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Thursday, April 05, 2012

The 10 Best Singles By... Roxette!

With a new (slightly nostalgic) album out now, it's a perfect time to look back at the phenomenal Roxette's discography. This was an incredibly hard list to pick, because there were 5-10 songs that could have easily been added. Even though their past few albums have been pretty spotty, it's amazing what a remarkably consistent career these guys have had.

10. Crash! Boom! Bang! (1994) - Despite the many exclamation points, a restrained, slow-burning ballad. Marie's always been the master at delivering songs like these, but this one in particular feels incredibly heartfelt.

9. The Centre Of The Heart (2001) - An electronic-leaning, uptempo pop song that introduced them for a new millennium. It still sounds fresh today.

8. Listen To Your Heart (1989) - Their first big ballad and the template for many, many more afterward. It really is a masterclass in pop songwriting.

7. Stars (1999) - Easily their most offbeat, clubby single, this was a refreshing change of pace for the band. The music video is also one of their very best.

6. Dangerous (1989) - Another example of how on-top-of-their-game the band was in the late 80's/early 90's. This is a pop melody without any fat at all. Proved that The Look was no fluke.

5. Spending My Time (1991) - The first selection from the duo's best album, Joyride, this took their ballad-writing skills to an even more polished, mature level. The emotive chorus is one of their best.

4. It Must Have Been Love (1990) - Probably their best-known single in the States, it rightfully goes down as their most enduring ballad. There's just something about the melody and vocal performance that sticks, no matter how many times you hear it.

3. The Look (1989) - The first song I ever heard from the band, and the one that made me a fan. That guitar riff and verse melody is unmistakable. Massive pop song.

2. Fading Like A Flower (1991) - I think this marks the perfect middle-ground between their ballad and uptempo sounds. The propulsive chorus is absolutely galvanizing. To me, this era was Roxette at their absolute finest.

1. Joyride (1991) - One of the most joyous pop songs ever to hit number one in the States (and around the world). This track not only kicked off their best album, but manages to endure through the years despite (or because of?) its cheesiness and 90's production tricks. Simply put, an epic song is an epic song, no matter when it's recorded.

So there you go! But here's the thing, no list is complete without hearing what you think! Leave your top ten Roxette songs in the comments!

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1 Comments:

Blogger Scott Stebleton said...

I played the hell out of "Dangerous" in middle school. Joyride never really connected with me, but I'm willing to give it another chance. Thanks for this list!

11:10 AM  

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