animalkingdom said on September 26, 2003 18:57:

“Not much of their popularity was left”..

Such b.s.!

ChrisWilliams said on September 26, 2003 20:47:

It depends on how you look at things.

When I first became a fan in 2002, I had the belief that everything went wrong while Roxette had their break. I got this idea because I looked at things from a British perspective (as I’m British): In Britain, sales fell lower and lower after the Greatest Hits release.

However, in mainland Europe, notably Scandinavia, Roxette never really went away, what with the solo albums and “Roxette star marries” stories floating around.

Roxette’s current market is mainland Europe, and not Britain [only CDs with “It Must Have Been Love” included will get them anywhere in our fickle chart] or the USA. which is why I don’t see a delay in new material as being a problem: They’ll never go away completely.

cskendras said on September 26, 2003 21:11:

i am a fan who didn’t like Roxette, when i was a bit younger. how stupid i was...

MiracleMan said on September 27, 2003 04:46:

Music is a fickle business, but fans—especially those in the discussion group—aren’t. Otherwise you wouldn’t be in here discussing the furure of Roxette.

No, popularity in the US hasn’t survived because they’ve had nothing new here since C!B!B!, but they rose again in Europe with a new fanbase, and I suspect they’ll be able to do it again.

I’m as anxious as the next guy to hear a new album, and I’ll be happy if they release another in 2005 or any other future date, but whining about the lack of new material is pointless.

Let Marie heal, let her release a solo album, let GT do their thing if it happens, and then Roxette can be considered again. They’ll survuve as long as the two of them enjoy making music together.

Be happy to have what you have. You could have had none of it.

zaine said on September 27, 2003 20:48:

I became a fan 11 months ago. In fact, next wednesday, at will be my 1st yar anniversary of bein a fan!!! not due to promo or a release or anything. It was just chance I saw a video on TV. I reckon they’ll survive, as long as EMI put in a lil bit of input...

Maciek said on September 28, 2003 11:20:

In april 2004, it will be my 13th anniversary of being roxette fan

harriej said on September 28, 2003 21:10:

ROX FOREVER!!!

Shane said on September 30, 2003 18:41:

Wow - so many British fans - great to know all of you are out there!

I think Roxette will survive the gap, but they probably will not have the same level of success as today’s “stars” (i.e. - Justin T, Britney, etc.) because Roxette has their own style and will not create their new music and/or a new look just to fit into today’s scene.

To me, they are an established group who already hit the mega-star level in the 90’s. Like other mature bands, they are in the position of being able to focus more on putting out good music for their fan base (however large or small) rather than just churning out uninspired, common songs aimed at climbing the charts.

Ouch - sorry - fell off my soapbox. I will stop rambling now.

Sanglof said on October 1, 2003 06:11:

I’m sooo surprised aboot how many new fans there are at this place!! I thoght that almost everyone here was like fans from the 90’s. It feels great to see that there are so many new fans!!

Hope you’ll stay here, and enjoy Roxette’s music until ya die!

See ya in Roxette-heaven then!!

zaine said on October 2, 2003 16:42:

because most of the new stuff is over-produced crap, to be honest. I like some ’modern’ music, but not a lot. Most of it lacks passion and enthusiasm. Roxette have a certain feeling, that no matter what they do it sounds special. Especially the older stuff like joyride because my dad used to play this when I was a kid. They’re just a special band that help bring back memories and happy times. no other band can do that. If my dad hadn’t liked it or played it earlier, then I wouldn’t know them now.
Not gonna go into the whole story of how I got back into them ’cos most of ya are probably bored stiff of it by now. All I can say is that they’re special :)

bleu_argente said on October 7, 2003 03:15:

Hey, its funny, I was just thinking about this the other day, and talking it over with some friends...for what it is worth, here is what we came up with from an Australian perspective...

I have been a massive Rox fan since it all started in Aus in 1989...but music was vastly different in Australia back then. Roxette had a huge range. I was 14, my mum was in her 40’s, and everyone in between loved them as well. Roxette appealed to everyone because 15 years ago, the genres and target audiences were much wider. For example, rap and heavy metal were considered extreme, and not mainstream music that could really be marketed well.

