154-526: Good Karma is the tenth and final studio album by Roxette , a Swedish pop rock duo consisting of Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle . Released on 3 June 2016 by Roxette Recordings and Parlophone , it was the only album issued by the duo under an international recording contract signed with Parlophone's parent company Warner Music Group . The album was produced by Gessle alongside Christoffer Lundquist and Clarence Öfwerman , with co-production on several tracks by Addeboy vs. Cliff, among others. Good Karma
308-419: A ballad compilation of Fredriksson's Swedish-language solo material, Tid för tystnad – Marie Fredrikssons ballader ( Time for Silence – Marie Fredriksson's Ballads ). The compilation contained two previously unreleased recordings, one of which, "Ordet är farväl" ("The Word Is Goodbye"), was based on a lyric Py Bäckman wrote for Fredriksson's 1984 album Het vind . " Där du andas " ("Where You Breathe")
462-474: A country music -inspired version of "It Must Have Been Love" in a Los Angeles studio, and recorded new material in various locations around the world – an empty dance club, a hotel room – and compiled everything on to the album. Released in October 1992, Gessle and Fredriksson said Tourism was meant to "capture the energy within the band". The first single off the album was " How Do You Do! " followed by
616-540: A tribute album to musician Cornelis Vreeswijk , who died the previous year. Fredriksson performed three songs on the compilation. One of these, "Felicia – Adjö", became her first number one on Svensktoppen. Den flygande holländaren peaked at number two for three consecutive weeks in Sweden, held off the top spot by Look Sharp! . The compilation was certified double platinum there, denoting shipments in excess of 200,000 units. The non-album single " Sparvöga " ("Sparrow-eye")
770-405: A "jumbled archive of pop music from the '80s, '90s and '00s, jam-packed with as many different pop trends as possible", but went on to compliment Fredriksson's vocals, saying her voice is at times reminiscent of her performance on " It Must Have Been Love " (1990). She described "April Clouds" as "the most emotionally invested" song on the record. Although the staff of Göteborgs-Posten also gave
924-410: A 2015 remix of " The Look ". Roxette songwriter Per Gessle said he sought to integrate an additional musician or collaborator into every album he released, explaining this was done "just to make everyone – myself included – stand on our toes. I always welcome change if it's [for] the right reason." He noted in the case of Good Karma that "new blood definitely needed to be injected everywhere", but said
1078-474: A Distance", while laut.de writer Kai Butterweck said: " Good Karma isn't a record that will change the pop world, but a solid nod to the past." He elaborated by stating that "Marie and Per pop their way through their own archive quite solidly". Despite this, Butterweck said "A little less synthetics in the sound would have done the album good. But by and large, Roxette still sound like Roxette in 2016." Similarly, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic complimented
1232-458: A Nice Day "...another clever-clever bastard of an album which defies Doctor Rock." A review of "I Wish I Could Fly" written by Håkan Steen of Aftonbladet said, "The come-back single is a disappointment. The lyrics, which convey a sense of distance in a relationship, are not particularly engaging." The album, according to Billboard magazine, was under discussion for release in the US, but ultimately, it
1386-436: A Nice Day . The record was promoted with a Swedish tour. In 2001, Roxette released their seventh album, Room Service . Even though Ilbert was not present for this album's recording, Marie later said she "lost all desire to continue Roxette", and would appear at the recording studio as infrequently as possible; she instructed her taxi driver to wait outside while she recorded vocals for " Milk and Toast and Honey ". The album
1540-626: A Time Like Ours ), was recorded by Fredriksson and Bolyos at their home studio in Djursholm between February and September 1996. She was eight months pregnant when it was released in November, so was unable to promote it. The album peaked at number two on Sverigetopplistan, and lead single " Tro " became the longest-charting song of her career on the Swedish Singles Chart, either as a solo artist or as part of Roxette; it reached number eight and spent
1694-686: A comeback in continental Europe. It entered at No. 1 in Sweden and No. 2 in Germany. The first single, " Wish I Could Fly ", became their highest-charting UK single since 1993 (No. 11). In Sweden it charted at No. 4, their best position since "Sleeping in My Car". Although the second single, " Anyone ", did not chart well in Europe, " Stars ", the third single, charted well in Scandinavian and German-speaking countries. NME ' s review called Have
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#17328756694621848-762: A compilation of demos, B-sides and remixes, alongside some of the 1993 MTV Unplugged material, was released in Japan and parts of South America under the title Rarities . Gessle briefly reunited with Gyllene Tider in 1996, then Roxette took instrumental masters of many of its ballads and recorded translated Spanish lyrics over them. The resulting album, Baladas En Español , sold well in Spanish-speaking regions, reaching 2× platinum in Spain and platinum in Argentina. The single " Un día sin ti " ("Spending My Time") accompanied by
2002-490: A contract as a solo artist on EMI Sweden, although she initially refused the deal, saying she was "too nervous" and "lacked the confidence" to be a solo artist. She performed duet vocals on "Så nära nu" (English: "So Near Now"), the lead single from the Lasse Lindbom Band's 1982 album Romantisk Blackout . The album was successful in Sweden, and she joined Lindbom's band as a featured vocalist for an extensive tour of
2156-441: A copy of Look Sharp! home for the 1988 holiday break. He gave the album to a Minneapolis radio station, KDWB 101.3 FM. The station started playing "The Look"; based on positive caller feedback, the song became very popular, and quickly spread to other radio stations. The song became a radio hit before any Roxette product had been commercially released or promoted in the US market. The story was covered by radio, newspapers and TV in
2310-522: 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." —EMI Sweden CEO Rolf Nygren in 2001 Around this time, the CEO of EMI, Rolf Nygren, suggested Fredriksson and Gessle collaborate together to record a song in English. Fredriksson
2464-691: A duet with Fredriksson. The resulting song, " Neverending Love ", was issued under the band name Roxette —the name Gyllene Tider had used to release The Heartland Café in North America in 1984. The track peaked at number three on the Swedish Singles Chart , and was one of the most popular songs on Swedish radio that year. Their debut album, Pearls of Passion , was a major success upon release in October 1986, peaking at number two and eventually selling over 200,000 copies, but it failed to chart internationally. Roxette embarked on their first tour in
2618-650: A fitting end to Roxette's career. However, others complained about the overtly electronic production. The album also performed well commercially, debuting at number one in the Czech Republic as well as number two in Switzerland and the duo's native Sweden, and was their highest-charting studio album since the 1990s in both Australia and the United Kingdom. Good Karma features production contributions from Swedish duo Addeboy vs. Cliff, with whom Roxette had collaborated on
2772-456: A glowing review, saying it contains some of the best material Roxette released in the latter part of their career. Writing for Cryptic Rock , Alfie Vera Mella described the album as being a "perfect" release to celebrate the duo's 30th anniversary, while Tyler McLoughlan of The Music praised Gessle's songwriting for an abundance of hooks . The staff of Mittelbayerische Zeitung rated the album "impressive", praising "Why Dontcha?" and "From
