Roxette was a Swedish pop rock duo, consisting of Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle. Formed in 1986, the duo became an international act in the late 1980s, when they released their breakthrough second album Look Sharp! Their third album Joyride, which was released in 1991, became just as successful as its predecessor. Roxette went on to achieve nineteen UK Top 40 hits and several US Hot 100 hits, including four US number-ones with "The Look", "Listen to Your Heart", "It Must Have Been Love", featured on the soundtrack of Pretty Woman, and "Joyride". Their other hits include "Dressed for Success", "Dangerous", and "Fading Like a Flower".
Pearls of Passion is the debut studio album by Swedish pop duo Roxette, originally released on cassette and vinyl on 31 October 1986 in Scandinavia and Canada. The album was remastered and released on CD on 31 October 1997, with several previously unreleased bonus tracks. It was remastered and re-released again in 2009.
Joyride is the third studio album by Swedish pop duo Roxette, released on 28 March 1991 by EMI as the follow-up to their international breakthrough Look Sharp! (1988), as well as the non-album single "It Must Have Been Love", from the soundtrack to Pretty Woman (1990). The album was recorded over an 11-month period in Sweden. The duo experienced considerable pressure from their record label to deliver a successful follow-up album, and resisted pressure to relocate to Los Angeles and work with experienced American producers.
Dance Passion is a remix album by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 27 March 1987 by EMI. It consists of remixed versions of tracks from their debut album, Pearls of Passion (1986). The album was only released on vinyl in select European territories, namely Sweden, Germany and Italy. It failed to chart in the latter countries, and sold just 27,000 copies in Sweden, peaking at number 19 and spending four weeks on the Swedish Albums Chart. It has never been reissued or pressed onto cassette or CD.
"Listen to Your Heart" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, which was originally released in Sweden in September 1988 as the second single from the duo's second studio album, Look Sharp! (1988). It was written by Per Gessle with former Gyllene Tider guitarist Mats "M.P." Persson. The song went on to become one of the most successful singles of 1989, reaching number one in both the United States and Canada around November 1989. The track was the first song to reach number one in the US without a commercially-released 7" single.
"Dangerous" is a song by the Swedish pop duo Roxette. Written by Per Gessle, the song was released as the fifth and final single from their second studio album Look Sharp! (1988). Gessle penned it just before Roxette's first tour in 1987. Released in May 1989, it was the group's third top 10 showing on the Billboard Hot 100, spending two weeks at number two in March 1990—kept off the top spot by Janet Jackson's "Escapade". The music video was recorded in the ruins of Borgholm Castle. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, "Dangerous" was released as a double A-side with "Listen to Your Heart".
"The Look" is a song by the Swedish pop duo Roxette. It was released in early 1989 as the fourth single from their second studio album, Look Sharp! (1988). It became an international hit, and was one of the most successful singles of 1989. It topped the charts in 25 countries, and was the first of their four number ones on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Fading Like a Flower " is a song by Swedish pop duo Roxette from their third studio album Joyride (1991). Written by Per Gessle and produced by Clarence Öfwerman, the song was released as the second single from Joyride on 17 April 1991, by EMI. It became the duo's fifth consecutive top-ten hit in the United States, peaking at position number two on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was also a top-ten hit in over thirteen countries.
"Dressed for Success" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 3 August 1988 as the lead single from their second studio album, Look Sharp! (1988). Following the international success of "The Look" – the album's third single in their home country, but first to be released outside of Sweden – "Dressed for Success" was re-issued internationally from June 1989 and became a worldwide hit, most notably in Australia, where it peaked in the top three and was certified platinum by ARIA.
"How Do You Do!" is a pop rock song by Swedish pop duo Roxette. It was released as the lead single from their fourth studio album Tourism on 3 July 1992. The music video was broadcast in the halftime of the UEFA Euro 1992 Final. The track was a commercial success upon release, topping the national singles charts in Norway and Spain. It also peaked at number two in several countries, including Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland. It was held off the top spot in many of these territories by Dr. Alban's "It's My Life". The single was backed by several remixes created by Swedish production duo BomKrash, which consisted of Jacob Hellner and Carl-Michael Herlöfsson.
