Roxette

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The Neil Diamond thread has convinced me to start one on my own guilty pleasure: Roxette. Was it just me or were these two head and shoulders above the pop crowd they competed against for radio play? Also, did anyone else notice that their songs inevitably end up in the key of F# or G?

― palpable, Wednesday, 25 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I like Musta Been Love and my band covered it awfully, but in retro spect I should't have made fun. Its good.

― Mike Hanle y, Wednesday, 25 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Wrong wrong wrong! 'The Look' ends in A

― dave q, Wednesday, 25 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I predict that Glenn McDonald will join this thread soon!

― Dr. C, Wednesday, 25 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I alway swonder how bands like thi sget started. Like the two of them were sitting on ice in Sweden and then one was like "I know! You sing, I play guitar, and we get a huge corporate funded backing gang in hairspray mullets and sparkly pants!"

― Mike Hanle y, Wednesday, 25 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"the Look" is their only bearable song. Everything else deserves clubbing.

― Dan Perry, Wednesday, 25 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Roxette are my favorite singles band on the planet and their best-of is my favorite pop album.

― glenn mcdonald, Wednesday, 25 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'll try that again:

Roxette are my favorite singles band on the planet and their best-of is my favorite pop album.

― glenn mcdonald, Wednesday, 25 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I know a Russian personl trainer here in New York who absolutely swears by the rancid sonic offal that is Roxette, and I'll resort to the juvenile retort I put to him when he professed his love for Roxette in comedic broken English:

"They SUCK and, consequently, YOU SUCK for liking them!"

― alex in nyc, Wednesday, 25 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I know its indulgent but I will say anyway, I feel like Roxette are the only thing that could comfort me right now. At least, the only word on the list of questions. So un-painful, except in an aesthetic sense. I wish someone would listen to Mariah Carey with me.

― maryann, Thursday, 26 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I don't reallu feel as if I suck although I do like them. I must a be astrange paradigm of abnormality.

― Mike Hanley, Thursday, 26 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

1992, or thereabouts. Julian Cope is reviewing the singles in NME. He comes to Roxette's "joyride" and quotes the line "she has a club on the moon" and says, "It's so easy to knock this. Like shooting fish in a barrel". Of course the ease to knock the popstars of the moment increases with each successive year, so he'd be saying "falling off a log" about S Club. Is falling off a log easier than shooting fish in a barrel? Probably...but surely a discussion for ILE, not ILM.

"It Must Have Been Love" illustrated that curious phenomenon which was repeated with Aqua. Chripy Scandanavian band releases cheerful pop songs then they/their management think, "We need a ballad", and/or "This chripy Scandanavian pop group could really benefit from doing a slow song which appears on the soundtrack of a film, then people won't think we're throwaway pop anymore, but Serious Artistes Instead!" so they approach the Diane Warren Lucky Dip Stall and say, "Hey, Diane. Can we rummage in your Lucky Bag?" "Of course," smiles Diane. Roxette reach in, rummage about a bit and pull out "It Must Have Been Love", just as Aqua do with "Turn Back Time" a few years later.

― MarkH, Thursday, 26 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Roxette were complete fucking morons who had the temerity to slag off the British pop charts for being full of 'novelty shit'. I'm surprised how angry I'm getting just thinking about them.

― Nick, Thursday, 26 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

wow nick! its only roxette!

― gareth, Thursday, 26 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I have a soft spot for Roxette because theirs was the second concert I ever went to (the first being MC Hammer). Their lyrics are a never ending source of amusement. See what I mean?

― Madchen, Thursday, 26 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Fire in the ice naked to the t-bone is a lover's disguise"???????????????????????????????

― Mike Hanle y, Thursday, 26 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Roxette were complete fucking morons who had the temerity to slag off the British pop charts for being full of 'novelty shit'. I'm surprised how angry I'm getting just thinking about them.

-- Nick

But the British charts are full of novelty shit!

― flowersdie, Thursday, 26 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i met them in sydney - they were kinda cool in that swedish we're popstars in australia way - naked to the t -bone - beutiful.

― Geoff, Thursday, 26 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Did Aqua really release a ballad?

― Kris, Friday, 27 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

And did it chart?

― Josh, Friday, 27 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I have no clue whether it charted in the UK (didn't chart in the US I don't think), but Aqua's "Turn Back Time" is most certainly a ballad, basically nothing like their usual bounce-pop. Roxette's "It Must Have Been Love" isn't a good parallel though, because Roxette has always had some ballads, and an extremely successful one ("Listen to Your Heart") before "It Must Have Been Love" became popular.

― palpable, Monday, 30 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Hmmm, it appears it not only charted in the UK, it hit number 1 for a week.

― palpable, Monday, 30 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It was associated with "Sliding Doors", wasn't it?