2926-514: A period of inactivity for Fredriksson as a solo artist, punctuated only by the release of the non-album single " Sparvöga " in 1989. Subsequent solo albums included Den ständiga resan (1992) and I en tid som vår (1996). In 2002, after fainting at home, Fredriksson was diagnosed with a brain tumour. During her rehabilitation, she continued to record music as a solo artist, resulting in The Change in 2004 and Min bäste vän in 2006, as well as
3080-612: A private performance at the Wedding of Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, and Daniel Westling at Stockholm Palace on 18 June 2010. Roxette then embarked on a seven-date tour of Europe in the summer of 2010. " She's Got Nothing On (But the Radio) " was released in January 2011, becoming a substantial hit in mainland Europe, and their highest-peaking single in Germany since 1992's " How Do You Do! ". Their eighth studio album, Charm School , followed
3234-399: A single. In the duo's native Sweden, " Dressed for Success " and " Listen to Your Heart " were chosen as the first two singles from their second album Look Sharp! , as Gessle and EMI Sweden chose to highlight Fredriksson's singing. Gessle said, "I always thought we should promote the songs Marie sang. Me being a lead singer wasn't part of the plan, not for me anyway." Both singles reached
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#17328756694623388-489: A son. Fredriksson died on 9 December 2019 at the age of 61, having had cancer for 17 years since her 2002 brain tumour diagnosis. A private funeral, with only her immediate family in attendance, took place at an undisclosed location. Among the tributes expressed to Fredriksson was a statement from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden , who said "We have been struck by the sad news that singer Marie Fredriksson has passed away. For many in our country, even in my family, her music
3542-468: A song for the upcoming film Pretty Woman . As he did not have time to compose a new song—Roxette had recently embarked on their first international concert tour —a new edit of their 1987 single " It Must Have Been Love " was created, and featured prominently in the movie. The track became their third number one on the Hot 100, and remains one of Roxette's best-known and most successful singles. The following year,
3696-518: A soundscape where you would both recognise our sound and find something new." The album is more electronic than the duo's previous releases. Gessle said he began work on it knowing the material would never be performed live, a situation he found inspiring, as he could create elaborate electronic tracks in the studio instead of focusing on how the songs would translate to a live, guitar-orientated setting. Lead singer Marie Fredriksson 's brain tumour diagnosis in 2002 made it difficult for her to memorise
3850-421: A statement saying: "Sadly, now my touring days are over and I want to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful fans that [have] followed us on our long and winding journey." Fredriksson released three non-album singles after she announced her retirement from touring: "Alone Again" and "I Want to Go" in 2017, and "Sing Me a Song" in 2018. Fredriksson met her husband, keyboardist Mikael "Micke" Bolyos, during
4004-593: A total of 29 weeks on the chart. Her duet with Anni-Frid Lyngstad, "Alla mina bästa år" ("All My Best Years") – from Frida's 1996 album Djupa andetag ( Deep Breaths ) – was released as a single in February 1997. Fredriksson and Gessle collaborated on a new Roxette album throughout 1997 and 1998; Have a Nice Day was eventually released in February 1999. She was more involved in its composition and production than on previous Roxette releases, recording numerous demos at her Djursholm studio and singing lead vocals on ten of
4158-479: A video directed by Jonas Åkerlund , became their first Latin Pop Airplay chart entry. The duo then released solo albums, I en tid som vår ( In a Time Like Ours ) by Fredriksson and The World According to Gessle by Gessle, with both charting in Sweden. Gessle and Fredriksson reunited in 1998 to record material for a new Roxette album, Have a Nice Day , which was released in February 1999 and gave Roxette
4312-506: 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
4466-472: Is an exciting, immediate, high-gloss pop gem that contains very little filler indeed." Per Bjurman from Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet was critical of the album. "It is not very good." he wrote. He did praise the three singles, " Real Sugar ", " The Centre of the Heart ", and " Milk and Toast and Honey ", but he ended the review with the prediction: "Roxette is not finished. But soon, I suspect." The album topped
4620-516: Is closely associated with memories from particularly important moments in life." A concert in memory of Fredriksson took place at the Stora Teatern in Gothenburg on 20 January, featuring performances from Per Gessle and Eva Dahlgren . The concert was broadcast in its entirety five days later on Sveriges Television . A previously unreleased solo song titled "Sea of Love" was issued posthumously on
4774-407: Is obviously coloured by today's pop and dance music. Gone are all the interesting distorted guitars and drums, replaced by new elements such as electronic beats, Auto-Tune/ vocoder and similar unbecoming ingredients." Despite this, he praised Fredriksson's performance and said the album would have sounded better with more organic instrumentation. Stuff writer Hannah McKee said Good Karma plays like
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4928-598: 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 the live reformation of Roxette, with Lena Philipsson on vocals. Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson had been friends since 1978. Both musicians had successful careers in Sweden in
5082-609: The Canary Islands to write songs for her second solo album. Den sjunde vågen (English: The Seventh Wave ) was released in February 1986 and peaked at number six on Sverigetopplistan, selling over 90,000 copies. "Den bästa dagen" (English: "The Best Day") and "Silver i din hand" (English: "Silver in Your Hand") were issued as singles, while the title track and "Mot okända hav" (English: "Toward Unknown Seas") were top ten hits on Svensktoppen , Sweden's airplay -based chart. She won
5236-520: The Hot 100 as well as at No. 3 in Australia. "Listen to Your Heart" was released thereafter; it differed from previous singles and instead resembled the guitar-heavy ballads of Heart . Spending a single week at No. 1 in the US in November 1989, it bore the distinction of being the first US Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 not to be commercially available on 7-inch vinyl. A fourth single, " Dangerous ",
5390-528: The Join the Joyride tour into 1992. It was during this tour that most of the material for Tourism: Songs from Studios, Stages, Hotelrooms & Other Strange Places was recorded. Instead of releasing an album of brand-new material, Gessle and Fredriksson re-mastered older recordings, including several slated for, but not included on, Look Sharp! and Joyride . They also recorded some of their live performances, recorded
5544-460: The Litteris et Artibus ( Culture and Education ) award. Both Gessle and Fredriksson attended the ceremony, which was the first event Fredriksson appeared at after her operation, and one of very few public appearances she made over the next two years. Lasting effects of the tumour included her being blind in one eye and having limited hearing and mobility, as well as being unable to read or write. She
5698-568: The Melkweg in Amsterdam to perform acoustic renditions of several Roxette songs, during a concert of his " Party Crasher Tour ". Immediately after the gig, Gessle announced to Aftonbladet that Roxette would perform at the 2009 edition of "Night of the Proms". On the first night of that tour, Expressen reported that the duo had been recording material for a new album since May 2009. The duo reunited for
5852-511: The songs . It was such a source of freedom for me… for both of us." Her interest in music continued to grow throughout her teens, as she discovered artists such as The Beatles , Joni Mitchell , Jimi Hendrix and Deep Purple . She enrolled in a music school in the Svalöv Municipality at the age of seventeen, where she befriended students from the theatre department by composing music for their amateur plays. Since no other vocalist in
