Don’ Turn Around – Ace Of Base | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning

Chart Performance: Pop (#4); 1994

Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne

The ABBA-like two boy/two girl quartet Ace Of Base choose their name because of their expertise in the studio (their “base” of operations), not – as is commonly believed – because they were slyly playing off the musical term “bass.”

Like ABBA, AOB also hailed from Sweden, yet, unlike ABBA, Polar Records failed to sign them. Mega Records did and Wheel Of Fortune – their first single – climbed to #2 on the Danish charts in October, 1992.

Rapid success followed as All That She Wants soared to #1 in England shortly after its release in May of 1993, and hit #3 in America in November. Ace Of Base roared into 1994 like a runaway train, topping the Hot 100 with The Sign in March, then scoring again in June with Don’t Turn Around.

And unlike the first two U.S. hits, which were original compositions, Don’t Turn Around was written by American songwriters Albert Hammond and Diane Warren.

This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.

Produced by:

  • Per Adebratt
  • Tommy Ekman

Lyrics Written by:

  • Diane Warren

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Ed Osborne

Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).