Radio Sweden pits Roxette against The Cardigans
Written by Lars-Erik_Olson on March 27, 2006 to Roxette.
STOCKHOLM - 
In an ongoing series called “The Greatest,” which introduces some of Sweden’s most eminent figures through time, Radio Sweden has recently asked its listeners to decide if Roxette or The Cardigans are “the greatest.”
On their website, they wrote:
In the late 1970’s Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle first crossed paths but their own successes meant it wasn’t quite time to get together. In 1986 they merged their music.
International success came with a stroke of luck… an American exchange student returned to America from Sweden and urged a radio station in Minneapolis to play ”The Look”.
Lovefool catapulted The Cardigans from cult favourite to international stardom. The song was included on the blockbuster Romeo and Juliet film soundtrack and topped UK and U.S. charts.
Two Swedish Groups who have made their musical mark both at home and on the international stage …. The 80’s supergroup or the Swedish sweater set? Who’s the Greatest…you decide.
Roxette’s success story is chronicled, and prominent mention is made during the 13-minute program of the fact that this is Roxette’s 20th anniversary year and that the group is getting back together.
The program invited Claus Olsson, editor-in-chief of Sweden’s music trade magazine NMB, and Billboard magazine’s correspondent in Sweden, Jeffery DeHart, to serve as commentators.
“He’s such a master at finding melodies and catchy tunes and hooks that people like, that he’s kind of made it into a sport,” said Olsson of Per Gessle.
DeHart, who said he’s never been a big Roxette fan, spoke of attending a Room Service concert. “It was amazing, I was really surprised…I didn’t really expect it to be so well polished, but it was. It was flawless. Very professional, great musicianship, very good band. It was very impressive,” he said.
While both ended up at the end of the program choosing The Cardigans, it wasn’t without hesitation.
Radio Sweden is the English-language service of Sveriges Radio, available via shortwave radio broadcasts and on the Internet.
- Radio Sweden’s Roxette vs. Cardigans audio program (requires RealPlayer)
- Radio Sweden’s “The Greatest” program page (in English)
Other matchups include:
- 18th century scientist: Carl Linneaus versus Anders Celsius
- Actress: Greta Garbo vs. Ingrid Bergman
- Author: August Strindberg vs. Selma Lagerlöf
- Athlete: Björn Borg vs. Ingemar Stenmark
- ABBA queen: Agnetha vs. Frida
- Phones or Furniture: Lars Magnus Ericsson vs. Ingvar Kamprad
- Bond Girl: Britt Ekland vs. Maud Adams vs. Izabella Scorupco
- Swedish Chef: Bengt Wedholm vs. Marcus Samuelsson
- Sportswoman: Annika Sörenstam vs. Carolina Klüft
- Princess: Victoria vs. Madeleine
Other articles with the same topic
- Roxette live in Yekaterinburg: the set list (March 5, 2011)
- Samara was a smash (March 4, 2011)
- Roxette tour moves south to Samara, Russia (March 3, 2011)
- North America and Australia on the Roxette radar for later this year (March 2, 2011)
- Roxette live in Kazan: a promising start to the World Tour (March 1, 2011)
20 comments
tcooh said on March 26, 2006 22:59:
Why doesn’t these two last features articles appear on the TDR frontpage? (The Roxette - Cardigans, and the aussie oplympic athlete)
L00kSharp said on March 27, 2006 05:14:
OK... looking at commercial success, this does not make any sense to me. It Must Have Been Love is a much bigger movie hit than Lovefool was.
From a recognition standpoint... well, granted I haven’t followed the Cardigans, but I follow pop music, and I just listened to the top 20 Cardigans download snippets in iTunes, and I had never heard a single song from them other than Lovefool.
This makes no sense to me, unless the Cardigans have put out 20 Swedish-language CDs and are national heroes for the past ten years or something??
Lars-Erik_Olson (moderator) said on March 27, 2006 05:19:
Well, we’ve had this idea of expanding The Daily Roxette to include an active “features” page (making a distinction between hard news items, and softer, less time-sensitive feature stories)... but it seems we need to figure out a way to surface the headlines from those stories onto the front page, and into the feed we supply to our partner sites. In the meantime, they now appear on the front page as well.
Thanks!!
Sparvogamarie said on March 27, 2006 05:57:
It is a bit silly to compare a band with a 20 year career, 4 US number ones and million selling albums, to a band that has had only a few minor hits and disappeared after a few years.
Room_service said on March 27, 2006 06:15:
I only like a few songs by the Cardingans, like Your New Cuckoo, Lovefool, Erase/Rewind, My Favourite Game. I specially like their album from 1996, “First Band On The Moon” (not the first girl this time). But their latest albums (“Long Gone Before Daylight” and “Super Extra Gravity”) are the most boring albums I ever heard. They tend to sound very dark and acoustic now, no song from those albums really catches my attention.