6006-484: The title track and "Bara för en dag" (English: "Just for a Day") were top ten hits on Svensktoppen, and she promoted the album with a sold-out concert tour. Roxette released their second studio album, Look Sharp! , on 21 October 1988. Once again, it was an immediate commercial success in Sweden, selling over 140,000 copies within ten days of release, but failed to chart internationally. Two weeks later, EMI released Den flygande holländaren ( The Flying Dutchman ),
6160-517: 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
6314-538: The 1986 Rockbjörnen award for Best Swedish Female, and embarked on her second tour as a solo artist. While Fredriksson had established herself as a prominent soloist, Gessle's solo work struggled to replicate the success of Gyllene Tider; his second studio album Scener (1985) sold less than 20,000 copies, a significant drop from the 400,000 copies sold by Moderna tider four years earlier. EMI Sweden's managing director, Rolf Nygren, suggested Gessle translate one of his Swedish compositions to English and record it as
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6468-448: The 1994 release of Crash! Boom! Bang! Bryan Buss of Allmusic wrote, "They rock harder than on their pop-friendly albums prior to this, and the result shows growth but not the fun that made them so popular in the first place... Though the two have an edge on this album, they almost seem to have become a bit bored." Although Crash! Boom! Bang! saw chart success (No. 1 in Sweden, No. 2 in Germany and No. 3 in Australia and
6622-458: The 2002 edition of the pan-European orchestral concert series " Night of the Proms ". A press conference announcing these appearances as Roxette's " swan song " was scheduled to take place in the Netherlands on 12 September 2002. On 11 September 2002, Fredriksson complained of feeling unwell after jogging with her husband. She collapsed in a bathroom after becoming nauseated, with the impact of
6776-585: The Australian leg of "Join the Joyride!" in December 1991. She later said of the impact meeting Bolyos had on her professional career: "If [we] hadn't met, I don't know if I would have been able to continue in Roxette much longer. I couldn't handle the personal side of life on tour. I was hanging out in bars, drinking too much. I was sad a lot of the time and had a hard time with the press, when I always had to be nice and say
6930-556: The Best Selling Scandinavian Artist in October 2003. "They were a legitimately popular band, but they don't fit neatly into the story of American pop music. The Swedish duo wasn't a boy band like New Kids on the Block , they weren't glammy enough to be hair metal , and vocalist Marie Fredriksson didn't have the outsize personality to be a diva like Whitney Houston , Mariah Carey , or Janet Jackson . They were far from
7084-656: The Deal & Let's Boogie . The album debuted atop the Czech Albums Chart , standing as their first number one in the country since Charm School in 2011. Good Karma debuted at number two in Switzerland, where it was held off the top spot by Seal the Deal & Let's Boogie . It also made the top 10 in Austria, Hungary and Spain. In Germany, Good Karma debuted at number 11, making it Roxette's first release since their second studio album Look Sharp! (1988) in 1989 to peak outside
7238-623: The German part of the 1994/95 tour. In October 1995, Roxette released their first greatest hits compilation, Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus! This reached the top 5 in many European countries, including the UK, as well as the top 10 in Australia . The compilation sold 6 million copies worldwide, and featured four new songs, three of which were released as singles, including the ballad " You Don't Understand Me ", co-written by Desmond Child . Also that year,
7392-518: The Hot 100 in June 1990, three months after the film's release, and stayed for two additional weeks at No. 2, spending a total of seventeen weeks in the top 40. Billboard named the song the No. 2 Hot 100 single of the year, behind Wilson Phillips 's " Hold On ". The single also topped the charts in more than 20 other countries (including Australia ) around the world. In Germany the single spent 9 months in
7546-498: The Joyride! World Tour 1991/92 tour eventually reached more than 1.5 million fans in 107 concerts around the world, including a few dates in the US. On reviewing their Universal Amphitheater performance, Dennis Hunt of the Los Angeles Times said, "Fredriksson is squandering her talents in pop's low-rent district. She's clearly superior to Roxette's uncomplicated, hook-crammed material..." "I believed this ("Spending My Time")
7700-508: The Nintendo video game Super Mario Bros. Supported by an expensive video and ultimately receiving respectable airplay, "Almost Unreal" managed to briefly reach the lower end of the Billboard Hot 100 but charted highest in the UK reaching the top 10, the group's first time there since " Joyride " two years before. Roxette themselves were dismissive about the song, with Fredriksson saying it
7854-450: The Roxette version of "Some Other Summer" became a viral hit after it was publicised via Roxette's social media accounts. The video proved controversial in Poland, with the couple who created it receiving death threats. The album received mostly positive reviews from music critics , with a number of them praising Gessle's songwriting and Fredriksson's vocal performance, and describing it as
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#17328756694628008-666: The Scent of Love") was issued as her debut single in May 1984, becoming a top twenty hit on Sverigetopplistan , Sweden's national record chart . Her debut album, Het vind (English: Hot Wind ), was released in September, and also peaked within the Sverigetopplistan top twenty. The album was promoted by a three-month double bill concert tour , featuring Fredriksson performing as a solo artist alongside Lindbom's eponymous band. The title track
8162-451: The States we suddenly found ourselves lumped together with bands like Heart and Starship , which wasn't the intention behind Roxette at all. But we got out of that one... I hope." Gessle, talking about "Listen to Your Heart". "Dressed for Success", featuring Fredriksson on lead vocals with Gessle singing short parts, was the second international single. The single peaked at No. 14 on
8316-517: The Strul name alongside the band's other longest-serving member, guitarist Martin Sternhufvud. The group's popularity increased substantially in 1981, culminating in several performances on Swedish music television programmes. This exposure led to Strul signing with independent record label Bastun, which released their first and only single in June, the double A-side "Ki-I-Ai-Oo" / "Strul igen". The release
8470-643: The Swedish Album Chart, and was certified gold for shipments in excess of 30,000 units. It ended 2004 as the 18th best selling album in the country. Several of the songs included were debuted during Fredriksson's live appearances with Sugarcane in the mid-1990s. It was also her first studio album to receive a worldwide release. Lead single " 2:nd Chance " was a top ten hit in Sweden. Despite being unable to read or write, Fredriksson rediscovered her love of drawing during her illness, and began using charcoal to create artwork as another form of therapy. She drew
8624-489: The Swedish Albums Chart. Later that year, she collaborated with Gessle on the recording of two new Roxette songs: " One Wish " and " Reveal ", which were released on the greatest hits compilation A Collection of Roxette Hits: Their 20 Greatest Songs! . Fredriksson performed vocals on several tracks of Bolyos' debut solo album A Family Affair , which was released in June 2007. In November, Capitol Records issued
8778-554: The Swedish charts and reached No. 3 in Germany, but it received little attention in the UK. A planned US release through Edel America Records did not happen as the label was disbanded due to financial difficulties, though it did peak at No. 2 on CNN 's Worldbeat album chart. The first single , "The Centre of the Heart" topped the charts in Sweden, made the top 10 in Spain, and the top 15 in Finland. The other singles, "Real Sugar",
