Exchange Student Brought Band’s CD to AMERICA…CONVINCED DJ to Play It…5 #1 HITS! | Professor of Rock
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- Опубліковано 27 тра 2024
- Coming up, it’s a band who owes much of their massive success to a random foreign exchange student. The band Roxette comprised of singer Marie Fredriksson and songwriter Per Gessle were on the rise in their home country of Sweden, but their records had failed to break through in America. However, after this student caught Roxette in concert, he returned home with their latest album Look Sharp! and almost single-handedly broke this band in the States. A DJ played their song The Look and it went straight to #1… for 2 years Roxette Reeled off four #1 hits and two #2’s, and actually you could say they 5 #1s because Dangerous hit #2 on the billboard hot 100 but hit #1 on the cashbox charts. Their other hits were It Must Have Been Love, Listen to Your Heart, Dressed for Success, Joyride, and Fading Like A Flower... they achieved in the space of two years, more than most bands achieve in a lifetime. Today, we’re covering those hits and giving you the inside track on their rise to global stardom. And then we try and figure out what happened after that. Because these guys completely disappeared from the airwaves a short while later. So how does such a successful band vanish into thin air? We’re going to get to the bottom of it… NEXT on the Professor of Rock.
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Hey music junkies, Professor of Rock, always here to celebrate the greatest artists and the greatest songs of all time. Tell you what, if you ever made a snow cone from the Snoopy Snowcone machine or something made out of the easy bake oven, you’re going to Dig this channel of deep musical nostalgia. We also have a Patreon you'll want to check out. There you’ll find an additional catalog of exclusive content and you can even become an honorary producer to help us curate this music history.
Today we’re telling the story of a band, a duo actually, that we’ve yet to cover on the channel. They were massively successful around the world thanks to a catalog of highly infectious pop-rock, at the end of the 80s into the new decade these guys kicked out six songs that either topped the US charts or came in at #2. A phenomenal feat. They actually had only one single during that time that failed to break the Top 10 on the Hot 100. Self-described as a “feel-good band” with a “positive energy” message, I’m talking about the ultimate hit makers Roxette!
Comprised of the Swedish duo of Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson, Roxette formed in 1985 with the help of ex-Abba manager Thomas Johannson. Both Gessle and Fredriksson were working on solo careers at the time. Per, who was also working as a songwriter for hire was discovered by Johannson who was looking for songs for Frida Lyngstad, formerly of Abba. Fredriksson for her part was also on the rise, having released three popular solo albums. Johannson teamed them up and they became Roxette.
Songs originally planned for Per’s third solo album were instead repurposed for Roxette’s 86 debut record, Pearls Of Passion. With the release of that record, Roxette almost immediately achieved tremendous success in Sweden. A home-country hit, Pearls Of Passion certified platinum there with nearly 300,000 copies sold… Putting them in prime position for an international breakthrough with their next record. Roxette’s second album Look Sharp! in October 1988. - Розваги
Poll: Who is your pick for the greatest duo of the rock era?
Daryl Hall and John Oates
Roxette
Erasure
The White Stripes and Drab Majesty
Chad and Jeremy
Tears for Fears
Simon and Garfunkel
Sam and Dave
Simon and Garfunkle
You are covering them today.
Why Roxette died off in the US is the same reason most 80's bands vanished. For some still unknown reason, in the early 1990's American radio and MTV decided they would only play music that sucked. And the music scene has never fully recovered.
The 90’s turned dark and full of angst so quickly.
Nirvana killed a lot of careers
@@Dmasanz What really sucked was I loved Nirvana's first single "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Ran out bought the album and found that I hated pretty much every other song they ever did. Hates probably too strong a word for all of their other songs. There were a few that were tolerable.
The best answer ever!
Yup
Rest in peace, Marie. Her powerful, unique vocals were truly one of a kind, and she'll be forever missed. 😇🕯️
Wow, that's heartbreaking. I didn't know she was gone. 😢
Amen. Such a talent.
Just a few years back...@@Whisper_292
RIP
She had such a powerful and distinctive voice. I loved their music. But you nailed it Adam, the reason they disappeared in America was a change in musical climate. I find it funny that over in Europe you can still go and see all these great bands on the big stage festivals. They really don't seem to care about what's in vogue at the moment. The US seems to be the only country that completely changes every so many years.