These days, there are so many genres to cater for a huge range of target audiences, and with some notable exceptions (ie I agree with Max-Tob in his suggestions), most don’t stray into other age groups or fan bases. Take bands (ha!) or performers like Britney, Christina, Timberlake - all teen/young adult, you won’t see my mum rushing out to buy their stuff. Then you’ve got your mid 20s groups, who like John Mayer and Whitlams and the Vines, ’cool’ pub type music, then your groups that love metal and hip-hop and so on. Too many bands in so many genres...and all with their own sounds.

I think that in Australia, Roxette are somewhere in the middle - not poppy enough to appeal to younger crowds, not edgy enough to crack the mid 20’s early 30’s I see them really potentially cracking. And Aussies, where are they being played? Mix FM and Gold FM - ie ’middle of the road non-offensive pop’ and ’golden oldies’ stations (now I’m getting local! Go Melbourne!) I personally would love to hear more edge to the music, less pop, I know they can do it (ie Surrender (live - love it!) , Sleeping Single, Things will never be the same, etc), they won’t lose that unique Roxness but in my oh-so humble opinion, that is where it is at. What do other Aussies think??

And its all about marketing, isn’t it? God, if I see Xtina’s butt crack one more time, or Britney’s abs...blah. I hate that music, because there is no soul or heart to it. And people that have that are pounced on and marketed until commercial radio bleeds them to death, and all you want to do is switch them off. Then it all starts again, and so it goes on. And Australia is predominantly led by the nose by the US market (this has slowly been changing, though). The one thing about Rox music is it has heart and soul, some of their songs take me places that I can’t describe, even after 15 years of Look Sharp and Joyride. There’s only been a couple of others that have been close (U2’s ’Beautiful Day’ for example, or for you aussies, Alex LLoyd’s ’Amazing’).

I’m not saying that they won’t be back...but in Australia, did we even hear a glimmer of Opportunity Nox? No, because we are so flooded at the moment with US pop crap and metal and rap that there is very little room for anything else to make an impact. And when someone does (ie Avril - who I can’t stand, BTW) they are everywhere you turn until you want to scream.

I’m not living in the good ol’ days, I really think they can come back in Aus if they could crack that mid adult market.

Sorry this is so long, but I love Rox!!! And I want them back here!!!

Max-Tob said on October 7, 2003 08:35:

Oh! Sorry about the English mistakes from my post above...I didn’t read it before posting...
See you.

bleu_argente said on October 7, 2003 11:51:

Hi Max-Tob and RobS (thanx, great to meet an Aussie!)

Max-Tob, I totally agree with you...and you have made me think hard. I guess Aus is so far away, and you are so much closer to the coalface of Roxette and Sweden/Scandinavia then we are out here (hell, we aren’t close to anything!!!) Marie’s illness barely made waves here in Aus. At around the same time, a family friend unfortunately had a tumour, and she was the one who told me about Marie (she heard thru her support group). I was shocked to the core when I found out, and I guess that is why I eventually sought out a forum like this, so I could be informed about the music I love and the people who make it.

So in the meantime, you lose sight of the people who are Roxette, and you remember the music and the songs that blew you away, and still do, you ponder what it would take to bring it all back and you think you have the answers...when in reality its all so different. I consider myself a real fan, but would a real fan not even factor Marie’s health into the equation? I don’t know :( , but it makes me sad that I would not think of that. I read that last post I wrote and I still believe it, but now I consider that yes, the average listener would in some ways be more demanding then the person you would find on this forum. While we can be critical, we can also be sympathetic, yet the average listener may not ven be aware of the struggles and trials of recent times.

Anyway, Max-Tob and RobS, your posts have provoked some strong thoughts...I read the posts here and I get a little jealous that Max, you are so much closer to Roxette and Sweden then I am! and when you talk about the Scandanavian Mazarin tour, I want to die with envy!!! but that is talk for another thread, methinks :) I will think it through and perhaps contribute some more later. My posts are far too long, anyway.

BTW (ha ha), Max-Tob, you might appreciate this - Bleu Argente was supposed to be Silver Blue in French, cause that was the song that really captured me...but someone had Silver Blue here already so I went to a french web translator and typed it in, and that’s what I got back...I think it is supposed to be the other way around (ie Argente Bleu)! Can you tell me, which way is right!!! (hee hee).

PS - Max, take it from an ex-English teacher, your English was quite good! No too many typos at all!

