The Swedish pop band Roxette formed in 1984 and landed a deal with EMI shortly thereafter on the strength of their single "Neverending Love." Composed of singer Marie Fredriksson and guitarist Per Gessle, Roxette made their full-length debut in 1986 with Pearls of Passion, but became international superstars with their 1988 follow-up Look Sharp!, which was not released in the U.S. until an exchange student brought a copy to a Minneapolis radio station and "The Look" became a No. 1 hit! The album went on to sell over eight million copies worldwide, leading to a European tour an another hit single, 1987's "It Must Have Been Love." Their next full LP, Joyride, was another hit, selling 10 million copies worldwide. A world tour followed, after which the group took some time off. They returned in 1994 with Crash! Boom! Bang!, which, though popular elsewhere, was never distributed in the U.S. except through McDonald's. 1997's Baladas en Espanol targeted the Spanish-speaking market, and was released worldwide. Roxette recently re-signed to EMI and are at work on a new album.
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