― Dan Perry, Wednesday, 1 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Roxette sucks" tee heehee

― Mike Hanle y, Wednesday, 1 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

three years pass...

I can't believe no one's made an effort to defend them. Along with Amy Grant's "Heart in Motion," Roxette's "Joyride" was the pop album of its year. Their ballads were rather limp, but they sure knew how to create a good pop single: "Joyride," "Dangerous," "Dressed for Success," and "Church of Your Heart."

Fuck all y'all.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 24 March 2005 00:52 (twenty-one years ago)

I adore Roxette. Fading Like A Flower, Vulnerable, Spending My Time are favourites of mine that no one's mentioned yet.

Once, at a book launch party where I'd only corresponded with the author by email and we didn't know what each other looked like, he found me by getting the DJ to play Fading Like A Flower and watching to see whose face lit up. (Yes, we'd discussed our mutual love for Roxette over email.) (And yes, he found me very easily after that. I'm quite sure no one else's face lit up.)

― syntaxfree (syntaxfree), Thursday, 24 March 2005 02:22 (twenty-one years ago)

i've been listening to crash! boom! bang! a lot lately. what a fuckin' brilliant album.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 24 March 2005 02:33 (twenty-one years ago)

"it must have been love" and "joyride" were without a doubt 2 of the greatest singles of the last 20 years.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 24 March 2005 02:36 (twenty-one years ago)

OTM syntax - I had a friend whose love for "Fading Like A Flower" was strong and true. It's their best ballad actually - and it never gets airplay anymore!

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 24 March 2005 02:37 (twenty-one years ago)

two months pass...

Just heard "Spending My Time" at the cafeteria. Brilliant!

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 2 June 2005 17:04 (twenty years ago)

"Joyride," "Dangerous," "Dressed for Success," and "Church of Your Heart."

All of these songs are really, really bad. Like, punch-you-in-the-face bad.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 2 June 2005 17:14 (twenty years ago)

Alfred, I think you will enjoy my summer jamz mixtape.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 2 June 2005 17:21 (twenty years ago)

"The Look" reminds me of all the fashion accessory commercials that licensed to use the song in them, or wrote their close-enough-to-be-original versions of said song, in the late 80s. Ironically, the song itself is just a slower rip on the far superior "U Got The Look" by Prince.

I admit liking "Joyride" a little more. But that's about as much Roxette as I can take. Still, better them than the Divinyls.

― donut debonair (donut), Thursday, 2 June 2005 17:26 (twenty years ago)

HELLO! YOU FOOL! I LOVE YOU!

Argh, go away.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 2 June 2005 17:32 (twenty years ago)

"Joyride"'s guitar is something FIERCE.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 2 June 2005 17:34 (twenty years ago)

Yes. There's actually a lot going on in that song.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 2 June 2005 17:35 (twenty years ago)

FIERCE? you mean, like Living Colour in "Glamour Boys"? (Woohoo, 1988 is BACK!)

HELLO! YOU FOOL! I LOVE YOU!

See, I actually appreciate a song that can get away with this (at least with most people that are not Dan Perry).. granted, it's immediately remedied by an extra sugary harmonied "C'mon join the joyriiiiiiiiide".

― donut debonair (donut), Thursday, 2 June 2005 17:37 (twenty years ago)

somewhere in the bottom of a box in the back of a closet there's a tape of me singing "fading like a flower" with my voice teacher on piano.

― The Pinup Girls of YANK (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 2 June 2005 17:39 (twenty years ago)

(at least with most people that are not Dan Perry)

Hahahaha! Today is "revival of lyrical phrases Dan hates" day, I guess.

― The Ghost of OH MY GOD Do I Try! (Dan Perry), Thursday, 2 June 2005 17:40 (twenty years ago)

Even more fierce about "Glamour Boys" is seeing co-producer Mick Jagger in the video.

"Joyride" is fine, but I prefer "Fading Like a Flower (Everytime You Leave)," the best of their drippy ballads.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 2 June 2005 17:40 (twenty years ago)

Why is that not on their Greatest Hits? I was trying to find it on iTunes yesterday and couldn't.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 2 June 2005 17:45 (twenty years ago)

(Is now the time to make the shameful admission that when I wanted to be a successful rocker in junior high school, I wanted the best-of album cover to feature a ridiculously busty woman and be titled Greatish Tits?)

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 2 June 2005 17:48 (twenty years ago)

Cuz they're stupid, Jay. It was a pretty big hit here.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 2 June 2005 17:49 (twenty years ago)

THIS SONG! YOU FOOL! A HIT, YOU!