8932-578: The UK), it sold fewer copies than had their previous albums, selling 5 million copies worldwide. EMI America were reluctant to release the album, and instead promoted a shortened 10-track Favorites CD in association with McDonald's . The Favorites of Crash! Boom! Bang! CD reportedly sold about 1 million copies. It was noted by journalists that the McDonald's promotion CD (and other CDs by Tina Turner , Garth Brooks and Elton John ) led to US music retailers of
9086-577: The US and in Sweden. Fredriksson dismissed rumors that Cushman was paid to take the record to the radio station. EMI had previously rejected Roxette as unsuitable for the American market and they did not have a recording contract there, but after the popularity of "The Look" in the US, EMI officials made the decision to release and market the single worldwide. "The Look" and pressed copies of Look Sharp! were issued in early 1989 to record stores and radio stations. "The Look" became their first No. 1 in
9240-479: The US on 8 April 1989, where it remained for one week. The breakthrough for Roxette became international when the song also topped the charts in 25 other countries, and at the end of the year, Billboard named "The Look" one of the 20 biggest Hot 100 singles of the year. "The Big Bad Ballad. This is us trying to recreate that overblown American FM-rock sound to the point where it almost becomes absurd. We really wanted to see how far we could take it. When it hit big in
9394-601: The US, reaching No. 1 in Germany and Sweden, No. 2 in the UK as well as peaking at No. 3 in Australia. The album sold 6 million copies worldwide. The duo's success reflected in an ECHO Award nomination for International Group of the Year. At home, Roxette won a Rockbjörnen Award for Best Swedish Group. It remains the last Rockbjörnen the duo received. In October 1992, Fredriksson released her first solo album in Swedish for five years, titled Den ständiga resan ( The Eternal Journey ). In early 1993, Roxette became
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#17328756694629548-614: The US. The single also charted well in the UK, and achieved success in Canada, which resulted in the song being nominated in 1992 for a Juno Award in the category, Best Selling Single by a Foreign Artist. Its follow-up, " Fading Like a Flower (Every Time You Leave) ", a power ballad similar to "Listen to Your Heart", with Fredriksson on lead, spent a week at No. 2 in the US in July and achieved success in other big markets as well. Roxette then embarked on an ambitious worldwide tour. The Join
9702-461: The United Kingdom, and the United States. In January 2003, Roxette received the Litteris et Artibus ("Culture and Education") award from King of Sweden Carl Gustaf XVI , for "achievements in Sweden and internationally". The Ballad Hits sold over a million copies within a year, and was the best-selling album released by a Scandinavian act that year. The duo received a World Music Award for
9856-521: The album entered and peaked at number 25, the duo's highest placement there for a studio album since Crash! Boom! Bang! in 1994. All lyrics are written by Per Gessle; all music is composed by Gessle, except where noted. Notes Credits adapted from the liner notes of Good Karma . Musicians and technical personnel 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
10010-514: The album for an increase in tempo as compared to the rest of their later work, but said on Good Karma the duo "deliberately excise the fizziness that fueled their big hits all in a conscious attempt to play toward their middle age. In that regard, Good Karma is a success—it's a mature Roxette album that doesn't disavow their past—but it's hard not to miss the bubblegum Euro style of Look Sharp! " The record received some mixed reviews as well. Nils Hansson of Dagens Nyheter said Gessle and
10164-405: The album won Roxette their first Rockbjörnen awards in Sweden and Gessle his first Grammis award in the category Best Composer. When the third single from Look Sharp! , " The Look ", became another top 10 single in their home country, Roxette were still unknown internationally. While studying in Sweden an American exchange student from Minneapolis , Dean Cushman, heard "The Look" and brought
10318-457: The album would be produced by him alongside regular contributors Clarence Öfwerman and Christoffer Lundquist . " The Look (2015 Remake) " was used by a Swedish fashion company in a prominent advertising campaign during the Autumn of 2015, with Gessle saying Roxette was collaborating with numerous producers and remixers for their upcoming studio album, indicating a new single would be released before
10472-498: The album's final single, " Dangerous ", spent two weeks at number two. Fredriksson ended 1989 performing on-stage as part of The Husbands, a cover band formed by Lasse Lindbom and Niklas Strömstedt . In 1990, Fredriksson contributed a cover of the Evert Taube composition " Så skimrande var aldrig havet " ("The Sea Was Never So Sparkling") to the tribute album Taube . The same year, Touchstone Pictures approached Gessle to compose
10626-673: The album's fourteen songs. The record includes "Waiting for the Rain", the first Roxette song written and composed solely by Fredriksson. Prior to the album's release, the duo signed a new recording contract with their longterm label EMI, which saw Fredriksson obtain the copyright for her entire solo discography. The process of recording the album was reputedly difficult and confrontational, with Fredriksson later heavily criticising co-producer Michael Ilbert: "I ended up under his thumb. He would only communicate with Per and [Roxette's regular producer] Clarence Öfwerman . He complained to everyone that my voice
10780-551: The album's opening track and "Milk and Toast and Honey" were less successful. Roxette again went on tour, this time in Europe only, as concerts planned in South Africa were cancelled after the 11 September 2001 attacks . On reviewing their Löfbergs Lila Arena concert , Bjurman from Aftonbladet wrote, "Roxette succeed in all cases, to never leave the 80s." His review criticised Roxette's playlist , which consisted of some of their early hits. Johan Lindqvist from Göteborgs-Posten
10934-464: The award for Best Swedish Female. Later that year, Roxette released " It Must Have Been Love (Christmas For the Broken Hearted) ". The song was written by Gessle in response to the German division of EMI asking Gessle to "come up with an intelligent Christmas single." The track was a top five hit in Sweden. However, international divisions of EMI – including Germany – chose not to release the song as
11088-432: The ballad " Queen of Rain " and an electrified version of the song "Fingertips", originally recorded acoustically for the album and re-titled " Fingertips '93 " for single release. Singles from Tourism barely dented the American radio and record charts but in the rest of the world, the first single "How Do You Do!", hit the top 5 in most European and South American countries. The album Tourism also charted well outside of
11242-508: 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
11396-678: 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
11550-405: The cancellation of Roxette's planned performance at the 2002 Night of the Proms concert series. After waiting several weeks for the fracture to subside, she underwent surgery to remove the malignant tumour, followed by months of chemotherapy and radiation treatment . Fredriksson was unable to speak for a considerable period of time afterward, and for the rest of her life was unable to read,
11704-427: The catchiest melody more appealing." The album's success brought the duo two Rockbjörnen awards for Best Swedish Album and Best Swedish Group, the second time they had achieved that feat. The single " Joyride " became Roxette's first No. 1 in their home country. It also topped the charts in more than 25 countries around the world, including Germany, Australia and the US; it was their fourth and last No. 1 in
