Editing Roxette (section)

=== 1978–1987: Formation and ''Pearls of Passion'' ===
[[Per Gessle]] and [[Marie Fredriksson]] had been friends since 1978. Both musicians had successful careers in Sweden in the early 1980s. Gessle was a member of [[Gyllene Tider]],<ref name="latimes">{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-05-13-ca-266-story.html|title=Roxette Ridicules Rumors|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|author=Hunt, Dennis|date=13 May 1990|access-date=22 September 2024}}</ref> (English: Golden Ages), whose first two albums each sold at least 150,000 copies in Sweden.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1981/BB-1981-04-11.pdf|magazine=[[Billboard magazine|Billboard]]|title=Promo Ready for Swedish Group|page=70|date=11 April 1981|issn=0006-2510|accessdate=21 September 2024}}</ref> In 1981, Fredriksson performed backing vocals on Gyllene Tider's song "Ingenting av vad du behöver" (English: "Nothing of What You Need").<ref name="look">{{cite book |last=Thorselius|first=Robert |title=The Look for Roxette: The Illustrated Worldwide Discography & Price Guide|edition=1st|date=May 2003|publisher=Premium Förlag Publishing |location=Sweden|isbn=978-9197189484}}</ref> The following year, Gessle invited Fredriksson to audition for Gyllene Tider's producer Lars-Göran "Lasse" Lindbom.<ref>{{harvnb|Lundgren|Wikström|1992|p=134}}</ref> Lindbom was impressed by Fredriksson's voice, and offered her a [[Record contract|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.<ref>{{harvnb|Lundgren|Wikström|1992|p=135}}</ref>

In 1984, 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 [[Extended play|EP]] format in North America under the name Roxette—derived from the [[Dr. Feelgood (band)|Dr. Feelgood]] [[Roxette (song)|song of the same name]].<ref name="look"/> Soon after, Fredriksson began releasing [[Folk music|folk]]-based solo albums,<ref name="latimes"/> beginning with ''[[Het vind]]'' (English: "Hot Wind") in 1984.<ref name="look"/> 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.<ref name="look"/>

{{quote box
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| quote = "I remember that Per had written 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."|author=—EMI Sweden CEO Rolf Nygren in 2001<ref name=Roxettestory-p1>{{cite news|url=http://www.expressen.se/article.asp?id=63603|title=Sagan om Roxette: Här börjar triumftåget|trans-title=Lord of Roxette: Here starts success (part 1)|newspaper=Expressen|access-date=28 September 2009|date=13 April 2001|first= Ninni|last=O Schulman|language=sv|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020829124759/http://www.expressen.se/article.asp?id=63603|archive-date=29 August 2002}}</ref> 
}}

Around this time, the [[Chief executive officer|CEO]] of EMI, Rolf Nygren, suggested Fredriksson and Gessle collaborate together to record a song in English. Fredriksson 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 was issued later in 1986.<ref name=Roxettestory-p1/> The album eventually sold over 280,000 copies in Sweden.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YiiIAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA127|title=The Global Jukebox: The International Music Industry|publisher=[[Routledge]]|author=Burnett, Robert|page=127|date=2002|isbn=978-1-134-87210-7 |access-date=22 September 2024}}</ref> "Neverending Love" and subsequent single "[[Soul Deep (Roxette song)|Soul Deep]]" were issued as singles internationally, but failed to chart outside Sweden.<ref name=Roxettestory-p1/>

[[File:Rrr 87.jpg|thumb|left|Fredriksson (left), Dahlgren (centre) and Gessle (right) on the "Rock runt riket" tour.]]

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 (band)|Ratata]]. All three acts collaborated to record "[[I Want You (Roxette song)|I Want You]]", which was released as a non-album single in July.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hakanpettersson.se/blogg.php?id=3997|title=Jättekoloss på tunga fötter|language=sv|trans-title="Giant colossus on heavy feet"|author=Pettersson, Håkan|work=[[Nerikes Allehanda]]|access-date=23 September 2024}}</ref> 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]].<ref name="Mariecharts">{{cite web|url=https://swedishcharts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Marie+Fredriksson|title=swedishcharts.com – Discography Marie Fredriksson|publisher=Hung Medien|access-date=23 September 2024}}</ref><ref name="SwedishCerts">{{cite web|url=http://www.ifpi.se/wp/wp-content/uploads/guld-platina-1987-1998.pdf|title=Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987–1998|trans-title="Gold and Platinum Certifications – Years 1987–1998"|publisher=[[International Federation of the Phonographic Industry|IFPI Sweden]]|access-date=23 September 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616145338/http://www.ifpi.se/wp/wp-content/uploads/guld-platina-1987-1998.pdf|archive-date=16 June 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> It won Best Swedish Album at the 1987 [[Rockbjörnen]] awards, where Fredriksson also won the award for Best Swedish Female.<ref name="Rockbjörnen">{{cite web |url=http://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/musik/rockbjornen/article12332776.ab |title=Tidigare Vinnare &#124; Rockbjörnen |language=sv |trans-title=Previous Winners &#124; Rockbjörnen |work=[[Aftonbladet]] |publisher=[[Schibsted]] |date=27 May 2016 |accessdate=14 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161101224134/http://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/musik/rockbjornen/article12332776.ab |archive-date=1 November 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Later that year, Roxette released "[[It Must Have Been Love|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 a single.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2161239/the-number-ones-roxettes-it-must-have-been-love/columns/the-number-ones/|title=The Number Ones: Roxette's 'It Must Have Been Love'|author=Breihan, Tom|work=[[Stereogum]]|date=22 September 2021|access-date=23 September 2024}}</ref>