Some additional information from a Swede. Both Per and Marie were not only rising but were big established stars in Sweden before forming Roxette. Per was in Sweden's biggest boy band Gyllene Tider 1978-1985. Marie was a more serious highbrow singer-songwriter type of performer, compared to Per's pop persona, so the pairing surprised a lot of fans.
Roxette was actually the name that had been used when trying to introduce Gyllene Tider in the US. They were signed by Capitol and released a mini-LP, The Heartland Café, in English. It had six tracks from the Swedish album with the same name. It was not a big success, and the band broke up soon after the attempt.
Per was hell-bent on an international career and went on writing songs in English. He wanted a female vocalist and managed to convince Marie to join him in the attempt.
And Gyllene Tider have Don some successful reunions
Marie and Per knew each other from the music circles in their hometown Halmstad long before Roxette.
I can't believe that Roxette's biggest hits were all released in a span of two years. They had such immense talent.
NO kidding What's your favorite Trina?
They were very well established artists with hugh succsess prior to Roxette. Not only in Sweden, but all Scandinavia. Per’s group Gyllene Tider (Golden Times) from 1978 had hugh hits in Scandinavia.
@ProfessorofRock Its crazy! They also were a smash in Brazil. And for the amount of hits they had, you'd imagine that those hits were between a long career! Crazy to think that they were all in the span of 2 years. A similar story, but in the 90s, were Ace of Base. And their sound kind of remind me a bit of Roxette! Ever thought of doing an Ace of Base video @ProfessorOfRock ?
That was pretty quick!
@@ProfessorofRock Probably "It Must have Been Love", or "Listen to your Heart."
Born in 82 in Sweden, they were a huge part of my childhood. Impossible to avoid on the radio. After Marie´s surgery she lost the ability to walk or even speak and had to relearn it all. Even after all that she would still tour the world. Total badass! And such a great singer.
A lot of the rock community bashed pop, but Per was highly regarded as an excellent guitarr player.
Thanks for sharing!
That’s a great comeback story!
Yeah her book is quite revealing & moving...
Though he’s able to play lots of different instruments, Per would say he’s barely average as a guitar player; Roxette’s trademark guitar sound actually comes from lead guitar Jonas Issacson, amazing musician as well!
Marie was gorgeous! Her vocals are definitely on par with Ann Wilson of Heart and Pat Benatar. She left us far too soon. ❤
When I first heard "Listen To Your Heart", I thought it _was_ Heart. Just as I was musing to myself about this, Adam put them on par with that very duo.
She could sing like her life depended on it
YES! Marie 100% definitely is on that level! Roxette would only be half a band, half a shadow without her incredible voice. She really brought the power to the ballads!
Something lost in this story is that EMI US changed its management right after Fading Like A Flower in 1991, so the previous Roxette marketing plan was scrapped for boring corporate reasons.
I saw Roxette play in Australia in 2015. They were the headline act at "A Day on the Green" and we had seats front row, centre stage. Marie was helped out onto stage and was seated for the show and from that position she belted out all of the hits for the entire concert, they even came back on stage for an encore - I'm so glad I got to see them perform live and I even caught Per's guitar pick during the show
My nieces offered tickets to my buddy and I for the concert.
We decided to go, though we thought it was bubblegum for kids.
Boy, were we wrong.
It was an amazing concert
The Scandinavians are great at feel-good music!
They're so good at it, it's almost Scandalous!
So lucky!
I got my drivers license in 1990 right around the time Roxette was breaking in North America. I get a tear in my eye whenever I hear Joyride. It was such an innocent and magical time. RIP Marie 🙏 for your magnificent voice.
Thanks for sharing that great memory!
It’s a fun song!
HUGE Roxette fan here. The the Crash Boom Bang album is my fav of theirs....SO many great songs.Per is a masterful songwriter. I was so heart broken when Marie passed away. There will never be another duo like Roxette.
loved crash boom bang - Riders in the Sky, Do you wanna go the whole way, Run to you, Go to Sleep, others...lots of good music there
Run to you is a great song along with Fireworks. @@chernobyl68
Crash Boom Bang is easily one of their best.
Marie Fredriksson had one of those voices that had *VERY* impressive range. She could pitch her voice into a low growl in one take, and then belt it up really high in the next one seamlessly without much effort. That kind of versatility in an artist is somewhat lacking in this day and age with the younger singers. Her recordings with Roxette were pre-autotune, and it showed because raw talent went through each song she was in - there was no need to "enhance" her vocals at all. Even though she passed away in 2019, she will always be missed.