11858-527: The charts in a number of countries and became Roxette's best selling album. Their record company EMI invested almost 2 million dollars on promotion for the album, which stayed at No. 1 in Germany for 13 weeks, while staying on the US album chart for over a year. J.D. Considine of Rolling Stone magazine reviewed Joyride : "By emphasizing its sense of personality, Roxette delivers more than just well-constructed hooks; this music has heart, something that makes even
12012-556: The country. Following its completion in the autumn of 1983, 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 . On Gessle's insistence, Fredriksson agreed to embark on a solo career in late 1983, recording her debut album from December 1983 to June 1984, with Lindbom as co-writer and producer. " Ännu doftar kärlek " (English: "Still
12166-749: The cover art which accompanied The Change , and held her first art exhibition – titled "After the Change" – at the vernissage of the Doktor Glas gallery in Kungsträdgården , Stockholm in October 2005. Every painting displayed at the exhibition was sold by the end of the second day. She held further art exhibitions, titled "A Table in the Sun", in both Stockholm and Gothenburg in 2008. In February 2006, she released an album of Swedish cover songs titled Min bäste vän ( My Best Friend ), which peaked at number three on
12320-442: The duo released their third album, Joyride , which remains their most successful release, with worldwide sales of over 11 million copies. The title track gave them their fourth and final number one on the Hot 100, while " Fading Like a Flower (Every Time You Leave) " peaked at number two. The album was promoted by the " Join the Joyride! Tour ", their biggest and widest ranging tour. Fredriksson returned to solo work following
12474-414: The early 1980s. Gessle was a member of Gyllene Tider , (English: Golden Age), 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
12628-421: The end of the year. A remix of new Roxette track " Some Other Summer " – created by French producer Sebastien Drums – was released on 6 November 2015 along with a music video . Gessle said he wanted Good Karma to sound like an updated album that leaned toward a "classic Roxette tradition", elaborating: "[W]e wanted to combine our classic Roxette sound with a modern and slightly unpredictable production to create
12782-546: The fall fracturing her cranium . She then had an epileptic seizure . Scans later indicated she had a brain tumour in the back of her head. The diagnosis led to the cancellation of Roxette's "Night of the Proms" appearances. After waiting several weeks for the effects of the fracture and resulting concussion to subside, she underwent successful surgery to remove the tumour, which was malignant , and she endured months of chemotherapy and radiation treatment . In January 2003, King of Sweden Carl Gustaf XVI awarded Roxette
12936-573: The film before release, the producers re-requested "It Must Have Been Love", but Roxette had to remove the Christmas lyrics. Gessle and producer Clarence Öfwerman then took the old recording, had Fredriksson replace a single Christmas-reference line in the song and added some instrumentation and background vocal overlays. Though it was not the first single released from the soundtrack, "It Must Have Been Love" would prove to be Roxette's most successful single release. The song spent two weeks at No. 1 on
13090-411: The first anniversary of her death. Recorded in 2017, it was the final track she recorded in her lifetime, and was inspired by the peaceful demonstrations that followed the 2017 Stockholm truck attack . Roxette issued a compilation album of outtakes titled Bag of Trix on 11 December 2020, containing several previously unreleased demos composed by Fredriksson. Another solo song, "Stay", was released as
13244-400: The first non-native-English speaking artists to be featured on MTV 's Unplugged series, though the songs from the performance were never released on an official Unplugged album. In the same year, Roxette recorded and released " Almost Unreal ", a song originally slated for the film Hocus Pocus starring Bette Midler . However, the song was moved to the soundtrack of the film based on
13398-475: The heights of previous singles in the US charts. In late 1991, the band was honoured with its own postage stamp in Sweden, along with Lena Philipsson and Jerry Williams . Music tastes in the U.S. were changing, with the emergence of new genres such as new jack swing , grunge , harder-core rap and hip-hop . As William Ruhlmann of AllMusic later wrote, "Americans probably lost interest [in Roxette] at about
13552-430: The latter song, "Så stilla så långsamt" ("So Still, So Slow") and "Det regnar igen" ("It's Raining Again"), were also top ten hits on Svensktoppen. She toured in support of the record. Her first musical collaboration with husband Mikael Bolyos , "Herren ber för dig" ("The Lord Prays for You"), was released in November 1994 on the charitable compilation Vilda fåglar: sånger om barn ( Wild Birds: Songs About Children ),
13706-551: The lyrics to new songs, so The Neverending World Tour consisted primarily of Roxette's greatest hits . The tour began with the band's performances at the 2009 edition of the Night of the Proms festival. Good Karma was recorded over a period of nearly two years; Gessle said recording was frequently disrupted by the duo's touring schedule. Unlike previous albums Charm School (2011) and Travelling (2012) – which both made usage of old ideas – Gessle confirmed every song on Good Karma
13860-429: The majority of whom would leave after a single performance. Strul established their own independent music festival in 1979, Strulfestivalen, which was financially lucrative for the band. The festival was held each summer for three years, until 1981. Dernbrant exited the group in December 1980 when he and Fredriksson ended their relationship. Due to the success of the festival, Fredriksson opted to continue performing under
14014-400: The merger of SBK , Chrysalis and EMI record companies, to form EMI Records Group North America. The resulting merger saw many personnel changes that resulted in a downturn in publicity for Roxette. Though Joyride was certified platinum< and made impressive worldwide sales, the subsequent singles from the album—the ballad " Spending My Time " and " Church of Your Heart "—failed to reach
14168-494: The next month. " The Neverending World Tour ", their first world tour in fifteen years, began in March 2011, eventually concluding in February 2016. Another studio album, Travelling , was released in March 2012. In June 2013, Fredriksson performed "Ännu doftar kärlek" at the Wedding of Princess Madeleine and Christopher O'Neill . In November, she released Nu! ( Now! ), her first album of original Swedish material since 1996. It
14322-431: The non-album single " Där du andas " in 2008—her first and only solo number one single in Sweden. She and Gessle later reunited to record more albums as Roxette, and the pair embarked on a worldwide concert tour . She also continued to record as a solo artist in her native Sweden, releasing Nu! in 2013. Fredriksson died on 9 December 2019 as a result of health issues stemming from her brain tumour. Gun-Marie Fredriksson
14476-444: The only guitar-based pop act on the airwaves in the '80s, but they came too late to be mentioned alongside Journey , Survivor , or REO Speedwagon , and they didn't have the rock legacy of Heart or Starship ." Chris Conaton from PopMatters reviewing Greatest Hits Marie Fredriksson Gun-Marie Fredriksson ( Swedish pronunciation: [ˈɡɵnː maˈriː ˈfrêːdrɪkˌsɔn] ; 30 May 1958 – 9 December 2019)
14630-425: The ordinary [in the first place]." Other publications that commented on "April Clouds" included Expressen , with Anders Nunstedt dubbing it one of the album's best tracks, while Markus Larsson of Sweden's biggest newspaper Aftonbladet said the song acts as a "beautiful goodbye" if this is their final record. Good Karma peaked at number two in the duo's native Sweden, held off the top spot by Volbeat 's Seal
14784-570: The proceeds of which were donated to children's hospitals in Nordic territories. The next summer, she was a featured vocalist with Bolyos' band Sugarcane, during their concert residency in Halmstad nightclub Penny Lane. She took part in this residency every summer between 1995 and 2002, performing vocals on several of Bolyos' original compositions and numerous cover versions , including " The Good Life ". Her fifth solo album, I en tid som vår ( In
