''First Band on the Moon'' is the third studio album by

the Cardigans The Cardigans is a Swedish rock band formed in Jönköping, Sweden, in 1992 by guitarist Peter Svensson, bassist Magnus Sveningsson, drummer Bengt Lagerberg, keyboardist Lars-Olof Johansson and lead singer Nina Persson. Post-hiatus shows sin ...

. It features the international single "

Lovefool "Lovefool" is a song written by Peter Svensson and Nina Persson for Swedish rock band the Cardigans' third studio album, '' First Band on the Moon'' (1996). It was released as the album's lead single in Sweden in mid-1996 and on 9 September 1 ...

". It was first released on 12 August 1996 and internationally on 9 September 1996. The album was a major breakthrough for the band, both in their native Sweden and internationally. It is their best-selling album in the United States, having sold around 664,000 copies there as of September 2010.

Track listing

"Happy Meal II" is a re-recording of "Happy Meal", a song that was originally a bonus track on the US edition of ''

Life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for Cell growth, growth, reaction to Stimu ...

'', with some minor lyric changes.

Black Sabbath connections

At least two songs on the album directly reference

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...

material. In addition to the cover " Iron Man", "Heartbreaker" begins and ends with a quotation of the primary material from the song "

", the first track on Black Sabbath's debut album.

Personnel

* Lars-Olof Johansson – keyboards, piano * Bengt Lagerberg – drums, percussion *

Nina Persson Nina Elisabet Persson (; born 6 September 1974) is the lead singer and lyricist for the Swedish rock band The Cardigans. She has also worked as a solo artist, releasing two albums as A Camp and one under her own name, and has also appeared as a ...

– lead vocals *

Magnus Sveningsson Magnus Sveningsson (born Johan Magnus Sveningsson on 4 April 1972 in Falköping) is best known as the bassist in the Swedish rock band, The Cardigans, and has also recorded under a solo project entitled Righteous Boy. In 2006, he restarted The ...

– bass, vocals *

Peter Svensson Anders Peter Svensson is a Swedish record producer, songwriter, and musician. He is the main songwriter and guitarist of the band the Cardigans. He started playing guitar at the age of eight, and in his teens he went on to play with local ban ...

– guitar, vocals

Singles

* "Lovefool" (first release 14 September 1996, #21 UK) * "Been It" (30 November 1996, #56 UK) * "Lovefool" (re-release 24 February 1997, #2 UK) * "Your New Cuckoo" (31 August 1997, #35 UK) Release dates refer to UK single releases. In Europe and Japan, "Your New Cuckoo" was released much earlier than in the UK, where the release was delayed due to the continued success of "Lovefool" and also to commission new remixes for the single release. "Been It" and "Your New Cuckoo" were both slightly shortened for single release; the former also had the word "whore" obscured by a guitar lick to make it more palatable for radio play.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Single charts

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

*Billboard Hot 100 Airplay: "Lovefool"; #1 *Billboard Adult Top 40: "Lovefool"; #2 *Billboard Modern Rock Tracks: "Lovefool"; #9 *Billboard Top 40 Mainstream: "Lovefool"; #1 *Billboard Adult Contemporary: "Lovefool"; #23 *Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play: "Lovefool"; #5 *Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxisingle Sales: "Lovefool; #24 *Billboard Rhythmic Top 40: "Lovefool"; #18 *Billboard Top 40 Adult Recurrents: "Lovefool" #1 UK *UK Radio Airplay: "Lovefool"; #1 *UK Top 100 Singles: "Lovefool"; #21, "Been It"; #56, "Lovefool" (Re-issue); #2, "Your New Cuckoo"; #35 Australia *

ARIA In music, an aria ( Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompa ...

Top 100 Singles 1997 Year-End Chart: "Lovefool"; #52 Sweden *Swedish Top 100 Singles 1996 Year-end Chart: "Lovefool"; #60

Certifications

References

External links

First Band on the Moon microsite
* The Cardigans
discography
on ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' website
IFPI SwedenPolyhex UK chart information
{{DEFAULTSORT:First Band On The Moon 1996 albums Mercury Records albums The Cardigans albums Albums produced by Tore Johansson Stockholm Records albums