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Roxette
Roxette is a Swedish pop rock duo originally consisting of Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle, both of whom were already established musicians in Sweden prior to the band's formation. Fredriksson had released a number of successful solo albums, while Gessle had been the lead singer and songwriter of Gyllene Tider, a band which had three number one albums in Sweden. Acting on the advice of Rolf Nygren, the CEO of their mutual record label EMI, Fredriksson and Gessle collaborated to record "Neverending Love", the first single from Roxette's 1986 debut album Pearls of Passion, which were both hits in Sweden.
Their international breakthrough came with the release of Look Sharp! in 1988. The album contained two Billboard Hot 100 number ones: "The Look" and "Listen to Your Heart". "It Must Have Been Love", from the soundtrack to the 1990 film Pretty Woman, reached number one as well, as did the lead single of their third studio album, 1991's Joyride. That album is Roxette's most successful, selling eleven million copies worldwide. They performed to over 1.5 million people during the "Join the Joyride! Tour". Subsequent albums included 1992's Tourism, 1994's Crash! Boom! Bang!, and 1995's greatest hits compilation Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus!, which each sold at least five million copies worldwide.
Have a Nice Day and Room Service were released in 1999 and 2001, respectively, and earned numerous gold and platinum awards in Europe and Latin America. Fredriksson was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2002, leading to an extended hiatus. The two then released several solo albums, with Gessle also reuniting with Gyllene Tider. Roxette reformed in 2009 for an extensive world tour, which ran until 2016. During this period, they released the albums Charm School, Travelling, and Good Karma. Fredriksson announced her retirement from touring in 2016 due to poor health, and died on 9 December 2019 due to complications from cancer.
Roxette is Sweden's second-best-selling music act, after ABBA. They sold between 75 and 80 million records worldwide, and are recognised as one of the highest-certified acts of all time in Germany, achieving sales of almost six million units. They had nineteen top 40 hits in the United Kingdom, where the British Phonographic Industry awarded them certifications of over three million units. In the US, they achieved four number ones on the Billboard Hot 100, and have been certified for sales of over three million units by the Recording Industry Association of America. Since 2021, Gessle has released music under the name PG Roxette; their debut album Pop-Up Dynamo! was issued in 2022. In 2024, he announced a Roxette tour, with Lena Philipsson hired as vocalist.
Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson had been friends since 1978. Both musicians had successful careers in Sweden in the early 1980s. Gessle was a member of Gyllene Tider, (English: Golden Ages), whose first two albums each sold at least 150,000 copies in Sweden. In 1981, Fredriksson performed backing vocals on Gyllene Tider's song "Ingenting av vad du behöver" (English: "Nothing of What You Need"). The following year, Gessle invited Fredriksson to audition for Gyllene Tider's producer Lars-Göran "Lasse" Lindbom. Lindbom was impressed by Fredriksson's voice, and offered her a recording contract as a solo artist with the Swedish branch of EMI. However, she refused the deal, saying she "lacked the confidence" and was "too nervous" to be a solo artist. She then joined Lindbom's band as a backing vocalist for an extensive tour of Sweden.
In 1984, Fredriksson recorded backing vocals for Gyllene Tider's debut English album The Heartland Café, released in Sweden under the band's original name and in EP format in North America under the name Roxette—derived from the Dr. Feelgood song of the same name. Soon after, Fredriksson began releasing folk-based solo albums, beginning with Het vind (English: "Hot Wind") in 1984. Gessle also turned to solo work, releasing his second Swedish-language solo album, Scener (English: "Scenes"), in 1985, again featuring Fredriksson on background vocals. Fredriksson issued her second solo album, Den sjunde vågen (English: "The Seventh Wave"), in February 1986.
"I remember that Per had written a damn good song. I thought Per and Marie would fit together because Per writes very good music and Marie can sing the phone book and it sounds good. Of course, I'm a little proud that I was the one who came up with the idea for Roxette."
Around this time, the CEO of EMI, Rolf Nygren, suggested Fredriksson and Gessle collaborate together to record a song in English. Fredriksson was warned by friends and industry advisers to not participate with the project, fearing it may impact her burgeoning solo career. Gessle translated a song he wrote called "Svarta glas" (English: "Black Glasses") into English, which became their first single, "Neverending Love". It was released in the summer of 1986 under the name Roxette, and the single sold over 50,000 copies in Sweden. Roxette quickly recorded their debut album Pearls of Passion, which was issued later in 1986. The album eventually sold over 280,000 copies in Sweden. "Neverending Love" and subsequent single "Soul Deep" were issued as singles internationally, but failed to chart outside Sweden.