14938-523: The process. The " Crash! Boom! Bang! Tour " saw Roxette becoming the first Western band to be allowed to perform in China ( Workers' Indoor Arena , Beijing ) since Wham! in 1985. The procedure to get permission for this concert took over a year, and included self-censorship of lyrics. In 2008 they were ordered to pay 4.5 million kronor in unpaid taxes to the Swedish Tax Agency , for money earned during
15092-446: The producers sought to appeal too much to young Electropop fans, "with digital loops, EDM beats, autotune voice and rave synths". Hansson additionally complained Fredriksson did not contribute vocals to more songs. Gaffa reviewer Jesper Robild argued Roxette initially found success as a result of their songwriting talent and criticized the amount of producers credited, saying: "More people than usual are involved, and Good Karma
15246-444: The production, which they said contains "a certain retro feeling [...] but also features the ethereal and dreamy sound of some of Gessle's solo records (with echoes of Cocteau Twins )". The writer complimented it for containing "smart choruses and nice details from pop history", before concluding that if Good Karma was their final record, Roxette were ending with "their flag flying high". Brendon Veevers of Renowned for Sound gave
15400-408: The record a mixed review, they too praised Fredriksson's performance, saying the album is best when the tempo "slows down" and she takes "center-stage" on the ballads such as "April Clouds". They dubbed the song the "finest" track on the album, describing it as what "in perfect balance manages to combine Per and Marie's love for the early American and Swedish 70's sound that made Roxette something out of
15554-554: The recording of Roxette's fourth album, Tourism . She was a featured vocalist on "Änglamark" ( "Angel Land" ), a Band Aid -style recording spearheaded by former ABBA vocalist Anni-Frid Lyngstad under the banner Artister för Miljö (Artists for the Environment), which was released in July 1992. She also performed the track alongside all of the other featured artists during a televised gala the following month. Fredriksson's fourth solo album, Den ständiga resan ( The Eternal Journey ),
15708-459: 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
15862-409: The release of Good Karma , describing it as "our best album ever." She died in 2019 due to complications stemming from her brain tumour diagnosis in 2002. An EP for the album's second single, "Some Other Summer", was released on 17 June 2016. An official music video was not created for the original version of the song; instead a lyric video was uploaded to YouTube on 29 June. A fan-made video for
16016-410: The release of this album. Crash! Boom! Bang! became the last Roxette release EMI issued in the US until Greatest Hits was released in 2011 on subsidiary label Capitol Records . The first single release from Crash! Boom! Bang! was " Sleeping in My Car ". The distortion guitar-heavy pop song, born out of anger and frustration of the album's grown up nature, reached No. 2 in Canada, as well as
16170-770: The release the duo did a small tour of The United States, performing at the Boston Mixfest and at the Virgin Megastore in Times Square . The single "Wish I Could Fly", included on the album, reached No. 27 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and No. 40 on the Adult Top 40 chart. Room Service followed in 2001, to a mixed response from critics. "Probably the best Roxette album since Joyride ," wrote Leslie Mathew of Allmusic, "Room Service
16324-460: The right things, always having to be available to everybody, always putting on a smile and being happy. Marie Fredriksson the performer had grown in stature, at the expense of Marie the private person. I had less and less space to be myself, and when I was myself I felt uncertain, small and lost." The couple married in a private ceremony in May 1994, which was attended only by immediate family members. Her decision not to invite Gessle and his wife to
16478-615: The school could emulate Fredriksson's vocal range , she joined the cast of a musical she co-wrote. This musical toured throughout Sweden, with its run culminating in a performance in Stockholm for Prime Minister Olof Palme . After graduating from music school in 1977, Fredriksson moved to Halmstad , where she worked in theatre before becoming involved in the local indie music scene . She formed punk group Strul ( English : Hassle) in 1978 with then-boyfriend Stefan Dernbrant—the band consisted of an extensive and fractious lineup of musicians,
16632-477: The song was created using footage uploaded by fans to Roxette's official website as part of a contest. The video was inspired by and contains footage from the Polish couple who created the video to "Some Other Summer". Marie and Per expressed regret over the "wave of criticism" the couple received in Poland. Good Karma was met with mostly positive reviews from music critics . A writer for Upsala Nya Tidning praised
16786-414: The song. The track quickly became popular, and the station began distributing the song to their sister radio operations throughout the US. "The Look" topped the chart after just eight weeks, and went on to peak at number one in a total of 25 countries. The single's parent album eventually sold over 9 million copies worldwide. " Listen to Your Heart " was the band's second number one on the Hot 100, while
16940-449: The songs live, choosing instead to focus on creating more electronic and complicated compositions. A Sebastien Drums remix of " Some Other Summer " preceded the release of Good Karma by several months, being followed by the lead single " It Just Happens " on 8 April 2016. EPs were issued for subsequent singles "Some Other Summer" and " Why Don't You Bring Me Flowers? " on 17 June and 4 November 2016, respectively. A fan-made video for
17094-636: The summer of 1987, "Rock runt riket" ( "Rock Around the Kingdom" ), a 15-date co-headlining tour with Eva Dahlgren and Ratata . Fredriksson's third studio album, ... Efter stormen (English: After the Storm ), was issued in October 1987. It peaked at number one and sold over 50,000 copies within a month of release, and was certified platinum by the Swedish Recording Industry Association for shipments in excess of 100,000 units. Both
17248-531: The time being unhappy with the promotion for several reasons, including that it bypassed established music stores and that the price of the CD was way below normal wholesale costs. Some stores refused to sell the albums published by EMI, with one major chain protesting by temporarily pulling all products from CEMA (EMI's distribution wing) out of its sales and ad campaigns. The duo's relations with EMI's North American subsidiary, which had never been smooth, collapsed after
17402-556: The time that Nirvana came roaring in from the Northwest." In a 2009 interview with BBC News , Gessle highlighted the popularity of Nirvana and grunge music as a contributor to Roxette's downturn in success. Although Roxette's commercial momentum in America was slowing down dramatically, elsewhere, singles from the Joyride album continued to become hits when "Spending My Time" and " The Big L. " charted in many countries. Roxette continued
17556-529: The top 10 in 7 European countries (including No. 1 in Sweden) as well as the top 15 in the UK, Australia and Germany. However, in the US, it was less successful, reaching only No. 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Subsequent releases-- the album's title selection , " Fireworks ", and " Run to You "—were less successful but managed to reach the charts in some countries. Roxette then embarked on another, albeit scaled-down, worldwide tour, skipping North America in
17710-691: The top 10 of the German Albums Chart . The album performed poorly in Denmark, where it debuted at number 52 with sales of just 168 copies. Good Karma became the first Roxette studio album to enter the top 100 in the United Kingdom since 1999's Have a Nice Day , debuting at number 61 on the UK Albums Chart with first week sales of 1,682 copies. It attained a higher peak position on the Scottish Albums Chart , debuting at number 44. In Australia,
