I Ever Wanted" peaked at number two in the UK.
September is a Swedish dance-singer whose song "Cry For You" reached number five in the UK in 2008.[31] In the 2010s, she released two albums under her true name, Petra Marklund, and relaunched herself as a Swedish-language pop artist rather than a Europop dance artist.
With "Crying at the Discoteque" the bandAlcazar achieved success across Europe in 2000. It peaked at No. 3 in Germany and #13 in the UK. The follow-up singles failed to reach this success.
Another band which had success overseas werePlay. Their biggest hit, "Us Against The World", sold over 500,000 copies. The song also featured in movies likeThe Master of Disguise andHoliday in the Sun, not forgetting theLizzie McGuire series.
Rock bandMando Diao fromBorlänge were very successful in Europe in 2009 with their song "Dance With Somebody" from the albumGive Me Fire. It reached number three in Germany and was a major hit in Europe peaking at number 8 on the BillboardEurochart Hot 100 Singles.[32]
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2010 saw the rise of two major Swedish acts inelectronic dance music (EDM).Swedish House Mafia, a supergroup collaboration between the Swedish DJs and producersAxwell,Steve Angello andSebastian Ingrosso, released their first single "One", which was followed by a number of other hits including "Don't You Worry Child" which topped charts around the globe. Another DJ,Avicii got a smash-hit with "Seek Bromance", and was ranked as sixth on the Top 100 DJs list.[33] His most popular song "Wake Me Up" reached 2.3 billion views on YouTube. Avicii, whose real name was Tim Bergling, released two successful albums,True andStories, before his death in 2018.
The 2010s also saw successful releases fromAgnes Carlsson andRobyn. Agnes, the winner of Sweden's Idol 2005, succeeded in Europe and especially the UK market in 2009/2010 with the single "Release Me", which entered the charts at number three and sold over 300,000 copies. It peaked at No. 6 on the BillboardEurochart Hot 100 Singles. Carlsson was also signed to Universal Music/Interscope in the US, and started the promotion for the forthcoming albumDance Love Pop during the summer 2010.[34] Robyn returned with herBody Talk series.
In 2011 the Swedish indie-artistLykke Li released her second albumWounded Rhymes, and continued her success from her earlierYouth Novels with singles like "Get Some" and "I Follow Rivers", which topped the charts in Belgium and Romania.
Beginning in the 2000s,Veronica Maggio released several high-selling Swedish-language pop albums and continues to tour widely through Scandinavia.[35]
In 2012, SwedishEurovision Song Contest 2012 winnerLoreen charted at number one in several countries across Europe with her song "Euphoria", making her one of the most successful winners of the contest in recent years.
In 2013, Swedish duoIcona Pop reached the top ten on theBillboard Hot 100 and number-one on theUK Singles Chart with their song "I Love It". The song was certified gold in the United Kingdom and 2× platinum in the United States, selling 400,000 and 2,025,000 copies, respectively. Icona Pop'sCaroline Hjelt is close friends with singer/songwriterTove Lo, who had her international breakthrough shortly afterwards. Tove Lo charted at number 3 onBillboard Hot 100 with her song "Habits (Stay High)" and the song was certified 5× Platinum in the United States.
Swedish singer/songwriterZara Larsson released her debutEP albumIntroducing in January 2013. She later featured in the official song ofUEFA Euro 2016,David Guetta's "This One's for You".[36] Her albumSo Good produced eight singles and she charted at number 13 on theBillboard Hot 100 with "Never Forget You". The song was certified 2× Platinum in the U.S. Her Biggest hit isLush Life with over 830 million views on YouTube
In 2015,Måns Zelmerlöw won theEurovision Song Contest 2015 with his song "Heroes". The song charted in the multiple countries around Europe and Australia, peaking at number 11 in the United Kingdom.
Ace of Base had the world's best-selling debut album with 23 million in sales forHappy Nation.[37] They achieved major success in the 1990s with popular songs such as "All That She Wants" (1993), "The Sign", "Don't Turn Around" (both 1994) and "Cruel Summer" (1998). All four songs reached the Top 10 of theBillboard Hot 100; "The Sign" spent six weeks at number one.
In the early 1990s the Swedish dance scene was very vivid.Denniz Pop was Sweden's most wanted producer of that time[dubious –discuss]. In 1990 he producedDr. Alban's first record "Hello Africa" together withLeila K. The song became a hit in mainland Europe peaking at No. 5 in Germany.
