ROXETTE “Joyride” /GLP/

The first re-release of the third full-length studio album by legendary Swedish Pop Rock band.
The follow-up to their international breakthrough, "Look Sharp!" (1988), as well as the non-album single "It Must Have Been Love" (from the soundtrack to "Pretty Woman", 1990), sees like most of the songs sound like they were designed to be Hit Singles, not just fillers between two or three good cuts.
The beauty of Roxette is that the duo of Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson can do practically anything in terms of Top 40 music. From the quiet desperation of "Spending My Time" to the chanting carnival of "Joyride" to the Folky "Church of Your Heart", they bring a worldliness to their lyrics and melodies that most Pop A-listers don't even have the imagination to dream of. 
The album was recorded over an 11-month period in Sweden. The duo experienced considerable pressure from their record label, EMI, to deliver a successful follow-up album, and resisted pressure to relocate to Los Angeles and work with experienced American producers.
"Joyride" was an immediate commercial success, selling over 2.2 million copies worldwide within a month of release. The band toured extensively to support the record, performing to over 1.7 million people across four continents during the Join the Joyride! Tour.
“Joyride” topped the charts in seven European countries, and was certified multi-Platinum in several territories. In their home country, it spent seven weeks at number one on the Swedish Albums Chart, where it has been certified 3× Platinum for shipments in excess of 300 000 units. It also spent nine non-consecutive weeks atop the Norwegian Albums Chart, along with a further eight weeks at number two.
The album remains one of the best-selling albums of all time in Argentina, Austria, and Germany. "Joyride" was a massive commercial success in Germany, debuting at number six, before rising to the top spot the following week. In total, it spent thirteen consecutive weeks at number one on the German Albums Chart, and a further five weeks at number two. It was certified 7× Gold by the BVMI, indicating shipments of over 1.75 million units, and remains one of the best-selling albums of all time in the country. "Joyride" spent eleven weeks at number one on the Austrian Albums Chart, and is one of the highest-selling albums of all time there, where it was certified triple Platinum by the IFPI for sales in excess of 150 000 copies. The record also spent sixteen weeks at number one in Switzerland, and was certified quadruple Platinum there for sales in excess of 200 000 copies.
On the UK Albums Chart, "Joyride" debuted at number two, kept off the top spot by Eurythmics' "Greatest Hits". It spent 49 weeks on the chart, and was certified double Platinum by the BPI for shipments in excess of 600 000 copies. Similarly, the album spent two weeks at number two on the Australian Albums Chart, behind the Eurythmics compilation, and was certified triple Platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association. It debuted at number forty-one on the Billboard 200, on the chart dated 20 April 1991. The album would spend over a year on the chart, peaking at number twelve. It was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in July 1991, and had sold over 1.3 million copies in the US as of 2005. In Canada, it peaked at number three, and was certified quintuple Platinum for shipments in excess of 500 000 units. It was also certified sextuple Platinum in Argentina for sales of almost half a million copies. As of 2001, "Joyride" had sold over 11 million copies worldwide. An expanded 30th-anniversary edition of the album was released on 26 November 2021.
Parlophone Music Sweden, a division of Warner Music Sweden AB, 1991/2021 (5054197107160). Made in Germany.


Tracklist 

Side a
1. Joyride 4:30
2. Hotblooded 3:23
3. Fading Like A Flower (Every Time You Leave) 3:54
4. Knockin' On Every Door 4:00
5. Spending My Time 4:39
6. Watercolours In The Rain 3:39

Side b
1. The Big L. 4:29
2. (Do You Get) Excited? 4:18
3. Small Talk 3:54
4. Physical Fascination 3:31
5. Things Will Never Be The Same 4:29
6. Perfect Day 4:06

Total playing time: 48:52 min.