17864-517: The top 10 of the Swedish singles chart , while the album, which was released in Sweden in October 1988, held the No. 1 position for 14 weeks. Music critic Måns Ivarsson was underwhelmed by the album, writing derisively: "To consist of two such original persons as Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle, the album sounds unbelievably conventional. Most striking are the lyrics. Gessle's once so subtle Swedish lyrics have became desolate English nonsense." However,
18018-466: The top 75, and peaked at No. 3 in the UK, the duo's highest singles chart position there. The soundtrack went on to be certified three times platinum by the RIAA . As 1990 wound down, Roxette completed their tour and returned to Sweden to record their follow-up to Look Sharp! The 15-track collection titled Joyride , which was released in March 1991, became a critical and commercial success. It topped
18172-416: The track became a viral hit after Roxette shared it via their official social media accounts. The video proved controversial in Poland, with the couple who created it receiving death threats. An EP of " Why Don't You Bring Me Flowers? " was released as the third and final single from the album on 4 November 2016, containing an exclusive single remix of the song created by Addeboy vs. Cliff. A music video for
18326-412: The wedding briefly became a source of tension between the duo. She later explained: "Some of our friends felt excluded and disappointed. Today I understand that, for example, Per and [his wife] were hurt [not to be invited], but then I didn't see it that way. My only concern was that I wanted the wedding to be private. It was what felt important then." Fredriksson and Bolyos had two children, a daughter and
18480-414: Was "not one of our most inspired moments." On the other hand, Gessle stated: "I still like the song in a way... but if you wanted to make a parody of Roxette, it would probably sound something like this." To coincide with the UK television premiere of the film Pretty Woman , "It Must Have Been Love" was re-issued in September 1993 and entered the UK and Irish singles charts for the second time. "MF: It
18634-439: Was a Swedish singer, songwriter, pianist, and lead vocalist of pop-rock duo Roxette , which she formed in 1986 with Per Gessle . The duo achieved international success in the late 1980s and early 1990s with their albums Look Sharp! (1988) and Joyride (1991), and had multiple hits on the Billboard Hot 100 , including four number ones. Fredriksson had a successful career in her native country prior to forming Roxette. She
18788-406: Was a member of punk group Strul, a band which created their own music festival in 1979. Strul's dissolution led to the creation of her next project, the short-lived MaMas Barn, after which she began releasing solo work. Her first album, Het vind , was issued in 1984, followed by Den sjunde vågen in 1986 and ... Efter stormen in 1987. Roxette's international breakthrough coincided with
18942-408: Was also one of the best-selling albums of 2001 in the country, and was certified triple platinum for shipments of almost 250,000 units. The two new songs recorded for the compilation, " Äntligen " ("Finally") and "Det som var nu" ("That What Was Now"), were both minor hits. The latter song featured Patrik Isaksson , and was a Swedish re-recording of a demo originally produced by Fredriksson for Have
19096-521: Was also unable to speak for a considerable period of time after her treatment. On 21 October 2005, Fredriksson conducted an interview with Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet , saying: "It's been three very difficult years, [but] I'm healthy. I'm not receiving treatment any more." Following her diagnosis and treatment, Fredriksson and Bolyos began work on her next studio album as a form of therapy at their home studio in Djursholm. The Change debuted atop
19250-504: Was around this time that Touchstone Pictures approached EMI and Roxette about contributing a song to the soundtrack of an upcoming film, Pretty Woman , starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts . Gessle maintained that " It Must Have Been Love ", by then a two-year-old recording, was chosen because Roxette had no time to compose and record a new song. The film's producers turned it down, asking for another song, but Gessle declined to produce another song. Some weeks later after re-editing
19404-521: Was blind in one eye, and had limited hearing and mobility. Roxette issued two greatest hits compilations, The Ballad Hits in late 2002 and The Pop Hits in early 2003. On December 1, 2002, a 600-page discography book titled The Look for Roxette was released, which included a four-song EP of previously unreleased material. The release of The Ballad Hits was delayed until Valentine's Day 2003 in English-speaking territories such as Australia,
19558-418: Was born on 30 May 1958 outside the small Swedish village of Össjö . She was the youngest of five children born of Charles Gösta Fredriksson (1914–1981) and Inez Dagmar Fredriksson (née Hoffert, 1922–1998). When she was four years old, her parents sold their farm and relocated to Östra Ljungby , where Gösta took a job as a postman and Inez became a factory worker. Three years later, her oldest sister Anna-Lisa
19712-665: Was created by combining the first two letters of both members' given name . The duo regularly shared a rehearsal space with Gyllene Tider - a successful Swedish band fronted by Per Gessle - leading to that band's bassist and drummer – Anders Herrlin and Mickael "Syd" Andersson, respectively – joining MaMas Barn. This close relationship between the two bands resulted in Fredriksson performing vocals on Gyllene Tider's 1981 song "Ingenting av vad du behöver" (English: "Nothing of What You Need"). The following year, MaMas Barn signed with CBS Records International before their recording contract
19866-521: 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 stemming from her brain tumour diagnosis. Roxette
20020-457: Was during this period, with the help of siblings and friends, that she learned how to sing, read notation and play musical instruments. She also credited her pastor with encouraging her love of music, and said that she had been performing "ever since I was little and me and my sister Tina went to Sunday school. We had a wonderful pastor in Östra Ljungby. I've got really bright, lovely memories of that place, even when my big sister died. I loved all
20174-461: Was going to be our biggest hit ever, which might have happened if not our American record company had fired a lot of...ah, never mind." "When Charles Koppelman took over the American [record] company in 1992 more than hundred people got replaced. Those folks who got sacked were the same people who made Roxette happen in 89-90-91." Gessle, on the downturn of Roxette in the US The end of 1991 saw
20328-459: 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
20482-543: Was involved in a fatal traffic collision; her car was crushed by a tanker truck while she was travelling to purchase a dress for her engagement party. Marie explained: "She was 20 – and I can barely remember her today. But I remember the grief, how the family was torn apart. Completely. After that I had to fend for myself. I was only seven years old." With both parents in full-time employment but unable to afford child care , Marie and her underage siblings would often be left unaccompanied at home while their parents worked. It
20636-586: Was issued as the second and final single in October, b/w a Swedish version of Cyndi Lauper 's " All Through the Night ", retitled "Natt efter natt" (English: "Night After Night"). Her first solo tour took place from March to June 1985, after which she performed vocals for Spännande Ostar (English: Exciting Cheeses). This cover band appeared on several Swedish television programmes, and consisted of Fredriksson and Lindbom performing alongside Per Gessle and Mats Persson. The same year, Fredriksson and Lindbom travelled to