Man did that story take a turn towards tragedy at the end. 😢. Never knew Roxette's story but have wondered. Hiring ABBA's manager is always a great move but the fact that one foreign exchange student could impact the top of the charts is mind blowing! Rest In Peace Marie Fredriksson. We loved your music and voice. Great episode professor!
It's a great story with a very sad ending.
It’s like radio DJs playing imported records and making them huge chart toppers.
On the cusp of the Internet, when screens were black with green letters and I dialed into a mainframe with a modem, I, living in Pittsburgh, played a text-based multiuser role playing adventure game with a bunch of students in Sweden. It was in the time of Look Sharp, which I'd listen to on repeat while I pored over maps of Stockholm and Gothenburg to see where everybody lived. I eventually got a job in Sweden, met the Dane that I would marry, lived for nearly 20 years in Scandinavia before moving to the US with hubby and two dual citizen kids, and here we are more than 30 years along. It was so fun to me that when I lived in Stockholm and Roxette was played all the time on the radio and at parties, I could sing along and feel at home. I like to think that Roxette played a part in bringing adventure to my life. Thanks so much for the episode ❤
You're a woman who was into dial-up messenger boards? Wow, that's impressive given back then the ratio of women to men was like 1:50 it seems.
I was 5 years old and shouting "Hello. You fool. I love you!" around the house. Those were the majority of english words I knew at the time. I asked my parents who played the song, they told me Roxette and I stated they're my favorite band. My parents found it a bit funny, but, by 7, I had 2 Roxette tapes that were my own. They remained one of my favorite bands and eventually, I got to see them live much later. I had the privilege to see Marie sing and it was a hell of a show. They get my vote for the greatest duo for the rock era.
Roxette were huge here in Australia. I remember getting the sheet music for some of their ballads and playing them on piano. Marie’s voice was so powerful and she had such an iconic look. I was in the equivalent of Senior High at the time, and these songs are permanently etched on my memory in the best way possible. Thank you Marie and Per. Much love to her family. 🤍
Ozzie here too, man they were massive. Those 2 years were some of the best, so I always get a big nostalgia trip with them. Marie was such a great singer too
Since I was married to a European (a French woman) for 24 years, I know exactly why Roxette fell out of favor in North-America but kept on being a hit in Europe. Back in the days, North-America was very found of rock and had been for decades. The little pop interlude of the 80's was coming to an end and rock (grunge in that case) was taking back its rightful place. Meanwhile in Europe, rock was never as big. Pop had always been big. There were a lot of pop radios and not a lot of rock ones. People our age were mostly listening to pop music... while on this side of the Atlantic, our taste for rock was still huge.
Roxette were lucky to hit the USA at the right moment, just before pop lost steam and rock came back with a vengeance. I'm sure their producer and their record company understood that very well... and probably so did the band.
I don’t know about that. You had Janet Jackson Michael Jackson Mariah Carey Celine Dion Whitney Houston Paula Abdul Madonna and others with big pop success at that time.
If you listen to Roxette live you realize they were actually a rock band all along, albeit with with really good singalong choruses. Check out the St Louis 92 gig that’s available in its entirety here on YT: ua-cam.com/video/SdZV_NtFMqw/v-deo.htmlsi=hcNoG1vuayB0aQl8
Roxette. A jewel in the proverbial crown at the tail end of the 80's. I adored them. I've fairly recently returned to listening to their music, especially when I discovered Marie Fredriksson passed away. In my opinion, their American popularity faded when many followed the Grunge, Gangsta, and so called 'Adult Contemporary' fads of the 90's. Thankfully they were popular throughout the rest of the world and had an awesome career. While those other 'genres' simply faded away, Roxette endured and, again in my opinion, became legends. Fredriksson and Gessle were a perfect musical pair. Thank you Marie for your beautiful voice. You were an Angel on Earth, and now in Heaven. Thanks for doing this video Adam.
I don't care that they were seemingly derivative of Anne &Nancy Wilson of Heart, and the evolved Starship. Genres occur in all music, across all time.
Roxette, half metal, half pop, is fantastically worthy of listening and emotional entrainment -and THAT'S music.
Oh,Marie, I love her singing prowess. It Must Have Been Love was so relatable to me.
Watching a UA-cam video showing a crowd singing when Marie could not sing during a concert was really heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. It only goes to show that she was really beloved. She will surely be missed.