In 1992Denniz Pop produced the second album by Dr. Alban,One Love which includes the worldwide hits "It's My Life" and "Sing Hallelujah". .[38] That same yearLeila K released her hit single "Open Sesame" (UK #23, Germany #5). This was followed in 1993 by a cover version of Plastic Bertrand's "Ça Plane Pour Moi" (Germany #13).
1994 saw the release of Dr. Alban's third albumLook Who's Talking; the title track was a big hit throughout Europe (Germany #3).[39]
Rednex had several hit songs mixing country music and eurodance. The song "Cotton Eye Joe" was an international hit in 1994 reaching number one in the UK. The ballad "Wish You Were Here" was released in 1995.
The Hellacopters, agarage rock band that was formed byNicke Andersson, was also formed in 1995.
In 1996The Cardigans released their third album,First Band on the Moon. The song "Lovefool" was included on the soundtrack ofWilliam Shakespeare'sRomeo + Juliet by directorBaz Luhrmann. It found international success peaking at No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart. The following album,Gran Turismo (1998), was more electronic in style and contained the hit singles "My Favourite Game" and "Erase/Rewind".
"You and Me Song", by Swedish groupThe Wannadies, was a huge radio hit in the UK and Ireland in the mid-1990s. This song also ended up featuring on theRomeo + Juliet soundtrack.
Robyn was 17 years old when her pop singles "Show Me Love" and "Do You Know (What It Takes)" were released in 1997. Both singles were Top 10 hits on theBillboard Hot 100.[40]
In 1998Meja's second albumSeven Sisters was released. It contained the radio hit "All Bout The Money", which was peaked at No. 12 in the UK. In 1999 she recorded the duet "Private Emotion" withRicky Martin, which reached No. 9 on the UK singles chart.
Eagle-Eye Cherry released his debut albumDesireless in 1998. Propelled by the hit single "Save Tonight" (UK #5, US #6), the album sold over 4 million copies worldwide.
Emilia Rydberg is well known for her 1998-1999 international hit "Big Big World".[41] The song peaked at No. 5 in the UK.
Andreas Johnson had a UK #4 hit in 2000 with "Glorious".
Swedish songwriters/producersDenniz Pop andMax Martin have written worldwide hits for pop artists likeBritney Spears,Backstreet Boys and laterCeline Dion,Kelly Clarkson,Katy Perry,P!nk,Avril Lavigne,Leona Lewis andJessie J.
In the 2000s some indie bands from Sweden found their way to the international music scene.
SingerNina Persson fromThe Cardigans launched a solo project in 2001 under the nameA Camp. The lead single "I Can Buy You" peaking at number 46 in the UK chart. In 2003, The Cardigans returned with their albumLong Gone Before Daylight, a quieter, more ambient collection of songs. In Sweden it was certified 2× platinum and the band won two Swedish Grammy Awards.
José González is a Swedish indie folk singer-songwriter of Argentine descent. His cover of "Heartbeats", originally by his fellow SwedesThe Knife, was a hit on theUK singles chart where it peaked at number nine in 2003.
The Tallest Man on Earth is the stage name of Swedish folk singer songwriter Kristian Matsson.
Indie bandThe Concretes first appeared in theUK Singles Chart in 2004 with "You Can't Hurry Love" (#55) and "Seem Fine" (#52). Lead singerVictoria Bergsman left the group in 2006 and, withPeter, Bjorn and John, recorded the single "Young Folks" the same year. This reached No. 35 in theUK singles chart, and was re-issued the following year, this time peaking at No. 13.
On the national scene,Kent are by many seen as the greatest rock band, having sold more than 3 million copies of their albums and repeatedly been awarded best group of the year awards.Håkan Hellström can in some way be seen as a solo artist counterpart, having gained both public and critical acclaim.
Other notable artists includerefused,Air France,bob hund,ceo,Dungen,Eskobar,Fever Ray,First Aid Kit,The Hives,Jens Lekman,The Knife,Komeda,Life on Earth,Little Dragon,Lykke Li,The Radio Dept.,Shout Out Louds,The Soundtrack of Our Lives,The Sounds,The Tough Alliance,The Field, and Avner.
Sweden has participated in theEurovision Song Contest 61 times since making its debut in 1958, missing only three contests since then (1964, 1970 and 1976). Sweden is tied with Ireland for the most Eurovision wins, being seven in total:
Sweden is the contest's most successful country of the 21st century, with three wins from ten top five results. In total, Sweden has achieved 27 top five results in the contest. Since 1959, the Swedish entry has been chosen through an annual televised competition, known since 1967 asMelodifestivalen. Sweden has hosted the Eurovision Song Contest seven times and is the only country to have hosted the event in six different decades, three times in Stockholm (1975, 2000, and 2016), three times in Malmö (1992, 2013 and 2024), and once in Gothenburg (1985).
