Hit cover of “Listen to Your Heart” breaks into the Billboard Top 40
Written by Lars-Erik_Olson on June 23, 2005 to Sales & Charts.
NEW YORK - 
Sixteen years after Roxette climbed all the way to the top of the charts with “Listen to Your Heart,” the song has made a spectacular return and – this week – broke into a coveted Top 40 position on the the Billboard “Hot 100” chart.
The Belgian duo D.H.T.’s dance remake of LTYH climbs a dramatic 19 places up to #36 this week, raising the question of just how much higher it can go.
“It’s reacted very well on radio,” a spokeswoman at Robbins Entertainment, the group’s U.S. record label, told The Daily Roxette.
Their Roxette cover was previously released in Europe, and appeared on various compilation albums there as well. Robbins, primarily a dance label, is a joint-venture with BMG North America. Here in the States, it’s available as a Maxi-CD, on 12” vinyl, and as a legitimate download. These sales numbers are factored into this Billboard chart. A spot check yesterday showed that Virgin Megastore in NYC’s Times Square (where Roxette performed the song live in 2000) had a dozen copies on display.
So far, there hasn’t been a music video to help promote the single. “We didn’t like the one they already had,” she said, implying that it wouldn’t be of much help here. That will soon change, as the label – excited about the success they’ve had so far and preparing for a July 19 release of a full CD (see cover art above) – is flying D.H.T. back to New York to shoot a brand new one this weekend.
“Anytime I spin ’Listen To Your Heart,’ the club goes wild,” says “DJ Eric” on the Robbins site’s message board. As previously reported on TDR, the song is getting heavy airplay on major U.S. radio stations.
This is the first cover version of a Roxette song to appear on the Billboard chart, and the first entry credited to Per Gessle since Roxette’s “Sleeping in My Car” went to #50 in July 1994.
Roxette’s original recording of “Listen to Your Heart” reached the #1 slot the week of November 4, 1989.
Roxryder-V2002 contributed to this article.
- Billboard’s Hot 100 chart
- Robbins Entertainment
- Audio Snippets
- Video of “Unplugged” version (Not being used in U.S.)
Other articles with the same topic
- "Radio" climbs in Canada (February 24, 2011)
- "Charm School" #1 in Germany (February 22, 2011)
- Roxette's iTunes sales solidify chart success in Europe (February 14, 2011)
- Roxette enters German singles chart (February 8, 2011)
- Brazilian site jumps the gun and puts single on sale over one week early (December 31, 2010)
32 comments
frisso said on June 24, 2005 01:44:
it’s time for some rox news or per, marie.
it’s all covers and things like that.
i thought this was the daily roxette. not daily cover roxette.
Roxette-atic said on June 24, 2005 04:40:
Yea, what a strange situation: “Listen To Your Heart” a hit in USA, “Fading Like A Flower” a hit in the UK(?), but no sign of Marie and Per...
steven said on June 24, 2005 07:50:
This is superb news for Roxette as I’m sure it will introduce a whole new generation of fans.
Good to see a news item by Lars-Erik too. Always well researched and always a pleasure to read.
rox-kuryliw said on June 24, 2005 08:14:
how does a song go top 40 in US without it being able to buy :-O, ive never understood how the chart works there , if its airplay doesnt it all depend on what the and how much the record company pays the radio station to play it for ;)
Rich-UK said on June 24, 2005 08:39:
Let’s dream. Maybe by the beginning of August we shall see Roxette songs in the top 10 on both sides of the Atlantic! All the best, Rich
joyrider said on June 24, 2005 09:32:
i only listened to the unplugged version (video) and i must say that the girl has a good voice (sounds a little bit like the one from ace of base).
i don’t like techno and dance music and so the “origianal” version of DHT can not catch me i guess ...
and btw: the video is probably too much kitsch for my taste!
Staffany said on June 24, 2005 11:43:
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ, what boring......
Tired of this shitty remixes....
eBay said on June 24, 2005 12:04:
Why are you tired of Remixes? This is excellent news and Roxette have proven, they stood the test of time and their music is still loved!