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Roxette
Roxette is a Swedish pop rock duo originally consisting of Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle, both of whom were already established musicians in Sweden prior to the band's formation. Fredriksson had released a number of successful solo albums, while Gessle had been the lead singer and songwriter of Gyllene Tider, a band which had three number one albums in Sweden. Acting on the advice of Rolf Nygren, the CEO of their mutual record label EMI, Fredriksson and Gessle collaborated to record "Neverending Love", the first single from Roxette's 1986 debut album Pearls of Passion, which were both hits in Sweden.
Their international breakthrough came with the release of Look Sharp! in 1988. The album contained two Billboard Hot 100 number ones: "The Look" and "Listen to Your Heart". "It Must Have Been Love", from the soundtrack to the 1990 film Pretty Woman, reached number one as well, as did the lead single of their third studio album, 1991's Joyride. That album is Roxette's most successful, selling eleven million copies worldwide. They performed to over 1.5 million people during the "Join the Joyride! Tour". Subsequent albums included 1992's Tourism, 1994's Crash! Boom! Bang!, and 1995's greatest hits compilation Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus!, which each sold at least five million copies worldwide.
Have a Nice Day and Room Service were released in 1999 and 2001, respectively, and earned numerous gold and platinum awards in Europe and Latin America. Fredriksson was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2002, leading to an extended hiatus. The two then released several solo albums, with Gessle also reuniting with Gyllene Tider. Roxette reformed in 2009 for an extensive world tour, which ran until 2016. During this period, they released the albums Charm School, Travelling, and Good Karma. Fredriksson announced her retirement from touring in 2016 due to poor health, and died on 9 December 2019 due to complications from cancer.
Roxette is Sweden's second-best-selling music act, after ABBA. They sold between 75 and 80 million records worldwide, and are recognised as one of the highest-certified acts of all time in Germany, achieving sales of almost six million units. They had nineteen top 40 hits in the United Kingdom, where the British Phonographic Industry awarded them certifications of over three million units. In the US, they achieved four number ones on the Billboard Hot 100, and have been certified for sales of over three million units by the Recording Industry Association of America. Since 2021, Gessle has released music under the name PG Roxette; their debut album Pop-Up Dynamo! was issued in 2022. In 2024, he announced a Roxette tour, with Lena Philipsson hired as vocalist.
Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson had been friends since 1978. Both musicians had successful careers in Sweden in the early 1980s. Gessle was a member of Gyllene Tider, (English: Golden Ages), whose first two albums each sold at least 150,000 copies in Sweden. In 1981, Fredriksson performed backing vocals on Gyllene Tider's song "Ingenting av vad du behöver" (English: "Nothing of What You Need"). The following year, Gessle invited Fredriksson to audition for Gyllene Tider's producer Lars-Göran "Lasse" Lindbom. Lindbom was impressed by Fredriksson's voice, and offered her a recording contract as a solo artist with the Swedish branch of EMI. However, she refused the deal, saying she "lacked the confidence" and was "too nervous" to be a solo artist. She then joined Lindbom's band as a backing vocalist for an extensive tour of Sweden.
In 1984, Fredriksson recorded backing vocals for Gyllene Tider's debut English album The Heartland Café, released in Sweden under the band's original name and in EP format in North America under the name Roxette—derived from the Dr. Feelgood song of the same name. Soon after, Fredriksson began releasing folk-based solo albums, beginning with Het vind (English: "Hot Wind") in 1984. Gessle also turned to solo work, releasing his second Swedish-language solo album, Scener (English: "Scenes"), in 1985, again featuring Fredriksson on background vocals. Fredriksson issued her second solo album, Den sjunde vågen (English: "The Seventh Wave"), in February 1986.
"I remember that Per had written a damn good song. I thought Per and Marie would fit together because Per writes very good music and Marie can sing the phone book and it sounds good. Of course, I'm a little proud that I was the one who came up with the idea for Roxette."
Around this time, the CEO of EMI, Rolf Nygren, suggested Fredriksson and Gessle collaborate together to record a song in English. Fredriksson was warned by friends and industry advisers to not participate with the project, fearing it may impact her burgeoning solo career. Gessle translated a song he wrote called "Svarta glas" (English: "Black Glasses") into English, which became their first single, "Neverending Love". It was released in the summer of 1986 under the name Roxette, and the single sold over 50,000 copies in Sweden. Roxette quickly recorded their debut album Pearls of Passion, which was issued later in 1986. The album eventually sold over 280,000 copies in Sweden. "Neverending Love" and subsequent single "Soul Deep" were issued as singles internationally, but failed to chart outside Sweden.
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