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Why did Roxette not retain their popularity in USA
32 replies
kabriggs said on April 20, 2006 16:54:
I am a big Roxette Fan and I saw roxette the last time they were in the States at a very small venue in Nashville, TN. They were about 5 other acts on this venue and they were not even the headline act. I think Tiffany and some guy names Shaggy were later performances. It just seems odd to me that someone like Roxette could be an undercard to these performers on this venue in the States. Any ideas why?
Sascha said on April 20, 2006 18:56:
And Marie and Per don’t wanna change their happy family life for heavy and long promotion tours in the states. Not anymore.
kabriggs said on April 20, 2006 19:11:
I understand the promotion part and Per and Marie not wanting to spend large amount of time doing it, but that would hold true for Australia and South America and parts of Asia as well, but they have maintain some popularity in those areas.
I heard a different version of Listen to you Heart recently and only a few people even knew the original artists. The new version was very Bad in my opinion as the original is so awesome.
Santi said on April 20, 2006 21:01:
In my humble opinion everything is too fast and too fleeting in America. I’m amazed hearing Americans talk that they’re always saying something is “the best ever”, “the worst ever”... they can say this every ten minutes.
It must be their culture, their lack of a long history or... I don’t know, let’s blame the TV, why not? :D I mean, in the news there is no time for the past (Yesterday’s news is the oldest thing possible), and once you’re not in front page, you vanish and disappear. You may argue this happens all around the globe, but I think that happens in America more often.
Add to that the lack of EMI support, that they’re not physically in America (it’s very hard to succeed in the American musical scene if your not American or British or simply willing to be around there more than around anywhere else...) and that their accents may sound a bit weird... I think you get the picture.
rox-kuryliw said on April 20, 2006 21:09:
i think they would still have fans in US if they music got exposed correctly there. WICF should have scored HUGE on the adult mainstream, but why didnt it ? not enough support from the label, simple.
Sparvogamarie said on April 20, 2006 21:20:
I think Tev and Santi are right, and I also think that Roxette’s music style went out of fashion in the US. In 94,95 it was all about grunge, Nirvana and that sort of music. There was no room for rocky pop. The same thing happened in Australia, Rox started to lose success around 92, they did quite well with CBB then that was the last we heard of them. Their music didn’t fit with any of the radio stations at all. WICF got some airplay on the easy listening stations but that was about it.
You can certainly blame EMI for some of it, but then again a record company has no reason to sabotage a band that is making them money. They pull their support when they feel the band is no longer profitable and they pour it into someone who is, like Robbie Williams. If Robbie has a few flop albums though, the same will happen to him. It’s a cut throat business.
eBay said on April 21, 2006 06:33:
I think Per and Marie play a big part in why they have not retained their popularity in the states actually. If they would have moved over there as they were told to and promoted each single and album to death, then they would surely be as successful as other best selling artists in the states are. No act has ever kept their popularity going for long in the states that has not kept promoting, promoting, promoting, promoting AND having a house or something over there.. Basically, selling their soul to the states.. So, I think Marie and Per are partly to blame.
However, I don’t think it is a shame that they are not successfull over there anymore, as they decided to stay true to themselves.
pwbbounce (moderator) said on April 21, 2006 07:13:
I agree with some of what you’re saying eBay. I’m really glad that they didn’t move out to America and record Joyride etc out there. I don’t think the end result would’ve been anywhere near the same as the album we know today. And yeah, Americans are fickle with what current fads they like. What’s cool today can be so uncool tomorrow. Don’t get me wrong, I love America (NYC esp.!), but life is a little bit too fast over there.
It’s not a million miles away here in the UK either. We have no promotion, the only reason why I think we’ve had a few more hits than US is that we are a lot closer to Sweden. They don’t have to sit on a plane for 9 hours to get here.
I doubt very much if Rox will ever get another deal in USA. I don’t think Per/Marie really care either. Per says he would love another US #1, but there’s no way they’re are going to go out to the States and promote.
It’s a shame, but that’s the way the music business is today. Too many boy/girl bands looking for 15 mins of fame (some staying around a little bit too long if you ask me :-)!! ) which is wrecking the market for proper bands that can actually play and write music. It makes me angry when there are so many decent bands that don’t get hits, but then you’ve got something like It’s Chico Time (people outside UK won’t know that!) getting number 1’s!!! WHY??? Because it’s been pushed down their throat and ears by TV shows, Magazines and all the kids (who get too much pocket money) go and buy it!!!!!!!!!