Thank you for doing a spot on them Professor. They are one of my absolute favorites. My mother played The look and joyride throughout my entire childhood. I still listen to them to this day.
Very cool!
Holy fack… I’m from the Twin Cities. I remember hearing Roxette on the radio almost relentlessly when I was in junior high. I was learning to play drums at the time and the four-on-the-floor of “The Look” was at *exactly* the right tempo for me. I didn’t have actual drums or even sticks yet - I had markers taped together and played the couch. This was one of a whole bunch of songs from that time that led to me practicing on the couch so much, I eventually got a drum set.
It is amazing to find out all these years later that I was listening to the very beginning of their incredible rise. Wow. You added some unbelievable context to some very fond memories. Thank you Professor!!
Your couch drums...brings back memories. I was constantly gettin' thumped by my older bro for liberating his parade snare, this was late '50's. My sticks were his broken, taped up with scotch tape. An older friend of mine then gave me a "Big Bash" drum (google). I then proceeded to use bro's practice pad for a tom (sitting on my bed) I sat on a 15? gallon steel barrell with 2 boxes taped up for kicker and floor. My kick drum actually got "kicked"😂. The Bash actually had a cymbal. Might I say...in my head, I was dang good! At 12-13 I saved enough hay baling money ($1.25 an hour) to buy a used 3 piece set of Gretsch which just so happened to closly match my bro's snare, which became my floor tom. He was not happy when he found I had put legs on it. Ah yeah, good times, lotta bruises, blood.
It’s a good thing that Minnesota has a huge Scandinavian population.
LOL Don Johnson did a 2nd album!?!?! 😂😂😂😂😂😂 that is the funniest thing I heard today!!!!
Ha!
David Hasselhoff has 15! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
A funny thing about DH. I had found a DH import and thought to put it on eBay some years ago and it blew up to $20. Someone in AMERICA bought it!@@nedhorner
Waaaa?
@@nedhornerHasselhoff was immensely popular in Germany 😳
I ❤ Roxette! The story of the exchange student bringing the record to the radio station is a blessing. The first time I heard The Look, I had to get the CD. I have The Look and Joyride in my collection. I would play these in my car.
I so glad you finally covered this band! 😊
Thanks Catherine! Ya they're pretty awesome. Great hooks in their songs.
Pre-internet days lead to many wrong bits of information. Heard all too many time they were brother and sister. Thanks again, POR, for getting it straight. Timing is everything.
My favorite Roxette song is easily Fading Like A Flower! Such a great power ballad! I have several of their songs on my Spotify! Great duo!
I have to agree! My favorite too!
Out of the six "chart-toppers", I think that's the best showcase of Marie's vocal range.
Roxette basically brought their 80’s pop sound right into the early 90’s, and hit it big in both decades in the span of 2-3 years. Amazing!!
It’s unfortunate that Roxette’s popularity declined so sharply in the US. Their music was exactly the kind of stuff I loved listening to growing up and still enjoy today. Hearing that they continued to be prolific even after their popularity here declined, makes me want to check out some of their later music. Thanks for the music, Marie. I hope your soul is resting in peace.
Great job telling this story and keeping Roxette's pop legacy alive. Marie would be proud. Hope she knew how much happiness the songs she wrote and performed with Per brought.
Per wrote the songs.
Love Roxette. From their short run here in the states (1988-1990) they were my favorite pop/rock band. Their songs were played everywhere and really had a dominant chart run scoring all of those #1 singles. They are the second-best selling artists from Sweden trailing only ABBA. Thank you, Professor, for featuring them.
THanks for watching! What's your favorite song by them?
@@ProfessorofRock It's a tie between "Listen To Your Heart" and "It Must Have Been Love".
I am just now realizing that both Roxette and ABBA come from the same land.
Listen to your heart!
I'm from Argentina, here they was huge for many many years!
I LOVE Roxette. I have them on rotation in my car and Fading Like a Flower still gets blasted loud, every time.
Bizarre. I remember vividly a friend of mine (we are Canadian) went to Sweden for Cadets and came back and talked about this great band Roxette he had seen over there. Some time shortly after that they hit it big on this side of the ocean and we all remembered him telling us about them. They must have made quite the impression.
For sure!
It’s a matter of time!
Roxette was my last two years in high school. We never went anywhere on the road without that cassette.
