1. Europe
Europe formed in Upplands Väsby in 1979. In their first incarnation as Force, they were a progressive rock band with limited success. They renamed, changed their sound to glam metal and won a national talent contest, which got them a record contract. Their single The Final Countdown was a big hit in 1986, topping the charts in twenty-five countries – and it remains just as popular today. Europe have made eleven studio albums, taking an eleven-year break from 1992 to 2003.
2. Roxette
Pop rock duo Roxette, consisting of Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle, started in Halmstad in 1984. They dominated the charts with singles such as The Look, Listen to Your Heart, Joyride and It Must Have Been Love, all of which went to the top of the Billboard Hot 100. It Must Have Been Love was released first as a Christmas song in 1987 and then rereleased in 1990. The band ended in December 2019 after Fredriksson tragically died of brain cancer at the age of sixty-one.
3. Ace of Base
Ace of Base’s ‘The Sign’ was one of the world’s highest-selling7 debut albums. Formed in Gothenburg in 1990, the Euro-pop band originally consisted of siblings Jonas, Linn and Jenny Berggren, and Ulf Ekberg. They hit the US Top Ten with All That She Wants, Don’t Turn Around and The Sign, all from the same album. In their heyday, Ace of Base was the third most successful Swedish band after ABBA and Roxette.
4. Lykke Li
Born in Ystad on 18 March 1986, Lykke Li (full name Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson) was raised in an artistic household. She lived in various places around the world before returning to Sweden. She enjoyed some popularity as an indie artist, but did not become internationally successful until she teamed up with producer Björn Yttling. Her debut album ‘Youth Novels’ was released to international acclaim in 2008, followed by ‘Wounded Rhymes’, ‘I Never Learn’ and ‘so sad so sexy’.
5. The Cardigans
The Cardigans started in Jönköping in 1992. Their debut album ‘Emmerdale’ was a hit in Sweden and Japan. Their second album ‘Life’ got them noticed around the world. Their popularity grew in 1996 with the single Lovefool, which was on the soundtrack of the movie Romeo + Juliet. The group took a break from 2007 to 2011, when they reunited for a tour of their album ‘Gran Turismo’. They have performed live since, but do not plan to make further albums.
