" The Sign " is a song by Swedish group Ace of Base from their first North American studio album, The Sign (1993), and their re-released debut studio album, Happy Nation (1992), titled Happy Nation (U.S. Version) . The song was released by Arista and Mega as a single in Europe on November 1, 1993 and the US on December 14, 1993. It was written by band member Jonas Berggren , who also produced the song with Denniz Pop and Douglas Carr. "The Sign" is a techno-reggae , Europop and pop ballad with lyrics describing a couple contemplating the state of their relationship. "The Sign" topped the Billboard Hot 100 for six non-consecutive weeks in the United States which allowed Ace of Base to become the first Swedish group to simultaneously have a number one song and album on the Hot 100 and Billboard 200 , respectively. Consequently, the song was ranked as the number one song of 1994 on Billboard 's year-end chart. It also reached number one in 14 countries such as Australia, Canada, Germany and New Zealand, and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart . Mathias Julien directed its music video. "The Sign" was nominated for Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 37th Annual Grammy Awards . In 2023, Billboard magazine ranked it among the 500 best pop songs of all time. - source