There’s a track on Bon Jovi’s Have A Nice Day album called Last Man Standing. Me and Jon share the same views:
LAST MAN STANDING
Come see a living, breathing spectacle only seen right here
It’s your last chance in this lifetime, the line forms at the rear
You won’t believe your eyes
Your eyes will not believe your ears
Get your money out, get ready
Step right up, yeah you, come here
You ain’t seen nothing like him, he’s the last one of the breed
Better hold on to your, honey
Honeys, don’t forget to breathe
Enter at your own risk, mister
It might change the way you think
There’s no dancers, there’s no diamonds
No, this boy don’t lip synch
Here’s the last man standing
Step right up, here’s the real thing
The last chance of a lifetime
Come and see, hear, feel… the real thing
See those real live calloused fingers wrapped around those guitar strings
Kiss the lips where hurt has lingered
It breaks your heart to hear them sing
The songs were more than music, they were pictures from the soul
So keep your pseudo-punk, hip-hop, pop-rock junk
And your digital downloads
Here’s the last man standing
Step right up, here’s the real thing
The last chance of a lifetime
To come and see, hear, feel… the real thing
Take your seats, now folks – it’s showtime
Hey, Patrick, hit the lights
There’s something in the air, there’s magic in the night
Now here’s the band, the really play
I’ll count the first one in
I don’t know where it’s going
We all know where it’s been
Here’s the last man standing
Step right up, here’s the real thing
The last chance of a lifetime
To come and see, hear, feel…
The last man standing
Step right up, here’s the real thing
The last chance of a lifetime
Come and see, hear, feel…
The real thing, the real thing, the real thing, the real thing…
Sorry about the moaning folks (and I think what’s probably my longest ever post here) but that’s basically what I think about the current music biz.
I’ll just keep on my search for quality bands hidden under a pile of “rubbish”!
kristallhjarta said on April 21, 2006 17:54:
I’m with Sparvogamarie on the change in public taste being a factor. I was living in the US in the late 80s and early 90s and I’m still amazed at how quickly it changed over a few years. Even established pop-metal bands lost ground in the grunge movement. For Roxette, I don’t think any amount of record company support would’ve made a difference to anyone under 25 at the time. The grunge movement went beyond music – it was a lifestyle, the slacker culture, etc etc, and Roxette was never going to be a part of that style. The upside of all this – Roxette’s music remains timeless. I can’t listen to the Gin Blossoms because they sound dated, but even “Joyride” still sounds fresh to me. And of course, they
never worn out their welcome through over-exposure. It’s all good...
crazypackersfan said on April 21, 2006 19:52:
Living in the US, I can tell you that unfortunately Roxette could never regain their popularity here because of the absolutely awful taste of music most of America has. What’s popular here is rap, hip hop, country, and “emo” (which is basically low-quality punk rock). Unfortunately, most Americans don’t care for actual talent, and would prefer to watch the totally untalented singers on American Idol. I think it’s a real shame.
rox-kuryliw said on April 21, 2006 20:35:
i must admit i watch these music channels, and they keep trying to feed us hip hop , rap , big black men in chains and gold with semi naked women moving there over weight butts behind them. I just hope the british public keep buying crappy pop music, and dance , id rather that than the other :-S
Sparvogamarie said on April 22, 2006 02:45:
I think us Roxfans have to accept we like a band who doesn’t fit into the mainstream. They did for a while in 89 - 92 but they didn’t change with the times like Madonna, or reach legendary status like U2 or the Stones, so they fell away like a ton of other artists (New Kids, Belinda Carlisle, Bryan Adams to name just a few).
You know, I’m actually glad about it because they do their own thing, they don’t try to be young or make music that doesn’t suit them just to hit the charts. Frankly speaking I also think Marie did not have the personality to deal with that high level of fame - she was incredibly lost and depressed during the Joyride era and she’s never been able to cope with too much attention. Imagine how she would have handled her illness if she was at Madonna’s level!!! She had a fit over Expressen, well as horrible as it was, it was NOTHING compared to what the British and American tabloids would have done to her!!
rox-kuryliw said on April 22, 2006 14:32:
ow belinda carlisle is just great, and i would say she still has a huge following in uk, but not as big as it used to be i guess.
HBrox said on April 22, 2006 15:53:
I think the reason was a mixture between a change in the american market music (for me they have the worst music taste in the world!!!), lack of promotion and not interest from Per and Marie.
CBB is great, but much too “out on time” in the ’90 where everything was grunge... Do you think Nirvana were better musicans than Roxette?? I don’t think so, they were just very popular, very “cool” at the time and they took advantage of that fact.
On the other hand if you want to keep your name in the american market you gotta be “noiser”.. I mean.. two swedish correct persons with a funny acent is just not interestring for the americans..they need scandals, sex stories, broken guitars.. all that kind of sh**t. Actually, in the american music market, the music you make is not such important, at least not as important as the way you look and your sex appeal.I.E.: Britney spears, Jessica simpson, backstreet boys, well, the list is unfinishable.