― donut debonair (donut), Thursday, 2 June 2005 17:51 (twenty years ago)

Actually, never mind, it is on the Greatest Hits -- it's just not on iTunes.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 2 June 2005 18:00 (twenty years ago)

one year passes...

lol

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Sunday, 29 April 2007 02:53 (nineteen years ago)

Roxette were OK at times, particularly as long as Per Gessle provided the vocals. They could do great powerpop numbers such as "Joyride", "The Big L" or "Sleeping In My Car". Sadly there were also boring MOR ballads such as "Listen To Your Heart", "Fading Like a Flower".

― Geir Hongro, Sunday, 29 April 2007 18:35 (nineteen years ago)

I actually don't mind their 2007 comeback single - "I Reveal." Kind of Enya-like but more pop. Really, it's not bad.

― sw00ds, Sunday, 29 April 2007 18:56 (nineteen years ago)

nine months pass...

2007 comeback single? Must investigate.

"Joyride" just popped up during Winamp shuffle and now I'm all wow.

― Johnny Fever, Monday, 18 February 2008 04:53 (eighteen years ago)

is there a per gessle signature rickenbacker? i seem to remember such a thing existing

― electricsound, Monday, 18 February 2008 04:57 (eighteen years ago)

Skipping 9 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Btw. Per Gessle's solo project Son Of a Plumber is the best thing he's ever done. (And that says a lot, as Gyllene Tider were also ace at times)

― Geir Hongro, Thursday, 2 October 2008 00:06 (seventeen years ago)

seven months pass...

na na na na na
na na na na na na
na na na na na-na

― Eazy, Friday, 15 May 2009 13:15 (seventeen years ago)

Horrible, horrible music.

― Alex in NYC, Friday, 15 May 2009 15:21 (seventeen years ago)

vs. Ace of Base?

― Eazy, Friday, 15 May 2009 15:24 (seventeen years ago)

Cmon

Join the Joyride.

― Trip Maker, Friday, 15 May 2009 15:28 (seventeen years ago)

I don't care about anything else they did but "Dangerous" is a total guilty pleasure.

― Noooo! Cats are not for eating!!! (ENBB), Friday, 15 May 2009 16:14 (seventeen years ago)

What in the world could make a brown-eyed girl so blue?

― test drives at ur own risk i cant go with you too many bees (Abbott), Friday, 15 May 2009 16:16 (seventeen years ago)

one year passes...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkxj5xVLyj0&ob=av2e

― sandra lee, gimme your alcohol (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 29 October 2010 02:55 (fifteen years ago)

Still maintain the "ah-na na na" syllable change-up is one of few "new" moves from its day. Up there with the vacuum digital silence cutout in the chorus of NIN's "Wish".

― cee-oh-tee-tee, Friday, 29 October 2010 03:10 (fifteen years ago)

two years pass...

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, June 2, 2005 1:48 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

― My Buddy® of sexting (DJP), Monday, 29 July 2013 20:35 (twelve years ago)

I think the 2 Live Crew might have beaten you to that.

― slamming on the dubstep brakes (snoball), Monday, 29 July 2013 20:40 (twelve years ago)

i would have said i thought as highly of 'the look' as i did as a child, but now i put it on and immediately realise savage garden superseded it with 'i want you'

― r|t|c, Monday, 29 July 2013 20:52 (twelve years ago)

by splicing it with scritti i guess

― r|t|c, Monday, 29 July 2013 20:54 (twelve years ago)

good call

I spent a lot of time listening to this in '91:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKLN7vEbfvQ

― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 29 July 2013 20:55 (twelve years ago)

and this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QrO_pVfRC8

― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 29 July 2013 20:56 (twelve years ago)

two years pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9I9LGcJ7ZcA

lol three seconds in you hear an audience member say "...finally!"

― Neanderthal, Saturday, 16 April 2016 13:52 (ten years ago)

also apparently Marie had brain cancer in the 00s!! but beat it

― Neanderthal, Saturday, 16 April 2016 13:54 (ten years ago)

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, June 2, 2005 1:48 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

― My Buddy® of sexting (DJP), Monday, July 29, 2013 9:35 PM (2 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

https://myspace.com/musicisrubbish/music/album/tom-fry-s-greatish-tits-vol.-2-7804151

― soref, Saturday, 16 April 2016 14:05 (ten years ago)

one year passes...

Tell me why
When I scream there's no reply
When I reach out there's nothing to find
When I sleep I break down and cry

― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 13 August 2017 18:29 (eight years ago)

One of the worst bands of all time.

― yesca, Monday, 14 August 2017 01:27 (eight years ago)

I've just remembered a cruel remark against Roxette - "Who calls a song 'How Do You Do?' It sounds like it was written on The Sunshine Bus" - from early 90s video games magazine Mean Machines

― PaulTMA, Monday, 14 August 2017 17:50 (eight years ago)

two years pass...

