WhereIsAtlas · Roxette
What Happened to Roxette?
The Swedish pop duo of Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle, and the 2019 death that brought them to an end.
Roxette were one of the most successful pop acts of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The duo ended in 2019 when singer Marie Fredriksson died; Per Gessle has continued with new music.
A breakout from Sweden
Roxette formed in 1986 and initially struggled at home in Sweden. That changed in 1989 with "The Look," a chart-topping single that introduced the duo to a global audience and launched them into the pop mainstream almost overnight.
A run of worldwide hits
Roxette followed up "The Look" with a string of international successes, including "Listen to Your Heart," "Joyride" and "It Must Have Been Love," the latter reaching number one in the US. Their mix of hooks and melancholy made them one of the defining pop groups of the era.
The illness of Marie Fredriksson
Fredriksson was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2002. She recovered and the duo returned to touring in the 2010s, but her health declined again, and she died in December 2019. The news was met with tributes from fans around the world.
Where Roxette is now
Roxette effectively ended with Fredriksson's death in 2019. Per Gessle has continued performing and releasing music under the name PG Roxette, but the duo that defined the band's sound is gone.
Entries in this story
Sources
- Roxette - Wikipedia — Wikipedia (2026-09-05)
- Roxette singer Marie Fredriksson dies aged 61 — BBC News (2026-09-05)