For me, it’s better this way. Marie and Per kept honest to their basics and if they succedded was basicly because of their music and not their aspect.
davidc4 said on April 22, 2006 20:06:
i think when mcdonalds started doing the crash boom promo the record company had alot of trouble convincing stores to stock the full album so hardly any singles were released over there and this killed their career
Sparvogamarie said on April 23, 2006 02:22:
I like Belinda Carlisle a lot too (looooooooooove Heaven is a place on earth!!!!) but that doesn’t mean she’s still big! She might still have some success in the UK, but on that token Roxette also have some success in Germany. Hell, David Hasselhoff has a big singing career in Germany but that doesn’t make him a major artist. You don’t have to be big in the US to be a huge artist, Robbie Williams isn’t and Kylie Minogue was unheard of there for most of her career. But you do have to be big in more than one or two countries! It’s really not important to me though, I think a smaller band is easier to follow. Imagine trying to get tickets to a Madonna concert. My friend had to pay $2000 on Ebay for a 7th row seat!
purplemedusa said on April 23, 2006 07:35:
“I think the reason was a mixture between a change in the american market music”
Anyone who believes this needs a reality check! There WAS no change in the american’s music taste THAT EXCLUDED ROXETTE!! It was a shift in record companies’ marketing plan to promote their LOCAL acts instead of the international ones! A very simple financial decision!!!
RobS said on April 23, 2006 10:08:
Good point, but indirectly they caused the publics taste in music to change. By only promotiing local talent, people forget/don’t know what else there is, so end up buying what they were promoting.
HBrox said on April 23, 2006 15:23:
I think we are talking about the same thing purplemedusa, because a change in the american market means that the companies got interested in teen artist with great look just because their albums are easier to sell. You don’t have to convice anyone that their music is good with an expensive marketing process (that would be the case of artist like Roxette) to convince people to buy their records. They used their sex appeal, that’s the best way to get popular. Can anybody tell if the album baby one more time from britney spears will be remember in the future as a good album?? No! It’s pure sh**t! But it sold millons and millons of copies.
Will Joyride remember as a good album in the future?? Of course!
Sparvogamarie said on April 23, 2006 21:30:
I think you have a point Purple, it is the record companies that try to influence the public’s taste. Has anyone seen the videoclip by Korn, that has writing going across the screen saying things about record companies and their control over the public? Stuff like “out of 200 singles released in one week only 4 make it to airplay” or something like that. I also saw a TV show a while ago that showed how record companies play dirty tricks, like buying thousands of copies of a single to make it go to number one. They were doing this with the “Idol” artists to make them seem successful.
kabriggs said on April 24, 2006 11:08:
Thanks for everyones opinion. I have to say being a 30 something person that has Roxette included among his favorite artist, I am actually a bit ashamed of the American Music Market. There are very very few good performers with Talent left in the Top selling performers. Most of the top performers can dance and wiggle their buts a little, but absolutly can not sing. That allow some of the old time bands to actually stick around, but it is sad that so few new bands actually have any talent. Someone mentioned Idol, but the sad things is the people coming from Idol are actually decent in comparison to some others coming out. Including about every Rapper or Hip Hopper.
Sparvogamarie said on April 25, 2006 04:49:
I actually think Kelly Clarkson is a fantastic singer, thank god she brought back the old rock chick. But in Australia Idol is a really fake show. They made one winner seem like she went to number one by buying too many copies of her single. Last’s years winner is an absolute clone of Kelly Clarkson - I can’t even tell them apart sometimes.
coyboyusa said on April 26, 2006 13:17:
its simple all the problems surrounding cbb album release the delay the mcdonalds promotional pissed off american retailers and roxette were blacklisted forever
Kathrin said on April 26, 2006 19:29:
How would it be if we try to help them gain popularity Like for example when I’m on my trip to Maine I can bring over some Albums and then Let my Aunt who used to work for the State call up some of her Friends who work at Radio Stations and ask them if I can send it to them!
davidc4 said on April 27, 2006 15:36:
good comment.america only seems to produce crappy rap music these days apart from people like kelly clarkson etc.
Roxrider_USA said on April 27, 2006 18:00:
At least there’s hope with the opening of Nordic Rox on Sirius Satellite Radio USA. Especially since it’s supposed to play scandinavian music including Roxette and one of the producers is Per.
Who knows they even Play SOAP since it’s on satellite radio.
At least something....
Take care!
Carlos E., New York.
tevensso (moderator) said on April 20, 2006 17:13:
Mainly because EMI USA stopped promoting Rox totally in circa 1992.