Max-Tob said on October 8, 2003 06:03:

@Bleu argente: If I understand correctly what “Silver blue” means (maybe it’s me and I don’t get it in English very well), then in French must be something like “argent blue”, without “e” in the end of “argent”, because “e” at the end of the word stays for feminine form. The adjective must be after the determined noun (I suppose “silver” is a noun in the Rox song), so, in French we don’t say “blue argent”, but “argent blue”, “ciel bleu” (“blue sky”) and so on. OK. That’s enough for the French class today (I was joking).

I don’t see myself closer to Roxette than you. I just find out that Per was in Paris for a couple of days but...what can I say?...I didn’t see him though... If you live very far from Europe you just get the illusion that fans from Europe are more in the “rox-thing” than the others from other places on earth...Well, maybe if I would have lived in Stockholm, or Halmstad, or Copenhagen, or Helsinki, I would have been considered myself closer to rox-thing. But, as you know, the French people don’t like roxette, they don’t even know who roxette are, I can’t find their albums here and I always must go to Germany if I want to buy/see some Roxette. So, I don’t think I’m privileged.

Yes, I know that Per said a few times that roxette are not looking for international success anymore...I hope he really meant it. He says lots of things in replay of a certain kind of conjecture...He’s not always honest, just very clever and adequate. Of course he couldn’t say something like “we can’t afford to conquer the world anymore, so we decided to declare ourselves satisfied with a regional success”. The only thing that “goes” was what he said. But of course, it doesn’t mean that he didn’t believe it. Maybe it was exactly what he/they felt. I am not saying he lied. But I also think that it would be better not to take for granted this kind of statements because they are often meant to undeline something and to hide something else. And Gessle knows how to do it...

Shele said on October 8, 2003 11:47:

I think Roxette will survive... at least here in Sweden. Per Gessle made a solo-album this year, in Swedish. And he is now more poular in Sweden than he has ever been... He can’t fail here!!!

bleu_argente said on October 8, 2003 23:28:

@ Rox_nox2003 - who are your comments directed at?

I think we have already discussed Marie’s illness as a factor...and I personally think that, at least in the US and AUS markets, the gap was widening anyway. But I think your comments are a little harsh...people are here in this forum for a common love of Roxette; lets not go ranking people or judging how well they know Roxette due to their personal opinions. And, as I explained earlier, its out of sight, out of mind for mainstream music in Aus, does that make me any less of a Rox fan then yourself? If you read the posts, you’ll see that much of the discussion is centered around Marie’s illness and recovery, and people are concerned - that’s why they have responded.

Personally, all I am saying is the sound I think would work well in Australia. Hey, I’m no industry expert, but I am a lover of good music and I know what I like.

Rox_Nox2003 said on October 9, 2003 15:55:

Hi Blue and mAX

Well first of all i am not offending anyone in particular with my post at all not even everybody here. I just stated my honest view on some isssue in general. I didn’t mean to be harsh in any way and i didn’t want to set another track on Marie’s issue or anything closer to that.

What we had here was a mere missunderstanding. I apolizige myself if my message didn’t come across the way i wanted but taking in consideration how negative the feelings from some roxers on this forum around the future of Roxette and also thei latest works are (too excessively acording to me) you do get to the point when you can’t handle certain issues that go over and over again with no proper reason. RS and HAND were dismissed by many roxers and this went on for too much and now the question of will they go on again recording (something I TRULLY believe ) or not.... it’s too much and sometime it takes very badly guided direcctuons with negatives remarks and that is the kind of post i got sicked and tired of reading.

Under that rught wave of negativism that was how i ended up seeing this topic as well but not intentionally nor to be mean towards anyone. It’s true we all share love for Roxette’s music and themselves (despite the fact that some people don’t seem to show it) i just think that there are certain boudaries that we could try to respect more often in regard to their personal lives we some people here are unable to understand due to a lack of sensitivenes and thinking....

But anyway i also prefer to wait until something happens and i wait until Marie gets full recovery. I juts hope that if she releases a new album next yeat as mentioneded some time ago, that such will not cause too much freaking feeling on wanting a new Rox album only because Marie was able to release one solo...there are always factors that might make delays and we should learn to cope with that....

And yes they will survive cause one thing is certain...Roxette love and know what they are doing otherwise almost 20 years on this wouldn’t be anything....

