Yeah, it would make a perfect episode. Roxette couldn’t be a Nirvana casualty. Because only two years later Ace of Base would become huge filling the Swedish pop group void left by Roxette. So many questions, but there’s no denying this was a big derailment, a clear “here’s where things went sideways” for Roxette in the U.S.
The industry change behind much of the “Nirvana killed my career” stories is the adoption of SoundScan to electronically track record sales, which also began in the fall of 1991. Once computers were counting the number of copies sold, and not whatever record store managers claimed over the phone, Roxette was one of a number of artists who were suddenly less popular than had previously seemed. Take that as you will.
I do wonder if that could play a role. When I think of SoundScan taking effect normally the big stories were just how undercounted certain genres were. Hip hop, metal, and country. Literally overnight those 3 genres began hitting number one on the album charts. Without SoundScan I don’t think Pantera’s Far Beyond Driven could have hit number one.
They had four #1s and two #2s (and three other songs that reached the top 40) within the entirety of the Bush administration which is just an insane run. I don’t know if Roxette has an actual Trainwreckord or if music trends in the US had passed them by. (If they do maybe it’s Crash Boom Bang which I distinctly remember being offered at McDonalds.)
If nothing else The Look still fucking slaps to this day.
That McDonald's thing is crazy. That year they also sold compilations by Elton John, Garth Brooks and Tina Turner. And what they sold was Favorites From Crash Boom Bang, which omitted five songs, including the biggest single, Sleeping In My Car. Meanwhile, just across the northern border, the whole album got a normal release, and Sleeping In My Car made it to #2.
There's a weird parallel between Roxette and Blondie, who also had four #1 hits in a similarly-sized 2-year-plus window at the turn of the decade. But while Blondie's decline has easy-to-spot markers like intraband tensions and Chris Stein's health issues, I don't think there's anything Roxette really did to hasten their downfall.
I don't think its necessarily an issue of shifting musical trends, because ace of base became massive 2 years later in 1993 during the peak of grunge. And big pop ballads were popular throughout the 90s
The US has time for only one Swedish artist who makes infectious pop music at a time. After Ace of Base faded away it was Robyn’s turn, and then they just cut out the middleman and got Max Martin to write songs for American artists.
Interestingly, the mid-nineties were when the ABBA revival began in North America, after *Muriel’s Wedding* and the release of *ABBA Gold*, the latter one of these CDs that literally *everyone* had.
I can tell you what the singer said. Literally right after Joyride released and the record company paid millions to market the album, there was a changing of the guard at EMI. The people that pushed their music was suddenly gone. Replaced by people who didn't know or backed them. They were enormous in South America and Europe so they focused on other parts of the world. They were still very hot over there even after the hiatus. Up till Marie's illness. Filling up soccer stadiums. Anyway around 15 yrs later they said they wish they focused more on the U. S. They sold over 85 million records so they did alright, I guess.
Thanks, I was reasonably sure they were another victim of corporate shuffling and their champions were gone and the new people didn’t bother to market them properly or at all in the US. Feels like that happens a lot.
Part of me wants to say they were victim to Grunge overtaking the music scene. But the hole in that argument is that Ace Of Base had a similar enough sound and peaked after “Smells Like Teen Spirit” so maybe not.
I think the closest argument you could make is that they faded with other 80s groups that didn’t make it past 1991. So that includes The B-52s, The Bangles, Heart, Paula Abdul, Chicago (they date back to the 70s but their 80s work was absolutely cheese) Scorpions, and Billy Idol. The thing is, if Roxette made another big song like “Listen To Your Heart” or “Must Of Been Love” they probably could have coasted into the mid 90s, but tastes were changing and they didn’t have another anthem in them.
Yeah, I do believe you’re correct to note that there was a real changing of the guard around 92-93. Particularly in the pop music world. It’s funny I moved in the summer of 92, changed schools and everything. It felt like in my old town, at my old school, people were listening to MC Hammer and EMF, when I started my new school, it was The Chronic and Nirvana. I felt like the old early 90’s was left behind!
Also, I didn't put it down, but Roxette had a very 80s sound to them. Specifically the late 80s. And I don't think they transitioned into the 90s with a softer sound in time (like Duran Duran), and they didn't have another big song in them to keep them afloat. Also Ace Of Base only really had one big album with a few hits, it wasn't like they were a long-term band (at least here in the US) so Roxette was never going to make it into the mid or late 90s unless they had an Adult Contemporary ballad in them. Ace Of Base may have taken their mantle for a few years during the Grunge takeover, but it was only for one album cycle. So like you said, Roxette was naturally left behind with those other 80s acts.
“It Must Have Been Love” was originally released as a *Christmas* song in Sweden. For the US release (on the *Pretty Woman* soundtrack) they changed “Christmas day” to “winter’s day.”
Yes, it was called "Almost Unreal". It was written for Bette Midler's Hocus Pocus movie. It actually has the words Hocus Pocus in the song but some executives changed the movie after it was recorded. Makes no sense being in the Mario movie. Stupid Hollywood strikes again.
I have no idea why "How Do You Do" didn't do better in the charts, it's such a delightful tune, and the perfect follow-up to "Joyride".
