The band was formed in Espoo, Finland in 1992 by lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist Samu Haber; after several years of shifting personnel, including a few years spent in Spain, Haber established a consistent lineup featuring keyboardist Jukka Backlund, bassist Raul Ruutu, and drummer Sami Osala.

After making the rounds of Finnish record labels and finding little interest, Sunrise Avenue self-financed their debut album and in time signed a deal with Bonnier Amigo Music in 2005. Sunrise Avenue released their debut single, "All Because of You," in early 2006, followed by "Romeo" and the European hit "Fairy Tale Gone Bad," before debut album On the Way to Wonderland was released in the fall of 2006. The album achieved gold status in the band's native Finland and won Sunrise Avenue four trophies at the NRJ Radio Awards, the Nordic equivalent of the Grammys, including Best Album and Best New Artist. In 2007, guitarist Riku Juhani Rajamaa joined the band, while Jukka Backlund left and Osmo Ikonen signed on as their new keyboard player for live dates in 2009 and in time for the release of Popgasm. Out of Style followed in 2011, and a year later a special edition of the album was released which included bonus live material.

In 2013, Sunrise Avenue returned with the album Unholy Ground, which became a major commercial success in Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. One year later, the collection Fairytales: Best of Sunrise Avenue 2006-2014 charted all over Europe, including number one placements in Germany and Switzerland. ~ Stewart Mason