Editing Roxette (section)

=== 1994–1998: ''Crash! Boom! Bang!'' and ''Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus!'' ===
{{quote box
| width = 28%
| align = left|"MF: It 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."<ref name=albumnotes/>
| author = Roxette, on the first playback of ''Crash! Boom! Bang!''
}} Roxette changed their musical style with 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."<ref>{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r204135|pure_url=yes}} |title=Allmusic's review of ''Crash! Boom! Bang!'' |first=Bryan |last=Russ |access-date=29 November 2010}}</ref>

Although ''Crash! Boom! Bang!'' saw chart success (No.&nbsp;1 in Sweden, No.&nbsp;2 in Germany and No.&nbsp;3 in Australia and the UK),<ref name="OCC"/><ref name=Swedishcharts/><ref name=Auscharts/><ref name=Gercharts/> it sold fewer copies than had their previous albums, selling 5 million copies worldwide.<ref name=Roxettestory-p3/> EMI America were reluctant to release the album,<ref name=Roxettestory-p3/> and instead promoted a shortened 10-track ''Favorites'' CD in association with [[McDonald's Corporation|McDonald's]]. The ''Favorites of Crash! Boom! Bang!'' CD reportedly sold about 1 million copies.<ref name=Roxettestory-p3/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thelookforroxette.com/releases.html?id=583 |title=''Favourites from C!B!B!'' on The Look for Roxette |publisher=thelookforroxette.com |access-date=11 January 2012}}</ref> 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 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 (record label distributor)|CEMA]] (EMI's distribution wing) out of its sales and ad campaigns.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3QsEAAAAMBAJ&q=roxette+mcdonald%27s&pg=PT54 |first=Ed |last=Christman |title=NARM Nuggets:Virgin Retail, Blockbuster Deal Off in U.S. |page=54 |magazine=Billboard |date=11 March 1995 |access-date=22 December 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kxEEAAAAMBAJ&q=emi+mcdonalds&pg=PA12 |title=McDonald's Fries up Another Cheap-CD Deal |magazine=Billboard |first=Ed |last=Christman |page=12 |date=29 July 2000 |access-date=11 January 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YAgEAAAAMBAJ&q=emi+mcdonalds&pg=PA6|title=McDonald's Not Retailers' Kind of Place|first=Chris|last=Morris|pages=6, 127|date=23 July 1994|magazine=Billboard|access-date=11 January 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.planetgarth.com/news/article.php?cid=00270 |title=McDonald's CD Promotions Irk Retailers |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |first=Richard |last=Harrington |publisher=Planetgarth.com |date=7 October 1994 |access-date=4 January 2012 |archive-date=25 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080525142607/http://www.planetgarth.com/news/article.php?cid=00270 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The duo's relations with EMI's North American subsidiary, which had never been smooth, collapsed after the release of this album.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eigEAAAAMBAJ&q=roxette+have+a+nice+day&pg=PA45 |title=Roxette's Per Gessle Continues to Seek Pop 'Magic' on Duo's ''Have a Nice Day'' |first=Ben |last=Cromer |page=45 |date=24 April 1999 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=13 January 2012}}</ref> ''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,<ref name=albumnotes/> reached No.&nbsp;2 in Canada, as well as the top 10 in 7 European countries (including No.&nbsp;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--[[Crash! Boom! Bang! (song)|the album's title selection]], "[[Fireworks (Roxette song)|Fireworks]]", and "[[Run to You (Roxette song)|Run to You]]"—were less successful but managed to reach the charts in some countries.<ref name="OCC"/><ref name=Gercharts/>

Roxette then embarked on another, albeit scaled-down, worldwide tour, skipping North America in the process.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5AsEAAAAMBAJ&q=roxette&pg=PA61 |title=EMA Telstar Books Roxette into Moscow To Close Tour |first=Thom |last=Duffy |page=61 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=29 April 1995|access-date=29 November 2010}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nQ0EAAAAMBAJ&q=roxette+china&pg=PA66 |title=Hong kong comes into Focus |magazine=Billboard |first=Mike |last=Levin |page=66 |access-date=22 October 2010 |date=23 December 1995}}</ref> The procedure to get permission for this concert took over a year, and included self-censorship of lyrics.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sHlEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1992,3753409&dq=roxette+china&hl=en |title=Roxette lyrics censored in Beijing |agency=[[Associated Press]] |newspaper=[[The Albany Herald]] |page=2 |date=20 February 1995 |access-date=4 January 2012}}</ref> <!--Citation needed The band did re-write some of their lyrics but used the original lyrics after all during the concert.{{Citation needed|date=October 2008}} -->In 2008 they were ordered to pay 4.5 million [[Swedish krona|kronor]] in unpaid taxes to the [[Swedish Tax Agency]], for money earned during the German part of the 1994/95 tour.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.svd.se/kultur/roxette-forlorade-doms-att-betala-45-miljoner_1890239.svd |title=Roxette förlorade&nbsp;– döms att betala 4,5 miljoner |trans-title=Roxette lost&nbsp;– ordered to pay 4.5 million |date=15 October 2008 |first=Albin |last=Grahn |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |access-date=4 January 2012 |language=sv}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.vg.no/musikk/artikkel.php?artid=538348 |title=Roxette skylder millionbeløp |trans-title=Roxette owes millions |first=Halstein |last=Røyseland |date=16 October 2008 |work=[[VG Nett]] |access-date=4 January 2012 |language=no}}</ref>

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]].<ref name="OCC"/><ref name=Auscharts/> The compilation sold 6 million copies worldwide,<ref name=Roxettestory-p3/> 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]].<ref name=albumnotes/> Also that year, 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 (Roxette album)|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×&nbsp;platinum in Spain and platinum in Argentina.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.promusicae.es/files/listassemanales/albumes/historial/TOP%20100%20ALBUMES%2006_09.pdf |title=Top 100 albums&nbsp;– 2006–09 |publisher=[[Promusicae]] |access-date=8 January 2012 |archive-date=4 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130604235611/http://www.promusicae.es/files/listassemanales/albumes/historial/TOP%20100%20ALBUMES%2006_09.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.capif.org.ar/Default.asp?PerDesde_MM=1&PerDesde_AA=2000&PerHasta_MM=8&PerHasta_AA=2010&interprete=roxette&album=&LanDesde_MM=0&LanDesde_AA=0&LanHasta_MM=0&LanHasta_AA=0&Galardon=O&Tipo=0&ACCION2=+Buscar+&ACCION=Buscar&CO=5&CODOP=ESOP |title=Argentinian Certifications |publisher=[[CAPIF]] |access-date=30 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110706084507/http://www.capif.org.ar/Default.asp?PerDesde_MM=1&PerDesde_AA=2000&PerHasta_MM=8&PerHasta_AA=2010&interprete=roxette&album=&LanDesde_MM=0&LanDesde_AA=0&LanHasta_MM=0&LanHasta_AA=0&Galardon=O&Tipo=0&ACCION2=+Buscar+&ACCION=Buscar&CO=5&CODOP=ESOP |archive-date=6 July 2011}}</ref> The single "[[Spending My Time|Un día sin ti]]" ("Spending My Time") accompanied by a video directed by [[Jonas Åkerlund]], became their first [[Latin Pop Airplay]] chart entry.<ref name=RoxBillboard/> 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.<ref name=Swedishcharts/>