Rip Marie Fredriksson

― Mule, Tuesday, 10 December 2019 12:09 (six years ago)

Skimming the thread I realise they were unusually hated here, with the exception of Alfred and a couple others. A bit surprising.

― Mule, Tuesday, 10 December 2019 12:14 (six years ago)

This is such a bummer. "Look Sharp" is great from top to bottom and "Joyride" is very good. And those late efforts always had a couple worthwile songs.

― cpl593H, Tuesday, 10 December 2019 12:20 (six years ago)

I really liked "The Look" when I was a little kid. RIP.

― Chris L, Tuesday, 10 December 2019 13:32 (six years ago)

This sucks. I literally just listened to "It Must Have Been Love"

― master of nuggets (Neanderthal), Tuesday, 10 December 2019 14:02 (six years ago)

Wow sad news. I think this was the first thread I ever started, still think they are a very good singles band

― Vinnie, Tuesday, 10 December 2019 14:16 (six years ago)

"Fading Like A Flower" forever

― geoffreyess, Tuesday, 10 December 2019 14:53 (six years ago)

yuuup

― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 10 December 2019 14:55 (six years ago)

"Chances", "Shadow of a Doubt", "Dance Away", "Paint"! Paint's like a great outtake from "Bad".

― cpl593H, Tuesday, 10 December 2019 15:03 (six years ago)

I stand by every thing I've ever said about them. RIP.

― glenn mcdonald, Tuesday, 10 December 2019 15:05 (six years ago)

This is so sad. One of the many bands my dad got me into and some amazing singles. Always loved Joyride and The Look a lot, but listening to them now and I’d forgotten how much I love Dressed for Success.

― gyac, Tuesday, 10 December 2019 15:09 (six years ago)

I always loved this performance I stumbled across on YT a few years ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NqYJOnJJDk

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 10 December 2019 15:48 (six years ago)

Alfred already name-checked them in the appropriate thread, but in my memory, the sound of the whole Poppy Bush Interzone is basically Roxette.

RIP Marie.

― Maria Edgelord (cryptosicko), Tuesday, 10 December 2019 16:56 (six years ago)

Wondered why this was revived and just been told in the pub. :(

― éminence rose et jaune (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 10 December 2019 16:58 (six years ago)

yeah their American chart span was essentially the length of the Interzone.

― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 10 December 2019 17:00 (six years ago)

Wow the hate here is astounding. :-( I mean I get Alex’ hate ;-) but for the rest? Come on. Some real classics.

― nathom, Tuesday, 10 December 2019 17:35 (six years ago)

ILM...has changed.

― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 10 December 2019 17:45 (six years ago)

Some real classics and some real terrible songs, like many other bands.

RIP Marie Fredriksson; 17 years is an extraordinarily long time to fight an illness.

― totally unnecessary bewbz of exploitation (DJP), Tuesday, 10 December 2019 18:39 (six years ago)

I love almost all their singles.

Rotting Christ and Roxette share a rack in my house!

― master of nuggets (Neanderthal), Tuesday, 10 December 2019 18:54 (six years ago)

This song is wild:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BBNplqjqpc

― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 10 December 2019 18:55 (six years ago)

Juvenile interpolated "Listen to Your Heart" once in a song he wrote for his kid (don't seek it out... it's baaaad).

Guess it's better than if he'd done "It Musta Been Thug"

― master of nuggets (Neanderthal), Tuesday, 10 December 2019 18:57 (six years ago)

RIP. Knew this was coming and she amazed me by being such a fighter for so long. I loved Roxette as a kid and I still think certain singles are classics. Dangerous is my favorite.

“She's got what it takes to make ends meet,
The eyes of a lover that hit like heat”

So good!!!

― Chantilly Bass, Tuesday, 10 December 2019 22:30 (six years ago)

six years pass...

40th anniversary tour but wait the openers area...

Taylor Dayne...and Nick Lowe.

― Strait of Merzbow (Eazy), Tuesday, 26 May 2026 14:42 (six days ago)

*are

― Strait of Merzbow (Eazy), Tuesday, 26 May 2026 14:42 (six days ago)

Wait, what? They replaced Marie Fredriksson?! Boo.

― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 26 May 2026 19:40 (six days ago)

Hate to break it to you, JiC...

― Strait of Merzbow (Eazy), Thursday, 28 May 2026 00:43 (four days ago)

(I think that’s what JiC meant)

― uploading this content requires perseveration (sic), Thursday, 28 May 2026 02:37 (four days ago)

Yeah, that's what I meant. That's some weak sauce.

― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 28 May 2026 02:44 (four days ago)

Ope!

Wonder if the openers will join the headliner for a big encore, maybe “I Shall Be Released.”

― Strait of Merzbow (Eazy), Thursday, 28 May 2026 03:30 (four days ago)

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