20790-482: Was issued as the third single from Look Sharp! in Sweden, and was a top ten hit upon release in January 1989. The following month, the track unexpectedly entered the Billboard Hot 100 , despite the duo not having a recording contract in the US; the local branch of EMI had previously rejected Roxette as "unsuitable for the American market." An exchange student from Minnesota returned from Sweden and asked his local Minneapolis -based Top 40 radio station to play
20944-501: 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. In 1987, Roxette issued Dance Passion , a remix album of songs from their debut, and embarked on "Rock runt riket" (English: "Rock Around the Kingdom"), a co-headlining tour of Sweden with Eva Dahlgren and Ratata . All three acts collaborated to record " I Want You ", which
21098-474: Was just before Christmas '93 and we were listening to the first playback of the Crash! Boom! Bang! album and realized we were all missing something. It all sounded so... perfectly grown up. PG: We had worked for a year, much too long, endless hours of studio time... I mean, I loved it but there was too little P-O-P." Roxette, on the first playback of Crash! Boom! Bang! Roxette changed their musical style with
21252-403: Was more positive, scoring their Munich concert four stars out of five. Roxette received an honorary award from the Swedish government at the February 2002 Grammis ceremony. On 11 September 2002, Fredriksson had an epileptic seizure and fractured her skull after collapsing in her bathroom. Following MRI scans , it was confirmed that Fredriksson had a brain tumour . The diagnosis led to
21406-417: Was not released there. In 2000, Fredriksson released a greatest hits compilation called Äntligen ( At Last ), which went on to be a big seller in Sweden, peaking at No. 1 for three weeks. Meanwhile, Roxette signed a US distribution deal with Edel Music , which re-released Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus! In doing so, it replaced some non-US hits with songs from Have a Nice Day . To promote
21560-512: Was recorded as the theme music for a miniseries of the same name, and became both her highest-peaking and best-selling single to date when it was issued in February 1989. Fredriksson won the award for Pop/Rock Female at the 1989 Grammis , the Swedish equivalent of the Grammy Awards , as well as the Rockbjörnen award for Best Swedish Female, for the fourth consecutive year. " The Look "
21714-408: Was recorded over a period of nearly two years, with its recording frequently interrupted by The Neverending World Tour . The tour ran from 2009 until the beginning of 2016, when Fredriksson was advised by her doctors to cease all touring activity due to poor health. The album is more electronic than the duo's previous releases, with Gessle saying he was inspired by the thought of not having to perform
21868-474: Was released as a non-album single in July. Fredriksson released her third solo album Efter stormen (English: "After the Storm") in October 1987. It was her most successful solo album to date, peaking at number one on the Swedish Albums Chart and being certified platinum by Swedish Recording Industry Association . It won Best Swedish Album at the 1987 Rockbjörnen awards, where Fredriksson also won
22022-465: Was released as the lead single from Good Karma on 8 April 2016, the duo's first release under a new deal signed with Warner Music Group . Its music video was directed by Tobias Leo Nordquist and released on 20 May. The cover artwork for the album was designed to mimic the imagery of a butterfly. Good Karma was released on 3 June 2016, with a limited edition translucent orange-coloured vinyl being issued as Roxette's final studio album. The release
22176-413: Was released at the end of the year, entering the Hot 100 at the end of December. The single, a duet between Gessle and Fredriksson, spent two weeks at No. 2 on the Hot 100 in February 1990, and again becoming a worldwide success by reaching the top 10 in important music markets such as Germany and Australia. "Dangerous" was released as a double A-side single in the UK with "Listen to Your Heart". It
22330-453: Was released in August 2008 as the theme song to the film Arn – The Kingdom at Road's End , and became Fredriksson's first number one single in her home country. During the winter of 2008, she took part in the "Stjärnklart" ("Starlit") series of concerts, which saw her performing an abbreviated set alongside other vocalists in Swedish concert halls . In May 2009, she joined Gessle on-stage at
22484-530: Was released that October, and remains both her highest-selling and most critically successful solo studio album, with sales of over 185,000 copies in Sweden as of 2002. She was nominated for three awards at the 1993 Grammis, including Songwriter of the Year and Artist of the Year, winning the latter. "Så länge det lyser mittemot" ("As Long as There Is Light on the Other Side") and "Mellan sommar och höst" ("Between Summer and Autumn") were issued as commercial singles;
22638-593: Was sold to WEA International , which financed the recording of their only album, Barn som barn (English: Children as Children ). The album was produced by ABBA guitarist Finn Sjöberg and eventually released in November 1982. Although it was a critical success, the record struggled commercially, selling approximately 1,000 copies. The group disbanded shortly after. Believing Fredriksson to be "too talented to be hiding behind keyboards", Gessle invited her to audition for Gyllene Tider's producer Lars-Göran "Lasse" Lindbom. Impressed with her voice, Lindbom offered Fredriksson
22792-414: Was supported by a nineteen-date tour of Swedish concert halls, her first solo concerts since 2000. Roxette's tenth studio album, Good Karma , was released in June 2016, and was due to be promoted with a European tour celebrating the duo's 30th anniversary. However, these concerts were cancelled after Fredriksson was advised by her doctors to cease all touring activity, due to poor health. She released
22946-430: Was supported with a European tour, after which Fredriksson "called for a meeting" with Gessle, wherein she discussed disbanding Roxette, to which Gessle agreed. She issued a box set containing all of her previous studio albums, Kärlekens guld ( Love's Gold ), in June 2002. Roxette scheduled the release of two new compilation albums, The Ballad Hits and The Pop Hits , which were to be promoted with performances at
23100-594: Was timed to coincide with the 1981 version of Strulfestivalen, which would be the last; three months later, the group permanently disbanded following a "disastrous" performance at the Pop Around the Clock festival, which was broadcast nationally on Swedish radio. Following Strul's breakup, Fredriksson and Sternhufvud formed a new band, MaMas Barn (English: MaMas Children). The two were the only permanent members, with Sternhufvud moving to vocals and Fredriksson to keyboards. The name
23254-499: Was timed to coincide with the scheduled opening concert of the final leg of The Neverending World Tour in 2016. This final leg was cancelled after Fredriksson was advised by her doctors to stop touring due to poor health. Fredriksson sent a thank you message to fans for their kind wishes, in which she said: "Sadly, now my touring days are over and I want to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful fans that [have] followed us on our long and winding journey." She said she looked forward to
23408-465: 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
23562-452: Was weak, that I needed to re-record vocals, and that my songs weren't good enough. He criticised me until I started crying. I lost all my confidence, and no longer felt happy in Roxette." Her first greatest hits album , Äntligen – Marie Fredrikssons bästa 1984–2000 , was released in 2000, and was the second best-selling album of the year in Sweden, behind the Beatles compilation 1 . It
23716-482: Was written specifically for the album, saying it became a "more cohesive production" as a result. Despite this, album closer "April Clouds" is based on the lyric "Wish You the Best", a song from Gessle's 1997 solo album The World According to Gessle . Two outtakes from Good Karma were issued as singles from Roxette's 2020 compilation Bag of Trix —" Let Your Heart Dance with Me " and " Piece of Cake ". " It Just Happens "
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