The Cardigans, a Swedish rock band, was formed in Jönköping, Sweden by Peter Svensson and Magnus Sveningsson, along with Bengt Lagerberg, Mattias Alfheim, and Nina Persson.

While recording their first album, Mattias Alfheim left The Cardigans and was replaced by Lars-Olof Johansson, a friend of Lagerberg. Johansson remained a member of the band from this point forward.

The Cardigans released their debut album, Emmerdale, in Sweden and Japan. The album was later re-released internationally in 1997.

The song "Rise & Shine" from the album Emmerdale became a radio hit in Sweden. It was later voted the best song of the year by Slitz magazine.

The Cardigans spent the year touring Europe and recording their second album, Life.

The Cardigans released their second album, Life, worldwide. The album achieved international success, selling over a million copies and achieving platinum status in Japan.

Life was released in the US under the Minty Fresh label. This release was a compilation of tracks from their first two albums, Emmerdale and Life.

The Cardigans signed with Mercury Records and released their third album, First Band on the Moon, worldwide.

The song "Lovefool" became a hit worldwide, especially in the US and Japan, where the album reached platinum status in three weeks. The album also achieved gold sales status in the US.

The Cardigans appeared in an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210, performing "Lovefool" and "Been It" at a college graduation party.

The Cardigans' song "Carnival" was featured in the film Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.

The Cardigans released their fourth album, Gran Turismo. Following this release, the band went on a long hiatus during which members pursued solo projects.

The Cardigans released a compilation album of rare B-sides, titled The Other Side of the Moon, exclusively in Japan.

The Cardigans' cover of Talking Heads' "Burning Down the House" with Tom Jones was recorded for his album Reload.

The Cardigans returned to recording after a hiatus and began working on their fifth album, Long Gone Before Daylight.

The first single from Long Gone Before Daylight, "For What It's Worth", was released.

The Cardigans released their fifth album, Long Gone Before Daylight, in Japan, Europe, Canada, and the United States throughout 2003 and 2004. The album became one of the best-selling albums in Sweden in 2003.

The second single from Long Gone Before Daylight, "You're the Storm", was released.

The third and final single from Long Gone Before Daylight, "Live and Learn", was released.

The Cardigans toured with Liz Phair, Katy Rose, and Charlotte Martin on the Chicks With Attitude tour.

The Cardigans' iTunes Originals album was released through iTunes.

The Cardigans released their sixth album, Super Extra Gravity, which went straight to the #1 spot on the Swedish album chart and was certified gold.

After promotional activities for Super Extra Gravity, The Cardigans entered an extended hiatus to focus on other projects.

The Cardigans reunited after a five-year break following a lucrative offer from Hultsfred Festival to perform the album Gran Turismo in full. Peter Svensson declined to participate in the tour.

The Cardigans resumed touring, with Oskar Humlebo replacing Peter Svensson. They played shows in Japan, China, and Russia.

Nina Persson released her solo album, Animal Heart.

The Cardigans performed a four-date UK tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Gran Turismo, performing the album in full again.

Nina Persson confirmed that Peter Svensson would never rejoin the band, and as a result, there would be no new Cardigans albums. The band continues to tour sporadically.

The Cardigans released the two-volume B-sides compilation The Rest Of The Best.