I love Marie's solo on Paint. Just phenomenal
I was a HUGE fan of Roxette when they hit our airwaves. I even sported Marie's blonde pixie haircut 😊 My childhood best friend always said "Dangerous" was written about me lol we've been friends for over 40 years now and anytime that song plays, she sends me a message that its on and she thought of me. (Im going to have to send her the link to this episode now 🎉 ) Thanks for another great show Professor!! Perfect way to start out this week! ~Christy
Roxette was the first major music act concert I got to attend after winning a pair of tickets in March of 1992.
I was dating someone who was enamored with them and took her along.
The performance was monumental and engaging.
And afterwards, my date insisted we wait outside the theatre to see if we could get some autographs.
Her suggestion and strategy paid off and I introduced myself to Marie by walking right up to her and giving her a big hug.
She warmly accepted and I also got to talk to her and Per Gessle for a bit as well.
An outstanding and wonderful experience, I will always cherish and remember.
I LOVED Roxette when they exploded here in the US! Of course, as you covered, they "Faded like a flower" out of the radio waves here. I moved to Slovakia in 1999 and I first heard Roxette's "new to me" music on the radio there! I was blown away that they were still putting out new songs, so I found their "new to me" music at the local music shops and was just BLOWN AWAY by the new music I had been missing out on. Of course I remember when Marie was diagnosed and then sadly many years later, passed away. I am suffering from four tumors in my brain, too. So my connection to their music has only increased! Thank you so much for doing this video!!!! Love all of your crafted videos!!!! Rock on, Professor!!! Rock on!!!
They deserve the respect in the US that most of the world still gives them to this day. Per is one of the best song writers alive and he continues with many solo projects, including PG Roxette, Mono Mind as well as Swedish launguage projects. If you're interested in learning more about Marie, read her recent memoir Listen to My Heart. Its fascinating, touching and heartbreaking.
I've had the priveledge of seeing them in concert and even meeting them both a handful of times throughout my life... and I live in the states! They are wonderful people, truly. Rest well dear Marie. I will always consider you a friend.
Marie Fredriksson's album "Den sjunde vågen" is still one of my favorites.
I was a punk in high school in Michigan when The Look came out. I immediately ran out and bought the tape. Couldn't care less about the razzing from my friends for loving it. They are still a staple on my playlists to this day. ❤
I remember most of these songs. Roxette was all over the radio in the late 80's and 90's. Most of the girls in my Michigan high school were obsessed with Roxette. Roxette is permanently apart of the soundtrack of Generation-X. So many great memories associated with their songs. Thank you.
They were amazing. Thank you for this one. I knew Marie had passed but never understood why they disappeared after Joyride album.
Marie had the perfect voice to breathe life into Pers' song
I didn't find it till just a few years ago but "She doesn't live here anymore" is one of my favorites. The drums and guitar just rock! Always one of my favorite bands.
Funny you should mention that great song. If it does sound a little different is because it features musicians-even in the music video- from Per's other band, Gyllene Tider. Micke Syd on drums. Anders Herrlin on bass, although he did the sound engineering on Look Sharp and played on at least two tours with Roxette. He dated Marie, as well too.
"Fading like a Flower" is still on my favorite playlist today. Their hits coincided with my high school years - so, they are forever a part of my life.
Roxette is an awesome band. R.I.P. Marie 🙏🏼
Roxette has always been one of my favorites. I have 5 of their CDs, and their songs are always slipping into my MP3 player rotation. Some favorites: Small Talk & (Do You Get) Excited from Joyride, Queen of Rain, and Crash Boom Bang. Really, so many great songs.
Queen of Rain has a very hypnotic sound to it. It's one of the best from Tourism.
I am a HUGE Roxette's fan. I am Argentinean and I have to say they were so popular here. They even recorded a whole album in Spanish called Baladas En Español(12 famous Roxette's songs such as Spending My Time but in Spanish Un Día Sin Ti). Though I never really liked the Spanish translation, I LOVE and ADMIRE Marie's extraordinary pronunciation.
I still turn up the radio (LOUD) when a Roxette song plays in my truck. Same with my playlists. I love Marie's voice. Beautiful, just beautiful. Always takes me back to the MTV days.
My favorite song of theirs was “June Afternoon.” I was a kid growing up in Japan, watching it on Channel V, and it just being the song of that summer. The music video had so many throwbacks- it was just a perfect piece of pop rock. ❤️
I'm a rocker/progressive rock from the 70's when I was growing up, but enjoyed Roxette, they had that late 80's sound that was so good for that in between rock and pop at the time.