Once again sorry for missunderstanding and thank u so much for u replies (especially Max)

Cheers

Rox Nox

bleu_argente said on October 12, 2003 23:04:

Hey, ditto for me, I wasn’t having a go, it was more along the lines of ’we’ve been there’.

I understand that it might be repetitive, but for someone like me who is relatively new here its all new stuff :)

So I hope its cool! Sorry for bringing this one up to the top again but I just wanted to say that :)

patricia said on October 15, 2003 08:18:

No, they won’t. I was a Rox fan since 1992, but I can’t go on being their fan anymore. I’m too tired of this gaps. In 1995, I was able and patient to wait until 1999, but now I’m not a child anymore and I have so much more important things to do! I don’t wanna wait until 2005. Roxette is dead for me. It was very hard to admmit it to myself, but it’s true. I don’t like Roxette anymore. I listen to their music, coz it’s really the best music I ever heard, but I’m not worried if they’re ok, or they’re planning a tour...

Max-Tob said on October 15, 2003 16:21:

Dear Patricia, you are contradicting yourself in every single sentence:

best music you ever heard / too tired to wait for more

roxette are dead for you / keep listening to their music, as you admitted

while admitting they were back in ’99 (after the gap you mentioned) / you are very sure of yourself in saying they are not going to survive a new gap even if you have no arguments for this except your tiredness (or your new grown up mentality) which - obviously - has nothing to do with the objective conjencture of comming or not comming back of Roxette.

It’s funny to see how your disponibility to wait from ’95 to ’99 was due to your childish view upon life which - using your terms - gave you hope to wait 4 years for new material; unlike your new “mature” attitude makes you see an eventual roxette revival impossible.
Hm...funny how we become hopelessly annoying and disharmonious according as we grow old.

You surely believe that everybody here are sitting in beds taking sleeping pills and trying to hibernate until the new roxette album will be in out in supermarkets.
Very funny and sad in the same time.

DaminehGessle said on October 15, 2003 21:24:

To be honest with you I don’t care whether they survive. I would love to see my favourite band be famous and be there forever since Roxette is all that’s left from my past. But no matter what their status is, they will always be Roxette to me. ALWAYS!

lawyer said on October 17, 2003 18:14:

Comment removed by author

Rox_Nox2003 said on October 20, 2003 19:14:

Pelle: If you don’t mind me saying this but the way you’re putting this issue is also not very correct. First of all whether Roxette have survived or will survived any gap it for me a very silly topic cause the only arguments used here is in concern to Sucess and Popularity and Millions of records... and I am a bit tired of seeing roxers looking at Roxette and judging them under this perspective... can’t understand how important Roxette are for them like this. After all one’s love and admirations only makes sence because the whole world still loves Roxette and Roxette are stull very popular and do still sell millions and millions...is that the reason why you love their music? Well.... between some of you and Britney’s fans I will leave this to God to decide...

Anyway... Roxette are still a very fondly loved band all over the world a bit more here and there but able to capt some attention. It’s no so important anymore if they are on TOP cause that’s natural that things go down a bit it happens to everyone let’s face and there’s nothing wrong wit that. Saying that Roxette was “in” back in 1994 and not so some in 1999... ok maybe it’s not totally wrong but does not justify anything...

I mean since 1996 music scene has changed tremensdouly everywhere worse in the USA and it’s all also a natural process whether we like it or not... I could never stand Spice Girls and BBoys and stuff like that I can’t stand today’s Hip Hop and teen pop i hate it... but yes they are selling a lot now and on top everywhere or almost .... it’s their time now and Roxette had also their time (Although they are trully superior of course anyway)...

Being number one anymore or not seeling millions should not be a reason to justify a band’s quality and talent and if they manged to be here all these years no matter whta they’ll carry on for as long as they want.

Things will never be the same as in 1989 or 1994.. but the most important is that they still wanna do it no matter what and still do it for us mostly... and that is for me as a fan trully rewarding... It’s their music that still drives me in and not theis sucess or the lack of it....

They’ll survive and overstep any obstacle in their carrear cause musicallywise we know Per and Marie are too good to be trown away and they don’t need to seel millions to prove that... ROXETTE is a word that all the world still has in mind whethere one loves them or not...