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The sales figures are estimated and count together album and single sales.
| Rank | Swedish acts | Sold | Genre | Years active |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | ABBA | 500 million +[42][43] | Pop •pop rock •disco | 1972–1982, 2018–present |
| 2. | Roxette | 75 million +[44] | Pop rock •soft rock • pop •dance pop | 1986–2019 |
| 3. | Ace of Base | 50 million +[45] | Dance-pop •eurodance •europop | 1990–present |
| 4. | Zara Larsson | 35 million+[46][47][circular reference] | Pop • dance-pop •R&B | 2008–present |
| 5. | Avicii | 30 million+[48] | EDM •progressive house •electro house | 2006–2018 |
| 6. | Europe | 25 million+[45] | Hard rock •glam metal •blues rock •arena rock | 1979–1992, 1999, 2003–present |
| 7. | Tove Lo | 20 million+[49][circular reference] | Electropop • dance-pop •indie pop | 2006–present |
| 8. | Spotnicks | 18 million+ | Instrumental rock | 1958–2019 |
| 9. | The Cardigans | 15 million +[45] | Alternative rock • pop rock •indie rock | 1992–present |
| 10. | Dr Alban | 14million[50] | Eurodance •hip hop •reggae •dancehall | 1980s–present |
| 11. | Alcazar | 12million[51] | Nu-disco • dance-pop • europop •schlager | 1998–2005, 2007–2011, 2013–2018 |
| 12. | Vikingarna | 11million | Dansband | 1958–2004, 2016–present |
| 13. | Swedish House Mafia | 10million[52] | House • progressive house • electro house | 2008–2013, 2018–present |
| 14. | Rednex | 10million[53] | Eurodance •electronic country | 1994–present |
| 15. | Army of Lovers | 7 million[54] | Dance-pop • europop | 1987–1996, 2001–2009, 2012–present |
This tables shows the album sales by country. The worldwide album sales are estimated while the album sales for UK,[55] US[56] and Germany[57] are counted by the gold and platinum certifications for the albums in that country. For Germany, the old certifications were used for albums released before September 1999 with Gold (250,000) and Platinum (500,000).[58]
| Rank | artist | worldwide album sales | UK album sales | US album sales | German album sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ABBA | 120,000,000 | 7,160,000 | 10,500,000 | 9,800,000 |
| 2 | Roxette | 45,000,000 | 1,660,000 | 2,700,000 | 4,900,000 |
| 3 | Ace of Base | 32,000,000 | 660,000 | 10,000,000 | 1,750,000 |
The following songs achieved the highest aggregated positions in the charts in their respective years. The following list shows the Swedish hits that ended up in the top 10 Billboard Hot 100 charts.[59]
| # | Artist | Title | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | ABBA | "Waterloo" | 1974 |
| 2 | "S.O.S" | 1975 | |
| 1 | "Dancing Queen" | 1976 | |
| 4 | "Fernando" | 1976 | |
| 4 | Roxette | "The Look" | 1989 |
| 5 | "It Must Have Been Love" | 1990 | |
| 3 | "Joyride" | 1991 | |
| 4 | Europe | "The Final Countdown" | 1986 |
| 5 | "Carrie" | 1986 | |
| 3 | Ace of Base | "All That She Wants" | 1993 |
This is a list of songs which reached the top 200 on theUK singles chart or theBillboard Hot 100, as well as other notable global hits.
| Rank | Year | Album | Artist | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 1992 | Gold | ABBA | 30 million + |
| 2. | 1993 | The Sign / Happy Nation | Ace of Base | 23 million + |
| 3. | 1991 | Joyride | Roxette | 12 million + |
| 4. | 1976 | Greatest Hits Vol. I | ABBA | 11.3 million + |
| 5. | 1976 | Arrival | ABBA | 10 million + |
| 6. | 1988 | Look Sharp! | Roxette | 10 million + |
| 7. | 1980 | Super Trouper | ABBA | 7.5 million + |
| 8. | 1979 | Voulez-Vous | ABBA | 7 million + |
| 9. | 1978 | The Album | ABBA | 7 million + |
| 10. | 1992 | Tourism | Roxette | 7 million + |
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