Ace of Base

Sweden, 1990–2010

Swedish pop group formed in Gothenburg in 1990 (the Berggren siblings with Ulf Ekberg). Their trademark 'China reggae' — glossy Europop melodies over a reggae offbeat, polished by producer Denniz Pop — made Happy Nation / The Sign one of the best-selling debut albums ever, with 'All That She Wants' and 'The Sign' topping charts worldwide.

MusicRoots documents 3 artists who influenced Ace of Base and 1 artist Ace of Base influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.

Who influenced Ace of Base?

• ABBA — Ace of Base's gleaming Swedish pop melodies belong to the ABBA lineage — producer Denniz Pop explicitly set out to fuse ABBA-style melody with beat-driven dance production on their records.
• Roxette — Ace of Base drew on the same Swedish melodic-pop craft as Roxette, the reference point their producers used when shaping the band's beat-driven sound.
• Bob Marley — The reggae offbeat at the core of Ace of Base's trademark 'China reggae' sound descends from the Jamaican reggae tradition Bob Marley carried worldwide.

Which artists did Ace of Base influence?

• Aqua — Aqua's bright bubblegum Eurodance follows the Scandinavian pop-dance template Ace of Base popularised worldwide.