"The Big L." is a song by Swedish pop duo Roxette. Written by Per Gessle, it was released as the third single from their third studio album, Joyride (1991). The song became a top ten hit in Belgium, Ireland and Sweden, and was the highest-charting single released from Joyride in France. It also reached the top twenty in a number of other countries, including Australia, Austria, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland. Despite a US radio mix of the song appearing on CD versions of the single, it was never released as a single in North America.
"Spending My Time" is a song by Swedish duo Roxette, released as the fourth single from their third studio album, Joyride (1991). It was written by Per Gessle and Mats Persson, and produced by Clarence Öfwerman. The single attained moderate success, reaching the top ten in Germany and Italy, and the top twenty in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland, while peaking at number twenty-two on the UK Singles Chart and thirty-two on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States.
"Church of Your Heart" is the fifth and final single taken from Swedish pop duo Roxette's third studio album, Joyride (1991). Written by Per Gessle, the song was a hit in Canada, where it peaked at number 11. "I Call Your Name" – originally released as a single from their 1986 debut album Pearls of Passion – appeared as the b-side. On UK editions of the single, the song was backed by an exclusive megamix. This consisted of a medley of "It Must Have Been Love", "Listen to Your Heart", "The Look", "Joyride" and "Fading Like a Flower ".
"Queen of Rain" is a pop ballad by Swedish duo Roxette. It was released as the second single from their fourth studio album Tourism on 28 October 1992. The song became a top twenty hit in Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden, and spent over three months on the German Singles Chart, where it peaked at number nineteen.
"Fingertips '93", is a song by Swedish pop duo Roxette, released as the third and final single from their fourth studio album Tourism on 26 January 1993. The single was only released in a select few countries, and charted moderately in territories such as Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Spain. The song would be given a wider release when it was issued as one of the b-sides on the duo's proceeding single, "Almost Unreal", which was released four months later in May 1993.
"June Afternoon" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released in January 1996 as the second single from their greatest hits compilation album Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus! Roxette's Greatest Hits (1995). The single was only released in Europe, Australia and Canada, peaking at number 1 in Czech Republic and within the top forty in numerous territories including Belgium, Iceland, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Its music video was directed by Jonas Åkerlund.
"Neverending Love" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 8 July 1986 by EMI as their debut single. The track was originally written in Swedish by Per Gessle, as "Svarta glas", for recording artist Pernilla Wahlgren, who turned it down. However, she offered the song to her brother Niclas Wahlgren, who recorded his own version. The release of his single was cancelled at the request of EMI, when Gessle recorded an English version of the song with Marie Fredriksson.
"Goodbye to You" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 3 December 1986 by EMI as the second single from their debut studio album, Pearls of Passion (1986). The song was written by Per Gessle, and was backed by album track "So Far Away". It was only released commercially on 7" vinyl exclusively in Sweden, although a limited test pressing 12" vinyl was also created, containing an exclusive remix of the song. The single peaked at number nine on the Swedish Singles Chart. No music video was created for the track.
"Soul Deep" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 17 February 1987 by EMI as the third single from their debut album, Pearls of Passion (1986). The song was originally written in Swedish by Per Gessle, and was called "Dansar nerför ditt stup i rekordfart", although Gessle later wrote new English lyrics for the song after deciding its Swedish lyrics were "too silly". The single was only released in Sweden, Germany and Canada. It spent three consecutive weeks at number 18 on the Swedish Singles Chart, but failed to chart in the other two countries.
"The Centre of the Heart" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 19 March 2001 as the lead single from their seventh studio album, Room Service. An uptempo pop song, it was written by Per Gessle and originally demoed in January 1998 during sessions for their previous album Have a Nice Day (1999). The single was backed by an exclusive B-side, "Entering Your Heart", along with several remixes by StoneBridge.
