Roxette was formed in 1986 as a Swedish pop rock duo, consisting of Marie Fredriksson (vocals and keyboards) and Per Gessle (vocals and guitar). Both artists had very successful solo careers in Sweden but joining forces as a combined unit made them international stars.
They first met in 1981, when Fredriksson performed as a background vocalist with Gessle’s band, Gyllene Tider. Initially, they formed as a one-off deal on the advice of the managing directors of a label interested in them, Capitol/EMI. The newly named Roxette issued one near-invisible release in the US, Teaser Japanese, whose video reached MTV’s studio but received no rotation to speak of. They continued to play, both with each other and with others, until 1986, when their...