What I think happened in the 90's was yes Grunge came into prominence at the same time that the radio industry went through a big change.
In 1989 it was something like 50 companies owned all the FM stations in the US. By 1998 there were like 10 companies that owned all the FM stations and corporate music programming eliminated the program directors at the stations.
The Telecommunications Reform Act changed radio for the worst and that's why you can go almost anywhere in the US and the radio stations sound the same.
Their song "It must have been love" is a timeless masterpiece.
What an interesting story. I became great friends with a Swedish exchange student to Texas back when Roxette became famous in the US. I remember how proud it made him to hear them on the radio.
So blessed to have seen Roxette live twice here in Australia - if you haven’t listened to Marie’s solo albums I’d recommend it as well as Baladas en Español (transl. Ballads in Spanish) is a Spanish language compilation by Roxette, released in 1996. It is so good ❤️
Thank you for acknowledging Roxette's other hits! I was there in the late 80s and early 90s, when they were big in the U.S. "Look Sharp" had the hits "The Look", "Dressed for Success" and "Listen to Your Heart". Then of course came "It Must Have Been Love " in 1990. In 1991, the "Joyride " album came out, and it was a huge event -I remember the displays at the record store, and I went to buy it on the release day. That album had "Joyride", "Fading Like a Flower", "Spending My Time", "The Big L." (which I never heard on the radio) and"Church of Your Heart" (which I did hear once on the radio)! I still followed Roxette after that, and bought the "Tourism"album in 1992, and my personal favorite Roxette album "Crash!Boom!Bang!" in 1994 (actually I didn't get that one until 1995). I always considered those 3 the holy trilogy of Roxette albums because those 3 are my favorites. It was a shame none of their albums were released in the U.S. after that, but I still bought all of their albums as imports! I was very sad when Marie passed away in 2019 - I have to admit, that one hit me hard. Roxette was one of my favorite bands and one of those bands whose music was very significant in my life. I just get annoyed that most local radio stations consider them a one hit wonder for "The Look" when they had so many hit songs.
Every Roxette album sold the equivalent of a diamond certification, 10 million records, they were HUGE all over the world up until the very end, selling out stadiums on their South American tour in the 2000's and indeed the rest of the world... Marie and Per will be in the annals of music history as one of the greatest bands of all time. Rest in Peace dear Marie and thank you for the music.
My grandmother liked Roxette. She died in 1990. Everytime I hear Roxette to this day I remember my Grandma
Not a band I know but I always love to learn about music.
YOu'll dig their sound!
@@ProfessorofRock Tried a few of their songs and you are right. Very catchy music.
Thank you for covering Roxette, music totally takes me back to a more carefree time. First love, high school gradation and just enjoying life. Professor of Rock, you are the best! Awesome work brother!
I teared up at the end of the video. Roxette was such a rock in my formative years. I had every album. At 14 I dyed and cut my hair like Marie. Just to get bullied at school for it... Years later - I was lucky enough to see them live in Antwerp one last time after Marie’s surgery. Forever my favourite ❤️
I was one of those who followed them even after joyride. Their songs still populate my playlists today.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for covering my favorite group ever. Heard "The Look" in grade 12 and was immediately hooked by their unique sound. I actually stumbled across the "Pearls of Passion" cassette while browsing through music at The Bay one night in the early nineties and that was the first time I realized they had released an L.P before Look Sharp. I was still listening to them a lot when my kids were born in the mid-90's and my sons thought I was in the group because I would be playing and singing along to them in the car every time we drove somewhere. My wife gave me a copy of Marie Fredriksson's book this past Christmas that she wrote just before passing away. She mentions in the book that they were one of only a few bands that were allowed to hold a concert in China during their peak years which she was really proud of. Per Gessle has continued with the band under the new name, PG Roxette with Helena Josefsson and Dea Norberg singing the female parts. They were the frequent singers accompanying Marie during concerts. He's still writing great songs although it does miss that special touch Marie brought with her powerful vocals. I'm hoping you'll do some more stories on them as they do have some interesting stories behind many of their songs. They definitely should have released Hotblooded instead of Church of Your Heart. I think it would have been huge in North America.
Excellent recap. Roxette was (and still is) a favorite. Thanks for the review!
Wasn’t expecting that! They’re a huge part of my memories from that period. Never knew what happened to them in later years until now, sadly. RIP Marie! You were outstanding!
❤
Love Roxette!
In addition to the 5 songs listed on the description, my favorite song of theirs is The Look. Their music still resonates today.