Of course, Roxette was bigger (and better, that’s not the same as bigger). There are more variety in their songs. The Cardingans were never that popular...
eBay said on March 27, 2006 07:32:
Of course I think Roxette is much better, but in my opinion, the Album “Long Gone Before Daylight” by the Cardigans is one of the best Albums that was released in the last years. I love the whole album SOOO much and I think it is incredible to see how their music has changed with time. And I think, if I remember coorectly, even Per thought it was a VERY good album. If I am not mistaken, when his Album Mazarin was voted to be the best Album of the year, didn’t he say, he would have chosen the Cardigans “Long Gone Before Daylight” ??
PolicarpoAroca said on March 27, 2006 07:38:
Nice programme...
Of course Roxette are bigger than The Cardigans. In fact, The Cardigans began their career within indie-ambients -the press in this field always categorised them in this wave- then they surrendered to to the commercial hit, but after their album “Long gone before daylight”, which commercially was a flop, they seem to have returned to their roots, with a clear evolution in their sound. For me, their last album, “Super Extra Gravity”, with the production of their former albums, Tore Johanson -who produced first album of Franz Ferdinand- is a gem I recommend for everyone who loves music, not commercial hits. This album is alredy a flop...they have only released an international single, their label in USA doesn´t want to release the album there -search for any similarities hehe- and their current TOUR is not reaching the places The Cardignas wanted to show their new songs live. A real pity...but I still appreciate their albums and their sound...really mature and personal.
But definitly...they are not like Roxette. Perhaps when the two groups were at the same peak of success it would be a nice contrast to discuss...but not now.
By the way...I don´t like the tone of one of the journalists surveyed, when he says he doesn´t see Roxette releasing a full new album and working on it...just releasing one or two songs for the mere pleasure of doing it.
No...I don´t want Roxette like Eurythmics. I prefer Roxette to be closed instead of denigrating their marvellous and spectacular past achievements.
Just opinions...like always.
ally77 said on March 27, 2006 07:48:
Good series.... some good choice to be made over the whole 11 choices... :) I know which I would choose!
coyboyusa said on March 27, 2006 14:10:
i am just as offended lars I can’t see how the 2 could even compare, I mean the cardigans are basically a 1 hit wonder band in the states, I know peopel here who aren’t fans that can name 3-4 roxette songs without hesitation, and in terms of musicicianship...i just goes to prove the critics are the ones who know the least
Nox1983 said on March 27, 2006 14:34:
Ok, if those two kids (Olsson & Dehart) are asked about Abba vs. Ace Of Base, the answer would be... Ace Of Base...
I don´t hate Cardigans music but they are not a band to be compared with Roxette...
Who was choosen the queen of Abba?
plectrum said on March 28, 2006 05:06:
I can’t understand as to why anybody could compare the two bands!! with all due respect to the cardigans even themselves have to look upto roxette & be envious to what they have achieved,YES the cardigans did have 1 or two songs that entered the uk charts (or have i missed out on something) but in my view i’d say (ace of base) were bigger & better than the cardigans whome were some way behind roxette.well lets put it another way shall we...starting with abba lets put the most successful swedish band ever.
abba
roxette
ace of base
the cardigans
a:teans (lol)
eBay said on March 28, 2006 10:09:
Well, the Cardigans were actually quite successful with their album Gran Turismo. And that was released after the album ’first band on the moon’ which included LoveFool.
AURYTE said on March 28, 2006 21:19:
I agree with everyone who said that we couldn’t compare The Cardigans with Roxette. Gyllene Tider, who are popular just in Sweden, are greater than The Cardigans. However, both Olsson and DeHart’s words sounded just like opinions. One of them even said that he prefer The Cardigans because he likes their melancholic sound. So after all, it’s just their own opinions. On the other hand they’ve chosen The Cardigans maybe because of the reason that their future is more clear.
Anyway, Roxette are way greater than The Cardigans.
PS Can any of you vote for any poll? Somehow I always end up in an error page.
ratpack said on March 30, 2006 10:13:
Where is the winner??? from this poll???
For me is it Roxette!!!!!
Perismyhero said on April 15, 2006 09:44:
Ok gonna keep this brief - anyone who thinks the cardigans (or any other band for that matter) r better than Roxette is on drugs n serious in need of professional psychiatric help.
davidc4 said on April 19, 2006 15:30:
how can you compare the cardigans to Roxette?i like both bands but they are a world apart from each other totally different in styles.i suggest radio sweden just pit all of them against each other to make it fair Roxette,ABBA,Ace of Base and the cardigans not to mention the a teens
Lars-Erik_Olson (moderator) said on March 26, 2006 19:08:
Jeffrey DeHart, whom we’ve met, is an active ABBA fan and is known to read TDR from time to time.
@ Jeffrey... HOW COULD YOU ?!?!? ;-) The Cardigans are great, yes... but “greater” than Roxette?!? No way man!
Actually, the whole idea of such a “who’s greatest” question is a bit silly... and the host of the program forced the question, so we’re not holding any grudges. The program does a nice job of covering Roxette’s career.