Roxette

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

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

"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.

-- Nick

But the British charts are full of novelty shit!

Fuck all y'all.

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.)

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

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

Argh, go away.

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".

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

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

2007 comeback single? Must investigate.

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

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

I literally cannot believe there are people on ILM defending this band

People on ILM have defended much worse.

when i was 10-11 i loved roxette and was very much in love with per gessle. i remember liking his hair. almost 20 years later it is difficult to confess to such things, since his hair is among the worst in the history of pop music. and he continues to poison the world by releasing albums with titles like "son of a plumber" and "en händig man" (a handy man). one of those artists you wish could just retire.....

literally cannot believe there are people on ILM defending this band

how about figuratively?

Oh come on, If Assholes, Roxette are hardly at the top of the crop, sure.. but Roxette vs. Jane Child? Roxette vs. Robbie Nevil? Roxette vs. Vitamin Z?

Roxette wins.

Horrible, horrible, horrible music.

I literally cannot believe there are people on ILM defending this band

― If Assholes Could Fly This Place Would Be An Airport, Monday, 18 February 2008 05:16 (7 months ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

^^^suggest ban

"Fading Like a Flower (Every Time You Leave)" is always on my iPod.

I literally cannot believe there are people on ILM defending this band

Literally? So who amongst us is Marie Fredriksson's armed lifeguard? :)

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)

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

Horrible, horrible music.

vs. Ace of Base?

Cmon

Join the Joyride.

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

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

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

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".

(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, June 2, 2005 1:48 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

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

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'

by splicing it with scritti i guess

good call

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

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

and this:

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

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

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

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

(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, 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

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

One of the worst bands of all time.

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

Rip Marie Fredriksson

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

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.

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

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

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

"Fading Like A Flower" forever

yuuup

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

ILM...has changed.

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.

I love almost all their singles.

Rotting Christ and Roxette share a rack in my house!

This song is wild:

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

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"

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!!!