Awesome start to the week Professor! Great episode.
(Nice shirt).
I covered the Look as one of those!
It’s a great song.
Marie was such a powerhouse. Their music puts me right back in that era.
I don't know if it's in your wheelhouse for this channel, but I would love an episode on Janet Jackson's time working with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. They dominated the charts and MTV for years.
Agreed!
Will do!
One of my favorite bands since I was a kid. Per's songwriting and Marie's voice. Gold! Per's band before Roxette called Gyllene Tider is also a favorite of mine. Please get an interview with Per!
They were a favourite or me and my friends. We all wanted to be able to sing like Marie. I still love listening to them today. RIP Marie
I've always loved these guys. Even when I was listening to nothing but metal. The most underrated song writing duo ever.
Agreed! So good!
Uh.... one of them is/was a gal...........
@@istankimjong-unbutcantstan3398 I'm assuming this is sarcasm, but if not... no s**t. Guys is a euphimism for more than one person in the uncultured parts of the world.
Yes, so much talent!
I always loved Roxette and I kind of kept up with their later releases thanks to the Napster era. They had a ton of gems on those later albums as well, but like many artists realized, once the early 90's hit, musical tastes changed and their relevancy in the US diminished. They really had a lot of great songs. And though Joyride was the correct choice as a first single, Spending My Time was always my favorite song of theirs. Great video!
I believe Don Johnson did call Dangerous "too weak", and because of this the last (a bit unclear) line on the track is Per saying: due to the exceptional weakness of this song, play loud!
Marie was a force of nature. RIP.
Great story POR!!! Marie had a powerful, clean voice.
I'll always think of Look Sharp! as the great Joe Jackson debut album, though. 😊
I agree.
The Look was such a great song! 😍 Joyride was easily my second favorite from Roxette. I was never a "power ballad" fan, though I didn't dislike theirs. I always like the more upbeat songs...not say I dislike all power ballads, as Beth is my favorite Kiss song. 😝 Very sad ending and she died too young. Rest in peace.
Ah...music of my childhood. Swede here and already a fan of both artists - Gessle's earlier band was played all the time by my older sister, so I was also a fan of them. Fredriksson's voice was one of a kind and always hit right to my soul. The combination of both of them was freaking magic and it's sad that we didn't get to see much more of them considering Fredriksson's disease. As a Swede we got more than Americans, but still... Couldn't get enough of them. Marie will be forever missed. I hate cancer so much.
❤ Marie was an amazing talent, and Per an excellent Songwriter.
Jonas Isaacson on guitar added so much to their sound and all the musicians where so talented.
RIP to Marie and also their drummer Pelle Alsing who died a year after Marie.
Even though i do like their "Hits", i love alot of their other songs more.
"Soul Deep" "It Hurts" "Hotblooded" "Harley's and Indians" "What's she Like" just to name a few.
"Soul Deep" live in Zurich (?) Is amazing. It shows off Marie's vocal range, energy and performance fantasically.❤
Joyride is my most favorite Roxette song.❤ Such wonderful memories of high school. RIP Marie, what a voice!!!! And I loved learning the origin of “Hello, you fool, I love you…” Per’s lyrics are catchy, fun but also deep when they have to be. Thank you Professor for sharing their story!!!
Marie as a teen I was in love with you, your voice, your beauty. You are still my favorite singer many yrs later and still the top of my playlist. You are missed very much. 💜💜
Love Roxette!!!! As an American, I think they're a band that deserves to be mentioned in the same sentence as Duran Duran, WHAM!, etc.
Roxette was one of my all-time favorite bands. Back in the 80s to this very day, I've always been into metal and hard rock, but Roxette was my guilty pleasure. Their tunes were catchy and well orchestrated by great musicians, Marie's voice timeless. To this day Roxette is always in my regular rotation with Megadeth and 80s metal. RIP Marie. You are greatly missed.
She definitely had THE LOOK ! I Love Joy Ride . Great fealty good song
"Paint" is one of my all-time favourite songs. And Roxette are right up their with my all-time favourite band, who, oddly enough, also hailed from Sweden. Yes, I mean ABBA.
They are a great band & even now I grieve for the loss of Marie, whose talent shone like the star she & Per are. In point of fact I'm writing this listening to "Paint". The US, I think, missed a lot of great music from them. In the UK, I think we got to hear them more.
oh, I loved Rosette. They really rocked it and yet, were so accessible. I did not know Marie died from Cancer. So very very sad. this was such an engaging band. So many people point to Abba but, for me, Sweden gave her best in Roxette.
