Per Håkan Gessle is a Swedish singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as the male half and primary songwriter of the Swedish pop rock duo Roxette, which he formed with Marie Fredriksson in 1986 and which was disbanded after her death in 2019. The duo achieved international success in the late-1980s and early-1990s with their albums Look Sharp! (1988) and Joyride (1991), and topped the charts in the US four times, most notably with "It Must Have Been Love" which was featured in the film Pretty Woman. Prior to the formation of Roxette, he had a successful career in native Sweden as the frontman for Gyllene Tider. The band released three number-one albums during the early 1980s but disbanded shortly after their fourth album, The Heartland Café (1984).
"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. The song received mostly positive reviews from music critics.
"Dressed for Success" is a song by Swedish pop rock 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.
"Stars" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 26 July 1999 as the third single from their sixth studio album, Have a Nice Day (1999). It was their first – and only – foray into the techno subgenre and features a children's choir in the song's chorus. A remix of the song by production collective Almighty served as the version which was predominantly played on European radio. The song became a hit throughout Europe, particularly in Scandinavia and in Germany, where it became the album's best-performing single. Its music video was directed by Anton Corbijn.
"Salvation" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 22 November 1999 as the fourth and final single from their sixth studio album, Have a Nice Day.
... Efter stormen is the third studio album by Swedish singer-songwriter Marie Fredriksson, released on 12 October 1987 by EMI Sweden. Her first release since Roxette's commercial breakthrough in Sweden, the album was a massive success, peaking at number one on the Swedish Albums Chart and selling over 50,000 copies within a month of release. It has since been certified platinum by the Swedish Recording Industry Association for shipments in excess of 100,000 units.
"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.
"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 ".
A Collection of Roxette Hits: Their 20 Greatest Songs! is the fourth greatest hits compilation album by Swedish pop duo Roxette, released on 18 October 2006 by Roxette Recordings and Capitol to celebrate 20 years since the release of their debut album, Pearls of Passion. It was issued in conjunction with a six-disc box set, The Rox Box/Roxette 86–06. The duo recorded "One Wish" and "Reveal" in June 2006, their first songs recorded as a duo since vocalist Marie Fredriksson's brain tumour diagnosis four years earlier.
The Roxbox is a boxed set compilation by Swedish pop duo Roxette, released on 18 October 2006 by Roxette Recordings and Capitol. It is an expanded companion piece to the single-disc greatest hits album A Collection of Roxette Hits: Their 20 Greatest Songs!, which was also released on the same date. The box set consists of four CDs containing singles, album tracks, non-album singles and B-sides, as well as previously unreleased outtakes, alternate versions and demos. It also includes two DVDs: the first is of their previously unreleased 9 January 1993 performance at the Cirkus arena in Stockholm for MTV Unplugged; the second contains every music video ever recorded by the duo.
"Opportunity Nox" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 25 February 2003 as the lead single from the duo's third greatest hits compilation album, The Pop Hits (2003).
"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.
"Milk and Toast and Honey" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 10 September 2001 as the third and final single from their seventh studio album, Room Service (2001). It was the only single from the album to be released in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number 89. The song performed better elsewhere, becoming the album's highest-charting single in Portugal, and Roxette's longest-charting single in several years in both Sweden and Switzerland.
"Real Sugar" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 18 June 2001 as the second single from their seventh studio album, Room Service. The single was not released in the United Kingdom.
"Reveal" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 10 January 2007 as the final single from the duo's fourth greatest hits compilation album, A Collection of Roxette Hits: Their 20 Greatest Songs! (2006). Gessle was reportedly unhappy with the original album version of the track, so a slightly remixed single version was created, incorporating a re-recorded middle 8. Two other remixes were also created: one by Swedish house duo The Attic, and another by record producer Kleerup.
Charm School is the eighth studio album by Swedish pop duo Roxette, released on 11 February 2011 by Roxette Recordings and Capitol. It was their first studio album since 2001's Room Service, and their first since vocalist Marie Fredriksson's brain tumour diagnosis in 2002. "She's Got Nothing On " preceded the album as its lead single, which became the duo's highest-peaking single in almost two decades in territories such as Austria, Germany and Switzerland. The song also entered Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart—making Roxette the only duo who appeared on that chart in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s.
Roxette Live: Traveling the World is the first and only live album by Swedish pop duo Roxette, released on 6 December 2013 by Parlophone in conjunction with Warner Music. The set consists of recordings derived from three separate performances of the 2012 South American leg of "The Neverending World Tour". The music album contains their 5 May concert at the Teatro Caupolicán in Santiago, Chile in its entirety, while the DVD and Blu-ray also contains songs taken from their performances at the Orfeo Superdomo in Córdoba, Argentina on 3 May and the Teatro Positivo in Curitiba, Brazil on 8 May. Also included on the DVD/Blu-ray is an exclusive documentary, "It All Begins Where It Ends – The Incredible Story of Roxette".
"It Just Happens" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 8 April 2016 as the lead single from their tenth studio album, Good Karma. An electropop track, it was their first release under a new deal signed with Warner Music Group. The music video was directed by Tobias Leo Nordquist. Although the song was not as successful as the duo's previous lead singles on commercial charts, it performed well on numerous airplay charts; the track has been broadcast almost 15,000 times on radio in Russia.
