The Ballad Hits

The Ballad Hits is the second greatest hits compilation album by Swedish pop duo Roxette, released on 4 November 2002 by Roxette Recordings and Capitol Records. It was the first of a two-part series of "best of" albums released by the duo in quick succession, and was followed by The Pop Hits in March 2003. Two new songs were recorded specially for The Ballad Hits: lead single "A Thing About You" and "Breathe". The album was a commercial success upon release, and has been certified gold or platinum in a number of territories.

Release and promotion

The album contains two newly recorded songs: "Breathe" and "A Thing About You", which was issued as the album's lead single on 14 October 2002. CD versions of the album released on mainland Europe, as well as Brazil and Russia, feature copy protection. A limited edition of the compilation containing a bonus EP of previously unreleased tracks was also released in select territories. The EP contained "The Weight of the World", "It Hurts" and "Every Day", along with a fourth song, "See Me", which had previously been released as a b-side on the duo's 1999 single "Salvation".<ref name="look">Template:Cite book</ref> Its release in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States was timed to coincide with Valentine's Day of 2003.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The album was due to be promoted by Roxette performing with an orchestra at the pan-European concert series Night of the Proms. However, Roxette had to be pull out of the event when singer Marie Fredriksson was diagnosed with a brain tumour.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Critical reception

The compilation received generally positive reviews. William Ruhlmann of AllMusic described Roxette as a "much bigger act in Europe than in America. Indeed, as far as the United States is concerned, there are only five chart entries [on the album], and only three real hits. ... Americans may have lost interest at about the time that Nirvana came roaring in from the Northwest, but Roxette has been consistent, scoring hits throughout the 90's and beyond with their usual practice of attractive pop hooks and Marie Fredriksson's emotive vocals." He summarised by writing that the album contained "plenty of ear candy" and rated it 3 stars out of 5.<ref name="AM"/> A writer for Uncut gave a positive review as well, saying that the album contained "not ballads in the conventional folksy sense, but rather, at their best, pomp-rock steamrollers crushing the puny likes of Jennifer Rush with the mighty weight of their sentimentality." They also rated the album 3 stars out of five, and called it "A must for drama queens and pop aficionados alike."<ref name="Uncut"/>

Commercial performance

The album was successful throughout Europe, particularly in Scandinavia. It peaked within the top five in both Denmark and the duo's native Sweden,<ref name="Denmark"/><ref name="Sweden"/> and was certified gold in both territories for shipments in excess of 25,000 and 30,000 units, respectively.<ref name="DanishCert"/><ref name="SwedishCert"/> It reached number eight on the Norwegian Albums Chart,<ref name="Norway"/> and was certified platinum by the IFPI there for sales in excess of 40,000 copies.<ref name="NorwayCert">Template:Cite web</ref> It also reached the top ten in Belgium,<ref name="Belgium"/> Germany,<ref name="Germany"/> the Netherlands,<ref name="Netherlands"/> and Switzerland,<ref name="Switzerland"/> and was certified gold in both of the latter territories for shipments in excess of 40,000 and 20,000 units, respectively.<ref name="DutchCert"/><ref name="SwissCert"/>

The Ballad Hits was promoted in the United Kingdom with a high-profile marketing campaign, which included airing commercials for the album during the popular British soap opera Coronation Street over the week leading up to Valentine's Day.<ref name="look"/> The album debuted at number 23 on the UK Albums Chart on the chart dated 9 February 2003,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> before rising to its peak of number 11 on its second week. <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It peaked even higher on the Scottish Albums Chart, reaching number seven there.<ref name="Scotland"/> It was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry for shipments in excess of 60,000 units.<ref name="BritishCert"/>

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Ballad Hits.<ref name="ballad">Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>

• Roxette are Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson
• Recorded in various studios in Sweden, Italy and Spain between November 1987 and June 2002.
• All songs produced by Clarence Öfwerman, except tracks 1 and 15 by Öfwerman and Per Gessle, tracks 11, 12 and 13 by Fredriksson, Gessle, Michael Ilbert and Öfwerman, and track 14 by Fredriksson, Gessle and Öfwerman.
• Mixed by Ronny Lahti, Clarence Öfwerman and Per Gessle at Polar Studios, Stockholm in June 2002.
• Mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound Studios, New York City in July 2002.

Musicians

• Marie Fredriksson – lead and background vocals; piano Template:Small; keyboards Template:Small; mixing
• Per Gessle – lead and background vocals; acoustic guitar Template:Small; 12-stringed acoustic guitar Template:Small; string arrangement Template:Small; engineering; programming; mixing
• Per "Pelle" Alsing – drums Template:Small
• Anders Herrlin – bass guitar Template:Small; engineering and programming Template:Small
• Jonas Isacsson – acoustic and electric guitars; additional bass guitar Template:Small
• Christer Jansson – drums Template:Small; percussion Template:Small
• Christoffer Lundquist – background vocals Template:Small; acoustic guitar Template:Small; bass guitar Template:Small; extended-range bass Template:Small; zither Template:Small
• Mats "MP" Persson – electric guitar Template:Small; string arrangement Template:Small; engineering Template:Small
• Clarence Öfwerman – keyboards Template:Small; Synclavier Template:Small; tambourine Template:Small; synthesizer and tubular bells Template:Small; string arrangements Template:Small; programming

Template:Col-begin Template:Col-break Additional musicians

• Micke Andersson – 12-stringed acoustic and Rickenbacker guitars Template:Small
• Milla Andersson – background vocals Template:Small
• Vicki Benckert – background vocals Template:Small
• Magnus Blom – alto saxophone Template:Small
• Hasse Dyvik – trumpet and flugelhorn Template:Small
• Bo Eriksson – oboe Template:Small
• Anders Evaldsson – trombone Template:Small
• Staffan Öfwerman – background vocals Template:Small
• Stockholm Session Strings – orchestration Template:Small
• Stockholms Nya Kammarorkester Template:Small – orchestration Template:Small

Template:Col-break Technical personnel

• Jonas Åkerlund – photography and art direction
• Marie Dimberg – management
• Mattias Edwall – photography
• Humberto Gatica – mixing Template:Small
• Mats Holmquist – string arrangements Template:Small; conducting Template:Small
• Michael Ilbert – string arrangement Template:Small; engineering, programming and mixing Template:Small
• Ronny Lahti – engineering Template:Small
• Sven Lindström – liner notes
• Sarah Sheppard – photography and art direction
• Shooting Star – programming Template:Small
• Alar Suurna – engineering and mixing Template:Small

Charts

Weekly charts

Template:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chart

Chart (2002–03)	Template:Unbulleted list
Scottish Albums (OCC)<ref name="Scotland">Template:Cite web</ref>	7
Spanish Albums (Promúsicae)<ref name="Spain">Template:Cite book</ref>	20

Year-end charts

Chart (2002)	Position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	49
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)<ref name="SwedenYE">Template:Cite web</ref>	44
Chart (2003)	Position
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	64

External links

• Template:MusicBrainz release group