Lars-Erik_Olson (moderator) said on June 24, 2005 13:08:
Re: Above comment... this song is most definitely available for purchase... both as a legitimate download, 12” vinyl, and as a Maxi-CD. These sales are factored into this Billboard chart. A spot check yesterday showed that Virgin Megastore in NYC’s Times Square (where Roxette performed the song in 2000) had a dozen copies on display. [Added to article]
AURYTE said on June 24, 2005 13:17:
It’s amazing :):):) I think, I begin to love this kind of music...
brentnewtown said on June 24, 2005 14:07:
i’ve been hearing this song at my gym in sydney (aus) for months and love it everytime i hear it. no, it’s not as good as the original, but it still gives me a buzz when i hear it.
daniel_alv said on June 24, 2005 14:33:
GREAT! Maybe a success for Per and Marie to ride along to? Maybe they should have released the Gr hits from 2000 now instead? or maybe a new album soon!
bunny said on June 24, 2005 16:56:
I actually think that this remix sucks. I think people like it only because they don’t remember this old song from Roxette, and they fall in love with the chorus again, which is nice.
roxtexanet said on June 25, 2005 02:40:
I’m really surprised that there’s any kind of market for this style of music on US radio, I thought this kind of mid-90s techno went out with The Real McCoy!
striker170 said on June 25, 2005 09:34:
for real chris...the non-dance version is eerily like the original with a weaker vocal...naturally...but hearing that haunting piano at the beginning of the song gives me chills (remember living in US I havent heard a new Roxette song on the radio in 11 years)...hearing them on my trips to Sweden doesn’t count. Everyone is saying how great it is for Roxette having the cover version in the charts and to a degree I admit there is some excitement, but in all the times I’ve heard it on the radio (which is a couple of times a day now) the djs have never mentioned Roxette’s name. If it were Roxette that re-released LTYH I have a feeling program directors would have seen the name Roxette and thought of a ’has-been band of the 80’s’. I think the fact that there is a dance version as well as a ’ballad’ version is part of the reason why it’s doing so well here (apart from it being a great song with great lyrics). It fits the format of dance stations, top 40 stations and ac stations. I am happy that it is doing so well I just wish Roxette would get some credit for the song, but instead 13 year olds all over the country think that DHT came up with this great song..same way they think ’It’s My Life’ is an original No Doubt song. Sorry just me venting
Staffany said on June 25, 2005 20:47:
You see, only us know that is a Roxette’s song. They didn’t mention it and people think it’s DHT own song... No big deal for Roxette.
That’s why I don’t care about this. It’s DHT, not Roxette. And, for my part, this version is the most horrible thing I have heard in years...
coyboyusa said on June 26, 2005 18:54:
its kinda nice to see that the predominate;ly gay dance community has brought roxette back to the top 40, dht’s unplugged version is kinda nice i seriously think emi should release crush maxi single here now its time
steven said on June 26, 2005 20:03:
I agree wuth Coyboy...
Wack out a COY maxi single NOW for the US and ride on the current wave of publicity.
eBay said on June 27, 2005 10:07:
I must admit, I didn’t even know that ’Its my life’ is not a No Doubt song. Who’s song is it then?
Superbullie said on June 27, 2005 15:02:
“It’y my life” is a song by the british group Talk Talk from 1984. They had some brilliant hit singles in the 80s like “Such a shame”
brunorox said on June 27, 2005 16:47:
I agree with Joyrider, that’s a good voice, and the song seems to fit with the girl ...
And more over, I am very proud to say this is Belgian !!!
Bruno from Verviers ....
and it would be a great idea that for the next Roxette tour in Belgium, Roxette invit DHT for one or two songs together, Really !!!!
brentnewtown said on June 28, 2005 07:54:
- the song is number 2 on the billboard dance radio airplay chart for the second week (this may have been mentioned before)http://www.billboard.com/bb/charts/airplay/dance_radio.jsp
- the song was the ’hit to happen’ (my term, not theirs) on american top 40. i understand that american top 40 uses the billboard chart so next week’s show should reflect this week’s billboard chart. ryan seacrest (host) said something along the lines of: of all the bands to cover, why roxette? they (dht) have done a great job.
Superbullie said on June 29, 2005 14:36:
the new charts must be allready out, but the billboard site seems to be offline today :-(
@Ally: I’m sure it will climb higher
Anarem said on June 24, 2005 01:33:
You know you’re getting old when your favourite songs from your childhood/teenage years become cover tunes, and the kids of today think it’s a brand-new song. Oy!