Roxette - Joyride (LP)

Roxette’s third studio album, Joyride, arrived in March 1991 just as the world was primed for big choruses and gleaming pop hooks. The Swedish duo had already crashed American radio with Look Sharp!, but Joyride was the moment they turned that momentum into a full-on global run. The title track shot to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, “Fading Like a Flower (Every Time You Leave)” followed it up to number two, and “Spending My Time” and “Church of Your Heart” both landed in the US Top 40. Across Europe and Australia the record was unavoidable, the kind of album that made you sing along in supermarkets and car parks whether you meant to or not.

Part of the charm is right there in the opener. “Joyride” comes in with that wink of a whistle, a rubbery guitar figure, and Marie Fredriksson stepping in with a voice that could flip from silk to steel in a breath. Per Gessle mined the title from a Paul McCartney line about writing with John Lennon, and he pinballed that spirit into something instantly quotable. The famous “Hello, you fool, I love you” hook was born from a note his partner Åsa left on a piano back home, which probably explains why it lands with such a warm, unguarded glow. Pop alchemy, but with fingerprints you can trace.

Clarence Öfwerman’s production keeps everything crisp without losing the human pulse. Roxette recorded the album in Stockholm, and you can hear the clarity of those rooms in how the snare snaps and the pianos ring. Jonas Isacsson’s guitar work is all over these songs, adding sting when needed and shimmer when the choruses lift off. The rhythm section stays punchy and lithe, giving the ballads real weight and the uptempo cuts a clean runway.

“Fading Like a Flower” is the classic power ballad here, the kind rock stations played at midnight while pop stations tucked it between dance jams. Marie sings it like she is holding on to the last thread of a memory, then lets the chorus erupt. “Spending My Time” brings out a different shade, quieter and bruised, with a melody that lingers long after the fade. “The Big L.” is the European single that should have taken over every roller rink, and “Church of Your Heart” brings jangly guitars and a breezy sweetness that plays like a nod to 60s radio.

One detail fans love to point out sits in the middle of the record. “Watercolours in the Rain” pairs Marie’s music with Per’s lyrics, a collaboration that feels like a window into how this duo really worked. It’s gentle and a little surreal, then it gives way to the stormy sweep of “Things Will Never Be the Same.” By the time “Perfect Day” closes the album with strings and a whisper of melancholy, you feel the quiet confidence of a band that knew exactly how to land.

Critics often call Joyride the quintessential Roxette album, and it’s not hard to see why. The writing is concentrated, the choruses arrive like clockwork, and there’s a sense of fun running through even the saddest songs. The success didn’t just live on charts. The Join the Joyride! world tour turned these tracks into arena-sized singalongs from Sweden to South America to Australia, where the single “Joyride” topped the charts and the band became staples on local radio.

If you’re crate-digging, the Joyride vinyl is a joy in its own right. The mix breathes, the guitars feel more tactile, and Marie’s vocal sits right in the room with you. Among Roxette albums on vinyl, this one plays like a de facto greatest hits, which makes it a no-brainer if you’re starting a collection of Roxette vinyl. I found my copy at a Melbourne record store years ago, and it still gets a spin on rainy afternoons. If you prefer to buy Roxette records online, this is the title that belongs in the cart alongside Look Sharp! because it captures the band at full power without losing the charm that pulled you in.

More than three decades on, Joyride hasn’t lost its shine. It’s smart, a little cheeky, and built for repeat plays. That’s the mark of classic pop, and it’s why people still search out Joyride vinyl when they’re flipping through bins from Stockholm to vinyl records Australia hubs and everywhere in between.