Anyone who grew up in the late 1980s and early 1990s in the United States heard her voice over the airwaves – singing popular tunes such as, “It Must Have Been Love,” “Listen To Your Heart, “The Look,” and so many more. Marie Fredriksson was the voice behind the popular pop-rock group, Roxette. Formed in 1986, the Swedish duo (rounded out by Per Gessle) took the world by storm… accumulating nineteen UK Top 40 hits, and four number one tracks in the US.
While their firestorm in the United States only lasted from around 1988-1992, the band recorded a total of ten albums, the most recent having been released in 2016, Good Karma. They remained a strong force on the world music scene long after their hits stopped reaching US charts. Despite Marie’s health, the band kept touring through 2016, and I had the pleasure of getting to see them perform live in Belgium at the Suikerrock festival back in 2011. That trip is what re-sparked my love of live music, and the adventure of traveling to other countries to see my favorite bands. If I can tell you one thing, it’s to go see your favorite band while you can. I know I’m glad I did.
Marie lost her 17 year battle with cancer on December 9, 2019, at the age of 61. Originally diagnosed with a brain tumor back in 2002, and having that original tumor successfully surgically removed, the battle continued. Despite health complications and rehabilitation, she continued an impressive work load during her years of battling cancer – releasing three solo albums, and three Roxette albums. Her voice will remain an iconic piece of music history.
A playlist doesn’t exist that features every single Marie Fredriksson song on Spotify, so I’ll highly encourage you to go explore her albums that you’ve maybe never heard before – whether solo albums or later Roxette albums.
In the meantime, enjoy the “This Is Roxette” list that Spotify has put together in tribute to Marie:
The Indy Review 