Crash! Boom! Bang!

Crash! Boom! Bang! is the fifth studio album by Swedish pop duo Roxette, released on 11 April 1994 by EMI. The album was an immediate commercial success, peaking within the top 10 in over 20 national charts throughout Europe, Australasia and South America. The full-length album was not originally released in the United States, where a shortened version titled Favorites from Crash! Boom! Bang! was sold for a limited time through McDonald's outlets; this version sold over a million copies in the US but was deemed ineligible to chart on the Billboard 200 as, until 2007, Billboard had a policy of excluding albums sold by an exclusive retailer. Five singles were released from the album: lead single "Sleeping in My Car" became the duo's second number one in their home country, and peaked at number seven on Billboards European Hot 100 Singles. It would become the duo's final track to appear on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number 50, and was also their last hit single in Australia. This was followed by the release of "Crash! Boom! Bang!", "Fireworks", "Run to You" and "Vulnerable". As of 2001, Crash! Boom! Bang! has sold in excess of 5 million copies worldwide. Japanese editions included "Almost Unreal" as a bonus track. Release and promotion Prior to Crash! Boom! Bang!s international release, a shorter version of the album was released by CEMA for a limited time exclusively through outlets of the McDonald's restaurant chain in the US. Favorites from Crash! Boom! Bang! sold over a million copies, the proceeds of which were used to fund Ronald McDonald House Charities programs for the health and well-being of children. This CD was sold at below normal wholesale cost, and the promotion angered traditional music retailers, who claimed that it devalued music. This edition of the record was the subject of a 1998 lawsuit filed against an Uppsala-based music production company by Roxette and their Swedish record label. The duo and their label alleged that J.G.S. Skivproduktion illegally imported 40,000 copies of Favorites from Crash! Boom! Bang! into the EU. Rather than seek monetary damages, the duo requested the destruction of all remaining copies. The record was released globally from 11 April 1994 on CD, cassette and vinyl formats. Japanese editions included "Almost Unreal" as a bonus track—the song had previously been released as a non-album single on the soundtrack of the Super Mario Bros. (1993) motion picture.