Thank you for making us remember a wonderful duo or band. And for giving us a great story about them. I hope someday that they will be revived like Abba and people will remember their fiery and fun song She's Got the Look.
You're welcome! What your favorite song by them?
And today we just found out King Charles has cancer. Cancer sucks!
Roxette is my all time favorite band. The irony is I didn't really like "The Look" when it was in the radio and the Look Sharp album was bought for me. I didn't want it and reluctantly played it, the non radio songs on it hooked me in that I eventually grew to love "The Look". In fact a favorite memory of it was going to stay with my grandparents in the summer and in order to play my CD on their stereo, I had to plug my portable CD player's cassette adapter into an 8-track adapter.
I was so excited for the "Joyride" album and when it was finally in hand at the store on its day of release the thought popped in my head, "What if this album isn't as good as Look Sharp?" In any case, I rushed to play it and that moment of worry was gone, I never worried again about a Roxette release. I was there for all of them, even the ones I had to import.
Soul Deep is always a favorite. Cry, Paint, Watercolours in the Rain, acoustic Joyride, Fading Like a Flower.... "Look Sharp!" and "Joyride" were LOADED with great songs.
So right! I love paint!
Always loved Roxette! I bought Look Sharp! as soon as I heard "The Look" on the radio. Haven't regretted it. SUCH a good album and their follow-up was solid too. Great vid. :)
Roxette's sounds made my young soul sing!
I know what you mean!
Same here!
I absolutely loved Roxette, and still do. Crash! Boom! Bang! was an underrated album, too. RIP Marie.
I saw Roxette at the Fox in Atlanta. My girlfriend surprised me with tickets. I couldn’t stop smiling through the whole concert.
I saw them live in Costa Rica in 95, amazing show!
Thank you for covering a group that deserved so much more love than they achieved in the states. I bought every album between Look Sharp and Room Service. I still love it when I hear one of their songs on the radio. Side note: I attended the same college, Mankato St., that the student came from starting in 1989.
This was right around the time I would graduate from high school. I remember hearing them on the radio, seeing them on MTV and buying their albums. I even introduced my teen aged children to them.
For everyone saying how much they loved the US hits, go get the rest of Roxette's albums. There really are no duds in there. I got hooked by "Dressed for Success" and set it with "Dangerous." I briefly managed an email discussion list for Roxette fans in the early 90's until it got too big for my college's mailer software.
Hey @ProfessorofRock, now that you've opened the early 90s chart-topper floodgates, how about The KLF?
Amazing band
SO many hits!
@@ProfessorofRock tell me about it. They sound so well produced and in the first notes you can tell immediately that it's a great song!
Cool shirt!
THanks!
Love this! Been a huge fan forever! It was actually watching their video clip for Fading Like a Flower as a boy instilled a sense of wonder in me, a small-town Aussie boy, of the world that's out there, which carried through until I finally was able to go see the world as a man. Funny thing is I didn't realise it was filmed in Stockholm old town square. I had a funny feeling like I'd seen the place before when I visited, only to realise later on when re-watching the video clip for the umpteenth time that I was there! Right in the place that seemed so magical to me as a boy. Pretty cool how serendipitous their big break was too.
The square looked massive on the video. Hollywood magic, I guess.
Roxette was the only band everyone liked, we were more hard &heavy oriented, but my friends and i enjoyed Roxette so much. They were great. Thanks for such great homage to them
KDWB in Minneapolis, what a blast from the past! It was my favorite station in the early 90s and the fabulous Roxette was in heavy rotation. KDWB is still there, but Roxette's music is now heard on those oldies stations. 😊
Shout out to Dave Ryan!
Thanks for sharing Christine!
DJ?
@@ProfessorofRock Dave Ryan is one of the jocks.
@@ProfessorofRock he has said he was the first DJ to play Roxette in the radio. He is still on air as one of the top morning shows in the state. I still listen to him!
Queen of Rain is my absolute favorite song
I truly don’t understand how there were only four #1’s and two #2’s. There should have been so many more. Every song on Look sharp should have had more top ten songs. Rest in peace Marie, you are surely missed. See you later. 🥲
Fading like a flower has a real def Leppard vibe to it to me. Song structure and harmonies.. guitar parts etc. really good
I can hear it!
I think so too.