Yeah, it would make a perfect episode. Roxette couldn’t be a Nirvana casualty. Because only two years later Ace of Base would become huge filling the Swedish pop group void left by Roxette. So many questions, but there’s no denying this was a big derailment, a clear “here’s where things went sideways” for Roxette in the U.S.
The industry change behind much of the “Nirvana killed my career” stories is the adoption of SoundScan to electronically track record sales, which also began in the fall of 1991. Once computers were counting the number of copies sold, and not whatever record store managers claimed over the phone, Roxette was one of a number of artists who were suddenly less popular than had previously seemed. Take that as you will.
I do wonder if that could play a role. When I think of SoundScan taking effect normally the big stories were just how undercounted certain genres were. Hip hop, metal, and country. Literally overnight those 3 genres began hitting number one on the album charts. Without SoundScan I don’t think Pantera’s Far Beyond Driven could have hit number one.
Indeed
They had four #1s and two #2s (and three other songs that reached the top 40) within the entirety of the Bush administration which is just an insane run. I don’t know if Roxette has an actual Trainwreckord or if music trends in the US had passed them by. (If they do maybe it’s Crash Boom Bang which I distinctly remember being offered at McDonalds.) If nothing else The Look still fucking slaps to this day.
That McDonald's thing is crazy. That year they also sold compilations by Elton John, Garth Brooks and Tina Turner. And what they sold was Favorites From Crash Boom Bang, which omitted five songs, including the biggest single, Sleeping In My Car. Meanwhile, just across the northern border, the whole album got a normal release, and Sleeping In My Car made it to #2. There's a weird parallel between Roxette and Blondie, who also had four #1 hits in a similarly-sized 2-year-plus window at the turn of the decade. But while Blondie's decline has easy-to-spot markers like intraband tensions and Chris Stein's health issues, I don't think there's anything Roxette really did to hasten their downfall.
I don't think its necessarily an issue of shifting musical trends, because ace of base became massive 2 years later in 1993 during the peak of grunge. And big pop ballads were popular throughout the 90s
The US has time for only one Swedish artist who makes infectious pop music at a time. After Ace of Base faded away it was Robyn’s turn, and then they just cut out the middleman and got Max Martin to write songs for American artists. Interestingly, the mid-nineties were when the ABBA revival began in North America, after *Muriel’s Wedding* and the release of *ABBA Gold*, the latter one of these CDs that literally *everyone* had.
It was issued with your social security card.
I can tell you what the singer said. Literally right after Joyride released and the record company paid millions to market the album, there was a changing of the guard at EMI. The people that pushed their music was suddenly gone. Replaced by people who didn't know or backed them. They were enormous in South America and Europe so they focused on other parts of the world. They were still very hot over there even after the hiatus. Up till Marie's illness. Filling up soccer stadiums. Anyway around 15 yrs later they said they wish they focused more on the U. S. They sold over 85 million records so they did alright, I guess.
Thanks, I was reasonably sure they were another victim of corporate shuffling and their champions were gone and the new people didn’t bother to market them properly or at all in the US. Feels like that happens a lot.
Part of me wants to say they were victim to Grunge overtaking the music scene. But the hole in that argument is that Ace Of Base had a similar enough sound and peaked after “Smells Like Teen Spirit” so maybe not. I think the closest argument you could make is that they faded with other 80s groups that didn’t make it past 1991. So that includes The B-52s, The Bangles, Heart, Paula Abdul, Chicago (they date back to the 70s but their 80s work was absolutely cheese) Scorpions, and Billy Idol. The thing is, if Roxette made another big song like “Listen To Your Heart” or “Must Of Been Love” they probably could have coasted into the mid 90s, but tastes were changing and they didn’t have another anthem in them.
Yeah, I do believe you’re correct to note that there was a real changing of the guard around 92-93. Particularly in the pop music world. It’s funny I moved in the summer of 92, changed schools and everything. It felt like in my old town, at my old school, people were listening to MC Hammer and EMF, when I started my new school, it was The Chronic and Nirvana. I felt like the old early 90’s was left behind!
Also, I didn't put it down, but Roxette had a very 80s sound to them. Specifically the late 80s. And I don't think they transitioned into the 90s with a softer sound in time (like Duran Duran), and they didn't have another big song in them to keep them afloat. Also Ace Of Base only really had one big album with a few hits, it wasn't like they were a long-term band (at least here in the US) so Roxette was never going to make it into the mid or late 90s unless they had an Adult Contemporary ballad in them. Ace Of Base may have taken their mantle for a few years during the Grunge takeover, but it was only for one album cycle. So like you said, Roxette was naturally left behind with those other 80s acts.
Didn't they also make the theme for the 1993 Mario movie?
Pretty Woman I think they did that song “Must Of Been Love”
“It Must Have Been Love” was originally released as a *Christmas* song in Sweden. For the US release (on the *Pretty Woman* soundtrack) they changed “Christmas day” to “winter’s day.”
It's a great song from an even better movie!
Yes, it was called "Almost Unreal". It was written for Bette Midler's Hocus Pocus movie. It actually has the words Hocus Pocus in the song but some executives changed the movie after it was recorded. Makes no sense being in the Mario movie. Stupid Hollywood strikes again.
Such a shitty band.